SuSE Linux problems

Hi all,

After a lot of headache with many many software installation issues, compatibility problem and so and so, I made my shift to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 (SP-1).

The greatest problem I ever faced in Linux was that I couldn't use my GPRS internet connection. Well, Now I can use it using the bluetooth phone. I dunno why but I was ubnable to do so in UBUNTU even after doing everything correctly. The machine was not pairing with the device at the first place .... no matter what I did. Anyway I installed SLED and now it works and its so easy to just type down 2 commands and the internet works. Anyway ..... I have some problems:

1> I do not know if SLED is commercial or not ( mean if I have to pay for it or not). Actually I got this thing freely with a magazine named as [LINUX FOR YOU]. It is nowhere mentioned in the OS or the magazine if a person has to PAY for SLED. BUT after loking at NOVELL's site, they show a price banner aginst it. Does someone know if it is commercial?

Please do not tell me to install openSUSE 10.2 or openSUSE 10..3 as the first one couldn't recognize the hardware and the installation fails at the first place while the second one couldn't install VMware (neither server not workstation) which I really (almost) die for!

2> I added some applications like MP3 support (yeah I know thats not an appplication ... but still...), Mplayer, Google desktop and some other support liibraries for external apps.

I had to find the softwar repository for each and every one of them . ... huh! Can someone tell me what is the address of the MAIN OFFICIAL [OSS] repository for SLED 10? Can I use openSUSE 10.2 or SUSE 10.1 software repositories as well?

3> When I was on Windows XP, I used Kerio Personal Firewall to protect from external threats and to MONITOR my internet connection. I know that there is an inbuilt firewall in SLED but I couldn't configure which device to add to be monitored. The configuration is advanced.

The device I want to apply the firewall for is /dev/rfcomm0.

Can someone help me configuring it ... or at least guide me to some site/page which does (unable to find anything in the openSUSE site!)?

4> Kerio Firewall (on Windows) also acted as the traffic monitor. What application can do the same on Linux? Actually I am a student and I live in a College hostel. They do not allow to put down wires here .... so I can't have a wired internet connection and the GPRS is quite slow so I need to know what applicatons eat up my bandwidth. I searched for and got nothing.

Even though these small problems exist. am enjoying the OS. Even though I am pretty used up to linux, but still I see that to use Linux in all its glory, I was almost FORCED to learn how it works. I am enjoying the OS. Everyday I learn something.

Yeah .... one more point:

SLED 10 does support virtualization by the means of XEN and Qemu (combined). I tries installing XP using my bootable CD using Xen. But after the first reboot (i.e. after the Windows XP setup copies files that it uses to show the graphical installtion progress), Xen complains that the installation may have failed and denies to boot from the virtual disk. I think that problem is that while installation, XEN waits for the first reboots and checks if the MBR exists or not and may be the WIndows Setup does not write the boot code into MBR after the first reboot! well.... thats just a Guess by me.

Can someone tell me what possible reason could be there behind this .... and how do I install Windows using XEN? I want this as I need to have WIndows Virtualiszed and want to upgrade to openSUSE 10.3 as well. Since openSUSE 10.3 does come with XEN and somehow does fail to install VMware, XEN is the only way left to virtualize windows. So I would like to know the method of doing the same.

Waiting for reply!

Does no one have to say anything to me on this topic? I need to have a firewall configured. Can someone help me at least in that area?

I have changed the thread title, it might attract the attention of a knowlegeable person?

SLED is a commercial product. You have to pay for it.

:)

Ummmm well, as NOvell says that the only limitation on the software is that after 60 days, there will be no support for the patches and other software updates (and I am ready for it). Will I have to change the distro?

I hope not ? :|

Can you post the config file for your firewall.

I'll read the post in more detail tomorrow.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WolfeTone

Can you post the config file for your firewall.

I'll read the post in more detail tomorrow.

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Where can I find that thing? I do not know the location. All I knew was the location of it in the YaST administration window! I will search for it on my system and the net. If I get to the file, I will post it; else I would need ur help to find that.

I am a newb in Linux. Just know something enough to keep it running.

To set firewall try:
YaST/Network Devices/Network Card/Edit (Active Network Device)
Set to: /dev/rfcomm0

To Disable the Firewall

Yast
Security & Users.
Firewall.

Select none to disable the firewall for all network interfaces.
Select specific interfaces to enable the firewall on those only.

Thanks a lot Wolf for your helping hand. Your help helps me find things by myself as well! I know my way to the Firewall setup. It is in YaST -> Security and users -> firewall.

well, I checked it right now, there is no /etc/yast.conf. but nonetheless, Yesterday I wanted to use the Linux (as a frontend) to access my virtual WINDOWS (running inside VMware Workstation). So I tried out things and after about 5 minutes I was able to make it up that the word 'interface' means the various devices which are set up as the "network cards" or better called as the network interfaces.

I am still trying to find several things. Yesterday I understood a part of interfaces (stil lplaying around with it). And then there are something called as "Allowed services" Where I can configure what services I want to be enabled (and that I think is a better set of packet filters) for my Internal, External and Demilitarized Zone. Since I have no DMZ, that gets out of question.

ANother term I wanted help from you people is "Masquerading". I say that because, before configuring the firewall, I first at least know what the term means :|.

As per Google (glossary), it is defined as

"This is when a user presents him/herself to the system as another user. This may be done in order to gain unauthorized access to information or ..."

SO what others have to say?

Anyway I will comeback and tell what more I could find!

Try looking for this: wiley publishing suse linux bible

Oh ok.... Thanks. I will try to see if I get that online. But I am not going to invest in a book just to learn the firewall configuration!

Have you tried the documentation that came with the distro?

According to the
Suse Reference Guide ( OpenSUSE ),
or the
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop Deployment Guide

Quote:

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... Using these functions also allows you to implement masquerading, which is a special case of NAT used to link a private network with the Internet.

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In addition, in the Security section they have headings titled
Masquerading Basics
Firewalling Basics
SuSEfirewall2
Configuring the Firewall with YaST
Configuring Manually