July 1999 - openSUSE Users - openSUSE Mailing Lists

Re: [SuSE Linux] Compiled Kernel Modules
by JHammer609＠aol.com 01 Jul '99

01 Jul '99

In a message dated 6/30/1999 11:12:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jon_pennington(a)excite.com writes: << > Q1. How would I find out what exactly is compiled into the kernel?. Is there a way to see the individual modules with a program in the X-server? >> There is a .config file in your linux directory which should show what was compiled in the last time it was built. If you do mrproper before running xconfig or whatever, you will revert to a default kernel configuration and won't get to see what is in your present kernel. Joel -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo(a)suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e Check out the SuSE-FAQ at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A">http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A</A>> and the archive at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A">http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A</A>>

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[SuSE Linux] Defcon as a Virus Solution?
by fmiller＠lightlink.com 01 Jul '99

01 Jul '99

Defcon as a Virus Solution? ============================================ Bob Sullivan, MSNBC According to security firm Network Associates, about 500,000 computer desktops were disconnected as a precaution and that's just among 10 of its top customers, who went to DefCon. It was among the most popular modes of defense last week when the ExploreZip virus/worm arrived on the scene. Circling the virtual wagons, system administrators who discovered infections shut down networks all around the country. Some companies have even instituted DefCon strategies, which call for such shutdowns at the first sign of real trouble. That may prevent costly data loss but it can also be a very costly solution. Just ask a CEO who must watch thousands of employees get a three-hour lunch break every time a new virus gets slung around the Net. ExploreZip was able to spread around a network and delete files even without the help of e-mail. As a result, many companies were forced to disable all kinds of network connections e-mail, Net access, even internal corporate networks, in order to stop it. ExploreZip was so pesky that all of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia had to shut down its e-mail for 24 hours, according to Lt. John Tews. While such drastic measures may have prevented data loss, they also cause an incalculable but real lost productivity expense. With the average shutdown three to four hours, Network Associates Wes Wasson said larger companies could have incurred about $1 million in damage due to lost productivity. "When you start putting two and two together, when a business relies on its computers so heavily ... there's a scary side to this," Wasson said. eBay's 22-hour outage last week, which was unrelated to ExploreZip serves as an example of how severe downtime costs may be. The online auction company issued a press release this week saying it would have to take a charge against earnings this quarter of $3 million to $5 million to account for the outage. But even if a company isn't using its Web site to sell, there' still a serious expense to disconnecting computers. That' why some experts question the "circle the wagons" strategy. There's always going to be another virus so if you start turning your Net connection on and off in response to every threat, you'll never stop. "You don&'t want to have to be shutting down every time another announcement of another virus comes," said Mark Zajicek of the Computer Emergency Response Team at Carnegie-Mellon University. But many of the companies that contacted CERT last week did just that, he said. The ultimate answer, most virus experts agree, is a new generation of anti-virus products that have the ability to detect and deflect new and unknown viruses. Today' software generally defends computers by matching files against a database of known viruses making them vulnerable to brand-new nuisances. But software makers are currently experimenting with new techniques called "heuristics," which recognize viruses by their behavior instead of by their name or other unique identifier. Researchers at IBM call this method part of a drive toward a "digital immune system." ____________ In self-defense, all Microsoft Office attachments are refused! Please don't send them! -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo(a)suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e Check out the SuSE-FAQ at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A">http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A</A>> and the archive at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A">http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A</A>>

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[SuSE Linux] Security alert!!!!!!
by fmiller＠lightlink.com 01 Jul '99

