Linux Security

[brokencrow]

What's your network set up? Is your Fedora box behind a router, or plugged up straight to your cable/DSL modem? If your behind a router, you probably don't need a firewall (an exception might be if it was a wireless router). Routers themselves typically act as firewalls. Furthermore, if you've got some old hardware laying around, try running Smoothwall. It's a linux-based firewall/intrusion detection system with some rather advanced features. It'll give you a better sense of Linux's capabilities in network appliances. And it's FREE!

As to the question of Linux being more secure than Windows, I think it's safe to say "yes" based on the most common security issue: rogue software such as spyware and viruses. Linux is far less susceptible to those than Windows. Yes, you want to patch your system like you do Windows.

As for Internet Explorer, I do run it on Linux under Crossover Office. I still find it amusing to have an IE icon on my Xandros desktop. He-heh, I even got a spyware infection recently via Internet Explorer in Linux, but it's not running as it would in Windows from what can tell. It was "180 Solutions" and I simply deleted the folder.

Hope this helps...

[catch]

Linux is just UNIX

At most, Linux is a UNIX clone... it could never be called UNIX however. UNIX is an operating system that can be run on any kernel that supports its system calls. Linux is a kernel, that accepts UNIX-like system calls.

God, just the registry hive alone in Windows is a nightmare.

You can have a secure Windows system without ever touching regedit.

As to the question of Linux being more secure than Windows, I think it's safe to say "yes"

Actually this question has no easy or safe answers, it all depends on what you are comparing... number of vulnerabilities, number of exposed systems, time from vulnerability introduction to discovery, time from discovery to patch, security capabilities, security potential, development model, differences in configuration, assurance of a given configuration, etc, etc.

Many of these points then have subpoints as well. I tend to feel that Windows is more secure, for a number of reasons.

cheers,

catch

[Info Tech Geek]

Are you still having problems w/ FireStarter? If you have any specific questions, I may be able to help. I have used FireStarter on my Debian box.

If you did not grab the manual for FireStarter, you can get it here.