Cyber Security

TracerBullet

Well-Known Member
How do you know when an update to software (especially security software) is available?
Some software's tell the user when an update is available but most do not.

1. The Calendar of Updates is a site that lists updates to a wide variety of software with emphasis on security software on a daily basis.

The Calendar of Updates provides an RSS feed so you don't have to visit the site at all.
feed://www.calendarofupdates.com/updates/index.php?app=core&module=global&section=rss&type=calendar&id=1

Calendar of Updates lists updates for all kinds of software (including linux OS).

2. In your RSS reader add RSS feed links of as many software's as possible.

3. Filehippo update checker software scans and checks for updates only for some software (not all software's) installed in your PC.

4. SUMO is a software that scans and finds updates only for software (not all software's) installed in your PC. SUMO scans for more software's than Filehippo update checker but shows a lot of available "beta" software's as updates.

This 4 pronged approach virtually guarantees that you'll know of updates asap ensuring the best level of security that you can in the least amount of time and effort. Just one time setup effort is involved.

I have been using these for a long time and its very hard to miss an update using it.

Others may know of even better ways to do this, if so please post it here.

Do not install any "Driver update software" unless you know what you are doing.

If you cannot do all these steps then just do step 1. Add Calendar of Updates RSS feed to your feed reader or visit that calendar daily.
Linux is so nice. pacman -Syu and i am done. None of the chaos of using windows.

More options for Windows, some of which i havent used. 1) Package Managers - Portable Apps, LiberKey, Chocolatey, Ninite 2) Update Scanner - Secunia (security updates)
 
Linux is so nice. pacman -Syu and i am done. None of the chaos of using windows.
Well, what you do is called: Windows bashing. :lol: But never mind. :D

Which one of the Linux versions you use, as there are quit different Linux OS around and why did you choose the one you use now and not an other one?
 

TracerBullet

Well-Known Member
Well, what you do is called: Windows bashing. :lol: But never mind. :D

Which one of the Linux versions you use, as there are quit different Linux OS around and why did you choose the one you use now and not an other one?
but what i said was true :). Linux may have its faults but its a perfect fit for me. Linux desktops days are looking good. I just want to be able to not have to use windows ( Only need for trading software and games these days )

I use Arch Linux. Mainly moved from ubuntu because its rolling distro (no need to reinstall for updates) with latest packages. Now that i am comfortable with it, prob wont switch to anything else. Maybe will add SteamOS (=Debian but by Valve ) when its released ..
 
but what i said was true :). Linux may have its faults but its a perfect fit for me. Linux desktops days are looking good. I just want to be able to not have to use windows ( Only need for trading software and games these days )

I use Arch Linux. Mainly moved from ubuntu because its rolling distro (no need to reinstall for updates) with latest packages. Now that i am comfortable with it, prob wont switch to anything else. Maybe will add SteamOS (=Debian but by Valve ) when its released ..
Hi

and thanks for your answer. Valve software is new to me. Will have to read through the link posted by you. I still not run any Linux, as I am a bit confused about which one from the many distribution I should choose (Ubuntu, Debian, Mageia, Gentoo, Solaris, Minth, Suse, Red Hat, Fedora and not even mentioned the specific country distributions). Some are free and some lines we have to pay for. How to find out what works best for each person?

Other questions: If there is a new version released from any other Linux line, expect Arch, do they all need a new installation or are there other Linux lines which do offer those "Rolling distro"?

One last question: I use now different software on my Windows OS. If I now change to any Linux distribution, how do I know which one from that many different software works on that Linux distribution and which one not? I now went through the Arch Linux link you kindly posted and thought I may find some kind of link or what so ever which would tell me maybe about the compatibility from Arch with software like Foxit reader and other software. But could not find it or may missed it.

As you see: I have some experience with different Windows OS but zero with any Linux distribution. I personally value Linux as a safer system compare to Windows, even I am not clear which one of all those distributions is the safest. So earlier or later I think I will move to Linux.

Take care and have a nice day :)
 

TracerBullet

Well-Known Member
Hi

and thanks for your answer. Valve software is new to me. Will have to read through the link posted by you.
Valve is an awesome games developer/publisher/distributor. Microsoft pissed them off with their apps ecosystem antics in windows 8 and so they are now pushing to release Linux OS with their distribution software to keep them in check. When its released i think it should be a good usable system for normal users. We are finally seeing many top games released on linux natively.

I still not run any Linux, as I am a bit confused about which one from the many distribution I should choose (Ubuntu, Debian, Mageia, Gentoo, Solaris, Minth, Suse, Red Hat, Fedora and not even mentioned the specific country distributions). Some are free and some lines we have to pay for. How to find out what works best for each person?
In general you dont need any paid distro, i have never even heard of any paid and popular one.
People have different needs and so we get many distributions and overlap. You will have many software forks and many duplicates that offer similar functionality. Basically people do what they want and the best stuff gets more popular.

