IronWil Blog » *Nix

Secure Your OS, no matter the Flavor!

Iron Wil — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:54:00 +0000

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I try to emphasize taking personal responsibility for your computer’s security. Today while cruising around the web, I came across this article from Ars Technica about securing your personal computer.

The Staff has put together a very good list of tools and utilities to secure your Win, Mac, or Lin Box. Stop by and check out the article, and don’t forget to pick up a little security.

iron wi

Nexenta OS 1.0 Released

Iron Wil — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:14:24 +0000

Nexenta has released an update to their OS – 1.0. Nexenta is an OpenSolaris core with Ubuntu polish.

Check it out here. Get it here.

iron wil.

OpenOffice 2.4 was Released

Iron Wil — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:08:52 +0000

OpenOffice 2.4 has been released for downloading and use!

To see a review of the new features, see OOo Ninja’s article here.

get OOo 2.4 here.

I am getting mine now.

iron wil

A File System Story, by Jeremy Reimer

Iron Wil — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:57:34 +0000

A history of the file systems use in today’s computers was published on Ars Technica on the 16th of March.

It seems to have been inspired by Linus Torvalds comment that the OS X file system is crap. It was quite interesting and educational, the only thing it really left out was where Microsoft is planning to go with it’s next implementation of their file system.

read it here.

iron wil

Note: Ars Technica, From BFS to ZFS: past, present, and future of file systems.

Amazon MP3, now with triple OS Support

Iron Wil — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:51:29 +0000

I don’t know if Amazon MP3 [Downloader] has recently added support for [or always had] Linux distributions. The four distro’s are Ubuntu, OpenSuse, Debian and Fedora, this downloader will allow you to download your audio files from Amazon without having to stay on the website. There is also a downloader for OS X and Windows.

Personally, this is a feature [or tool] that I really like. I have not used this one. I have used two others and I really liked being able to walk away and not worry about getting kicked out of the website before all the files are downloaded.

Check it out their content, I have heard good and bad; however, they are DRM free!

iron wil

New Full Circle Magazine [#10]

Iron Wil — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:51:28 +0000

Issue #10

Linux Mint Install.
How-To : Compile from Source, Install and use TuxPaint, Rip a DVD with AcidRip and Create Your Own Server Part 2.
Review of the ASUS EEE PC running Xubuntu.
Letters, Q&A, My Desktop, Top 5 and more!

Get it while it’s hot!

get yours here.

iron wil

TrueCrypt 5.0 Released!

Iron Wil — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:04:52 +0000

TrueCrypt is a free open-source disk encryption software for Windows Vista/XP, Mac OS X, and Linux
Main Features:

Creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk.
Encrypts an entire hard disk partition or a storage device such as USB flash drive.
Encryption is automatic, real-time (on-the-fly) and transparent.
Provides two levels of plausible deniability, in case an adversary forces you to reveal the password:
- 1) Hidden volume (steganography – more information may be found here).
- 2) No TrueCrypt volume can be identified (volumes cannot be distinguished from random data).
Encryption algorithms: AES-256, Serpent, and Twofish. Mode of operation: XTS.

Further information regarding features of the software may be found in the documentation.

I recommend this software and have been waiting to the OS X version to be released!

get your copy here.

iron wil

The Guide to GIMP

Iron Wil — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:47:00 +0000

GIMP is an free program that can be found at GIMP.org. I have it listed on my Mac and PC Picks pages, because it is a really nice alternative to spending 500$ on Photoshop.

Rob Biehl of Biehl Online, has put together some fantastic tutorials for GIMP. If you have been intimidated by GIMP or want to learn more, go here. While there, you should also check up the rest of his site.

Just a note. GIMP runs on all 3 major platforms- Mac, Linux, and Windows. Last I checked, it didn’t run on OS X:Leopard, that may have changed in the last month. It had a problem running on the X11 for Leopard [at least that is what my error message said].
iron wil

Valentine’s Worms

Iron Wil — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:51:26 +0000

Panda Software announced on the 25th that they have found 2 new viruses in the wild that relate to Valentine’s Day. Remember that you should not click on eMail links or open suspicious eMails. For more information on the viruses, go here.

Don’t for get to use Anti-Virus software like AVG Anti-Virus or ClamWin for Windows or ClamXav for Mac or Linux.

iron wil

On a side note, I have been running AVG and ClamWin on my WinBox for several years and they have done a really good job at keeping my system clean. One caveat, I stay off malicious websites.

New Free Software Magazine [#21] published!

Iron Wil — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:14:34 +0000

In this issue of Free Software Magazine David Jacovkis reports from Colombia and explains why free software is an ethical choice. Colin McGregor interviews several key people in the GNU/Linux world as well as explaining how to get KDE looking fantastic. Then we have Terry Hancock covering the Open Hardware project and making a comprehensive list of Linux-friendly hardware. Steven Goodwin shares how much he saved by using free software for his great beer podcast, and Alan Berg entertains us with free software easter eggs, while Andrew Min will explain the basics of HTML… Monty Python style.

read it here.

iron wil