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The Linux Launderette

By Jimmy O'Regan

Talkback:129/okopnik1.html

Benjamin A. Okopnik [ben at linuxgazette.net]
Sun, 03 Sep 2006 09:37:22 -0400

On Sun, Sep 03, 2006 at 09:11:55AM -0400, Benjamin Okopnik wrote:

> Speaking of separate partitions...

Whoops. Actually, that was Mark Baldridge, not me. I forwarded to TAG, but clipped the 'forward' lines; silly me.

* Ben Okopnik * Editor-in-Chief, Linux Gazette * http://LinuxGazette.NET *

[ Thread continues here (7 messages/5.94kB) ]


root kits on linux

Rick Moen [rick at linuxmafia.com]
Tue, 18 Jul 2006 13:51:03 -0700

-- forwarded message --
Path: be01!atl-c01.usenetserver.com!news.usenetserver.com!pc02.usenetserver.com!TSOFT.COM-a2kHrUvQQWlmc!not-for-mail
From: Rick Moen <rick@linuxmafia.com>
Subject: Re: root kits on linux
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.suse
References: <44b9af59$0$22362$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au>
Organization: If you lived here, you'd be $HOME already.
User-Agent: tin/1.8.1-20060215 ("Mealasta") (UNIX) (Linux/2.4.27-2-686 (i686))
Message-ID: <99869$44bd47ee$c690c3ba$15047@TSOFT.COM>
X-Complaints-To: abuse@usenetserver.com
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:43:26 -0400
Lines: 29
X-Trace: 9986944bd47ee6335661f15047
Xref: usenetserver.com alt.os.linux.suse:401414
X-Received-Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:43:26 EDT (be01)

Spoken4 <random_net_reg@optusnet.com.au> wrote:

> Is linux susceptible to root kits? 

Rootkits (i.e., kits of software designed to hide an intruder's presence) are a minor after-effect of system security compromise that has already occurred through other means entirely. Your question is similar to asking: "Are houses susceptible to being burned down?", because you heard of a case where a house was left derelict for years, the front door rotted, vagrants moved in and trashed the place for a couple of more years, and finally one of them dropped a match.

> The recent talk of these as ways of attacking pc's and the Sony
> debacle has left me wondering.  Apart from regularly updating my
> system, is there a way I can check that I haven't been compromised (if
> 10.1 is at risk)?

You actually ask a profound question: How do you ever know for certain that a system hasn't been compromised by unauthorised parties? The literal answer is: You can't. A slightly more useful answer from Marcus J. Ranum is that you minimise the likelihood of compromise this way: 1. Don't use software that sucks. 2. Absolutely minimise Internet-facing network services your system offers.

These may also help: http://linuxgazette.net/issue98/moen.html
http://linuxmafia.com/~rick/lexicon.html#moenslaw-security3
http://linuxmafia.com/~rick/faq/index.php?page=virus#virus5
http://security.itworld.com/4352/LWD000829hacking/pfindex.html

-- end of forwarded message --

[ILUG] Porting drivers from Windows (rant)

Rick Moen [rick at linuxmafia.com]
Wed, 06 Sep 2006 11:20:17 -0700

boggle

[ ... ]

[ Thread continues here (1 message/4.12kB) ]


'Cane in the offing

Benjamin A. Okopnik [ben at linuxgazette.net]
Mon, 28 Aug 2006 12:33:26 -0400

Hi, folks -

Just FYI, I have the minor inconvenience of a hurricane heading for me, and (theoretically) approaching my neighborhood just about the time that I'm supposed to be publishing LG this month. I'm hoping to not have to either a) publish LG from 30,000 feet without a plane or b) miss pubbing on the 1st, but it's looking iffy at the moment.

>From the National Weather Service:

FORECAST VALID 30/1200Z 26.6N  80.4W...INLAND
MAX WIND  70 KT...GUSTS  85 KT.
50 KT... 50NE  50SE  25SW  25NW.
34 KT...120NE 120SE  50SW  50NW.

FORECAST VALID 31/1200Z 31.0N  80.0W
MAX WIND  75 KT...GUSTS  90 KT.
50 KT... 50NE  50SE  30SW  50NW.
34 KT...120NE 120SE  75SW  90NW.

So, the current prediction is that around 1000 Zulu on the 31st (i.e., ~3a.m. EST on the 1st), the center of the hurricane - which will be blowing about 75 knots steady and gusting 90 knots - is going to visit my neighborhood (29.9N 81.3W).

On the plus side, I recently bought a large anchor and some chain for it. On the minus side, my engine is down for service at the moment, and getting the boat to a hurricane hole without an engine is problematic, to say the least. I'll be beavering away on that latter problem, and keeping track of Ernesto as it spins its way toward me...

* Ben Okopnik * Editor-in-Chief, Linux Gazette * http://LinuxGazette.NET *

[ Thread continues here (15 messages/22.37kB) ]


Seen on Groklaw

Rick Moen [rick at linuxmafia.com]
Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:02:09 -0700

----- Forwarded message from rick -----

Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:51:14 -0700
To: conspire@linuxmafia.com
Cc: Karsten Self <karsten>
Subject: Seen on Groklaw

http://www.groklaw.net/...

Patents In Linux
Authored by: DannyB on Tuesday, June 19 2007 @ 01:21 PM EDT

Microsoft: So, it is down to you, and it is down to me...if you wish Linux dead, by all means keep moving forward.

IBM: Let me explain...

Microsoft: There's nothing to explain. You're trying to free what I have rightfully stolen.

[ ... ]

[ Thread continues here (1 message/5.48kB) ]


Talkback: Discuss this article with The Answer Gang


Bio picture Jimmy is a single father of one, who enjoys long walks... Oh, right.

Jimmy has been using computers from the tender age of seven, when his father inherited an Amstrad PCW8256. After a few brief flirtations with an Atari ST and numerous versions of DOS and Windows, Jimmy was introduced to Linux in 1998 and hasn't looked back.

In his spare time, Jimmy likes to play guitar and read: not at the same time, but the picks make handy bookmarks.

Copyright © 2007, Jimmy O'Regan. Released under the Open Publication License unless otherwise noted in the body of the article. Linux Gazette is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by its prior host, SSC, Inc.

Published in Issue 140 of Linux Gazette, July 2007

Tux