On Wed, 20 Dec 2006, Troy Dawson wrote:

> Jon Peatfield wrote:
>>  It just occurred to me (hey I'm stupid) that there is a possibility that
>>  TUV might release security updates/errata at a time when many/most of the
>>  main SL people are expecting to have some kind of vacation.
>>
>>  Now I suspect that TUV are unlikely to release much on various dates which
>>  are commonly vacation-days -- since their staff take time off too -- but
>>  since there is an inevitable delay between an announcment and being able
>>  to get/build/test the update SRPMs, this may run into 'holidays' etc.
>>
>>  I started thinking about this because of the recent SAs for
>>  tar/seamonkey/firefox/thunderbird -- I'd include URLs but that would mean
>>  referencing TUV.  Anyway being released on 19th December is possibly
>>  uncomfortably close -- like I doubt that the SL3/4 packages can be made
>>  before the 23rd...
>>
>>  Of course our users are probably (mostly at least) away too so the risks
>>  of delaying the installation a few more days are probably lower too.
>>
>>  Am I worrying over nothing?  I'm told that I often do.
>>
>>   -- Jon
>
> Hi Jon,
> These errata (thunderbird, seamonkey, and firefox) are all marked critical. 
> That gives them my highest priority.  I'm pushing out the SL4 one's right 
> after I send this e-mail and give them one last test.
> SL3 is on a slower machine, required customization, and so it's a little 
> slower.  They should be out in about 2-3 hours.
> So no worries there.

That is probably faster that it would take me to download/rebuild them 
(without any mods changes etc).

Given that the mozilla.org didn't have the 1.5.0.9 versions when I checked 
this morning (let alone any of the mirrors!), the speed is pretty amazing.

This also gives me an oportunity to hack the post-installation mess we do 
to switch to a newer sun-java plugin while few people care...

> So, to answer your real question.  If there are security errata released by 
> the upstread vendor during the week between christmas and newyears, will we 
> recompile them and release them?
>
> The answer is yes.

Excellent! though I do hope that you (plural) get to take at least some 
time off... :-)

> We want to get them out there to be available to install.
> If you want to delay installing them, that is up to you.  But we don't want 
> to be the ones standing between you and your updates.

I keep being told off for ending up spending too much time here at this 
time of year -- it is nice and quiet so I sometimes get to do (some) work 
without interruptions... :-)

-- 
Jon Peatfield,  Computer Officer,  DAMTP,  University of Cambridge
Mail:  [log in to unmask]     Web:  http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/