[COMP] Re: using mandrake to overwrite a boot sector virus

----- Original Message ----- 
From: David Bruce, Jr. <dbartbruce@xxxxxxxx>
To: <computers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 01, 2000 6:36 PM
Subject: [COMP] Re: using mandrake to overwrite a boot sector virus

Hi David, not sure if I responded to this earlier
(I go through alot of mail).  If so, here we go again:

you wrote:
|The more services you run, the more likely you are to have security problems

> and *services* are defined as?
> ftp
> telnet
 > stuff that advertises that *I'm here!*
> is that what you mean?
>

Yes.  Services would be programs running on your computer that 
allow other computers to connect to your machine.  The examples
you listed above are services, there is also also http (webserver)
SMTP (email) and hundreds of others.

> I can turn them off can't I?

Yes you can (and should).  The problem is that alot of folks installing
RedHat have never used linux before.  So they have a whole bunch of services
running by default and don't even know about it.  Most people coming
from the start-button world to linux are just happy to have a GUI, and a
successful install. 

At least with 5.2, I think that RedHat was irresponsible running so 
many services by default.  They appear to be aiming for the desktop
and I don't see much reason in having every single desktop in the 
world running sendmail (RedHat 5.2's default mail server).

> Gnome is a powersucking GUI?
> how bout KDE or Xwindows?
>

I've mostly used the command line in Linux so I don't know much 
about the X stuff.  I believe John knows quite a bit about X.

> my other choice is mandrake,  does that have *services* turned on by default 
> as well?

From what I hear, Mandrake is far more security-oriented than RedHat.
They at least give you the option of choosing a security level, the
most restrictive one appears to even implement the OpenWall patches,
http://www.openwall.com for reference.  Last I heard, RedHat's installer
doesn't talk much about security.

I'm going to be installing Mandrake on a machine tonight, will post
what I thought about it.  Tried Corel ... didn't like it much.

--
Mark




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