I have a couple of questions but I can’t seem to find the right answers on the web. Maybe you guys can help. OK, I am trying out Ubuntu (based on Debian) but I am not totally comfortable with it. In Windows, you can install a firewall like ZoneAlarm or Kerio to assure yourself (to some extent) that only permitted programs can access the internet and also protect you from threats coming to your computer.
Now my question is (finally), Ubuntu like many other Linux distributions is made by programmers from all over the world, isn’t it possible for one of the programmers to implement code that would act as a backdoor in the Linux OS? Also, so many freely available packages are available for Linux, how can you be sure that a particular package wouldn’t have any malicious code? (Viruses and trojans can be detected by a virus scanner but what about the actual code?) You can probably have the same argument for Windows…
Is there a ZoneAlarm-like firewall for Linux (or Ubuntu) so that you can keep track of programs that access the internet? I know there is one called Firestarter but it does not display any messages when a program tries to access the internet.
I hope I am not being too paranoid. In fact, I like Ubuntu more than Windows because you can customise it a lot. But if Linux does have a firewall like ZoneAlarm then I would definitely move to Linux for good ;D.
Most Linux distros will have some option of enabling a firewall. Most linux firewalls run in a similar way to the windows firewall - only blocking external attacks.
isn't it possible for one of the programmers to implement code that would act as a backdoor in the Linux OS?
Ubuntu is the most popular distro at Distrowatch, they will not risk the bad publicity if a backdoor is found in their OS.
Also, so many freely available packages are available for Linux, how can you be sure that a particular package wouldn't have any malicious code?
The same way that you would in windows - do some research on a program; see what other people say about it.
And since it is opensource, any curious programmer can take a look at the code and blow the whistle if he/she finds some malicious code. By my reasoning, bad programs won’t last long in the linux world.
I like Ubuntu more than Windows because you can customise it a lot
Here is something that may help you. Its called [b][url=http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=66563]Automatix[/url][/b]. It is meant to help the new ubuntu user customize Breezy Badger (5.10)
But if Linux does have a firewall like ZoneAlarm then I would definitely move to Linux for good
If you do find what you are looking for, please let us know
Hi Justin1278, I don’t know about partitioning a drive which has windows already on it but I think you can use the Ubuntu Live to try out Ubuntu without installing anything. I downloaded the DVD distribution of Ubuntu and it gave me an option to either try out the OS without installing anything or install the OS on a HDD. Hope this helps.
Justin, if you downloaded the live distro,you need to burn it to a cd,then insert into your cd drive and reboot.also your system boot order may have to be changed,but try it first.
justin,you must change boot order in BIOS [urlhttp://www.cyberwalker.net/faqs/reinstall-reformat-winxp/enter-BIOS.html][/url]
this link should give info as to how -but WATCH what you are doing as this is not something you have to do everyday. Is this a live or install version?
hope this helps.
I may be wrong but, in your computer BIOS if Boot from Harddrive is first boot device, then Windows would most likely boot up first and you would not get to Linux. As Timcan suggested, you most likely will have to set the BIOS to boot from the cd drive first.
Yes I did save the settings. Also I don’t know if this is going to bios but when I start my PC I press F10 and it goes into settings and I just changed the boot order and saved it.
F10 is how my computer goes into setup before booting. I chaged boot order and it still doesn’t work. I even press esc and choose what I want to boot from, and yet Windows still boots. Did I do something wrong when I was making the disk. I just downloaded the OS Live version and copied it on to the CD. Do I need a special program?
From what I understand, if you plainly copied the ISO file to the CD then you probably have created the CD the wrong way. First open your CD writing program, go to something like FILE and then OPEN. Open the ISO from there. Your CD writing program should then display a message that it is ready to burn the CD. Here, this might help:
The Ubuntu cd’s (both live and install) are shipped for free to your home postal adress if requested. Look at ubuntulinux.org and search for the page named “shipit”.
As for the firewall: it is turned on by default but, just as the windows xp-sp2 firewall only blocks INCOMING connections.
As for the dual-boot question: many linux distro’s like Mandriva and SuSE co-exist peacefully on the same harddisk with Windows. Ubuntu can also be installed as dual-boot, but is more aggressive than the others: the computer will have Ubuntu starting as default and the boot-loader will become unfunctional should you want to get rid of Ubuntu in case you don’t like it. In other words, you will not be able to boot windows again.
So be careful when installing Ubuntu.
Ok then it looks like Unbuntu is not for me. I will look at Suse, I think there is a free version of that, but I still need help on partitioning my drive if you look at the screenshot on the last page I cannot partition my drive using windows so I would like a free program that would partition my drive for me. Any help would be wonderful.
