Newbie Question - about newbie user support

[Passive PROFITS]

--- Marian Hettwer <mh at kernel32.de> wrote:
> Hi there,

Hi there!  :)

> On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:08:43 -0700 (PDT), Passive
> PROFITS
> <passiveprofits at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Hi there Marian!
> > 
> > First off, I must point out that it's incredibly
> nice
> > to have met my first female (I assume correctly!?)
> on
> > a computer related list.  Long rumoured about ...
> > Finally!  Unlike the Yeti:  actually spotted! LMAO
> >
> Sorry to burst that bubble, 

Damn, and so quickly! <g>

but Marian is actually a
> male name. German
> version of latin Marius.
> I know, it's a very uncommon name and yes, it
> happens from time to time
> that people think it's a female name.
> ;-)

I've only just realised from a few other off-list
messages from others overseas to the UK, that the list
is more global, than European, even.  Why this didn't
dawn on me earlier is beyond me, as of course I'd just
joined the UK FreeBSD list; what an idiot, hey!?! 

Hope I didn't cause any offence!  I do know that it
can be used by both males, and females, though had no
idea of the root, if you forgive the possible pun,
this being a Unix(?) list! ;)

More below.

> > --- Marian Hettwer <mh at kernel32.de> wrote:
> > 
> >> Hi there,
> >>
> >> On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:19:55 -0700 (PDT), Passive
> >> PROFITS
> >> <passiveprofits at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > FWIW, I am only experienced with putting
> together
> >> > firewalls in Ubuntu using a GUI (Firestarter). 
> I
> >> do
> >> > not seem to have come across problems using
> that
> >> combo
> >> > (IPtables? + Firestarter GUI).
> >> >
> >> I'm actually not aware wether there is a gui to
> plug
> >> together a firewall
> >> ruleset based on pf(4).
> >> That said, I suggest to use pf as the packet
> filter
> >> of choice. It's a great
> >> one.
> >> Get a first impression about pf(4) by reading the
> >> handbook
> >>
> >
>
(http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/firewalls-pf.html)
> >> or by reading man pfctl.
> >> As a newbie, you should start with the handbook
> :)
> > 
> > OK, OK - I'm not averse to a handbook or two ;) 
> And I
> > am not trying to short-circuit that route.  I am
> on
> > handbook overload though, what with trying to get
> my
> > head around Linux, and now FreeBSD, too!  I need
> to
> > slow down a little.  I've wanted a Linux install
> for
> > like years, before Ubuntu came along, and now I've
> got
> > all those years lost, to catch up on ... Not all
> > tonight, I realise! ;)  <g>
> >
> I didn't even know that ubuntu has a handbook ;-)

Oh there's Ubuntu handbooks all over the place now: 
if only I could afford ten! <g>

> >> Obviously you should have an idea what a packet
> >> filter (buzzword is
> >> firewall) does. A good understanding on how tcp
> and
> >> networking works is
> >> preferred for a good configuration.
> > 
> > I've got some very basic understanding (no
> technical
> > understanding) of your basic POST & GET, from
> doing a
> > very little webmastering some years ago.  I also
> 'get'
> > the idea that different protocols have different
> > default ports through which they usually operate.
> > Past that though, I'm basically in need of going
> right
> > to the start, and not skipping anything!!  I'm in
> this
> > long-term though, so won't be complaining.the
> >
> As a starter, I'd say, take a look at the
> wikipedia.org article about
> tcp/ip.

Will-do.  I must admit I use it a lot for getting to
grips with the basics of some stuff, most recently
rescued by it's RAID sections, and also quite a bit
about hardware, which were/are invaluable.  I suppose
I should 'fess up at this point that I'm a total
newbie when it comes to hardware skills; though have
been learning hard since January of this year.  Before
Jan, I'd only ever stared longingly at RAM chips in
situ - dreaming of higher and higher capacities! <gg>

> It's worth it. Cause if you don't know what you're
> doing, you won't find
> mistakes.
> No offense ment. 

Don't worry - none taken.  I came here in the hope to
learn!  And learning where to start learning, is
always a great start! ;)  If you don't ask ...

It happened to me too.
> Just followed a howto and then, holy crap, it just
> doesn't work.
> And since I didn't know what I was typing, cause I
> just followed the howto,
> obviously I couldn't spot the mistake _in_ this
> howto.
> Lesson learned: Try to understand what you're doing
> :)

I'm trying to do that as much as possible.  It's great
that FOSS actually documents how things work (well,
sometimes! ;) <g>) ...  Has switch a blue bar, for a
screen of stuff I don't understand, but can try start
to, at least! :)

I spent like 10 years failing to write a simple batch
file in Windows ...  Yet, with only another few
handbooks to go (bash scripting, I think?!) ... My,
I'll actually be able to get a computer to do
something for a change, other than require me to mouse
into and over it 24/7/365! :) 

> >> Another way of just having a FreeBSD + pf based
> >> firewall would be using
> >> pfsense (http://www.pfsense.org/) which is in my
> >> understanding a FreeBSD
> >> live CD with a nice webfrontend to configure your
> >> router/firewall.
> > 
> > Thanks for that, and the other recommendation from
> > another.  I may find that I get one of these
> firewalls
> > 'out of the box' working, then install a 'proper'
> > install on another machine to play with/learn on,
> etc.
> Sounds like a good plan to me.

Yes - it increasingly sounds like a good plan to me,
too, one that I should be able to get away with for at
least a few weeks with what I've now got 'lying
around', hardware-wise, for such use, thanks to the
kind generosity of the folks in my local LUG, mainly! 
I am sure the donee won't mind me jumping ship for a
couple of weeks learning about the 'other half'.

One question which will seem (but isn't to me)
unrelated:  does a program called 'heartbeat' work
with Apache on FreeBSD?

If it does you see, now, I might get myself two
FreeBSD machines to learn heartbeat with, rather than
two Linux /Ubuntu machines ....  Wow - for the first
time in my life, a real choice between *three*
operating systems! 

{drools - all the way down his chin; falls over with
the shock of it} <g>

Best,

PP

> 
> best regards,
> Marian, still male, sorry 'bout that ;-)

I always look on the bright side Marian; the hunt for
the Yeti is still on!!!  ... *one* day, maybe just
*one* day, a 'real woman' on a 'real computer
discussion list' will pop out of the woodwork and say
'Boo!'; you just never, never know! ;) LOL  It'll just
have to remain like those fishing stories:  the one
that nearly was - the fight was long and hard, but
'she' just didn't want to give herself up!  No!  Not
today!! LMAO



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