Issue #161 / Apr 2014

Highlights:

Discover the vulnerabilities of typical home and small office routers, and consider the SafeSquid filter proxy for secure home surfing.

Cover Stories:

• Security and SOHO Routers: Home and small office networks typically place their security in the hands of an inexpensive device that serves as a router. How secure are these SOHO router devices?
• SafeSquid: If you are looking to secure your home surfing against questionable web content, you need a filtering proxy. SafeSquid filters content as it moves between the browser and the Internet.

Also in this issue:

• Comment: The New Kid
• On the DVD: Knoppix 7.3
• News
• SuperCollider: SuperCollider is a versatile and powerful sound generator.
• EncFS: The EncFS virtual filesystem reduces the configuration overhead of encrypting data on Linux.
• Meteor: Build interactive web apps the easy way with this sensible JavaScript development tool.
• Knoppix 7.3: Learn about the latest Knoppix Live Linux distro.
• Ask Klaus! Klaus Knopper answers your Linux questions.
• Areca Backup: Hassle-free backups of individual hard drives.
• Charly – Fish: The tasty Friendly Interactive Shell.
• Security Lessons – DNS: Keep bad guys out of your network with targeted filtering.
• SHC – Bash Script Compiler: Convert shell scripts directly into binaries.
• Perl – Cucumber: Natural language test framework for developers.
• Command Line – Vundle: Manage Vim plugins.
• F3 – Testing Flash Memory: Check flash sticks for defects.
• Workspace – HTML-Based Presentations: Great-looking presentations in a browser.
• Giada: Process sound loops and more.
• Labyrinth: Mind mapping software.
• PiCam Surveillance: Video surveillance with the new Raspberry Pi camera.
• openSUSE 13.1: Inside the newest version.
• Gluglug: Laptop 100% free and open source.
• Doghouse – Pay It Forward: “maddog” reflects on ways people can contribute to the present as well as the future of software development.
• Kernel News: Chronicler Zack Brown reports on the latest news, views, dilemmas, and developments within the Linux kernel community.

SERVICE: Welcome

Welcome

Sometimes when I'm watching the Internet news unfolding, I feel like I'm in one of those weird dreams where everything looks the same, but all reason is inverted in some way that only the people in the dream understand. The Internet brings down barriers, including those comforting barriers that provide a cozy space for our moral certainty to flourish. We lapse into approaching problems from the circle of our own experience, sometimes not noticing that we have traveled into very different places. And we mistake our viewpoint for our values, aligning ourselves with others who share a common attitude or rhetorical framework.

SERVICE: This Month's DVD

This month's DVD is a version of the Knoppix Live distribution created especially for the 2014 CeBIT expo and made available before release to Linux Magazine.

NEWS: Linux News

Updates on Technologies, Trends, and Tools

COVER STORIES: Security and SOHO Routers

Pervasive vulnerabilities in SOHO routers

Home and small office networks typically place their security in the hands of an inexpensive device that serves as a router, DHCP server, firewall, and wireless hotspot. How secure are these SOHO router devices? We're glad you asked …

COVER STORIES: SafeSquid

Exploring the SafeSquid filter proxy

If you are looking for a secure option for home surfing and want to protect your children against questionable web content, you need a filtering proxy. SafeSquid is a commercial proxy tool, but it comes with a free version for private users.

REVIEWS: openSUSE 13.1

The new openSUSE 13.1

Version 13.1 of the community-based openSUSE offers many useful updates and will receive extended maintenance.

REVIEWS: Gluglug Laptop

An open source laptop from Gluglug

A laptop with no proprietary BIOS and 100 percent open source software may sound too good to be true, but that's exactly what Gluglug delivers. Is it a good deal? Read on to find out.

FEATURES: SuperCollider

SuperCollider sound generator

SuperCollider is a versatile and powerful sound generator that can be used to create, filter, and modulate sound. In this article, we tackle the basics.

FEATURES: EncFS

Encrypting files and folders with EncFS

The EncFS virtual filesystem reduces the configuration overhead for data encryption on Linux.

FEATURES: Meteor

Real-time web applications with the Meteor framework

The Meteor web framework lets you do all your programming in JavaScript – and it includes some useful features for rapid development.

FEATURES: Knoppix 7.3

Knoppix 7.3 CeBIT Edition

Knoppix 7.3 comprises the current state of Debian GNU/Linux development and comes with the current hardware support of kernel 3.13, a new update function, and extended security and privacy features.

FEATURES: Ask Klaus!

Klaus Knopper answers your Linux questions

 

FEATURES: Areca Backup

Data backup for individual hosts

Sometimes you just need to back up a few directories on a computer, not administer a distributed installation or an array of disks. Areca Backup gives you hassle-free backups of individual hard drives.

FEATURES: Charly's Column: Fish

The sys admin's daily grind: Fish

Columnist Charly serves up Fish as the "shellfish" of the day. His conclusion: tasty, but not something you would want every day.

FEATURES: Security Lessons: DNS Security

Filtering traffic by DNS name and IP address

Kurt describes how to keep bad guys out of your network using a targeted filtering approach.

FEATURES: SHC: Bash Script Compiler

Compiling Bash shell scripts

The Bash Shell Script Compiler converts shell scripts directly into binaries. Compiling your scripts provides protection against accidental changes, but you will have to contend with some quirks.

FEATURES: Perl: Cucumber

Using Cucumber and Perl to define test cases in natural language

The Cucumber test framework helps developers and product departments jointly formulate test cases, not as program code, but in plain English. The initially skeptical Perlmeister has acquired a taste for this.

LINUXUSER: Command Line: Vundle

Managing Vim plugins and scripts

If you use Vim, you'll likely need a tool to manage its hundreds of plugins. Vundle can help.

LINUXUSER: F3: Testing Flash Memory

Checking USB flash drives and flash memory cards for correct functionality

USB memory sticks and flash memory cards are part of the equipment of almost every mobile IT user today, but media defects can cause data loss. A small tool by the name of F3 helps.

LINUXUSER: Workspace: HTML-Based Presentations

Creating HTML-based presentations

You can whip up great-looking HTML-based presentations that run in a regular browser using just a text editor.

LINUXUSER: Giada

Processing loops and more with Giada

Giada is a small piece of musical software that can be used in many ways. Mainly designed for working with loops, Giada also can be used as a drum machine or be flexibly integrated into your workflow, thanks to VST and MIDI support.

LINUXUSER: Labyrinth

Creating mind maps with Labyrinth

The Labyrinth mind mapper lets you collect and organize your thoughts and ideas without major detours.

COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK: Doghouse: Pay It Forward

Contributing to the common good

"maddog" reflects on ways people can contribute to the present as well as the future of software development.

COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK: Kernel News

Chronicler Zack Brown reports on the latest news, views, dilemmas, and developments within the Linux kernel community.