Linux help needed
 

I have begun migrating to Linux.

I have Ubuntu 8.10 running on an older computer right now and it's time to add some things to it.

First thing I need is advice on firewalls and anti-virus software.

Which? I am looking for ease of use as well as security.

I will have about a million questions as I go along!

Thanks in advance

Brian

It already contains a firewall: look in the Administrative stuff, wherever that is in Ubuntu, for firewall settings. It's called "iptables", but hopefully the Ubuntu menus don't call it that.

You don't really need anti-virus as the known viruses are few. You do need to be on security updates.

Keep up-to-date with the patches. No AV needed.

Good for you! What brought about the migration?

Disgust and a total refusal to upgrade to Win7.

Plus I just *wanna*!

As soon as I installed Ubuntu, I ran the updates and only found 368 of them! LOL! Tell me more about security updates please.

I have a few ebooks like Linux for Dummies and the like...geared for newbies. I'll get started reading those asap.

I just need bare bones knowledge until I get familiar with the file and command structure and such.

How about some information regarding GUIs?

I have GNOME currently but how does this compare with KDE or others? Which would a Windows user find most comfortable? Which is "better"?

People are mixed about the latest KDE. Gnome is more Windows-like.

It doesn't really matter all that much. Both are useful, and you can run anything from either of them. Best is just to pick one and then stick with it, I think.

Clamav for the antivirus side (though I haven't needed it). I haven't looked into the firewall side, but there are programs out there as GUIs for iptables, I believe, that make things easier.

Brian,

ClamAV doesn't have the greatest definitions, but it works and is easy to install.

However, AVG 8.5 is also out for Linux: http://free.avg.com/us-en/download.prd-afl

Try firestarter for a firewall GUI.

I was looking at Firestarter, it seems to be the most popular, according to Google. Is it truly necessary? Same for AV software. I notice that there are few virii written for Linux. Is it really needed? Or is it as Tony said? I tend to stay away from most sites which are good places to pick up malware of all kinds. Other than surfing newsfeeds, I go to the same sites nearly all the time. I was thinking of just having it and not needing it. Maybe running a scan quarterly, just to be sure.

As long as you create a user for yourself and don't run as root (i.e., Administrator), you will not have any troubles. Viruses don't live in the Linux world, for many reasons.

Buuut, this has been a trend for a while now - away from viruses, and more towards things like malware (you're invited to download this free software which will pwn your system) and cross-site scripting (using browser/website vulnerabilities to steal information).

It's a fine distinction. But generally it means that viruses aren't a problem on less popular systems, and other types of protection will be needed. AFAIK all majjor browsers are now attempting to detect sites that offer malware, and warning you if there's a possible problem.

Just run it, you're good to go.

BrianR,

I'd still run firestarter. Really. Paranoia pays, especially when even Windows 7 and the OEM AV on many machines comes with that setting turned on by default!

And I'd run the AV on your email because you may have friends that have send you infected messages. You don't want to be Typhoid Mary, you know :).

Ubuntu doesn't come with a root user by default.

And yes, Viruses/malware do live in the Linux and UNIX world. There's just not that many, and the ones that are out there target mainly web and application servers (Samba, etc.). Malware by any other name is still malware.

The one thing I would do if I were you would be to get the latest Firefox for your Ubuntu system, and run FlashBlock, NoScript, and several of the other really popular security plugins. Ubuntu doesn't ship with the latest Firefox. This will make you safer by turning off much of the crap.

Mitch, the latest Firefox is already installed, with my usual security plugins. I still have to remember my StumbleUpon password to install that one tho... :)

I made three accounts...Root, me and my wife. I don't use email other than Yahoo email so have not used any email client since 2005.

I figure that making a separate root account is put on the first five pages of all Linux books for a reason, so I did it. That many more knowledgeable people CAN'T be wrong!

I did get my first error message yesterday but it disappeared too fast for me to really catch it...something about not enough hard drives for a RAID. WTF? The computer only has one 80 gig HD and always has. I didn't know I could have a RAID with just one... Or that Linux would even TRY!

