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Part of the reason I am switching to Linux is, from what I have been told, it is superior to Microsoft Windows in the area of security. I think the reason is at least twofold.
1. People are out to get Microsoft i.e. trojans, viruses, and spyware. Of course when considering the effects of micro-evolution, this only means one thing for Microsoft: it WILL become a better OS. It is inevitable; if Microsoft wants to continue to be a viable secure OS for home and especially business use, Windows will have to continue to improve (evolve) or it will fail. Failure does not make money, therefore Microsoft will spend money to make a better piece of software, bottom line. Moreover, the reverse implication to Linux is true. People are NOT out to get Linux. There are no trojans, viruses and spyware to speak of in the Linux world.
2. The second reason why I believe Linux is superior to Microsoft Windows in the area of security is due to two things. First, there are so many distributions available it makes it difficult for someone with malicious intent to target a large populace because the user base is distributed over different types of Linux OSs. Second, Linux is Open Source. You would have to have many (many) people involved, from different backgrounds, cultures, values, countries, languages to "hide" a security hole in Linux. Even the most paranoid conspiracy theorist would have a hard time developing a theory about "those behind the Linux MACHINE".
As I contemplated these strengths in Linux, I realized something: these strengths are due to the environment in which Linux exists and not something that is necessarily inherent in the actual operating system itself. In other words, if the situation was reversed, if Linux was the major operating system everyone was after, would it stand up to the malicious users as well as Microsoft Windows? I think this is a question worth a serious answer. This is a question to which that I cannot even venture a guess, since I am still brand new to Linux. (Anyone... Anyone... Bueller... Bueller...)
Some would argue that the built-in firewall should be examined when comparing any Linux distribution to Microsoft Windows. I would agree that the default firewall in Microsoft Windows is a poor excuse for a firewall compared to IPTables, BUT third-party firewalls, from what I see, are BETTER than IPTables. Here is why.
Application Control.
I am a user of Outpost Firewall. It is a 3rd-party software firewall developed specifically for Microsoft Windows. I am not here to pitch this software, but I believe in it; that's why I bought it. When you install Outpost, there are few ways you can set it up and I configured it in the most paranoid way possible. ;P This piece of software monitors ALL the network activity coming from my computer, and it allows NOTHING to access even my router unless I say OK. There are automatic settings but I configure everything manually. I can even block Outpost itself from accessing the internet (which does not effect its operation except for updates). I keep Windows XP Pro locked down pretty tight. SVCHOST does not report back to Microsoft because I locked it down to only talk to my router and deal with my DNS. (BTW, if you didn't know, Microsoft has been taking "anonymous" stats from your computer since your first installation of XP.)
All that said, I want my application control on Linux. I will be honest; I do not trust anyone I do not know personally. I like Ubuntu, and from what I can tell the organization is an honorable group. However, I do not know the internal workings of the company, and because of my lack of knowledge, I would prefer to have a little MORE knowledge of what my OS is doing. Things like: when it accesses the internet, why it does, how it does, the duration of the contact, so on and so forth.
I am still learning what IPTables can do. Perhaps packet filtering in the hands of a knowledgeable person would put my application control-based firewall to shame. But I don't know. I like that I can watch what my computer is doing through Outpost. Honesty, Outpost is the ONLY reason I still use my Windows partition. (Well, that and the multitude of games I have.) Maybe someone who reads this article could point me in the right direction. I have read up on IPTables to a degree, tried Firestarter and Guarddog, but in the end uninstalled them. I'm happy behind my stealthy Linksys router without any firewall configured, for now.
Let the critics come,
The Linux Newbie
I will admit that one of my favorite features of certain Linux distributions is the Live CD capability. I was captivated as I searched around the net and found many distros including this feature as a separate download or actually integrated into the install CD. My very first Live CD was Ubuntu 6.06 Dapper, and I was impressed. It recognized every piece of hardware I had except for my wireless card, and as the Desktop came into view, a very nice "tinkly-strings" sound introduced me to the Ubuntu world. I was hooked! Sure, it took extra time to load programs, but I could play around with a variety of new and intriguing things. I would highly, highly recommend anyone thinking about Linux to make downloading a LiveCD a priority.
As a way of making the choice easier you can go to Zegenie Studio's test, and make sure you select the Live CD option when given the choice, and it will probably give you choices, primarily from the Ubuntu line of distros. However, as I have skipped around web, I have discovered numerous choices beyond Ubuntu that are top quality Linux distributions.
Here is a list of pros and cons, as I see it, from 11 of the more popular Linux distros. (No, this list is not exhaustive, nor shall it ever be. I hear that every 7 seconds, there is a new Linux distro created somewhere in the world!)
The Test Subject:
Compaq Presario R3038CL
2.8ghz Processor
CD/DVD Drive (Toshiba DVD-ROM SD-R2512)
1280x800 Screen Resolution
1.25 Gigabytes of RAM
Wireless USB Mouse
ADI 1981B Audio <-- I guess this is my sound card?
512MB Sandisk Cruzer Mini USB Drive
Some Subjectively Objective Tests:
I thought I would give some "benchmarks" to give an idea of the LiveCD performance.