Some Distros are aimed at newbies. You can consider them i guess but since i am not new to linux now, i cant be sure which is the best.
Ubuntu, LinuxMint, OpenSuse and maybe more. Under the hood they are all same so once you are happy with how a distro works and releases new stuff, then you dont need to switch again.

Ignore Gentoo - its meant for those who want to compile eveything. Solaris is not linux, Red Hat is for enterprise stuff - fedora is their consumer/developer release but you can ignore it.

I think you can start of with LinuxMint or their rolling version (LMDE) and take it from there.

With rolling releases, stability can be an issue. If you want latest stuff early some bugs may show up. I dont get anything catastrophic with arch so i dont think there should be issue. But if want stability above everything else you can consider debian who are a year or two behind. In any case, you can always get latest version for your favorite software by adding repos.

Other questions: If there is a new version released from any other Linux line, expect Arch, do they all need a new installation or are there other Linux lines which do offer those "Rolling distro"?
Dont use Arch as your first system as it takes some effort to get it running. But once done, i am using it for a few years. Example Rolling Distros - LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition), Open Suse Tumbleweed etc. There will be more but i have not used them. I think you can start with LMDE.

I would suggest to 1) backup everything 2) Install Linux on another drive than windows (or get familiar with how partitioning and bootloaders work)

Non Rolling Distros like ubuntu usually have an option to upgrade the system to new release without reinstall. This can fail though, especially if you have binary drivers installed ( like AMD drivers ). In general though you dont need to install binary drivers now esp with AMD and Intel. Unless you face problems ( with Nvidia or with wireless ), i would recommend to not install any outside driver. Linux supports most stuff out of box.

Because windows comes preinstalled, you dont have to take effort to make it run. Install a new one yourself and you will have to configure it. Its update system is a nightmare - so many reboots. And then you have to install drivers for everything. Familiarity means that it seems easier vs linux.

One last question: I use now different software on my Windows OS. If I now change to any Linux distribution, how do I know which one from that many different software works on that Linux distribution and which one not? I now went through the Arch Linux link you kindly posted and thought I may find some kind of link or what so ever which would tell me maybe about the compatibility from Arch with software like Foxit reader and other software. But could not find it or may missed it.

As you see: I have some experience with different Windows OS but zero with any Linux distribution. I personally value Linux as a safer system compare to Windows, even I am not clear which one of all those distributions is the safest. So earlier or later I think I will move to Linux.

Take care and have a nice day :)
No software will magically run on Linux. The developer has to port his application to linux.
There is WINE which does indeed do some magic to run windows software but use it only as last resort and prefer native ports if they suffice. Wine does run Foxit, PDFXchange etc. PlayonLinux is a very nice GUI for WINE. WineHQ will tell you what works on WINE and how well + any workarounds if needed.

You will have to search for similar software. Many have native ports - firefox,chromium,opera,skype,vlc etc. Many linux software have windows port too. In most cases, you will have a native port or similar software. Most of the time you have many choices, so you will have to check what you prefer. For pdf - i use okular, adobe reader is also there i think.

Also check which Desktop you like - i use KDE which is super. There is also gnome and a lot more.

I think best is to use it as a hobby (expecting some trouble as there maybe a learning curve), get familiar and then see if there really is anything you miss from windows. Linux Mint should probably have a good out of box setup. Opensuse with KDE is also supposed to be a good.
Windows is not bad once everything is setup so no particular reason to discard it. I just prefer Linux (Actually hate windows but anyway :) )
This was too long, if i missed any question do tell ...

Some Links - how-to-find-the-perfect-linux-distribution-for-you ubuntu-vs-mint-which-linux-distro-is-better-for-beginners
 
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@TracerBullet

Wow, a big THANK YOU goes into your direction. That was a nice post and really informative and help full. :thumb::clapping: Was looking for a post like that since a long time. Have to read through your given links.

As you mentioned "Linux Mint", the following link I have seen posted in a Magazine I read regularly: http://community.linuxmint.com. Now I got a better idea about what it means about "Users by release" and "Users by edition". I also see "LMDE". Fine.

Next would be to newly format my hard disk with E or F. I am a bit afraid of formating those disk with my ongoing Windows OS, as I not want to delete that one at the moment. So have to find a solution for that. Software to that was posted in the past and I need some thing which really does in a simple and easy way explain how to do this safely and uncomplicated.

If that formating is done, I then can install LMDE into any of those new parts of the hard disk. Of course there has to be enough space to do so, so have to check the size of LMDE. As far as my understanding goes, LMDE would then be in touch with the BIOS and would not be in touch in any way with the current installed Windows OS. Did I get that right?

After installation, I can test LMDE to what ever extension I like to do. That would do the job best and would give me time to learn how to handle that OS with out using two laptops.

