A Warning About Malware Images on Trad Gang

[Rob DiStefano]

this thread is being moved to the 'trad gang and computers' forum ...

[SlowBowinMO]

I just spent a good bit reading on the Mint forum, I'm dizzy now and probably over my head.  I'm just tired of messing with the non-stop malware/virus hassles Microsoft kindly brings you.

[Rob DiStefano]

tim, linux mint is no big deal, really.  it looks and works very much like windows.  it installs and functions lots faster than any windows os.  if you have only one pc, load it as a dual boot with windows.  if you have an extra pc, no matter how old, load it only with linux mint.  you will be a happy minty camper, i assure you.

[SlowBowinMO]

Thanks Rob, the flash drive you mentioned is a good idea, I think I can handle that one.  :D

[Ray Borbon]

sat in a conference a couple of years ago watching black box hackers demonstrate.

Mac compromised in less than 30 seconds.
Unix or Linux as well
Windows as well.

Don't you find it strange when you read claims that linux is hack resistant and then foreign hackers get into forune 500 systems and into sensitive information? Especially when it was hosted with linux?

Fact is - all of them have their holes. It's the user's responsibility to understand, know about them and protect themselves.

Linux is OK but I don't really like it that much for a desktop operating system. I have run fine on windows for 10 years without any viruses.  During that time I have also managed a dozen or so linux servers, used linux on a laptop and also have owned one mac. Nothing wrong with any of them.

I have not had a windows app crash on me since years ago when I used XP. Firefox crashed on me many times. I have also had my mac apps crash a couple of times. Linux is NOT bug free. Neither is a mac.

[Rob DiStefano]

linux IS bug, spyware, malware 'free', so is apple - 'cause they're both not as easy or as large or as profitable a target as microsoft.

[Ray Borbon]

Linux and Apple are not bug free. That is equated to saying humans don't make mistakes. I guess the versions I saw hacked in less than 30 seconds were bug free.

There's definitely more people working against the microsoft product. However there are vulnerabilities in all operating systems. The administrator is what aids the security. If I had a script sitting inside the wwroot which was hacked and which I ran with CRON as ROOT it could do a heck of a lot of damage to a linux system. There's a reason why they make things like this   http://www.clamav.net/

Last time I heard about the iPhone it had application vulnerabilities up the wazoo. That's an Apple product..

[Ray Borbon]

Also there are reasons why rootkit detectors have been developed and deployed to most linux systems or release points.

[Rob DiStefano]

raymond, you are correct.  

linux mint is still the FAR better os for the average person surfing the web and using email.

[Ray Borbon]

In my estimation most people surf with their computers as administrator or disable UAC in windows and some just don't pay attention to what they install. Any of those things is a detriment to windows as much as it would be surfing with linux as root and behaving in the same manner.

I downloaded linux mint. It looks nice. I noticed it did not have out of the box drivers for my laptop's wireless card. Other than that it looks pretty good.

[Rob DiStefano]

i've installed mint 8 on at least 7 different laptops and it fired up the wireless connection everytime.  in fact, just updated my daughter's toshiba laptop with win 7 ultimate 64, then added mint 8 for a dual os boot machine that covers all bases.  

also, on an initial load from a mint cd, you do need to update the system for os and app updates - but the wireless works right off the cd disc load.