Re: SLFS book chapter proposals

On Sun, Dec 21, 2003 at 09:48:00PM -0500, Robert Day wrote:
> 
> The only problem I have with patching the LFS book so to speak, is that
> there may be some more in-depth issues with local application
> hardening...  ie. the base GCC builds insecure applications, so we
> replace that with a secure gcc that builds hardened apps...  How many
> applications have to bre rebuilt? Will that break anything? What about
> libraries? Do we have to rebuild glibc in a hardened mode? How many
> applications and packages will that break, and have to rebuild against
> the new glibc?  It may very well become far bigger a project than a
> fresh build...

Did you build LFS-5 on top of your existing OS? If so, I hope you didn't
expect your apps to work. The assumption is you have a fresh LFS. Not an
entire operating system. If your goal is a secure system, it would
seem foolish to patch an old OS, when you can start fresh.

> And again, if publication is the end goal here, it has to be a contained
> book, with most everything included in the book, at bare minimum,
> everything needed to build the SLFS system - so it could be SLFS and LFS
> published in the same book I guess, but is that really the best way?

I don't know about what the best way is. I do know, however, that
learning about exploits doesn't get you any closer to a secure system.
Building a secure system with step-by-step instructions does. The
education that is most relevant, is the education that will achieve the
goal of the book. Which is to build a base of knowledge (by building a
base system) that will be the foundation for more and greater learning.
Sure, it would be great to be able to pack every ounce of security
wisdom into this book, but pragmatism dictates we start with what is
truly needed. A systematic approach to building a more secure system,
sprinkled with a few nuggets of knowledge, and perhaps many links in the
appendices.

-- 
Archaic

Morality is always the product of terror; its chains and
strait-waistcoats are fashioned by those who dare not trust others,
because they dare not trust themselves, to walk in liberty.

- Aldous Huxley

-- 
http://linuxfromscratch.org/mailman/listinfo/lfs-security
FAQ: http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/faq/
Unsubscribe: See the above information page