BrianR,

Ubuntu and many other modern linuxes set up a logical volume manager anyway. That's a standard thing.

Mitch

OK, first issue-related question.

Firefox is up to 3.6.3. I have 3.5.8. There are no updates available? And there is no update Firefox button on this version. I can download and save the tarball, but what do I do with it then?

Second question
 

How do I set it up so that I can transfer files from my Windows XP machine through my router to my Linux machine?

I want to transfer certain data files such as music, pictures and documents. There are too many to even consider burning them to a CDROM and using the sneakernet. Email is too kludgy and will take about a thousand emails. I want to simply search for, locate and connect to the other computer. Then transfer whichever files I want/need over here.

Do I need some kind of fileserver like Filezilla? Is there an easier way?

Second question: What you want to do is set up Samba. Samba is Windows networking for Linux. You can share both ways - Linux can see your shared folders and you can share folders on the Linux system. It's pretty easy, I would just google samba ubuntu, or this video might be the trick.

First question: this is a pain, because Ubuntu takes its time updating in their official repository. You'll get security updates fast, but other version updates may happen more often than Ubuntu allows through. This is a good thing in general, because they are reviewing everything to make sure it all hangs together. If I were you I would just rely on Ubuntu's regular method of updating and run with the slightly older version.

UT, that video wasn't very helpful...my world is not perfect!

I have now messed up the configuration for BOTH machines. I think I can fix Linux, but I may have to shoot Windows!

I have called in my wife's guru to unscramble my Windows configuration. Only because apparently, it is illegal to shoot things within city limits!

Linux, no problem fixing that. I made a backup of the configuration file in question before I messed with it and when it became obvious that I had done something wrong, all I had to do was delete the bad one and rename the good one and everything was fine, after a simple command-line session.

Why, oh why, couldn't that work with Windows?


After a full day of frustrating reconfiguring and lost sleep, not to mention tearing out all my long hair, I have decided that Windows is not long for this household. I was going to let it stay around as a dual-boot companion. But once I figure out how to get my stuff off, it's gone! Even the laptop won't be spared.

The few pieces of software that NEED Windows can be done without. Eventually, either a Linux variant will come along that will do the job or I will learn to live without.

Bye Bye Team Viewer! You were useful to me but since you don't support Linux, I don't want you anymore!

I am impressed enough already by the later versions of Ubuntu that it will be my new system. Heck, it even found my networked printer...seamlessly! Windows never did find it, even with the proper software. I had to install a wireless card to use the darn thing! Linux found and installed the only working printer in the house (the Lexmark needs new ink cartridges again!).

I thought I'd miss the Wizards but the newer package managers do a pretty good job of finding and installing things. They keep my desktop clear too! For the odd lost file, FIND does a superior job of telling me where it is. Windows search companion is far too slow and half the time doesn't find what I asked for!

Now, as for my data transfer issue...

Who can tell me how to mount my external HD via USB? My manuals are not very clear on this point.

It should offer to mount it automatically... but if it doesn't...

This is the page on that

I have been using the manual method, myself, because I'm lazy.

I did what was suggested. Automount is true but nothing happens. The drive works fine when inserted in the XP system. Pmount doesn't help. I can't find anything in my system files that even tells me that the drive has a label.

Does it matter if the external HD is IDE? I think the system is SATA or scsi.

Run that fdisk -l from the command line, after it's plugged in, to see if the system sees it.

no

Then there must be another problem going on with it.

I don't know what...the drive works fine when plugged into XP. The USB ports accept my mouse and iPod so they are working.

Windows guru is due in today sometime to look at that end and put things right. If that doesn't fix things, I will have a Unix guru in later to look at this end. One way or another, I *will* get those files over, even if I have to email them to myself a few at a time!

OK. The external drive issue is moot; I now can talk over my LAN.

However, I am still disturbed that something doesn't work right. I'll play with it on my spare time until the drive works. OCD, thy name is BrianR!

