[KLUG Members] A Cross Platform VPN Solution? OpenVPN

[Bruce Smith]

> >But it has a ton of servers available, including some packages that
> >should never even get near a firewall, IMO.  (i.e. Samba)  Which gives
> >me the impression that people use DL for other services than just a
> >firewall/router.
> I would imagine there are ways to not install or stop unwanted services...

Nothing is started by default.  It's harder to remove unwanted software
since DL is entirely CD based.  But the build environment lets you pick
and chose packages, and then you can compile your own custom distro.

> >It is certainly possible to connect a [optional!] hard drive to DL (it
> >even has XFS & SCSI support in the kernel).  And included packages like
> >squid, postfix, vsftpd, Cyrus IMAP, Samba, ... lead me to believe this
> >may be a common practices for some DL users.
> Sounds more like a networking/serving Swiss Army knofe than a dedicated
> "from the ground up" firewall-oriented distro like IPCop or floppyfw.

Since I'm fairly new to the project, I don't know how some of the
odd-ball packages got there originally (and haven't ask, yet).

DL seems to be primarily geared to be a router/firewall, as most of the
packages reflect.  I would _guess_ that some people wanted to do other
things with DL and added other packages.

> >The next release should have a basic configuration that will setup
> >everything needed for a basic broadband (ethernet based) firewall. 
> >Anything more requires manual configuration of the desired software.
> It would follow that this is the core orientation, then.

To quote the introduction on the www.devil-linux.org :

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Devil-Linux is a special Linux distribution, which is used for Firewalls
/ Routers.

The goal of Devil-Linux is to have a small, customizable and secure
(what is secure in the internet?) Linux.

The future of Devil-Linux will go far beyond an ordinary Router, we will
provide a lot of other services, but the Distribution will still be easy
and fast to maintain. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------

> In any case, I'm looking forward to your presentation of this on Sept. 23rd.

I kind-of spilled the beans on one item I am suppose to keep secret
until the next version of DL is released.  It's not very obvious what
that "one item" is (I mentioned it in passing).  Anyone who wants to
know will have to attend the presentation where I'll share that secret
only with the attendees!  (and confiscate Ralph's pen when I do so)  :-)

</teaser :>
 
--------------------------------------------
Bruce Smith                bruce@armintl.com
System Administrator / Network Administrator
Armstrong International, Inc.
Three Rivers, Michigan  49093  USA
http://www.armstrong-intl.com/
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