Thank you all for the good replies you gave me already, I will have some info to go through. One thing is that I see that everybody in this list is talking about firewall scripts. What do those scripts actually? Do they just configure the system for it to be like a firewall? Is the firewall a feature of Linux and you just need to configure it? Are there additional firewalls to install as an application? Also, what is the technology used in those firewalls? I mean it could be static and/or dynamic, port oriented and/or application oriented. I just hope that those questions do not seem ridiculous in the world of Linux. At least they are not in "the other world". Thanks again for your help! Patrick At 15:47 30/10/00 +0100, you wrote:
Hi Patrick,
Hello!!
I want to switch progressively to Linux (As a programmer, I become more
more ashamed of not having experience using it.) and I'm connected to
and the 'net.
I will try to download the update from SuSE 6.3 to 7.0 an install it.
Since I am permanently connected to the 'net, I wonder what precautions I should take before/after the installation. My connection is through a
cable
modem if it is a useful info. Should I be as paranoid as with a Win98 system or is the default config in SuSE more/less secure?
Thank you for your help!
Patrick
Once your installation is complete, check the update directory on a mirror from ftp.suse.com and install all security-relevant update packages. Get the netscape packages, and the libc upgrade!
Then, check on which ports your machine listens, using `netstat -anp|grep LISTEN´. Reduce the amount of servers listening on tcp and udp sockets to the bare minimum, disable everything tat you don't need (keeping in mind that people usually only need the client side of some package, this might be easy.). Start with /etc/inetd.conf and end with /etc/rc.config, /etc/rc.config.d/* and see the netstat output again.
Roman. -- - - | Roman Drahtmüller
"Caution: Cape does not | SuSE GmbH - Security enable user to fly." | Nürnberg, Germany (Batman Costume warning label) | - - --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: suse-security-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands, e-mail: suse-security-help@suse.com