The network problem turned out to be some weird configuration thing with Windows XP. Even my guru was stumped until he went into the router and saw a bunch of users that he couldn't identify. That got me running around collecting IPs from all me devices. Come time to check my laptop, I turn it on and lo and behold, the network can see and interact with it perfectly!

So he goes into it's particular network configuration and copies it all over to the desktop manually and presto! It now works properly! So that's that.

While we were at it, as fixed it so that I can see and talk to every computer in the house. Just in case. Now, when I add a file server, backups will be a breeze!

Thanks for all the help though. I will keep asking questions as I hit them. You guys are great!

I'd be curious to see what the dmesg command shows after you try plugging in the external drive. I've used that before when troubleshooting stuff like this.

There is also the lsusb command, run before and after.

dmesg?

I'll try it and see

in the meantime, lsusb...
before:

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

after:

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

I'm sure the ports are working because an iPod is detected and installed immediately.

dmesg output in next message

the message is huge! I will have to email it to those interested.

pm me an email address and you shall have it.

You really would not need to post the whole thing. Run the command once, look at the last few lines, plug in the hard drive, then run it again and see what new entries appeared, and post those. Based on the lsusb, it looks like the hard drive is not being detected at all.

It looks that way. I dunno why though. I'm certain it works because it works under Windows.

Maybe it's the interface somehow blocking something?


*******
before turning on the HD
*******
[ 14.235001] ip_tables: (C) 2000-2006 Netfilter Core Team
[ 14.353540] psmouse serio1: ID: 10 00 64
[ 14.560102] input: PS/2 Generic Mouse as /devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input4
[ 14.596014] 0000:00:04.0: Using transceiver at address 1 as default.
[ 14.630300] 0000:00:04.0: SiS 191 PCI Gigabit Ethernet adapter at f83b6000 (IRQ: 19), 00:01:6c:f7:6b:af
[ 14.630304] eth0: RGMII mode.
[ 14.630309] eth0: Enabling Auto-negotiation.
[ 14.653974] __ratelimit: 3 callbacks suppressed
[ 14.653978] type=1505 audit(1270607039.607:12): operation="profile_replace" pid=847 name=/usr/share/gdm/guest-session/Xsession
[ 14.655390] type=1505 audit(1270607039.607:13): operation="profile_replace" pid=848 name=/sbin/dhclient3
[ 14.655642] type=1505 audit(1270607039.607:14): operation="profile_replace" pid=848 name=/usr/lib/NetworkManager/nm-dhcp-client.action
[ 14.655784] type=1505 audit(1270607039.607:15): operation="profile_replace" pid=848 name=/usr/lib/connman/scripts/dhclient-script
[ 14.666076] alloc irq_desc for 18 on node -1
[ 14.666081] alloc kstat_irqs on node -1
[ 14.666090] Intel ICH 0000:00:02.7: PCI INT C -> GSI 18 (level, low) -> IRQ 18
[ 14.670373] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
[ 14.676270] type=1505 audit(1270607039.631:16): operation="profile_replace" pid=849 name=/usr/bin/evince
[ 14.680701] type=1505 audit(1270607039.635:17): operation="profile_replace" pid=849 name=/usr/bin/evince-previewer
[ 14.683238] type=1505 audit(1270607039.635:18): operation="profile_replace" pid=849 name=/usr/bin/evince-thumbnailer
[ 14.689978] type=1505 audit(1270607039.643:19): operation="profile_replace" pid=858 name=/usr/lib/cups/backend/cups-pdf
[ 14.690286] type=1505 audit(1270607039.643:20): operation="profile_replace" pid=858 name=/usr/sbin/cupsd
[ 14.691847] type=1505 audit(1270607039.643:21): operation="profile_replace" pid=859 name=/usr/sbin/tcpdump
[ 14.996050] intel8x0_measure_ac97_clock: measured 55766 usecs (2683 samples)
[ 14.996054] intel8x0: clocking to 48000
[ 14.997883] shpchp: Standard Hot Plug PCI Controller Driver version: 0.4
[ 24.700037] eth0: mii ext = 0000.
[ 24.724038] eth0: mii lpa=41e1 adv=01e1 exp=0007.
[ 24.740034] eth0: link on 100 Mbps Full Duplex mode.
[ 24.740226] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
[ 34.840009] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
[ 5366.136028] Clocksource tsc unstable (delta = -285664970 ns)

