New to Gentoo and GNU/Linux OS

Mansoff · n00b Joined: 17 Dec 2011 Posts: 12

This post is from Links browser, got a lot of problems in installation and other thinks before this post, but now Gentoo is up and i need some usual thing in it.Atm Gentoo has only command line.
--Anti-virus(free)
--Good File Manager.
--Browser Firefox.
--Something for internet radio.
So this in "must have".
need help to get it. I know about "emerge", but want to see proffesional gentoo user opinnion.

kite14 · Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 2:37 pm Post subject:

Congrats for your new gentoo installation.
You now have a basic installation without a graphic desktop:
you need to install the "X window server" (the bottom layer
which give you graphic capabilities) and a desktop manager
(such as Gnome, KDE, LXDE, XFCE, ...) which provides a
graphic environment, file manager and other utilities.

You can find further docs at the Gentoo Desktop Documentation Resource page.

<3 · l33t Joined: 21 Oct 2004 Posts: 629

fangwen · Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 3:20 pm Post subject:

Mansoff,

Linux users get trouble with viruses in very rare cases, so you don't need to worry about that.
_________________
All operating systems suck. This one just sucks less.

destroyedlolo

Congratulation make it running.

JESSEJJ89 · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 22 Dec 2011 Posts: 90

If your new to Gentoo I would review this guide before installing software.
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=2&chap=2

I'm pretty new myself and I find this guide very helpful when installing software. You could check what USE flags others use on certain software such as VLC, etc.

ultraincognito · Guru Joined: 03 Jun 2011 Posts: 308 Location: Ukraine

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 2:26 pm Post subject:

Mansoff,

Most linux systems running anti-virus software do so to protect windows systems that connect to the internet through them.
Provided you take normal Linux security precautions you won't need anti-virus on Gentoo.
Only ever use the root account for system admin.
Only run services that you need, so you present less opportunity to the outside world.
Linux is not proof against social engineering and websites that download malicious javascript to your browser.
Its good to run two browsers, one with and one without Java. Only permit scripts to run from sites you trust.

If your system is connected directly to the internet, so use a firewall. iptables is provided inthe kernel for this but you will also need some firewall rules.

The other things you want depend on which Graphical User Interface you choose. The hevyweights are Gnome and KDE if you are running on lightweight hardware, you might like simething with lower CPU and RAM requirements.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

archrax · n00b Joined: 05 Dec 2011 Posts: 22

Hi,

Hope I'm not thread-hijacking here.

Regarding Neddy's last post.

iptables is provided in the kernel you say - but that is the kernel that you've compiled yourself. But iptables is not provided on the minimal installation CD (please correct me if I'm wrong). Surely it should be? A Gentoo build can take quite a while (assuming you are not working on it full time and are spreading it out over a few days), during which you have no firewall and are exposed.

Or am I missing something?

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 9:00 pm Post subject:

archrax,

iptables is not provided on the liveCD kernel.

During your install, what services are you running that listen for incoming connections from the internet?
About the only one I can think of is sshd but you secure that by not permitting root logins and setting a strong password ... don't you?
The paranoid can turn off password logins altogether and drop their public key on the box.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

archrax · n00b Joined: 05 Dec 2011 Posts: 22

Neddy, thanks for the response.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:55 pm Post subject:

archrax,

A firewall server two purposes. It keeps nasty stuff out and it prevents nasty suff phoning home, if it ever gets in. Most people disable the latter functionality as its harder to set up.

If you run a webserver, you will have services listening on posts 80 and 443. FTP listens on port 21. sshd listens on port 22. Look in n/etc/services to see what ports are used by what services. If there are no services listening for connections you have no need of a firewall.
On my system just now

archrax · n00b Joined: 05 Dec 2011 Posts: 22

Neddy,

Thanks for your detailed and helpful reply. I really appreciate it.

I'm not running a server yet, but may do someday. I do have a firewall and I did spend days learning iptables just so that it can do the latter - stop nasty stuff phoning home - and you're right - it wasn't easy!

Thanks for teaching me about how to find out which services are running. Also I didn't know you could login to sshd using a key.

Thanks once again buddy! Now, back to work on my paranoid and secure Gentoo installation (I'll have a bash at hardened Gentoo one day...).