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Groups > comp.os.linux.networking > #859 > unrolled thread

Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux?

Started byANTant@zimage.com (Ant)
First post2011-12-02 15:14 -0600
Last post2011-12-06 05:31 +0000
Articles 17 — 9 participants

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Contents

  Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? ANTant@zimage.com (Ant) - 2011-12-02 15:14 -0600
    Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? J G Miller <miller@yoyo.ORG> - 2011-12-02 21:28 +0000
      Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? ANTant@zimage.com (Ant) - 2011-12-05 14:33 -0600
        Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? J G Miller <miller@yoyo.ORG> - 2011-12-05 22:11 +0000
    Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? notbob <notbob@nothome.com> - 2011-12-02 21:42 +0000
      Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? J G Miller <miller@yoyo.ORG> - 2011-12-02 22:00 +0000
      Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2011-12-03 00:30 -0800
        Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? David Brown <david.brown@removethis.hesbynett.no> - 2011-12-03 12:23 +0100
          Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2011-12-03 08:58 -0800
            Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? David Brown <david.brown@removethis.hesbynett.no> - 2011-12-04 02:34 +0100
              Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2011-12-04 09:11 +0000
    Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2011-12-03 04:05 +0000
      Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2011-12-03 00:34 -0800
    Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? yamo' <yamo@beurdin.invalid> - 2011-12-03 11:10 +0100
      Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2011-12-03 09:04 -0800
        Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? notbob <notbob@nothome.com> - 2011-12-03 18:57 +0000
    Re: Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux? Paulo da Silva <p_s_d_a_s_i_l_v_a@netcabo.pt> - 2011-12-06 05:31 +0000

#859 — Is Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux?

FromANTant@zimage.com (Ant)
Date2011-12-02 15:14 -0600
SubjectIs Guarddog still the easiest and best firewall GUI program for Linux?
Message-ID<ePCdnRb0o4ZUokTTnZ2dnUVZ_qSdnZ2d@earthlink.com>
Hello.

Is Guarddog still the best frontend GUI program to configure iptables 
for firewalls in Linux (Debian) and average Linux desktop users?

Thank you in advance. :)
-- 
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#861

FromJ G Miller <miller@yoyo.ORG>
Date2011-12-02 21:28 +0000
Message-ID<jbbfup$7vo$2@dont-email.me>
In reply to#859
On Friday, December 2nd, 2011, at 15:14:49h -0600, Ant asked:

> Is Guarddog still the best frontend GUI program to configure iptables
> for firewalls in Linux (Debian) and average Linux desktop users?

    <http://www.simonzone.COM/software/guarddog/>

1) Guarddog has not had a new release in over 4 years.

2) The last release of Guarddog was based on the obsolete QT3/KDE3.

2) Debian unstable no longer provides Guarddog.

Please draw your own conclusions in terms of what you consider "best".

As an alternative you may wish to consider gufw.

   Description: graphical user interface for ufw

   gufw is an easy and intuitive way to manage your Linux firewall.

   It supports common tasks such as allowing or blocking pre-configured,
   common p2p, or individual port(s), and many others!

   Homepage: https://launchpad.net/gui-ufw

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#876

FromANTant@zimage.com (Ant)
Date2011-12-05 14:33 -0600
Message-ID<MeWdnd5xSeAxt0DTnZ2dnUVZ_tydnZ2d@earthlink.com>
In reply to#861
Thanks. I will have to check it out. Yeah, I think I will have to dump 
Guarddog soon and starting learning a new GUI firewall program if Debian 
is going to dump it. :(

Actually, will Debian remove my installed Guarddog later on or does it 
leave it alone? Guarddog seems to work though. I use the same firewall 
rules from my old Debian box (export and import feature).


>     <http://www.simonzone.COM/software/guarddog/>

> 1) Guarddog has not had a new release in over 4 years.

> 2) The last release of Guarddog was based on the obsolete QT3/KDE3.

> 2) Debian unstable no longer provides Guarddog.

> Please draw your own conclusions in terms of what you consider "best".

> As an alternative you may wish to consider gufw.

>    Description: graphical user interface for ufw

>    gufw is an easy and intuitive way to manage your Linux firewall.

