Gentoo Archives: gentoo-dev

From: John Nilsson <john@×××××××.nu>
To: Brian Harring <bdharring@××××.edu>
Cc: Steven Elling <ellings@×××××.com>, gentoo-dev@g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-dev] Portage through SSH
Date: Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:51:34
Message-Id: 3F537909.8090501@milsson.nu
In Reply to: Re: [gentoo-dev] Portage through SSH by Brian Harring
1 How about the ability to install a gentoo system on a 20MB partition?
2 The ability make a profile not containing gcc, glibc and portage would
3 be nice.
4
5 -John
6
7
8 Brian Harring wrote:
9 >
10 > On Monday, September 1, 2003, at 02:04 AM, Steven Elling wrote:
11 >
12 >> On Sunday 31 August 2003 13:14, John Nilsson wrote:
13 >>
14 >>> Some requirement thoughts:
15 >>> A network of gentoo hosts should have only one portage processing server
16 >>> and any number of installation leafs.
17 >>>
18 >>> First of all portage needs to easily handle more than one installation.
19 >>> Second the "leaf-installations" should have a very strict minimum
20 >>> requiremnts.
21 >>> Third redundancy is probably important. The information to restore a
22 >>> lost "leaf" should be availible on booth the portage host and on the
23 >>> leaf it self.
24 >>
25 >>
26 >> I think this is something sorely needed. I'm reading some books on
27 >> securing
28 >> Linux servers and on a bastion host (or any host in a DMZ for that
29 >> matter)
30 >> there should not be a compiler or any include files. The reason why
31 >> is if
32 >> the system were compromised it would limit the cracker from compiling and
33 >> installing a root kit.
34 >
35 > It would limit them to having to install a root kit, or install a
36 > compiler (and needed headers). Kind of pointless though, since if
37 > they've managed to elevate their rights to the level of installing a
38 > root kit, lack of a compiler is merely an annoyance to them at that point.
39 > Maybe I'm missing something, but this strikes me as nothing more then an
40 > annoyance to someone after they've *already* cracked the box. To me
41 > it's like littering tacks throughout your house, hoping to slow down the
42 > robber who has already broke into your house- yeah, it'll likely slow
43 > him down, but it's also a makes things a pain in the arse for the home
44 > owner...
45 > Of course, as I said, perhaps I'm missing something...
46 >
47 >> As it stands right now, a Gentoo based system
48 >> requires gcc, includes, and all their friends to operate and be managable
49 >> (Note: Gentoo alone does not have this problem. RedHat, Debian, and every
50 >> kitchen sink distro does the same).
51 >>
52 >> I like Gentoo, but it is not a viable option to the security concious and
53 >> enterprises because it does not support such a feature in addition to
54 >> central package management.
55 >
56 > I'd agree on the central package management aspect- the ability to
57 > control and push updates out (after securing the method/control channels
58 > in some manner) would be quite nice. None the less, I'd tend to think
59 > (opinion of course) gentoo is quite fine from a security standpoint.
60 > You're reasons for it not being viable?
61 >
62 >> Gentoo is no alone however.
63 >>
64 >> For reference, the book I am reading is "Building Secure Servers with
65 >> Linux"
66 >> (ISBN: 0-596-00217-3). The book is written by Michael D. Bauer and
67 >> published by O'Reilly.
68 >
69 > I'll probably end up taking a look at it (got to love safari), specific
70 > chapter that this is suggested in?
71 > ~bdh
72 >
73 >>
74 >>
75 >> --
76 >> gentoo-dev@g.o mailing list
77 >>
78 >
79 >
80 > --
81 > gentoo-dev@g.o mailing list
82 >
83
84
85
86 --
87 gentoo-dev@g.o mailing list

Replies

Subject Author
Re: [gentoo-dev] Portage through SSH John Nilsson <john@×××××××.nu>