- Joshua Brandon Vallum, 29, of Lucedale, Mississippi, pleaded guilty today to a federal hate crime for assaulting and murdering Mercedes Williamson because she was a transgender woman. Williamson, born Michael Wilkins, was 17 years old and resided in Alabama at the time of her death. Vallum was charged with violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
- Valium (diazepam) is a benzodiazepine (ben-zoe-dye-AZE-eh-peen). It is thought that diazepam works by enhancing the activity of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Valium is used to treat anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, or muscle spasms and stiffness. Valium is sometimes used with other medications to treat seizures.
- What does vallum mean? (historical, Roman antiquity) A rampart; a wall, as in a fortification.
- Vallum magazine is also available in digital format. Featuring additional content such as AUDIO and VIDEO recordings of selected poets, further poems, interviews, essays, and MORE! Click play to listen to Fanny Howe read 'Time's Thought,' from Vallum 16:1 'Connections.' Buy your digital copies HERE!
Vallum Submissions
What’s new since Vallum 2?
Everything is changed under the hood, Vallum 3 is really different from older versions. However the most basic features are the same, just drag apps and folders icons from the macOS Finder to Vallum window to block them.
- Unlike older versions Vallum 3 features a global set of rules which is displayed on bottom side of main window. Ruleset can be edited managing apps, folders, groups, users or adding custom rules and answering notification popup alerts.
- Every app or folder has its own set of rules. These rules can be generated by Vallum, or by answering notification popup alerts or adding custom rules. Rules order can be changed at any time and rules can be deleted or edited. Unlike previous Vallum versions you are totally free to choose rules order. Additionally, Vallum 3 rules feature a much more complex structure, very similar to pf rules in both syntax and logic.
- Group management allows you to create groups just like Murus. Vallum groups are translated into afw runtime tables just like Murus groups are translated in to pf runtime tables. Some predefined groups are already available, including all nations groups.
- Vallum is now multiuser. You can protect your non-admin users from unwanted connection or schedule their network access policy. Non-admin users can be managed transparently without requiring their acknowledgement or interaction. Each rule can be effective on all users or a specific user.
- Vallum logging system is much more powerful than previous versions. It is now possible to set the “log” flag for each rule. Logs are stored in a SQLite db, Vallum provides several ways to analyse logs including recursive queries, pie charts, monthly and daily graphic reports and comparisons.
- Configuration Assistant is now easier and allows you to configure Vallum in a few seconds.
- Vallum 3 is based on afw, a free kernel-based socket filter. Afw can be controlled from the shell terminal using the afwctl command. afw man pages are included in Vallum documentation.
- Notification popup alerts improvements: it is now possible to pass/block a connection by IP and port, or by group and nation, or it is possible to pass/block a directory included in process path. Then you can set parameters like log, quick, or choose to apply the answer rule to all users or only current user. It is also possibile to choose whether to block an app by path or by name.
- Improved GUI: drag and drop rules between apps or addresses between groups to duplicate, copy/paste apps ruleset, rules and addresses, multiple selections… and much more.
Vallum Farm
Introduction
Vallum is an application-layer content filter. It intercepts apps inbound and outbound connections and applies the corresponding firewall rules. This allows you to monitor your Mac's activity, block unwanted connections and increase your privacy and security.
Vallum is based on a macOS System Extension. Content filter is provided by a network extension using NEFilterDataProvider. This class handles network flows generated by apps running on macOS. Each flow is matched against a set of rules and then a verdict is applied and the flow is passed or dropped accordigly.
Vallum network extension filter is enabled when Vallum app is started and is disabled when Vallum app quits. The network filter runs in background and is capable of intercepting all third party apps connections and all system processes connections on macOS 11.2 and later.
Vallum can be configured to be inclusive, exclusive or interactive.By default Vallum runs as an interactive firewall, when an app wants to connect the connection is held and a popup notification alert is displayed. The alert is used to define a rule to be applied to this connection. Rule will match all app's connections or only some connections matching the IP address, hostname, domain or port. Once your choice is taken the connection is released and matched against the ruleset, then the flow is passed or blocked accordingly.
Rules are stored in a list and are persistent by default, but you can also create temporary rule that expire at a specific time or event. For example you can add a rule to pass all Safari connection that lasts today, or until next reboot, or until Safari quits.
All rules can be modified, moved or deleted, however Vallum tries to keep your rules in a specific order, rules are usually grouped by app. Vallum rules view's contextual menu offers several ways to modify, reorder and optimize your ruleset.
Each rule can be subject to one or more conditions. Rule can be matched only if conditions are met. Rule Conditions let you define different firewall behaviour for different network locations. For example you can block all inbound connections if you are not connected to your home wifi hotspot. Or you can block all outbound connections from apps used at work if VPN is not connected. And you can do this with a single firewall rule.
In the past days Mac firewalls used to define 'profiles', and automatically switch between profiles every time the location changed. This is not needed any more, you can deal with location changes without the need to switch firewall profile, you can have a unique ruleset that covers all your needs.
Vallum Capital
Vallum Ageshus are enemies in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. They are members of the Ageshu family, and can be found at level 39 - 42 at the Xataris Spring in the Central Plain area of Temperantia. Five of them must be defeated to unlock Nim's level 2 'Earth Mastery' on her affinity chart.