>    It supports common tasks such as allowing or blocking pre-configured,
>    common p2p, or individual port(s), and many others!

>    Homepage: https://launchpad.net/gui-ufw

-- 
Quote of the Week: "I made my list for my birthday." --Christopher. 
"Yeah, what'd you put on there? - A basketball or an ant farm." and 
"This could be an ant farm. This could be a microscope or anything." 
--Chris from The Pursuit of Happyness movie.
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#877

FromJ G Miller <miller@yoyo.ORG>
Date2011-12-05 22:11 +0000
Message-ID<jbjfik$8dm$2@dont-email.me>
In reply to#876
On Monday, December 5th, 2011 at 14:33:48h -0600, Ant wrote:

> if Debian is going to dump it. :(

There is no *if* about it.

    <http://packages.qa.debian.org/g/guarddog.html>


QUOTE

   This package is neither part of unstable nor experimental.

   This probably means that the package has been removed (or has been renamed).
   Thus the information here is of little interest ... the package is going
   to disappear unless someone takes it over and reintroduces it into unstable.

  [2011-03-29] guarddog REMOVED from testing (Britney)
  [2011-03-28] Removed 2.6.0-3 from unstable (Alexander Reichle-Schmehl)

UNQUOTE

> Actually, will Debian remove my installed Guarddog later on or does it
> leave it alone?

Debian will not remove packages automagically.

But remember if you do an upgrade which causes the removal of
the Qt3 libraries, then that will cause the Guarddog package
to also be removed.

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#862

Fromnotbob <notbob@nothome.com>
Date2011-12-02 21:42 +0000
Message-ID<slrnjdihi9.2j6.notbob@nbleet.hcc.net>
In reply to#859
On 2011-12-02, Ant <ANTant@zimage.com> wrote:
> Hello.
>
> Is Guarddog still the best frontend GUI program to configure iptables 
> for firewalls in Linux (Debian) and average Linux desktop users?

I don't think so.  I use arno's firewall:

http://rocky.eld.leidenuniv.nl/joomla/

Arno's firewall starts out blocking everthing coming at your computer.
The only traffic allowed, by default, is outgoing traffic from your
computer and it's subject to stateful inspection.  End of story.  If
you want to allow incoming traffic for a server (ssh, http, etc), you
can do so by editing the bash script file that configures iptables at
boot up.

I tried figuring out guarddog, but it was jes too confusing.  With
arno's, no icons or zones or whatever all that GD crap is.  Jes get it
running and forget it.  This on a slackware box, where the command
line is mightier than the mouse.  ;)

If yer running ubuntu or some ubu variant, ufw seems to work well
enough.  It certainly lives up to its name, uncomplicated firewall.
I'd stick with that.  I don't know if ufw is available for debian.

nb

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#863

FromJ G Miller <miller@yoyo.ORG>
Date2011-12-02 22:00 +0000
Message-ID<jbbhpc$7vo$5@dont-email.me>
In reply to#862
On Friday, December 2nd, 2011, at 21:42:28h +0000, NotBob wrote:

> On 2011-12-02, Ant <ANTant@zimage.com> wrote:
>> Hello.
>>
>> Is Guarddog still the best frontend GUI program to configure iptables
>> for firewalls in Linux (Debian) and average Linux desktop users?
> 
> I don't think so.  I use arno's firewall

I think you missed the bit in the question about "frontend GUI".

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#865

FromAnt <ant@zimage.comANT>
Date2011-12-03 00:30 -0800
Message-ID<xZednYDoxrCyQ0TTnZ2dnUVZ_qydnZ2d@earthlink.com>
In reply to#862
On 12/2/2011 1:42 PM PT, notbob typed:

> On 2011-12-02, Ant<ANTant@zimage.com>  wrote:
>> Hello.
>>
>> Is Guarddog still the best frontend GUI program to configure iptables
>> for firewalls in Linux (Debian) and average Linux desktop users?
>
> I don't think so.  I use arno's firewall:
>
> http://rocky.eld.leidenuniv.nl/joomla/
>
> Arno's firewall starts out blocking everthing coming at your computer.
> The only traffic allowed, by default, is outgoing traffic from your
> computer and it's subject to stateful inspection.  End of story.  If
> you want to allow incoming traffic for a server (ssh, http, etc), you
> can do so by editing the bash script file that configures iptables at
> boot up.
>
> I tried figuring out guarddog, but it was jes too confusing.  With
> arno's, no icons or zones or whatever all that GD crap is.  Jes get it
> running and forget it.  This on a slackware box, where the command
> line is mightier than the mouse.  ;)
>
> If yer running ubuntu or some ubu variant, ufw seems to work well
> enough.  It certainly lives up to its name, uncomplicated firewall.
> I'd stick with that.  I don't know if ufw is available for debian.

