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Thread: need a version of *nix for a security laptop

  1. #11
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    111
    For security analysis I would recommend RH9, since most applications are most compatible with RH I've found with little modifications needing to be done to config files, however if you're looking for personal security I would go with OpenBSD.
    Slackware is alright if you don't mind doing a lot of tweeking yourself, which requires a little bit of time, but its doable if one knows what they're doing. Slackware would be good if you're very detail minded, you can control a lot more features, but you also get a lot of headaches.
    But if you're the patient type, then Slackware it is!
    Creating further mindless stupidity....through mindless automation.

  2. #12
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    245
    Caveat.... I am as much of a Linux zealot as anyone else and highly recommend it to everyone.

    However, you did mention security, and I would have to say OpenBSD. Linux has a lot of potential to be secure, far more secure than some UNIX's and Windows, but the only secure OS straight out of the box is OpenBSD. Having said that, you will be much happier with RedHat, Mandrake or SuSE if you are a complete newbie to UNIX.
    Get OpenSolaris http://www.opensolaris.org/

  3. #13
    Kind of on subject. But head over to http://www.knoppix-std.org/

    Its a linux distro with security tools (crackers, sniffers, forens, honeypots etc) and is all on a bootable cd.

    Might not be what you had in mind, but its a nice cd to have in the book. You never know when you might need it.
    Tachyon

    |-----|Alcohol is my anti-drug |-----|

  4. #14
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
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    236
    I have to say RH 9.
    I actually went through this process recently. Then thing is you can really make any distro secure with a little work.Sure some come out of the box more secure but none will require huge amounts of work to tighten down.

    The usage of security tools is what wins with RH. It is the most supported from what I can tell. I thnk Salckware would be a nightmare for this.
    That which does not kill me makes me stronger -- Friedrich Nietzche

  5. #15
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
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    156
    so far the only problem i've had with slackware is with my orinoco gold card. Seems to not want to change the channel, tells me operation not supported. I have the newest pcmcia module and the orinoco drivers patched. I'm still working on this problem. Other than that, I haven't had a problem with slack 9.1

    I am thinking about going back to RH tho, simply for the fact, like you said it's well supported. Granted i could build from source, which i do alot anyways...I feel the most support is with redhat and I personally feel comfortable on a redhat box. I just got ahold of another laptop, so redhat 9 is going on one and slackware 9.1 on the other
    t.e.k.n.o.

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