01 Jul '99

Coming Soon: Back Orifice 2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Niall McKay An underground computer security group is poised to release a new version of a notorious software program that could allow crackers to watch and listen in on Windows-based PC users. The Cult of the Dead Cow said it will release Back Orifice 2000 on 9 July - at the annual Def Con convention in Las Vegas. "This will demonstrate that Microsoft's operating systems are completely insecure and a bad choice for consumers and businesses who demand privacy," said Oxblood Ruffian, a former United Nations consultant and current Cult of the Dead Cow spokesman. Def Con is perhaps the most unusual gathering in the computer security field. Hackers, crackers, and self-proclaimed security experts will mingle with media, security professionals, federal law enforcement officers, and "script kiddies" who deface Web pages with prefab cracking code. Security groups of all stripes use the occasion to release software and show off gadgets. But Back Orifice 2000 is perhaps the most anticipated item. Unlike previous versions of the software, Back Orifice 2000 will run on Windows NT and feature strong encryption and a modular architecture that the group said will allow hackers and other security groups to write plug-ins. The program will be released as open source to encourage further development by the security community. Back Orifice, released at last year's Def Con, may allow malicious users to monitor and tamper with computers without the permission or knowledge of their owners. The program is classified as a Trojan Horse because crackers need to dupe the user into installing an application on their hard disk. Despite this, Oxblood Ruffian said that the program is currently installed on up to a half-million PCs worldwide. Though that number could not be independently verified, an Australian computer security group last November said that 1,400 Australian Internet accounts have been compromised by Back Orifice. Back Orifice 2000 also promises to be a great deal more difficult to detect than its predecessor because it enables users to configure its port setting. Previously, intrusion detection and antivirus programs could detect Back Orifice because it used a default port setting of 3113. A Microsoft Windows NT Server security manager said the company is closely monitoring Back Orifice development and is working with antivirus and intrusion detection software vendors to provide customers with utilities to combat the software. "Trojan Horses are not technological issues but a social engineering problem because they rely on the ability of the cracker to trick the user into running an application," said Scott Culp. "It's just a fact of computer science that if you run a piece of code on your machine you run the risk making your system vulnerable." The solution, according to Culp, is to ensure that users do not install any software from untrusted sources and regularly update antivirus and intrusion detection programs. ____________ In self-defense, all Microsoft Office attachments are refused! Please don't send them! -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo(a)suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e Check out the SuSE-FAQ at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A">http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A</A>> and the archive at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A">http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A</A>>

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[SuSE Linux] SuSE Security Announcement
by fmiller＠lightlink.com 01 Jul '99

01 Jul '99

Some of you don't know about SuSE Security e-lists, however, everyone should be aware of this nasty bug, so I've copied it here. Fred ______________________________________________________________________________ SuSE Security Announcement Package: kbase 1.1 (klock, the KDE screensaver) Date: Wed Jun 30 14:32:05 CEST 1999 Affected: all Unix operating systems using kbase 1.1 ______________________________________________________________________________ A security hole was discovered in the package mentioned above. Please update as soon as possible or disable the service if you are using this software on your SuSE Linux installation(s). Other Linux distributions or operating systems might be affected as well, please contact your vendor for information about this issue. Please note, that that we provide this information on as "as-is" basis only. There is no warranty whatsoever and no liability for any direct, indirect or incidental damage arising from this information or the installation of the update package. ______________________________________________________________________________ 1. Problem Description The KDE screensaver klock includes a bug, which allows to bypass the password authentication. While klock waits for kcheckpass to verify the password a timer is triggered and the dialog box is deleted. After kcheckpass completes klock crashs. 2. Impact By typing in a specific key sequence everyone could bypass the password athentication of klock. 3. Solution Install the updated package, which is available from our ftp server. ______________________________________________________________________________ Here is the md5 checksum of the fixed package, please verify these before installing the new package: 85bbdeac8430918d52f9bbe93ee074f9 kbase-1.1.1-15.i386.rpm ______________________________________________________________________________ You will find the update on our ftp-Server: <A HREF="ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/update/6.1/kde2/kbase-1.1.1-15.i386.rpm"><A HREF="ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/update/6.1/kde2/kbase-1.1.1-15.i386.rpm</A">ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/update/6.1/kde2/kbase-1.1.1-15.i386.rpm</A</A>> Webpage for patches: <A HREF="http://www.suse.de/patches/index.html"><A HREF="http://www.suse.de/patches/index.html</A">http://www.suse.de/patches/index.html</A</A>> or try the following web pages for a list of mirrors: <A HREF="http://www.suse.de/ftp.html"><A HREF="http://www.suse.de/ftp.html</A">http://www.suse.de/ftp.html</A</A>> <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/ftp_new.html"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/ftp_new.html</A">http://www.suse.com/ftp_new.html</A</A>> ______________________________________________________________________________ SuSE has got two free security mailing list services to which any interested party may subscribe: suse-security(a)suse.com - unmoderated and for general/linux/SuSE security discussions. All SuSE security announcements are send to this list. suse-security-announce(a)suse.com - SuSE's announce-only mailing list. Only SuSE's security annoucements are sent to this list. To subscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)suse.com with the text subscribe suse-security or subscribe suse-security-announce in the body of the message. Or just issue a echo subscribe suse-security | mail majordomo(a)suse.com or echo subscribe suse-security-announce | mail majordomo(a)suse.com ______________________________________________________________________________ If you want to report *NEW* security bugs in the SuSE Linux Distribution please send an email to security(a)suse.de or call our support line. You may use pgp with the public key below to ensure confidentiality. ______________________________________________________________________________ This information is provided freely to everyone interested and may be redistributed provided that it is not altered in any way. Type Bits/KeyID Date User ID pub 2048/3D25D3D9 1999/03/06 SuSE Security Team <security(a)suse.de> ____________ In self-defense, all Microsoft Office attachments are refused! Please don't send them! -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo(a)suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e Check out the SuSE-FAQ at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A">http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A</A>> and the archive at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A">http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A</A>>

