Coyote Linux floppy firewall

[h@rdb@ll]

Does anyone have any experience with this?

www.coyotelinux.com/modules.php?name=Products&op=coyote

I think it's interesting to try it at least !

[spurious_inode]

Coyote is a great little Distro. I like the idea of booting a diskless machine with something like Coyote, and sending all logging over serial to a logging host.

An interesting related idea is embedded Linux on an NVRAM chip. NVRAM has the distinct advantage over CMOS
in that is can be modified while the OS is running, making patching and updates to such a system less complicated than they might otherwise be.

-- spurious

[i2c]

yep, ive got my firewall (486) running it,

dead simple to setup. You dont even need a linux box to run the configuration files it even comes with a application that you can run from windows and enter all the required configuration data there and then the disk is made.

If doesnt even need to be on a floppy disk, luckily becuase there slowly dying now (its taken them long enough stubbon bastard things) you can run it from the USB storage keys and even compact flash cards, In fact anything that can be plugged into your computer and booted from.

Its primarly a piece of software to build a router, but when you start playing with the scripts you can implement a pretty solid firewall, (Ive had no intrusions that i know of and im runninng an IDS that i read the logs of frequently, but you never no)

I havent tried it yet but you could also try using a cut downversion of knoppix to act as a firewall/ router by altering scripts and making then start on start up, if there was no other drive in the computer it would certainly make it difficult to save root kits, trojans, and other nastys on there as a switch on and off would flush the RAM, but then cant you make viri that reside in RAM?? anyway im wittering on now

try this link below, have a look at the coyote admin guides, they provide allot of infomation on security and other things you should find of interest.

http://www.routerdesign.com

oh yea! dont forget that the for some instances if you decide to use a 486 it will need a maths co-processor, you can even open up the computer and search for every chip number on google to see what it does, or read the documentation. Or maybe someone has a better method to identify the maths co-processor??

HTH

i2c

[el-half]

An interesting related idea is embedded Linux on an NVRAM chip. NVRAM has the distinct advantage over CMOS
in that is can be modified while the OS is running, making patching and updates to such a system less complicated than they might otherwise be.

Hey, I didn't know NVRAM was already available? I read somewhere a big while ago IBM or something was working on it, it would allow a system to boot instantly, almost no loading time thus.

[i2c]

I thought they were already used on PDA's, notice that he does say embedded

cos thats all that happens on a psion or palm you put it into standby mode

i2c

[spurious_inode]

NVRAM has been used in Sun hardware for quite a few years now. One of the best things (among many) is
that you can pull the chip, store it, and put it on another board some point in the future and it will retain all of
it's information (typically like the time, MAC, machine ID, machine serial number, etc. in Sun hardware). Given
the proper equipment, it probably wouldn't be too dificult to get a tiny install of an OS like Linux on some of the
higher capacity NVRAM's that are available now.

[VictorKaum]

SGI uses nvram chips since long. On Indy's and indigo's IRIX it's a known topic / hassle / security prob... but I love the chape and color of those SGI's...

[spurious_inode]

Originally posted here by VictorKaum
SGI uses nvram chips since long. On Indy's and indigo's IRIX it's a known topic / hassle / security prob... but I love the chape and color of those SGI's...

I totally dig SGI machines too... I am watching eBay for a remarketed (NIB ) Octane, or an Octane 2 with
the MXE graphics board.

[VictorKaum]

they are indeed pretty cool... http://www.sgi.com/workstations/octane2/
I have an SGI Indy R5000SC Webforce
the design of those boxes
more and less obsolete boxes from SGI: http://obsolete.majix.org/computers/sgi/