Linux Mint 13 Maya RC available for download now

Ubuntu Linux 12.04, also known as Precise Pangolin was released just last month. It's known to be one of the most popular Linux distributions around. Another equally popular distribution is Linux Mint and it’s also based on Ubuntu. The next big release - Linux Mint 13, based on Ubuntu 12.04 also called Maya is now close to final release. If you want to give it a go, you can check out the near-final release candidate build that’s available for 32 and 64-bit systems. The operating system is freely available for download on their site. The distribution is available in two variants - one called MATE 1.2 and the other Cinnamon 1.4. MATE is considered to be a more stable build designed for all mainstream PCs, while Cinnamon is made specifically for 3D capable PCs and has a more slick user interface, as compared to MATE. Among the smaller additions, there are new themes and a whole bunch of new backgrounds bundled with it.

Full Story: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/linux-mint-13-quotmayaquot-rc-available-for-download-now_707005.html

Linux Kernel Update Beefs Up Security and Graphics Support

Linux creator Linus Torvalds on Sunday released a brand-new version of the Linux kernel, and it's packed with a range of goodies that promise to make life considerably better for users.

Among the highlights of the new Linux 3.4 are driver support for several new graphics cards as well as a new security module and numerous key updates to the Btrfs file system.

“I think the 3.4 release cycle as a whole has been fairly calm,” wrote Torvalds in the release announcement on Sunday. “Sure, I always wish for the -rc's to calm down more quickly than they ever seem to do, but I think on the whole we didn't have any big disruptive events, which is just how I like it.”

'Yama' for Better Security

The new Linux kernel now offers early support for Nvidia's GeForce 600 “Kepler” GPU along with AMD's new Radeon 7xxx and Trinity APU series. Experimental support for Intel's GMA500Medfield graphics targeting smartphones is included as well.

The new “Yama” security module, meanwhile, joins several others that are already part of the kernel, including AppArmor, but adds a number of new systemwide security protections. Yama restricts the ptrace interface, for example, so that processes can't “see” each other's memory.

Then, too, there's a new x32 ABI that aims to make it possible for programs to run in 64-bit mode but using 32-bit pointers and 32-bit-long C type. That way, “applications who need it can enjoy the performance of the 64-bit mode, but with the memory requirements of a 32-bit ABI,” as the kernel's release notesexplain.

Mobile devices could especially benefit from that new capability.

Credits: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/255900/linux_kernel_update_beefs_up_security_and_graphics_support.html