Building a Server Appliance With Trustix Secure Linux and Webmin

[ Thanks to Dave Markowitz for this link. ] As the title implies, webmin and Trustix Secure Linux are tapped for this article to create a secure server appliance:

"...Although many Linux/UNIX diehards disagree, many, if not most system administrators nowadays are more comfortable working with a GUI, and therefore more favorably disposed towards an OS with one. But a problem with GUIs is that when they are running, but not actually being used, they take up disk space and system resources. So the ideal OS might be one that offers a GUI, but doesn't make its use mandatory for administration: one that only runs when needed.

Such an OS doesn't appear to exist, but I found a way to satisfy these requirements by combining a couple of existing software packages.

The tendency with most NOSes is to activate all services by default. This makes it easier for the inexperienced admin to set up a server, but results in one that is wide open to attack. Since we're looking for a security improvement, I wanted an NOS which when installed activates a minimum of services automatically."

Complete Story

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• The Duke of URL: Trustix XSentry Firewall 1.5 review(Jul 03, 2001)
• O'Reilly Network: An Introduction to Webmin -- Part Two(Nov 12, 2000)
• Debian Planet: Digging the dirt on webmin: webmin from a control freak's point of view(Nov 05, 2000)
• O'Reilly Network: An Introduction to Webmin(Oct 29, 2000)
• LinuxWorld: Installing a firewall, Part 2 - Tips for configuring secure, lean mail and network services(Oct 17, 2000)
• Linux-Mandrake.com: Online demonstration & tutorial of Webmin .80(Aug 03, 2000)