ubuntu-us-nj Newb here

[Lee Sharp]

On 08/17/2010 12:49 AM, Evan Koblentz wrote:
>    Hello world --
>
> Installed Ubuntu 10.04 on my primary PC last week.  I miss some of XP's
> bells and whistles, but mostly I'm happy with this alternative.  At
> first I was impressed with how quickly it boots -- then I was MORE
> impressed with how quickly it shuts down!

Oh, we got your eye candy! 
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CompositeManager/CompizFusion  Make 
your Windows friends weep!

> First big question: in XP, I was fanatical about updating my A/V,
> anti-spyware, firewall, etc. ...... are these non-issues in Linux?  Or
> what should I be using for security?

I have lots of systems in production, but at my old job and my new one. 
  None of them have any virus protection or firewalls.  And here is why...

There are two main reasons people say to run antivirus...
1) Protect others.  Screw'em...  If they had a secure OS (and Windows 
can be secured with some effort) there would not be a virus problem. (At 
least not at the scale it is)
2) Keep from passing it.  Virus infected files generally work "wrong" in 
linux.  Why would I send someone a file that was broken?  Funny enough, 
I have been sent infected documents, which I open in Open Office, and 
save in a different format.  TaDa, no virus!

As to firewalls, Ubntu only listens on ports where you have services. 
With no windows fileshareing, those ports are just hanging in the 
ether(net).  If you are file sharing, you are probably behind a firewall 
in your router, or why would you be sharing?

That said, I have SSH.  So I also have "fail2ban" running, and enabled 
ssh-ddos so that the scanners get blocked.  Wonderful tool, fail2ban. 
Another one is "denyhosts" but it is more reactive than proactive.

> And when is the next meeting?

I have been looking to.  I am new to the area, and back home we had a 
lot of informal meetings.  Mainly geek social where there was no set 
topic.  It was mainly networking with other computer professionals, and 
working on whatever problem someone was stuck on.  Frequently, beer was 
around.  Anyone up for that kind of thing?

			Lee