Free linux workstation software for linux

Black Orion Network is an update and system management platform for among others Black Orions redhat-compatible Enterprise Linux Distributions. Black Orion Enterprise Linux software distributions are offered to you by the open source community as free software.

A program is free software if users are free to redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to anyone anywhere. Being free to do these things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay for permission. Please feel free to make and redistribute as many copies of Black Orion Enterprise Linux as you like.

How It Works:

1. Obtain Black Orion Enterprise Linux

Obtain one of Black Orions redhat-compatible Enterprise Linux Distributions from the downloads section.

2. Burn cd images

Burn the downloaded iso images on to a cd.

3. Register yourself as a Black Orion Network Member

Register yourself as a member in the Black Orion Network section.

4. Install Black Orion on a computer

Read the manuals for the various installation options. The system can also be installed as a rhel4 virtual machine.

5. Connect your system to the Black Orion Network

Connect your system to the Black Orion Network with the up2date client installed on your system. You can find up2date by right-clicking the Black Orion Network Alert Icon on your desktop. Connect your system with your member name and password (see 3).

Linux distribution race is a cool car race for 4 players, cars are named by Linux distributions (Mandrake, SUSE, RedHat, Debian).

You can create maps in GIMP. Controls: WSAD, TGFH, IKJL, arrows.

Linux Commander is a powerful file manager for the X Window System.

It is partially modelled after Window Commander for Windows.

Beyond Linux From Scratch or BLFS in short, is a project that continues where the LFS book finishes. It assists users in developing their systems according to their needs by providing a broad range of instructions for installing and configuring various packages on top of a base LFS system.
Why would I want a BLFS system?
If you are wondering why you would want a BLFS system or dont know what LFS is then you dont want to be here just yet - you should head over to the LFS Project Homepage where all will be explained.
What can I do with my BLFS system?
Nearly anything! An LFS system is primed to become a system that fits whatever need you have. BLFS is the book that takes you down your own custom path. You could build an office workstation, a multimedia desktop, a router, a server, or all of the above! And the best part is you only install what you need.
Enhancements:
- Version 6.2.0 of BLFS has been released. Version 6.2.0 is the complement to the LFS 6.2 book. More time has elapsed between the release of the previous version (6.1) and this one than in any other release cycle. Much of this is due to the fact that LFS 6.2 took much longer to be released than was originally anticipated. Many new packages have been introduced in the 6.2.0 version, as well as many updates, refinements and additions to the existing packages.

LinWiz - Linux configuration file and scripting Wizards.
A (growing) collection of on-line wizards - for creating complex linux configuration files and scripts using simple web-enabled point-and-click methods.
LinWiz://SimpleFirewall was the first of these - launched in March 2003, now replaced by LinWiz://PersonalFirewall and LinWiz://ServerFirewall.
LinWiz://PersonalFirewall - Novice iptables wizard for personal Linux workstations
This wizard is suitable for creating a very simple "iptables" configuration for a linux workstation, with a single network card, not acting as a router (not forwarding IP traffic) and not providing any IP services to other hosts.
It allows you to block a number of common IP exploits and sets up your system in a highly locked down manner - exposing no IP services to other systems, but not restricting the internet or other IP services (such as Web, Ftp, Mail etc) that you can use. It produces a file that can be read by the "iptables-restore" utility (such as is used by recent RedHat, Mandrake and other linux distributions) or a classic "rc.firewall" shell script.
LinWiz://ServerFirewall - iptables for personal Linux servers
This wizard creates an intermediate-level "iptables" configuration for a simple linux server, hosting popular services such as "Apache" web server, FTP, SSH, Telnet, NFS etc. This is suitable for servers with a single network card that does not act as an IP router (not forwarding IP traffic). The tool allows you to set up ...
- Blocking of common IP attacks and exploits.
- Definition of which IP services running on your server you are willing to allow access to.
- Controlled NFS access (this is more complex than Web servers). The tool provides all the information you need to set this up.
- Filtering of the IP addresses and/or MAC addresses that are permitted (or refused) access to your services.
- Logging of rejected IP packets.
It produces a file that can be read by the "iptables-restore" utility (such as is used by recent RedHat, Mandrake and other linux distributions) or a classic "rc.firewall" shell script.

