[CentOS] Firewall frustration

[Robert Moskowitz]

Scott Ehrlich wrote:
> On Tue, 1 Jan 2008, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Mark Weaver wrote:
>>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>>> Hash: SHA1
>>>
>>> On Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:21:34 -0500
>>> Robert Moskowitz <rgm at htt-consult.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> William L. Maltby wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, 2007-12-31 at 09:33 -0500, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Peter Farrell wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Problem is I want a REAL router/firewall with little work."
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Run a smoothwall installtion and replace your CentOS install.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> http://www.smoothwall.org/
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> well first challenge is my unit's USB ethernet dongles. Centos
>>>>>> uses the RTL 8150 driver for them. Smoothwall only lists the RTL
>>>>>> 8129, 8139, and 8169...
>>>>>>
>>>>> I've used this at home for years. I don't know if it's suitable,
>>>>> but it seems *very* flexible. Allows for NAT or not, has typical
>>>>> zones, reporting, IPTables modification support, ...
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.ipcop.org/
>>>>>
>>>>> Has run/tested successfully on various configurations here. It's
>>>>> another "ditch your CentOS" solution though. But you can put it on
>>>>> any old junk laying around and it'ss probably work. Using cable
>>>>> modem in the boonies, 486DX/66 gives about 450KB/sec, Pentium
>>>>> 200MHz pci gives <= 700MB/sec - both from decent sites. Tested
>>>>> using both ISA and PCI bus adapters through both twisted pair and
>>>>> thin coax.
>>>>>
>>>> As I thought about things this morning, trying to put up smoothwall,
>>>> I realized that one of my goals is to have a tool to turn a Centos
>>>> system that I am using for foo, into a firewall for bar for a day. I
>>>> have Astaro for my serious firewall needs (see later post), but 
>>>> need something 'portable'. You see I have these plans with some 
>>>> small itx systems....
>>>>
>>>
>>> have you considered linux that fits on a floppy disk?
>>>
>>> http://mypage.uniserve.ca/~thelinuxguy/small_and_floppy_linux/
>>>
>>> http://www.linuxlinks.com/Distributions/Floppy/
>>>
>>> http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Operating_Systems/Linux/Distributions/Tiny/Floppy_Sized/ 
>>>
>>>
>>> get one running and configured and save to floppy... things go south
>>> reboot the machine and everything is back. no hard drives to worry
>>> about...
>>>
>> Have you ever thought about how rare floppy drives are now? At best 
>> you go with a bootable usb, if your notebook supports bootable USB. 
>> My Libretto does have a bootable floppy, but that is something extra 
>> to carry. It will not boot from anything else (besides its HD). My 
>> nc4010 (this notebook) will boot from usb. My corp notebook (nc2400) 
>> is locked down; and I don't see any value at getting corp IT bent out 
>> of shape.
>>
>
> Yes, floppy drives are rare - but they are still incredibly valuable. 
> I've dealt with needing to install drivers from floppy for OSes, and 
> the OSse are looking to floppy.
>
> I've needed DOS' fdisk to get me out of problems at times, and having 
> a bootable copy of DOS on-hand has done the job.
>
> Some BIOS updates are only available from a bootable floppy (won't 
> install to anything else).
>
> Saves times and frusteration in having a reusable floppy around than 
> having to sometimes create a bootable CD to put the files on. Reuse 
> the floppy as often as needed.
I have a USB floppy that came with my Toshiba 3490. It is a very 
valuable part of my 'tool box'.
> Old hardware still exists and is usable, and sometimes only work, or 
> work best, with floppies.
>
> Sometimes "old school" is still "good school".
Talk to me about 'old school'. I sat at my first Teletype in '66 as a 
Junior in High School, learning Dartmouth Basic...

But I am looking at what I can easily travel with, and a floppy is NOT 
part of a traveling collection. Enough gear to upset TSA as it is.
>
> We still often use "VT100" or "3270" emulation for remote 
> connectivity... Think about their origins.
Check out who chaired the TN3270E workgroup ;) Want to discuss LU2 
management layer?

Not really, some things are best left in the dust heap. Along with those 
55 Baud Teletypes!