Ah, I want GUI because it is easier to understand what's going on. I use 
similiar products like Kerio Personal Firewall v2.1.4, Outpost Firewall 
2009, Conseal PC Firewall, Norton, etc. :)

-- 
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      ( )         If e-mailing, then axe ANT from its address if needed.
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#868

FromDavid Brown <david.brown@removethis.hesbynett.no>
Date2011-12-03 12:23 +0100
Message-ID<8cadnaw2wfZUm0fTnZ2dnUVZ7rmdnZ2d@lyse.net>
In reply to#865
On 03/12/11 09:30, Ant wrote:
> On 12/2/2011 1:42 PM PT, notbob typed:
>
>> On 2011-12-02, Ant<ANTant@zimage.com> wrote:
>>> Hello.
>>>
>>> Is Guarddog still the best frontend GUI program to configure iptables
>>> for firewalls in Linux (Debian) and average Linux desktop users?
>>
>> I don't think so. I use arno's firewall:
>>
>> http://rocky.eld.leidenuniv.nl/joomla/
>>
>> Arno's firewall starts out blocking everthing coming at your computer.
>> The only traffic allowed, by default, is outgoing traffic from your
>> computer and it's subject to stateful inspection. End of story. If
>> you want to allow incoming traffic for a server (ssh, http, etc), you
>> can do so by editing the bash script file that configures iptables at
>> boot up.
>>
>> I tried figuring out guarddog, but it was jes too confusing. With
>> arno's, no icons or zones or whatever all that GD crap is. Jes get it
>> running and forget it. This on a slackware box, where the command
>> line is mightier than the mouse. ;)
>>
>> If yer running ubuntu or some ubu variant, ufw seems to work well
>> enough. It certainly lives up to its name, uncomplicated firewall.
>> I'd stick with that. I don't know if ufw is available for debian.
>
> Ah, I want GUI because it is easier to understand what's going on. I use
> similiar products like Kerio Personal Firewall v2.1.4, Outpost Firewall
> 2009, Conseal PC Firewall, Norton, etc. :)
>

These aren't similar products.  Windows "firewalls" operate in a 
completely different way from Linux firewalls.  Linux firewalls are 
concerned about what comes into, goes out of, or passes through your 
machine at a lower level.  Mostly you allow or deny packets depending on 
their source (which interface they come in on, or their IP address), 
their destination, and their protocol and port (such as port 80 tcp for 
http traffic).  There are, of course, many other possibilities and 
features of iptables firewalls.

For typical home use, you only need a very simple setup - everything 
outgoing is allowed, everything incoming is blocked unless it is in 
answer to outgoing connections.  You may also want to open particular 
incoming ports, for applications such as bittorrent.


Windows firewalling does most of that, though not perfectly (and with 
far fewer advanced options) - I believe there are certain services and 
accesses that you can't disable because the system uses them.  It is not 
uncommon that attacks on Windows machines with the native firewall or 
third-party firewalls do so by exploiting flaws in the firewall software.

What firewalls on Windows do, that firewalls on Linux normally don't do, 
is try to place limits on /programs/.  In the Windows world, the 
assumption is that many of the programs running on your machine are 
malware, or legitimate programs that otherwise "phone home" in an 
undesirable way, or illegal copies of programs that might report 
themselves back to the publishers.  So much of a Windows firewall's 
efforts are concerned with limiting the function of programs running on 
your system.  Again, they vary a lot on how successful they are, and 
what the run-time costs in performance are.  And they do not "show you 
what's going on" - they give some information about some things, but you 
have no way to be sure of any of it.


