Re: DNS - Firewall with Knoppix?

On Sun, Jun 06, 2004 at 10:15:23PM -0300, Pablo Zuccarino (KERNEL Consultores) wrote:
> Hello, as the subject says, I`m trying to set up a DNS Server and a Firewall, both in the same machine at the same time or separate time, with Knoppix but I`m not sure if it`s the best alternative due to the lot of packages that it has installed, if it means security risks.

Actually, it's very easy for your desired setup, because you would need
NETWORK security, as opposed to a multiuser system where you also need
LOCAL security. As you may know, LOCAL security is low in Knoppix
because of the root/rescue system issue. But no external services are
started as default, so a booted Knoppix should be verys hard to
break into from the external network, unless you start any services
manually with passwords set on your own.

> How could I config the DNS server and the Firewall, and at the same time minimize security risks?

You provide a DNS config, and iptables firewall rules, and add a
KNOPPIX/knoppix.sh that just startes the desired services after
installing your individual configs.

> In the other hand is there another GNU software that could be useful or more suitable for what I`m seeking, and that boots from CDROM or floppy disk?

You could build such a system in a smaller version, if the large amount
of additional "Desktop-oriented" packages is annoying to you.

Regards
-Klaus Knopper