Ubuntu on Low Memory Systems

Tested this exercise on a Xubuntu Alternate CD. According to the Ubuntu documentation, any variant of Ubuntu's alternate CDs will work.

1. Change the mode of installation to "command-line install"
2. Do the routine install.
3. Edit the sources; uncomment the debian packages (partner, restricted)
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
4. Perform update and upgrade (requires Internet connection to download packages); apptocd is another approach, but I haven't tested that.
sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude upgrade

At this point, decide if you need a GUI.

Testing AVG on Ubuntu, and learning some scripts

tested the AVG scanner to detect EICAR test virus, passed with flying colors

sample command-line in terminal:
avscan Downloads/*

recursive scan, from the current point down to the Downloads folder.

Also made some 3-liner scripts (and launchers) in my desktop:
scanner:

#!/bin/sh
sudo avscan /media/NANO/*
read -p "Press Enter to continue" nothing

updater:

#!/bin/sh
sudo /usr/lib/AntiVir/avupdate --product=Guard
read -p "Press Enter to continue" nothing

Avira AntiVir on Ubuntu

Avira seems to be better at detecting Windows viruses than ClamAV, as I experienced today scanning the same USB device on 2 machines. Avira (in Windows) spotting 6 worms vs. ClamAv's 1 detection.

So I decided to give Avira in Ubuntu a shot.
System snapshot info:
Ubuntu 9.04
Kernel Linux 2.6.28-15-generic
GNOME 2.26.1

Here's how I got it to work:
1. Download the Linux Avira Antivir installer here: http://www.free-av.de/en/download/download_servers.php
My downloaded copy was antivir_workstation-pers.tar.gz

2. In a terminal window, execute:
tar -xvf antivir_workstation-pers.tar.gz
This created a folder named antivir-workstation-pers-3.0.5-11 in my download folder.

3. Still in the terminal window, cd to the created folder and type:
sudo ./install

4. Follow the prompts (I just based on common sense). Link references:

• Detailed, but a bit old (2006)
• Avira forum thread 1 (2009 - telling that Dazuko is included in the installer already)
  
• Avira forum thread 2 (2009 - just shows the command how to update signatures)
• Avira forum thread 3 (2008 - older, just to see how well the Avira team simplified installation since)

There's no GUI! A minor hassle, though. It will install in the /usr/lib/AntiVir folder.

Terminal commands learned:
To update the engine & signatures:
sudo avupdate --product=Guard
To scan a USB drive:
sudo avscan /media/disk

ClamAV and front-end GUI ClamTK

useful antivirus scanner for making the Ubuntu box a USB virus cleaner device

tested in Ubuntu 9.04
1. download clamav package (& all detected dependencies) using Synaptic
2. download libnet-dns-perl package (& all detected dependencies) using Synaptic
3. download the latest Ubuntu package of clamtk in http://clamtk.sourceforge.net/
4. using a terminal window, navigate to the folder of the downloaded deb package.
5. type sudo dpkg -i {name of downloaded clamtk deb}

Dune + Wine in Ubuntu Jaunty

Trying to play my fave old school circa 1980's game Dune in my Ubuntu box...
wish me luck!

Installing a .tar.gz file

Needed to install IPMSG in my home laptop Ubuntu, and realized that my previous blog wasn't really that descriptive of the steps.

Here are the details after installing the dependencies and the ipmsg tar.gz file.
1. Open a terminal window (Applications - Accessories - Terminal)
2. Go to the folder where the tar.gz is saved (using the cd, dir commands)
3. Then type in the command line: tar zxf {name of tar.gz file} and hit Enter
4. This will create a subfolder named after the tar file. cd to this subfolder.
5. Inside the subfolder, type these series of commands:

./configure
make
sudo make install

If all goes well, you should be able to see your installed application after a restart of the system.

Skype, Firestarter, and port 445

First off, I'm not happy with Skype in my Ubuntu. How our perceptions change with a new OS. I better figure out a way to remove it.

Second, about port 445. Using a firewall in Ubuntu reveals a lot of things that were before hidden but is now cause for earnest concern. By the inherent weakness of Microsoft's security design, hackers use this port to gain access to tens of thousands of computers connected in the Internet.

In my own Firestarter, using Sun's USB Broadband connection, I see a lot of local IP addresses - DHCP-assigned by the Sun ISP - attempting to exploit the 445 port of my computer via the protocol of Windows-DS (directory services).