Of course in Linux it is possible to limit programs' access to 
networking if you want - but it is normally only done by people looking 
for more advanced security measures.  The simplest way is probably to 
make an extra user and set up rules to limit that user's access - then 
you run your suspect program as that user (if your program is suspect, 
you wouldn't want to run it as your normal user anyway).  Or you would 
use a virtual machine to get better sandboxing.  For more complete 
measures, including controlling the access of root programs, you should 
probably look at SELinux.

I have no idea if there are gui's that help with this.  But since it's 
way beyond what most people need, and something that needs to be 
thoroughly understood to be useful, I doubt it.



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#869

FromAnt <ant@zimage.comANT>
Date2011-12-03 08:58 -0800
Message-ID<vtidnaWYtN6jyEfTnZ2dnUVZ_o6dnZ2d@earthlink.com>
In reply to#868
On 12/3/2011 3:23 AM PT, David Brown typed:

>> Ah, I want GUI because it is easier to understand what's going on. I use
>> similiar products like Kerio Personal Firewall v2.1.4, Outpost Firewall
>> 2009, Conseal PC Firewall, Norton, etc. :)
>
> These aren't similar products. Windows "firewalls" operate in a
> completely different way from Linux firewalls. Linux firewalls are
> concerned about what comes into, goes out of, or passes through your
> machine at a lower level. Mostly you allow or deny packets depending on
> their source (which interface they come in on, or their IP address),
> their destination, and their protocol and port (such as port 80 tcp for
> http traffic). There are, of course, many other possibilities and
> features of iptables firewalls.
>
> For typical home use, you only need a very simple setup - everything
> outgoing is allowed, everything incoming is blocked unless it is in
> answer to outgoing connections. You may also want to open particular
> incoming ports, for applications such as bittorrent.
...

Well, I still want to get prompted what goes in and out. Then, I can 
tell it to allow/deny, learn the IP addresses, ports, dircetions, etc. I 
don't allow everything to go out either since I hate programs that phone 
home.
-- 
"The evaluator counts the ants at the picnic of progress." --Mohan Singh
    /\___/\               Ant @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
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  | |o   o| |
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      ( )         If e-mailing, then axe ANT from its address if needed.
Ant is currently not listening to any songs on this computer.

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#872

FromDavid Brown <david.brown@removethis.hesbynett.no>
Date2011-12-04 02:34 +0100
Message-ID<L6SdnbzliI3dU0fTnZ2dnUVZ8mWdnZ2d@lyse.net>
In reply to#869
On 03/12/11 17:58, Ant wrote:
> On 12/3/2011 3:23 AM PT, David Brown typed:
>
>>> Ah, I want GUI because it is easier to understand what's going on. I use
>>> similiar products like Kerio Personal Firewall v2.1.4, Outpost Firewall
>>> 2009, Conseal PC Firewall, Norton, etc. :)
>>
>> These aren't similar products. Windows "firewalls" operate in a
>> completely different way from Linux firewalls. Linux firewalls are
>> concerned about what comes into, goes out of, or passes through your
>> machine at a lower level. Mostly you allow or deny packets depending on
>> their source (which interface they come in on, or their IP address),
>> their destination, and their protocol and port (such as port 80 tcp for
>> http traffic). There are, of course, many other possibilities and
>> features of iptables firewalls.
>>
>> For typical home use, you only need a very simple setup - everything
>> outgoing is allowed, everything incoming is blocked unless it is in
>> answer to outgoing connections. You may also want to open particular
>> incoming ports, for applications such as bittorrent.
> ...
>
> Well, I still want to get prompted what goes in and out. Then, I can
> tell it to allow/deny, learn the IP addresses, ports, dircetions, etc. I
> don't allow everything to go out either since I hate programs that phone
> home.

You are using Linux - programs for Linux are mostly either open source 
(and very rarely do anything nasty - it would quickly be spotted), or 
they are serious professional programs (which also don't do anything 
nasty - at least, not unless you have made illegal copies).  Stop 
thinking in the Windows world.

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#873

FromJorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se>
Date2011-12-04 09:11 +0000
Message-ID<slrnjdmeak.q8l.grahn+nntp@frailea.sa.invalid>
In reply to#872
["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.security.]