If you see any wrong thoughts or may have an add to what I wrote, you may point it out if your time permits. :)

Edit: What I forgot to ask: What about anti virus software like GData, AVG, Avast or any other existing one. Do I need them on such a Linux distribution?
 
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TracerBullet

Well-Known Member
Next would be to newly format my hard disk with E or F. I am a bit afraid of formating those disk with my ongoing Windows OS, as I not want to delete that one at the moment. So have to find a solution for that. Software to that was posted in the past and I need some thing which really does in a simple and easy way explain how to do this safely and uncomplicated.
I just use gparted (linux based) which is safe. I am not sure about windows programs but the built-in windows tool should be enough.
If possible, the safest way for new user will be to remove harddisk with windows, boot from livecd and install to a blank harddisk. You can then select the harddisk with linux from initial bios boot

Other safe alternatives - 1) Use Livecd only. The OS will be readonly, LinuxMint live DVD should have all codecs etc already installed (it did few years back) 2) Virtualization - Install OS on virtual drives using Vmware/Vistualbox. This will be slower and will be running on top of windows but it can be a decent first look.

If you need to have harddisk with windows, 1) Backup data 2) Keep Windows recovery CD - it will fix bootloader issues if any. 3) Make sure you install on partition that does not have windows. 4) I will recommend to boot using grub. This will overwrite windows bootloader but grub boots windows fine. You can restore it using windows recovery cd

Note that these are all precautions against a mistake that you might make. Installing linux is perfectly safe.

If that formating is done, I then can install LMDE into any of those new parts of the hard disk. Of course there has to be enough space to do so, so have to check the size of LMDE. As far as my understanding goes, LMDE would then be in touch with the BIOS and would not be in touch in any way with the current installed Windows OS. Did I get that right?
A new install will probably be ~4-6 gb. 15 gb to be safe for long term use. Data can be in seperate partition. You have to choose partitions correctly while installing. If you make mistake, it can ofc overwrite windows partition. Hence prefer to install on blank disk.
C/D/E/F are names that windows uses - just be familiar with the number and size of partitions to relate during installation. i think installation script should detect windows anyway and you should also see the Partition label names if you have set it.

After installation, I can test LMDE to what ever extension I like to do. That would do the job best and would give me time to learn how to handle that OS with out using two laptops.

If you see any wrong thoughts or may have an add to what I wrote, you may point it out if your time permits. :)
Yes, Most of the time everthing should work oob but be ready for problems and search for them in your distro forums/wiki. Arch wiki is very good.
Once you get familiar with various configurations, it should be quite simple.

I think you know how to clone OS - so please keep a backup in case of big balagan

Edit: What I forgot to ask: What about anti virus software like GData, AVG, Avast or any other existing one. Do I need them on such a Linux distribution?
No software can be 100% safe. With Linux, you install software from a central repository that has everything you need - so installation is much safer. Updates to kernel and all programs happen faster and openly - so its safer. Just keep sane habits and there should be no problem. Servers are much safer than desktops as they run a lot less stuff. If you go crazy visiting flash/java/websites from questionable places, who knows maybe someone found an expoit. It maybe just a browser expoit without affecting the os but your browser data could still be vulnerable.

In any case linux userbase is small enough that there is no direct targetting and its arguably safer than windows anyway.
Some AV have linux ports (Bitdefender/Avira/Avast etc) but they are mainly to scan windows drives / or in email servers. Its nice not to need antivirus, HIPS, antimalware and god-knows-what-else constantly running. i have never had any problem but then who knows :)
 
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What I forgot to ask: What about anti virus software like GData, AVG, Avast or any other existing one. Do I need them on such a Linux distribution?
Show them way out now. You don't need any antivirus software on Linux. Anything that involves changing system files requires root permissions.

Instead of installing Mint Linux, go with Ubuntu. Mint Linux is also Ubuntu based distro. Because of Ubuntu's large community (On IRC,QA website ask.ubuntu.com, and community support pages) it would be easy to get help in case something goes wrong.

And if you're worried about installing upgrading every six month go with LTS(Long term support) Release.
 

TracerBullet

Well-Known Member
And if you're worried about installing upgrading every six month go with LTS(Long term support) Release.
Yes LTS will be supported for few years (2? 5?) which should be enough time to play. You can install latest version of say firefox using repos ( PPAs in ubuntu )

Btw, Note that LMDE is not ubuntu based. Some people might prefer Linux mint over ubuntu due to unity but anyway you can change almost anything you want in linux
 
@TracerBullet

Ok, super. After reading all what you have kindly and with great effort posted, I feel enough confident to when ever time permits to do my first baby steps with a Linux OS. I, as of just now, have not clearly decided at the moment between LMDE or Ubuntu, but one of those it will be.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT AND GENEROUS HELP. :thumb::clapping:

@Aman.sharma0091

My thanks of course also goes to you and your help. THANKS :thumb::clapping:
 

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