TOo Many Flavors

I have see Linus in many different flavors and I have been a faithful user of Windows since Version 2.0 if you can remember that far back. NOw my disolusionmnet of the windows operating system is starting to show (Esp in the server enviroment). It seems to me that everytime I turn around and look at the desktop network switch My server is in a continual state of activity. I shut off the FTP the HTTP and everything else yet somehow someone has either virused my system and put in a backdoor or something. I know this because files on my storage drive are either missing or now damaged. I can't find the intruder and at this point don't care. I want to switch to Linux so that I can secury my files better. I have patched windows 2000 server so often that it seems that it is all that I ever do. Now I want to go to Linux and see if it is the better path to follow. a few things that I need to know are, what is the best Linux flavor to use with SAMBA and is there a good antiVirus package to us with it. I have RedHat 9 and the Samba package distributed with it but I never seem o get it to work the way i want to. Also I do play a lot of MOHAA and would like to setup a game server just for fun. DOes anybody have any Ideas that would work



Robert

You might want to look at this thread, it will give you an over view of different distros.
http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=253721

I hate to break it to you, but if you can't keep Windows secure, you're not going to keep Linux secure. Especially given the fact you seem to know more about Windows than you do Linux.

Security is 98% administrator, and 2% OS.

Someone said once... If the time on your vcr is still blinking, then Linux is not for you... ;)

You might want to do some research into what is running on yoru 2k Server. Most likely you have a virus that spread through IIS. Who knows.. you could be DDOS'ing someone right now.

Quote:

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Originally posted here by Winston
Security is 98% administrator, and 2% OS.

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I have to disagree with you on that one -- the os plays a large part -- especially when it comes to the differences between windows and a *nix. For example:

i run 2 servers at my house, a Win2k3 enterprise and an OpenBSD server. Both host a website, both do file shares via samba and ftp. in a typical month, i upgrade a package that comes with OpenBSD MAYBE once, many times never because OBSD is built for security.

on the other hand, with my Windows server, this month i believe 5 or 6 patches came out -- not only that, but patches come out once a month, the operating system is not proactivly scanned for security problems, and as long as you stick with the ports tree/pre-compiled packages from OBSD you don't have problems with security holes in the programs like you do with M$'s IIS.

Personally i don't understand why ANYONE would run a server that has proven again and again to be not very secure -- especially for webpages.

if you want to setup a low maintence server, i would go with OpenBSD, while setup is not the easiest (entirely slackware) and it doesn't have an annoying bloated gui (like redhat) you can run a server very efficiently on a single pentium II 300 MHZ machine.

Dj Scribble: How many of those 5 or 6 patches were actual patches for IIS? (Or did you just hit update from windowsupdate.com) Most of the patches coming out lately seem to be for IE, which should not affect you on the server. Eithier way, there are many people who are running IIS servers securely. They just need to configure them correctly.

OK, you were right, it was just the windows update, however i found this about the IIS 6:
http://secunia.com/product/1438/?period=all

furthermore, if you go to the bottom, there is an unpached vunerablity still pending from 2003.

Please keep in mind while you read my prior arguement, while it sounds like i hate windows, i really don't. I just do not think that it is appropriate for a web server in any environment much less a production environment

Well, Remember this:

http://www.openbsd.org

That runs on Solaris. Open BSD is the only BSD project whos' webpage isn't running on the OS they're plugging.

That worries me. Now what was that about Slackware?

And for the Windows on a server talks, add that too my thread about BSD and Linux being more secure than Windows, and why it shouldn't be on a server.

I think I will give Mandrake a try a friend lent me his Distro Mandrake 10. I will be downloading a copy of OpenBSD tonight, and I have temperarly setup win2k server on my laptop for now. With luck I will find the right setup for what I want to do. As for security issues, Too many of the people and too many of my friends seem to think Windows is just to unsecure for their needs and all seem to agree that Linux is better. I think there is som bias in their argument and that the just prefer to use Linux instead. I have had nothing but trouble with Win2k since I started to use it and I think I have had it with ll the trouble that I have had to deal with. And my friends are seldom wrong, (if they were I would not be their auto mechanic). As for using Linux over windows I think I just need to spread my wings and get away from the commercial giant that has been the master of my domain since MSDOS v2.0 and try something different. And yes I have even contimplated using a MAC too. (just kinning.)

I also had other issues to be concerns, namely Antivirus and setup up a MOHAA Server just for kicks. DOes anybody have any input on that one.


RObert

First, why would you put Windows Server on a Laptop ? ?

And Mac Bashing is kind of silly, they are using BSD and a Micro Kernel on a box for home use, which is more than I can say for some vendors. Even though they charge more for a Mac than a deal does for a bag of Crack.

If you're new too this.... Heh, Open BSD is going too give you problems. It's not meant for newbies, and.... Well, Open BSD is odd. I'm not a big fan of it in any way. I'd rather use Free BSD. It has a bit more hardware support....Actually I'd rather use Slackware Linux, it has the same ideas as BSD but better support for hardware.

Why did I do it, what seemingly insane thought was running through my noggin. Well I needed to store my files onto a system that I could access and maintain the security (what little there is) on my noework domain. and most of all I have a license to operate Win2k Pro on one machine and 1 license to operate win2k server on another system. besides I lent my laptop to a family member while I was fixing his system and he seems to think that surfing porno sites is what the internet is for. (even when I told him to only use it for his work. ) I needed to reload the system anyways so I used win2k server instead of the win 2k pro I have for it. As for MAC bashing, I'm sorry did not mean to offend I really have thought of getting a MAC just so that I could learn a new type of system. I used a MAC in High school for the yearbook and I have to admit it was a fun little machine. Anyways I am giving Mandrake a try just to see if it might be worth while, the SATLug.org guys cought my eye at a computer fest and I am always willing to try something new.


RObert

gore -- according to openbsd here is why they have to run their website on solaris:

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8.18 - Why does www.openbsd.org run on Solaris?
Although none of the developers think it is particularly relevant, this question comes up frequently enough in the mailing lists that it is answered here. www.openbsd.org and the main OpenBSD ftp site are hosted at a SunSITE at the University of Alberta, Canada. These sites are hosted on a large Sun system, which has access to lots of storage space and Internet bandwidth. The presence of the SunSITE gives the OpenBSD group access to this bandwidth. This is why the main site runs here. Many of the OpenBSD mirror sites run OpenBSD, but since they do not have guaranteed access to this large amount of bandwidth, the group has chosen to run the main site at the University of Alberta SunSITE.

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http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq8.html#wwwsolaris

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Security is 98% administrator, and 2% OS.

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__________________

And 98% of all statistics are made up on the spot :D

Mac bashing is silly, huh...

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86816

... Now that is just .... Wow... In brighter news I have 2 months of this thing called uptime.

I make up many statistics on the spot. 78% of them actually.


I was just trying to make a point. Security is far more than just patches and firewalls. There is no firewall, AV, or IDS that can stop someone from browsing pr0n sites and hanging out in IRC as root, or some kinda admin account. Even I have done it on accident. It takes a commitment from everybody who uses the computer(s).

I'll throw an example out here...

The company I work for has a very secure network, card access to the building, etc. They are serious about security. Their biggest weakness.... Passwords. The password you are issued when you start there is your last name, and the 2 digit year in which you started. Your user name is a predictable combination of your first and last name. This applies to _all_ accounts. I know the password for over 100 accounts there, and I don't even know 100 people there. It is quite easy to change your password, but nobody does it. How secure is this network?

The supervisors have administrator accounts... And surf the net on them.

WTF?


EDIT: Soda... It doesn't say anything about the monitor... is it non-transportable?