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[SuSE Linux] Competition keeps Linux lean
by fmiller＠lightlink.com 01 Jul '99

01 Jul '99

<A HREF="http://linuxworld.com/linuxworld/lw-1999-06/lw-06-vcontrol_4.html?06-28"><A HREF="http://linuxworld.com/linuxworld/lw-1999-06/lw-06-vcontrol_4.html?06-28</A">http://linuxworld.com/linuxworld/lw-1999-06/lw-06-vcontrol_4.html?06-28</A</A>> -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo(a)suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e Check out the SuSE-FAQ at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A">http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A</A>> and the archive at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A">http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A</A>>

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Re: [SuSE Linux] Compiled Kernel Modules
by jon_pennington＠excite.com 01 Jul '99

01 Jul '99

On Wed, 30 Jun 1999 21:15:34 -0400, Heribert Riesbeck wrote: > > Hi all: > > I am new to SuSE and my host is running. Now it is time for tweaking and getting it running just right. To this end I have a few questions and I hope that a good soul out there will take the time to answer. I would appreciate it. Welcome aboard, but why should I help you? I don't know you... ;) > Q1. How would I find out what exactly is compiled into the kernel?. Is there a way to see the individual modules with a program in the X-server? When you are compiling a new kernel, the xconfig interface shows you in a somewhat visual manner what is available to you. It's made with Tcl and Tk, so you need those installed to see it (most systems have both). If you are using console-mode methods, there is also a menuconfig mask that is almost as good (made with ncurses, which most systems have). To use these tools, type `make xconfig' in an xterm or `make menuconfig' in a console. Everyone has a favorite method, but when I make a new kernel, I only use two commands: # make mrproper ; make menuconfig ; make dep ; make clean ; make modules ; make modules_install ; depmod -a and # make bzImage ; make bzlilo I stop after depmod to make sure that my new modules work alright, and I make a bzImage for no reason in particular. > Q2. Which is the RPM program I need to call up (under X..) to see what packages are available to me on the PC? If you use KDE (the default environment), there is a package in series kpa1 called `kpackage' which is an excellent interface. It handles several package formats inculuding tgz, deb, and slp in addition to rpm. To answer your question, one kpackage's features is a list of all installed packages. > Q3 Is there a KDE user manual somewhere describing the set up of user menus? I am not able to print with the Linux workstation as I only have a HP deskjet 720C connected to it. Therefore I would have to save the file and print it under windoze. I don't know this one. I've wondered about this myself. As far as your DeskJet, check out <A HREF="http://www.httptech.com/ppa/"><A HREF="http://www.httptech.com/ppa/</A">http://www.httptech.com/ppa/</A</A>> for details on making it work under Linux. > Thank you very much in advance for taking the time to reply. Okay, but just this once! ;) -=|JP|=- (Resident GNUbie) Jon Pennington | SuSE Linux 6.0 jon_pennington(a)excite.com | Kernel 2.2.10 Kansas City, Missouri, USA | K6-2 350 _______________________________________________________ Get your free, private email at <A HREF="http://mail.excite.com/"><A HREF="http://mail.excite.com/</A">http://mail.excite.com/</A</A>> -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo(a)suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e Check out the SuSE-FAQ at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A">http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A</A>> and the archive at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A">http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A</A>>

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[SuSE Linux] Compiled Kernel Modules
by h.riesbeck＠home.net 01 Jul '99

01 Jul '99

Hi all: I am new to SuSE and my host is running. Now it is time for tweaking and getting it running just right. To this end I have a few questions and I hope that a good soul out there will take the time to answer. I would appreciate it. Q1. How would I find out what exactly is compiled into the kernel?. Is there a way to see the individual modules with a program in the X-server? Q2. Which is the RPM program I need to call up (under X..) to see what packages are available to me on the PC? Q3 Is there a KDE user manual somewhere describing the set up of user menus? I am not able to print with the Linux workstation as I only have a HP deskjet 720C connected to it. Therefore I would have to save the file and print it under windoze. Thank you very much in advance for taking the time to reply. Sincerely, Heri Riesbeck -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo(a)suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e Check out the SuSE-FAQ at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A">http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A</A>> and the archive at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A">http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A</A>>

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Re: [SuSE Linux] 2 computers?
by tomas＠primenet.com 01 Jul '99