*************
after turning on the HD
*************
[ 14.235001] ip_tables: (C) 2000-2006 Netfilter Core Team
[ 14.353540] psmouse serio1: ID: 10 00 64
[ 14.560102] input: PS/2 Generic Mouse as /devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input4
[ 14.596014] 0000:00:04.0: Using transceiver at address 1 as default.
[ 14.630300] 0000:00:04.0: SiS 191 PCI Gigabit Ethernet adapter at f83b6000 (IRQ: 19), 00:01:6c:f7:6b:af
[ 14.630304] eth0: RGMII mode.
[ 14.630309] eth0: Enabling Auto-negotiation.
[ 14.653974] __ratelimit: 3 callbacks suppressed
[ 14.653978] type=1505 audit(1270607039.607:12): operation="profile_replace" pid=847 name=/usr/share/gdm/guest-session/Xsession
[ 14.655390] type=1505 audit(1270607039.607:13): operation="profile_replace" pid=848 name=/sbin/dhclient3
[ 14.655642] type=1505 audit(1270607039.607:14): operation="profile_replace" pid=848 name=/usr/lib/NetworkManager/nm-dhcp-client.action
[ 14.655784] type=1505 audit(1270607039.607:15): operation="profile_replace" pid=848 name=/usr/lib/connman/scripts/dhclient-script
[ 14.666076] alloc irq_desc for 18 on node -1
[ 14.666081] alloc kstat_irqs on node -1
[ 14.666090] Intel ICH 0000:00:02.7: PCI INT C -> GSI 18 (level, low) -> IRQ 18
[ 14.670373] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
[ 14.676270] type=1505 audit(1270607039.631:16): operation="profile_replace" pid=849 name=/usr/bin/evince
[ 14.680701] type=1505 audit(1270607039.635:17): operation="profile_replace" pid=849 name=/usr/bin/evince-previewer
[ 14.683238] type=1505 audit(1270607039.635:18): operation="profile_replace" pid=849 name=/usr/bin/evince-thumbnailer
[ 14.689978] type=1505 audit(1270607039.643:19): operation="profile_replace" pid=858 name=/usr/lib/cups/backend/cups-pdf
[ 14.690286] type=1505 audit(1270607039.643:20): operation="profile_replace" pid=858 name=/usr/sbin/cupsd
[ 14.691847] type=1505 audit(1270607039.643:21): operation="profile_replace" pid=859 name=/usr/sbin/tcpdump
[ 14.996050] intel8x0_measure_ac97_clock: measured 55766 usecs (2683 samples)
[ 14.996054] intel8x0: clocking to 48000
[ 14.997883] shpchp: Standard Hot Plug PCI Controller Driver version: 0.4
[ 24.700037] eth0: mii ext = 0000.
[ 24.724038] eth0: mii lpa=41e1 adv=01e1 exp=0007.
[ 24.740034] eth0: link on 100 Mbps Full Duplex mode.
[ 24.740226] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
[ 34.840009] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
[ 5366.136028] Clocksource tsc unstable (delta = -285664970 ns)


I hope I gave you enough data. Most of that is Greek to me.

That's very odd. I'm not even seeing anything that says it detected that drive to even try to get it working. I'm not sure what to suggest at the moment.

Are you plugging it directly into the system, or into a USB hub?

I plug it directly into a USB port, not a hub.

I'm stumped as well. I'm guessing it's something in the circuitry. The drive works properly when plugged into a Windows system. I just now checked that. That same port works properly when I plug in an iPod.

Automount therefore works properly. Maybe it's the IDE versus SATA.

post the dmesg
 

BrianR,

Just post the dmesg here when you plug it in, or send to me. A USB device, when plugged in, is supposed to throw a bunch of messages there. I have used this on Mac OS X and Linux to see drives that have been attached.

From a Terminal prompt, do sudo dmesg > <a file>.