On Sun, 2011-12-04, David Brown wrote:
> On 03/12/11 17:58, Ant wrote:
>> On 12/3/2011 3:23 AM PT, David Brown typed:
>>
>>>> Ah, I want GUI because it is easier to understand what's going on. I use
>>>> similiar products like Kerio Personal Firewall v2.1.4, Outpost Firewall
>>>> 2009, Conseal PC Firewall, Norton, etc. :)
>>>
>>> These aren't similar products. Windows "firewalls" operate in a
>>> completely different way from Linux firewalls. Linux firewalls are
>>> concerned about what comes into, goes out of, or passes through your
>>> machine at a lower level. Mostly you allow or deny packets depending on
>>> their source (which interface they come in on, or their IP address),
>>> their destination, and their protocol and port (such as port 80 tcp for
>>> http traffic). There are, of course, many other possibilities and
>>> features of iptables firewalls.
>>>
>>> For typical home use, you only need a very simple setup - everything
>>> outgoing is allowed, everything incoming is blocked unless it is in
>>> answer to outgoing connections. You may also want to open particular
>>> incoming ports, for applications such as bittorrent.
>> ...
>>
>> Well, I still want to get prompted what goes in and out. Then, I can
>> tell it to allow/deny, learn the IP addresses, ports, dircetions, etc. I
>> don't allow everything to go out either since I hate programs that phone
>> home.
>
> You are using Linux - programs for Linux are mostly either open source 
> (and very rarely do anything nasty - it would quickly be spotted), or 
> they are serious professional programs (which also don't do anything 
> nasty - at least, not unless you have made illegal copies).  Stop 
> thinking in the Windows world.

There's a narrow zone of "freeware" though -- Google Chrome, Skype,
Adobe Flash ... I use none of them, but if I *did* want them I'd take
the privacy risk into account first.

(Of course the risk from these is less than from some random Windows
.exe you download -- about the same as from the corresponding Windows
version.)

/Jorgen

-- 
  // Jorgen Grahn <grahn@  Oo  o.   .     .
\X/     snipabacken.se>   O  o   .

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#864

FromThe Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid>
Date2011-12-03 04:05 +0000
Message-ID<jbc76k$iie$7@news.albasani.net>
In reply to#859
Ant wrote:
> Hello.
> 
> Is Guarddog still the best frontend GUI program to configure iptables 
> for firewalls in Linux (Debian) and average Linux desktop users?
> 

Depends on what you know about firewalling...

I have used Webmin, and it was good enough for me, but in the end I 
needed to write done a fairly tidy set of rules anyway, and it wasn't 
hard to do that as a series of command line commands wrappedd into a 
script,.


> Thank you in advance. :)

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#866

FromAnt <ant@zimage.comANT>
Date2011-12-03 00:34 -0800
Message-ID<xZednYLoxrCDQkTTnZ2dnUVZ_qydnZ2d@earthlink.com>
In reply to#864
On 12/2/2011 8:05 PM PT, The Natural Philosopher typed:

>> Is Guarddog still the best frontend GUI program to configure iptables
>> for firewalls in Linux (Debian) and average Linux desktop users?
>
> Depends on what you know about firewalling...

Just basics like what needs to go in and out from alerts from programs.


> I have used Webmin, and it was good enough for me, but in the end I
> needed to write done a fairly tidy set of rules anyway, and it wasn't
> hard to do that as a series of command line commands wrappedd into a
> script,.

Well, I usually wait for the network programs to alert me of accesses.
-- 
"Remember when walking down the road of life, always stop and squish the 
ants." --Albian in Creatures game
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#867

Fromyamo' <yamo@beurdin.invalid>
Date2011-12-03 11:10 +0100
Message-ID<jbcsi6$g67$5@usenet.pasdenom.info>
In reply to#859
hi,

Ant a tapoté, le 02/12/2011 22:14:
> Hello.
> 
> Is Guarddog still the best frontend GUI program to configure iptables 
> for firewalls in Linux (Debian) and average Linux desktop users?


I don't know Guarddog, for using on a GUI I use firestarter.