01 Jul '99

Rick Thompson wrote: > > It's not a mail server problem....I remember reading the reply you sent to > the list. ;-) > > > Hmm, strange. I remeber answering this message and giving you a hint > > about "rinetd". It seems, our mailserver is having a hard time again... > > > > The replacement is already ordered. > > I recall it as well. It could be he just missed it in the vast ammt's of other e-mails from the list. -- S.Toms - tomas(a)primenet.com - <A HREF="http://www.primenet.com/~tomas"><A HREF="http://www.primenet.com/~tomas</A">http://www.primenet.com/~tomas</A</A>> S.u.S.E. Linux v6.1+ - Kernel 2.2.10 "Here's something to think about: How come you never see a headline like `Psychic Wins Lottery'?" -- Jay Leno -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo(a)suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e Check out the SuSE-FAQ at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A">http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A</A>> and the archive at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A">http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A</A>>

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Re: [SuSE Linux] How does SuSE stack up as a desktop distribution?
by jon_pennington＠excite.com 01 Jul '99

01 Jul '99

On Wed, 30 Jun 1999 22:01:39 +1000, Jason Carley wrote: > > Hi folks. Having run SuSE 6.1 now for some time, I am wondering how much of a difference there would be between this dist and Debian as a desktop system. For that matter how does Caldera compare on this basis? Between Debain and SuSE? I've personally never used Debian, but from what I understand, it's only slightly more sophisticated than Slackware (which I've run for extended periods on numerous occasions). Slackware isn't very darned sophisticated at all, for point of reference. Mostly everything is done manually, there are no nifty scripts like SuSEconfig, it doesn't have a central administration tool like YaST, and it doesn't have as many cool toys :). > I am not after a standard "which dist is better" but more a comparison of applicability for: > > 1) A novice Linux/experienced windows user Maybe Caldera, SuSE is good here. The biggest problem with Caldera is that there is no flexibility (as in none, zip, nada). The old system tool LISA was a real b!+c# to work with, and had a nasty habit of rearranging things behind my back. I haven't even tried LIZARD yet, and I don't plan on it unless I get *really* bored one day. I'll admit to one thing: I use Linux today because Caldera gave me hope. My first system was a Slackware installation based on a 1.3 kernel. After realizing that I didn't have a freaking clue what I was doing, I gave up. A few months later, I found a Caldera Open Linux Lite 1.1 CD and decided to give it a spin. It was then that I realized why my friends liked Linux; it was fast, stable, and the price was right. I found LinuxMall one day in my random searchings, and ordered a Six-Pack Extra Large, which at the time came with COL1.2, RH5.1, Deb1.3.1, Slack3.4, LinuxPro, and SuSE 5.2. I used every single one except for Debian, and decided that SuSE was the best for me. > 2) A technical and intermeddiate linux user SuSE all the way. > 3) A power linux user If you are too "Grown Up," you might feel the need to go to Debian. OTOH, one of the SuSE distribution's greatest strengths is it's flexibility and growth potential. I've never tried to do something and been held back because I was using SuSE. > Not from a developer perspective but as a desktop OS (but allowing for end-user compilation, hardware compatibilty integration etc) and the stability of the distribution as a whole. For example I have personally found RedHat to be not overly well put together and the consequent errors would probably stump a lot of very novice users and cause them to give up. I've found that about Red Hat as well. Too much money for not enough engineering. SuSE has applied the DoS patch (kernel 2.2.10) to the 2.2.7 kernel that they distribute, for example...who else does that? SuSE has as many software engineers as Red Hat does, and not only puts out an excellent product, but puts out an English-Language product too! Let's see; four times as many packages, three times the quality, and twice as many languages....which one would you pick? :) > Installation under SuSE was fine but still required a relatively high degree of technical knowledge as does sound card integration and networking. I'll give you that, but I have yet to find anything that makes sound installation easier than OSS. SuSE includes that, too. The version that they include doesn't support my card, but at least they tried, eh? As I understand it, ALSA comes on 6.1 also, which gives the users/administrators something called "choice." > I should add here that I am very happy with my SuSE but want to get a better feel for the differences in order to better advocate each dist to each type of user. Spend some time with Debian, but leave before you turn cold. Spend some time with Caldera, but destroy the CD before you are consumed by it's proprietary madness. If you like one or both better than SuSE, use it. That's what the OSS movement is all about, right? Open source, open exchange of ideas, and freedom of choice. -=|JP|=- (Resident GNUbie) Jon Pennington | SuSE Linux 6.0 jon_pennington(a)excite.com | Kernel 2.2.10 Kansas City, Missouri, USA | K6-2 350 _______________________________________________________ Get your free, private email at <A HREF="http://mail.excite.com/"><A HREF="http://mail.excite.com/</A">http://mail.excite.com/</A</A>> -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo(a)suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e Check out the SuSE-FAQ at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A">http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/</A</A>> and the archive at <A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html"><A HREF="http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A">http://www.suse.com/Mailinglists/suse-linux-e/index.html</A</A>>

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