Gentoo Archives: gentoo-dev

From: mbutcher <mbutcher@××××××××××.tv>
To: gentoo-dev@g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-dev] Secure Gentoo
Date: Thu, 07 Mar 2002 15:35:42
Message-Id: 20020307190524.9B96B17231@www.aleph-null.tv
In Reply to: Re: [gentoo-dev] Secure Gentoo by Nic Desjardins
1 Can someone explain to me the difference between kerneli and the
2 International Crypto API kernel modules? I'd really like to be able to use
3 encrypted filesystems that use something a little stronger than DES.
4
5 Thanks,
6
7 Matt
8
9 On Wednesday 06 March 2002 02:24 pm, you wrote:
10 > On Wed, 6 Mar 2002 19:53:12 +0100
11 >
12 > P.Gnodde <peter@××××××××××××.nl> wrote:
13 > > Hi all,
14 > >
15 > > It has not been long ago since I've installed Gentoo, but at the moment
16 > > it's running on my desktop, laptop and 1 of my servers (the other 2 run
17 > > openbsd and slackware and I do not plan at replacing them :). I really
18 > > like this distribution and am still learning new things about linux
19 > > because of it :).
20 > >
21 > > Back to the topic at hand ... I am just starting to get interested in
22 > > security issues with linux. The company I work for has some sensative
23 > > data of customers, so I used the kerneli patch to create an encrypted
24 > > filesystem. And I like it. I've also been reading up on other issues,
25 > > like random filehandles and stuff like that. I'd really like to learn
26 > > more about it, so perhaps I can help in some ways with this Secure Gentoo
27 > > project if it's needed (testing of beta patches/packages, etc.) (btw, I'm
28 > > a coder, but I do not have much experience in kernelhacking or security
29 > > related projects)
30 > >
31 > > > * Make a kernel patch, probably based on the Gentoo kernel, but with
32 > > > GrSecurity, kerneli, a few netfilter patches etc.
33 > >
34 > > At the moment I have the gentoo kernel running with the kerneli patch.
35 > > The GrSecurity patch had a few failed hunks, I'm integrating them now. If
36 > > your interested I could send you a patch after I'm done. I also have a
37 > > ready to install package of util-linux, with the kerneli patch. I don't
38 > > yet know if the combination is stable :).
39 > >
40 > > > Will the Gentoo kernel use Andrea Arcangeli's VM or Rik van Riel's (-aa
41 > > > or rmap)?
42 > >
43 > > I think rmap is pretty stable now and most problems have been solved,
44 > > it's been good for Rik van Riel to have a little freedom in developing
45 > > the VM :). Although I do know that Rik used to work for a (network)
46 > > security company here in Holland :).
47 > >
48 > > > How will this be done practically? I'm thinking in particular about the
49 > > > freeze, and the proposed unstable branch.
50 > >
51 > > Perhaps start a new branch, so we have a 'stable', 'unstable' and
52 > > 'secure' branch.
53 > >
54 > > > How paranoid should it be? My first plan was to create ACLs for each
55 > > > and every binary and deny almost everything else, but that might be too
56 > > > paranoid for most people. What do you think? How about three security
57 > > > levels (no ACLs, normal ACLs and very strict ACls)?
58 > >
59 > > The levels idea sounds like a nice idea, but it should be documented
60 > > really good, so users can choose a good security level for their
61 > > purposes.
62 >
63 > I must make a note here, usually with security levels its too, how can I
64 > say this... 'generic', I mean you could look at how buggy a daemon has been
65 > in the past and have it marked level 4 security and other stuff too, but I
66 > usually think of security as something the user sets up himself. I like it
67 > this way. The other thing is, the user installs/starts the servers he
68 > wants, so there is no real need for security levels since the user will
69 > really do whatever he wants.
70 >
71 > Nic D.
72 >
73 > > Regards,
74 > >
75 > > Peter Gnodde
76 > > PCS Webdesign BV
77 > > http://www.pcswebdesign.nl/
78 > > _______________________________________________
79 > > gentoo-dev mailing list
80 > > gentoo-dev@g.o
81 > > http://lists.gentoo.org/mailman/listinfo/gentoo-dev
82 >
83 > _______________________________________________
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