Thanks,

Mitch

what flag is this>

:f7:

hold your mouse on it, ya bonehead

Go get yer own thread! This one's mine!

Death to threadjackers!

Mitch, that message gets pretty long, I'll have to email it to you.

jesus. sorry.

just noticed that it appeared in your code stuff there.....

no need to make terroristic threats....

Problem solved
 

So, I was sitting there last night, puzzling over why a hard drive will work fine in one computer but not in another.

I went through it again and again because something didn't quite add up. I take the hard drive, plug it in HERE and it works fine. I unplug it, take it over THERE, plug it back in and it doesn't mount up. WHY?

I plug it in here...plug it in there....what's different? Where's the item out of place? I plug it in here...um...no, it couldn't be THAT. could it?

Yes, it could. When I swap the drive, I also swap data cables to avoid having to pull out the computer from it's little cubby each time. Yep. The brand new data cable was bad out of the box. When I also swapped the data cables, the drive mounted right up and I could access all my data.

<facepalm moment> :facepalm:


How did I not see that all along? Oh well, live and learn. On to the next issue, which is a relatively simple hardware issue.

My Windows D: drive sometimes disappears after a few hours of service and remains totally invisible to Windows until the next reboot.

Also, the A: drive is dead.

Also the DVD G: drive causes error 116 upon bootup. F5 bypasses it but it bugs me. It doesn't work, either. BUT! Installing a CD/RW drive as a slave to G: (as H: ) makes the error go away, but does not resurrect G:.

Hmmmmmm.

Methinks I have more than one issue here. I am going to build a test bed computer and try each component at a time to see if it is the unit itself or something central to all of them, such as a bad power supply. Testing the power supply will have to wait until my digital multimeter (located in my wife's van) comes back from the repair shop, which is where her van is today.

It could also be a bad controller on the mobo. Or bad cables. Or a weird routing issue. Or something I never heard of before. Time will tell.

Oh yeah, my wife's laptop died sometime after 0300 this morning. It was working then but she reported an Operating System not found error this morning as I was just waking up. Half asleep, I told her the HD was fried and she will have to buy a new one. That is probably correct too.

Too bad about her data. We'll probably have to send the old drive out to a lab to recover any of that. Which, of course, contains her weekly billing information (due today) amounting to nearly $2000.

Sigh. If it's not one thing, it's another.

Now, I believe her laptop is under warranty, which should theoretically cover a fried hard drive but some companies can be quite creative when wriggling out of warranty claims. We shall see.

Thanks everyone!

We were getting closer to working it out, because the dmesg and lsusb commands are looking at the system at a level closer to hardware. We know that the system should have noticed a low-level change once you plugged that sucker in. When there wasn't even a change at that level, you rule out Linux vs Windows as the culprit. That's why I was asking whether you plug it into a port or a hub. Anyhoo!

You can keep going if you want!

I learned a LOT about how my new system works going through all that.

Enough so that I could make a Ubuntu test bed to try out my suspect components with little trouble.

Tomorrow, I will get going on that.

For the laptop hard drive issue - if you can get that hard drive hooked up to another machine, you may have luck with SpinRite.

The last time I took apart a laptop, I wound up with a big pile of unrelated parts.

Mary sent it to her webmaster and HE will take it apart and try to salvage her data. If not, there's a lab here that can probably do the job. She's used them before.

It seems that the laptop is also under warranty still so I advised her to save what she can and then send it back for repair.

OK, here's an easy one. I accidentally made my trash can go away. WHere did it go and how do I get it back? The applet is still running but the icon is missing.

I would google that

I did, no one seems to know how to restart the applet. All I find is an explanation of what a trash can IS!

Right click bottom panel, select add to panel and add trashcan back to panel.

OK, that put it back on the taskbar. How do I get it to return to it's usual place in the lower right corner? Naturally, it's probably good enough where it is; I can see it and delete my trash again. I'm just being anal.

Then, when I have nothing better to do, I'll try to figure out how to manipulate content on my iPod. I understand Linux and iPods are not good pals.