So you're thinking, "Why would you want to quit using a whole operating system because of ONE program. I mean there are other good e-mail programs out there you can use." Right... but when you are SO frustrated with ONE program you start to question why you even tried to make the change in the first place! I still have Windows on my computer. Why am I wasting my time with this damn program? What is the advantage?
I had to re-center myself, take a deep breath, and re-think why I was trying to use Linux. What is more frustrating, the fact that my Windows machine tries to send stats to Microsoft from my svchost (blocked by ye 'ol FIREWALL) or that I can't back-up a damn thing in Kmail. (More on that later) The answer is simple, I AM sick and tired of Windows "owning" my computer. I want it back NOW.
After a few door slams, some deep breaths, and my morning cup of coffee, I felt better. With the overwhelming sense of self-preservation, or in this case computer-preservation, I decided to stick to my guns. So what if I lose some of my e-mails? They really weren't that important, not compared to the invasiveness of Microsoft.
"So why all the frustration, and why did you almost cave," you may ask? Kmail. Damn Kmail.
(From here to the end is a rant, if you cannot stomach it, move on.)
I have been using Kubuntu for a few weeks now on my desktop. I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience using Kontact and Kmail until yesterday. One of the problems I have with Kubuntu, is there is no obvious way to cause my desktop to go into Standby or Hibernate. There could be some way of doing that, downloading something, altering some file somewhere, but I didn't want to mess with that. I have been reviewing LiveCD's (coming soon) and noticed that OpenSUSE has the capability for standby or hibernate, so I thought, "Hey I will just redo and install SUSE. I've been wanting to try it anyways."
All I needed to do was copy some files to my thumbdrive and BACKUP MY KMAIL. The first was easy, straightforward, and painless. The second, not so much. I looked online for "backup kmail" and thankfully there were many sites on this subject. Ah, it looked simple enough, copy the kmail folder, some config file, and something else ~/Mail, which I couldn't find. But I looked in my kmail folder and sure enough there was all my mail stuff.
*Right-click, copy, finds thumbdrive, PASTE*
Wha... can't write to what? Ok.
*skip, skip, skip, replace*
Nada. Crap! And so I couldn't copy my kmail file to my thumbdrive by use of normal GUI means.
Perhaps it's a user limitation problem, so I thought. I cracked my fingers and got them loose... we're going into COMMAND PROMPT MODE. Being the deft typist I am, I moved quickly to the folder with the kmail file and proceeded to sudo copy it. Something went horribly wrong, I really don't know what it was, but the end result was that nothing was copied. So maybe I can sudo move it. YES! That worked! But now what? Let's go over to my thumbdrive to see what was there. Nothing. Nothing at all. So where they hell did my kmail folder go? I was in a bit of a panic now. Whew! There it was in /media/usbdrive? Don't ask. So I moved it back, then thought, "How 'bout I just back it up with K3B?" That worked. However, to check the backup, I copied the folder from the CD to the original kmail spot to see if my Kmail program recognized it now (before I reformatted). Nothing but errors. *suppresses urge to break something* Let's try...
This went on longer than I would care to share. In the end, I went to the Thunderbird FAQ on moving from Kmail to Thunderbird. I went through those steps and backed-up that way. I have yet to re-install and if I find that back-up method did not do the trick, I've resolved to cut my loses and move on. Honestly, being a glutton for punishment, I might go back to Kmail when it's all said and done but that remains to be seen. I mean, I like the features what can I say. (Except for the DAMN backup.)
So now all is okay, except my OpenSUSE DVD is corrupt or something, so I am presently re-downloading everything. I have had a very frustrating morning, but that inner instinct to give Microsoft the bird has persevered.
I was encouraged today to read a story about the increasing popularity of Linux. I am a Kubuntu user as well as a Microsoft Windows user. I have been dual-booting for a month and a half and am trying to use Linux exclusively now. I still like my Ghost Recon and America's Army, so I will go over for Xfire and my games. Otherwise, I am here, learning Linux.
It has been refreshing, call it an awakening even, for me to get out of the Microsoft mold. It is difficult for me, using Windows for 10 years, to even learn about a new OS. Though it has certainly been rewarding. I have no delusions about the future of Linux. It still has an uphill climb, at least in the US, to become as well-used and well-known as Windows. My mark for success, though subjective, would be if I saw a run-of-the-mill video game carried in Wal-Mart that you could simply install on Linux. (Ahem... no Cedega) I guess if you could pick a Linux distro when ordering your Dell would be a measure of success as well.
One of the main reasons I am encouraged by this story is that I am tired of the Microsoft monopoly. Sure, it may not be legally termed a monopoly (in the US) but the mighty hold of Microsoft on the unassuming lives of Joe and Jane Average computer user is staggering. It seems at times that our entire computer infrastructure would fail if Microsoft folded. Perhaps Brain from that great WB cartoon was modeled after Bill Gates in his attempt to take over the world! ;) In all seriousness, the US was built on commercial competition, and there has been little to ripple the Microsoft sea until the last few years it seems.
Even so Linux, come!
The Story: The State of the 2006 Linux Desktop
Digg it here.