I am in the process of installing RH 8.0 to use as a server and I am wondering about a few things.


1. Should I choose 'high security' or 'medium security'?

2. Which packages are necessary to install for a server and which are not recommended?

I have installed RH quite a few times on a PC but never for a server so I want to make sure I get it right.

Any help would be appreciated.

I selected medium on my home system, I can always change it when I need to. The security experts can tell you better. Packages.. if your only running it for server purposes all youd need is ftp/shell if you want it/apache/smtp/pop/ssl/bind/imap/mysql/smtps/ all i can think of right now

. Should I choose 'high security' or 'medium security'?


Leave it off, you can always switch it back on later.


2. Which packages are necessary to install for a server and which are not recommended?

Go for a clean install and install all the applications (apache, php, perl, dns) from their sites (new versions).

My .02

Install it all (unless your short on disk space) then pair back the services you don't need. Sounds excessive but you'll get all the libraries and won't get hosed chasing down libs and requirements when you go to compile something new.

Read the info on every package as you install just to get familiar with them.

Get linuxconf and turn on or off any service you want (Redhat supplies a utility too)

Go ahead and use high security and when you want to change the setting use lokkit to update the ports.

Hope that helps.

Iggy

my 0.02

looks like this wil be your main box and you want to keep it secure


buy another box (no I'm not being obnoxious)

a low level pentium (second hand even will do).

build it as a firewall to put infront of your current redhat8 box

see http://www.wilyhacker.com/

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/fire2/