Pocket Linux is an almost minimal, one floppy linux system designed to quickly convert PC workstation into secure linux-based workstation using ssh to connect to remote host (other networking clients are also supported).
It supports bootp for determining host IP and other network parameters (theres also manual configuration possible, but bootp is recommended).
In addition to workstations equipped with a network card (ethernet or arcnet), you can also use Pocket Linux on a PC equipped with a modem. Modem is automatically detected and then PPP connection is made.
The idea came up some time in 1996 or so. The distribution then was not perfect, but still it shown it was a great idea. It wasnt maintained for about year or so, until I took it up again in the early January 1998. After a complete rebuild Pocket Linux 2.00 was released. It soon gained a huge number of happy users, whose ideas helped its development.
The aim is to provide a small and efficient workstation that autoconfigures as much as possible and lets securely use the network from almost everywhere.
Current version is a nice attempt and future ones will enhance the automation and support for various network equipment and protocols, becoming a total solution. Future plans also include side projects like one floppy router.
In order to understand some of the config options its useful to know something about operations that are done during bootup (in order to automatically configure the network). These are, in order (the later attempts are made if the earlier ones dont set-up the network):
- attempt to setup the network using BOOTP
- attempt to reuse previous manual configuration
- modem detection
- attempt to setup modem conection
Most of the config options switches these operations on and off.
Main menu
You can choose the following network configuration commands from the main menu (only the ones that make sense in the present context are displayed):
- Options - allows setting few binary parameters controlling automatic network configuration and modem handling.
- BOOTP query - attempts to configure network (ethernet or arcnet) using BOOTP. Normally its automatically done during bootup, but this can be switched off.
- Manual configuration - allows manual setting of network configuration parameters (ethernet or arcnet).
- Detect modem - detects serial port the modem is on and its parameters (transfer rate, initialization commands).
- Dial PPP using predefined configuration - creates modem connection (PPP) using one of (up to ten) remembered configurations. By default only TPSA (0202122) configuration is remembered.
- Dial PPP using new configuration - creates new PPP configuration and sets up a modem connection using the newly created config.
- Disconnect PPP - disconnects modem connection.
- Mount /usr via NFS - mounts remote /usr filesystem via NFS. It will be automatically mounted during each Pocket Linux bootup if its turned on in configuration options.
- Exit - Do not config the network - exits the program without configuring the network.
Configuration options
There are following options available:
- Probe network with BOOTP - switches automatic BOOTP probing during bootup on and off. On by default.
- Reuse manual network configs - if on, an attempt is made to restore network configuration during bootup. Netconf remembers 10 most recent manual configurations along with network cards MAC addresses. If cards MAC address matches one of the remembered ones, assigned configuration is used. On by default.
- Automatically setup PPP - switches automatic attempt to create modem connection during bootup on and off. Its made with the first config on PPP configs list. On by default.
- Reuse modem configuration - if on, modem detection is not performed during bootup - instead most recently used modem configuration is used. Off by default.
- Pulse dialing - switches dialing mode used for modem connections between tone dialing (DTMF) and pulse dialing. Default is off (that is tone dialing).
- Automount disk partitions - switches on and off automatical disk partitions mounting (ext2 and vfat filesystems) and swap partition activation during bootup. On by default.
- Add swap file if low memory - switches on and off automatical swap file creation during bootup. Swap file is created if, and only if, theres less than 16 MB memory available (including potentially activated swap partitions) and theres a disk partition on which it could be created available. On by default.
- Automount NFS /usr - switches on and off /usr filestem mounting via NFS during bootup. NFS path to the filestem must be set using "Mount /usr filesystem via NFS" command in main menu. Off by default.
Manual network card configuration
You can enter network configuration parameters in this window:
- This machines IP - enter IP number for this computer here
- Network mask - enter netmask here. If omitted, mask will be calculated based on IP (which will not necessarily be right).
- Broadcast address - enter network broadcast address here. If omitted broadcast address will be calculated based on IP (not mask! - which will not necessarily be right).
- Default gateway - enter IP address of default network gateway (router) here.
- Nameserver IP(s) - enter one or more (separated by spaces) name servers IP addresses here. Can be omitted, but then domain names couldnt be used.
- Default domain(s) - you can enter one or more (separated by spaces) domain names to search host if incomplete domain names will be used. Its optional.
PPP configuration
You can enter modem connection configuration parameters in this window:
- Config name - config name (used in existing configuration selection menu).
- Phone number - phone number to dial (eg. 0w202122 for TPSA access modems).
- Username - username to send to remote server
- Password - password to send to remote server
- Nameserver IP(s) - enter one or more (separated by spaces) name servers IP addresses here. Can be omitted, but then domain names couldnt be used.
- Default domain(s) - you can enter one or more (separated by spaces) domain names to search host if incomplete domain names will be used. Its optional.
Because of permanent configuration that is kept on the floppy you should remember to:
- dont write protect the floppy
- dont remove the floppy from the drive (at least during network configuration)
Enhancements:
- bugfixes in netconf reuse code
- disk partitions automounting, swap partitions autoactivating
- automatic swap file creation
- extended support for NFS mountable /usr
- PS/2 mouse support
- new startup logo

TFM Linux project is a Linux operating system that can be used for small enterprises, whose administrators are not so experienced in Linux.

It all began a long time ago with a Red Hat distribution, whose packages were very low on security, so that less than 5 % of these were kept and the rest was replaced with alternate Red Hat packages which proved to be more stable.

Thats the way the TFM Linux idea was born. The simplest method at that time was the adaptation of Red Hat distribution to the needs previously specified. So in March 2001 TFM Linux 1.0 was launched.

An easy to install operating system, easy to use as server edition or workstation and adapted for the users needs. All the knowledge gathered during all this time, allowed the observation of the modified Red Hat distribution limits, and, as future plan, it was established that the next version of the distribution will be done starting from zero, for having complete control to what is happening in the distribution and the packages interactions.

Phrealon is a bootable linux CD based on Slackware Linux 8.0 (now 9.0)designed to allow the easy imaging of multiple workstations.

It utilizes the udpcast set of Linux tools to accomplish this.