this post was submitted on 14 Nov 2023
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Yes, Ubuntu Is Withholding Security Patches for Some Software (www.flu0r1ne.net)
submitted 2 years ago by pnutzh4x0r@lemmy.ndlug.org to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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[–] stealthnerd@lemmy.world 82 points 2 years ago (1 children)

TLDR: Ubuntu Pro offers additional security patches to packages found in the universe repo. Universe is community maintained so Ubuntu is essentially stepping in to provide critical CVE patches to some popular software in this repo that the community has not addressed.

I suppose it depends on how you look at it but I don't really see this as withholding patches. Software in this repo would otherwise be missing these patches and it's a ton of work for Ubuntu to provide these patches themselves.

Now is they move glibc to universe and tell me to subscribe to get updates I'll feel differently.

[–] GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.org 11 points 2 years ago (2 children)

How does this compare to other distros?

Debian includes ffmpeg, for example, in the main stable repo. Given Debian's reputation, I would think they are including these security patches in a timely manner, though I'm not entirely sure how to compare specific patches to verify this.

Of course, everything changes when you are selling support contracts. Canonical and Red Hat are the big two for enterprise because they provide support.

When I was last running Ubuntu on desktop, I signed up for an account and enabled these extra security updates. Yeah, it's "free", but it requires jumping through hoops. Requiring an account to get patches is the kind of user-hostile design pattern I expect from Apple or Google, but not in the desktop Linux world.

[–] AProfessional@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Nobody else has this hybrid model. RHEL is a paid distro in general. Most others are just free entirely. They all patch CVEs when they can. Ubuntu doesn’t write all of their patches or anything.

[–] dan@upvote.au 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Ubuntu and Debian are essentially the same here.

Debian's contrib repo, which is the equivalent of Ubuntu's universe repo, doesn't get security updates from the Debian security team, as it's not considered an official part of Debian. Package maintianers have to provide security updates. https://www.debian.org/security/faq#contrib

The difference is that Ubuntu provide paid support for contrib packages, including patches. Debian doesn't have any official paid support options.

[–] aev@lemmy.sdf.org 24 points 2 years ago

No, they aren't. You can switch to their Universe patches anytime, at your own risk. If you want Canonical to mitigate that risk for you, you pay. Simple, really.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 14 points 2 years ago

Frankly this isn't terrible. I'm sure there was a valid reason.

Oh snap

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 10 points 2 years ago

JFC, this misinformation again...

[–] LemmyIsFantastic@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago

Oh God, a company wants to get paid for its support. Let's tar and feather them.

[–] interceder270@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Gonna switch my server to Debian once DigitalOcean releases their Debian 12 guides.

Tired of seeing this "extended-security maintenance" bullshit on the most recent LTS of Ubuntu.

[–] n2burns@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

If it's just the message that bugs you, you can disable ESM by commenting out the esm repo (the second answer here). That's what I did.

[–] interceder270@lemmy.world -2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

The message is definitely annoying, but the fact they're locking security updates behind paywalls makes me want to switch.

Just doesn't make sense to pay extra for security updates when Debian gives them out for free.

[–] ares35@kbin.social 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

do they also lock their sources behind a subscriber agreement that prohibits redistribution of source like ibm's redhat has done?

[–] Ganbat@lemmyonline.com 6 points 2 years ago

RHL: We're locking down our source because people are using it without contributing!

Also RHL: Thanks for your contribution, but we're not interested until we have someone ready to pay us for your labor.

[–] Cwilliams@beehaw.org 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Even if Ubuntu does start doing slightly sketchy things, they'll still be a million times better than Windows or MacOS

[–] ares35@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago

canonical has already crossed that 'slightly sketchy' line.

[–] GustavoM@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You guys 'member when security patches were (freely) given away, for free, without asking nothing back?

I 'member.

Looks like the "Windowsfied Linux" era is upon us.

[–] Dirk@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago

That's the problem with "corporate Linux"[^1]. They see their users as customers only.

[^1]: Directly or indirectly owned by a for-profit organization of any type or directly or indirectly dependent on such an organization.

[–] TCB13@lemmy.world -2 points 2 years ago

What a fucking shock. #not.

This is what you get when you use questionable open-source.