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Multiple security issues in GNU Screen

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414 points st_goliath | 4 comments | 13 May 25 11:28 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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mmsc ◴[13 May 25 12:05 UTC] No.43971967[source]▶
It's surprising that upstream was involved in this. Around 5 years ago, I came to the (sad) conclusion that GNU screen development had completely halted. Is that still not the case?

Does screen have the functionality to add a new window to an existing screen without attaching to the screen yet?

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immibis ◴[13 May 25 13:16 UTC] No.43972604[source]▶
Open source does have a problem with inertia whenever one piece of software ends and another piece is created to replace it, but there's no immediate incentive to switch, because it is a switch, not an update.

Though conversely, when someone buys the trademark for an existing piece of software, and replaces it with something entirely different, like what happened with Audacity, that's also bad. So there's no good solution.

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Wowfunhappy ◴[13 May 25 13:27 UTC] No.43972716[source]▶
Isn't this what distros are for? So e.g. Debian could decide to replace screen with tmux, possibly with some sort of compatibility package that takes all the same command line arguments as screen but uses tmux under the hood. (I've used screen very little and have never used tmux so I'm not sure if that would make sense in this context).
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kevin_thibedeau ◴[13 May 25 13:44 UTC] No.43972924[source]▶
Tmux doesn't support serial ports.
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1. im3w1l ◴[13 May 25 15:47 UTC] No.43974241[source]▶
What is a serial port and what do you use it for?
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2. genewitch ◴[13 May 25 16:15 UTC] No.43974541[source]▶
It is a port that has two data lines, RX and TX, and data is sent in a serial fashion across those data lines. It is used today for embedded systems, routers and switches et al, and getting a console on any machine that doesn't have a gpu with a monitor attached.

USB is a serial BUS, which allows multiple devices; serial ports are single device (if my memory serves).

3. spauldo ◴[13 May 25 18:51 UTC] No.43976309[source]▶
When most people use the term "serial port" they're referring to a DB-25 or DE-9 port you find on older computers or USB dongles. It's also seen in 8P8C (aka "RJ45") form sometimes, especially in industrial equipment. It can send and receive "characters" (anywhere from 5-8 bits each) one at a time at a fixed rate, either half duplex or full duplex. They usually implement one or more of the RS232, RS422, or RS485 standards.

Originally, you communicated with the computer using a teletype or video terminal connected to a serial port. Whatever you typed went to the computer, and whatever the computer sent back was printed on your terminal screen (or paper in the case of a teletype).

The UNIX (and thus, Linux) command line environment still works this way, except the serial line is virtual.

4. cozzyd ◴[14 May 25 02:31 UTC] No.43980115[source]▶
console=ttyS0,115200