-- 
Stéphane

<http://pasdenom.info/fortune/>

Quatre-vingt ans, c'est l'âge de la puberté académique.
	-+- Paul Claudel -+-

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#870

FromAnt <ant@zimage.comANT>
Date2011-12-03 09:04 -0800
Message-ID<T6SdnfKc-8ouy0fTnZ2dnUVZ_ridnZ2d@earthlink.com>
In reply to#867
On 12/3/2011 2:10 AM PT, yamo' typed:

>> Is Guarddog still the best frontend GUI program to configure iptables
>> for firewalls in Linux (Debian) and average Linux desktop users?
>
> I don't know Guarddog, for using on a GUI I use firestarter.

Interesting. It looks good.

I have two questions since I didn't see the answers when quick glancing 
its documentations and screen shots: Does it prompt to allow/deny and 
customize in real-time when programs use the network? And does this 
program use iptables like Guarddog?
-- 
"This is the ant. Treat it with respect. For it may very well be the 
next dominant lifeform of our planet." --Empire of the Ants movie
    /\___/\               Ant @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
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  | |o   o| |
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      ( )         If e-mailing, then axe ANT from its address if needed.
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#871

Fromnotbob <notbob@nothome.com>
Date2011-12-03 18:57 +0000
Message-ID<slrnjdks8d.2ht.notbob@nbleet.hcc.net>
In reply to#870
On 2011-12-03, Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote:

> I have two questions since I didn't see the answers when quick glancing 
> its documentations and screen shots: Does it prompt to allow/deny and 
> customize in real-time when programs use the network? And does this 
> program use iptables like Guarddog?

I understand yer dilemma, having once been a Windows user, myself.
Then, I used Signal9, which later was sold to and hosed by McAffee
under the name Conseal.  It did as you ask, prompted you each time a
new connection w/o a corresponding rule, was made, either in or out,
and asked what you wanted to do.

"Do you want to pee-pee"?

"Yes"

"Do you have to unzip yer pants?"

"Yes"    

Those days are over, Ant!  

If you now use linux, time to acquire a new mindset.  Linux assumes
you understand what yer doing and operates accordingly, not be a
clueless newbie that needs yer hand held, each action requiring a
question and answer babysitting session from the OS.  You need to
consider what you want and/or need, then configure the iptables
firewall accordingly.

The best security policy is, block ALL, allowing only what you need.
Iptables allows "stateful inspection".  These are rules which allow
any outgoing traffic initiated by you, but only incoming traffic that
is in direct response to the outgoing traffic you jes sent.  Since
linux, by its nature, has no applications phoning home or trying to
contact the creator behind yer back ....at least by default.... then
that shouldn't be a worry.  Granted, a few applications like firefox
are set up to phone home for updates, but I've yet to see one of these
auto-update apps for linux do this without first asking and/or
allowing you to disable this option.  They may be out there, but I've
not run across one, yet.

So, if you browse google on yer browser, or send an IM message, you
should be safe with any block all, statefull inspection, linux
iptables packet filter (firewall) configuration.  If you want to do
bittorrents and share bits, or allow SSH access, or run an apache web
server, yer gonna hafta open up yer firewall and understand how it
works.

Understand there are no firewall applications, only configuration
applications for the linux kernal iptables packet filter.  They all do
the same thing, which is write the appropriate rules for iptables.
You should learn about iptables and how it works and tcp/ip
fundamentals and the various network protocols.  Lotta good info pages
out there on both subjects.

IMO, understanding tcp/ip protocols is the best place to start.
Here's a pretty good one:

http://www.w3schools.com/tcpip/tcpip_intro.asp

Once you learn the protocols, then learn how/why iptables filters
them.

Good luck!  ;)

nb

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#878

FromPaulo da Silva <p_s_d_a_s_i_l_v_a@netcabo.pt>
Date2011-12-06 05:31 +0000
Message-ID<jbk9av$ue9$2@speranza.aioe.org>
In reply to#859
Em 02-12-2011 21:14, Ant escreveu:
> Hello.
> 
> Is Guarddog still the best frontend GUI program to configure iptables 
> for firewalls in Linux (Debian) and average Linux desktop users?
> 
> Thank you in advance. :)

I am using fwbuilder.
I only had some difficulties at first.
I took an example, deleted all stuff I didn't need and then it became
really very easy to maintain, even if it is a long time without making
any changes.

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