Sweet!

Would it be possible for an average user like me to host the whole AUR and the whole Arch Wiki to make it available at times like this? I’m already seeding a couple of Arch isos (not pirate lingo).

I just want to help out.

Not with the front end iptables. Linux can filter packets based on their source and destination IP, port and MAC address. It can also filter packets based on their state, being NEW,ESTABLISHED, RELATES,INVALID and UNTRACKED. You can check what processes are establishing connections with for instance ss or lsof -i and what commands or binaries/executables stand for those processes with for instance ps.

I know of no userland utility with which one could specify processes, command names or binaries/executables to block. Which might seem like a hassle from a Windows perspective, but the level of control that you achieve with Linux’s packet filtering is neat and it has taught loads about how networking and the Internet works. :)

😂🤮 I didn’t even look at them. Just quickly searched and copy-pasted shit for OP. 🤣

Dang it… Thanks for enlightening me!

US https://itsfoss.com/unixstickers-revamp/

EU https://www.teepublic.com/stickers/linux

Thank you! I will check out OpenStitch.

Thanks! That looks like a great way to learn what’s going on “under the hood”.

I finally understand your point. That’s true though with or without the use of a firewall. Not becoming infected by malware through ports that are otherwise used for common connections can preemptively only be achieved with good cyber hygiene. Once infected, I guess I’d need access control lists and/or software that blocks code execution based on signatures, but I’m not aware of such software for Linux.

The purpose is to block any connections that I haven’t explicitly allowed, since I don’t have the skills to vet all my binaries. Linux packages are as we know not immune.

It’s a pretty static system and I imagine I could write a script that notifies me if and when iptables blockes something outgoing (or when the kernel complains thereof).

Thanks! I actually did try that, at which point it said “/dev/stdin ASCII text” or the likes, so it’s like the file command literally read the stdin device. Which was extremely intriguing, but not what I wanted. God, I love Linux :D

Thanks! Yeah, I just came to the realization that this was more about my lack of understanding of the file command than anything else.

Thanks! So this was more about my lack of understanding of how the file command works… But anyway, this gave me some new stuff to study! Especially the -print0 and -quit options and the xargs command.

Personally, I don’t hate this book:

https://tldp.org/LDP/intro-linux/intro-linux.pdf

It’s somewhat outdated, for instance, it still assumes that your first process is init while most of us have transitioned to systemd, but I still find to book very educational in terms of… “Linux mentality”? Give it a try! :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MwJbRq3-rM

Also, there is nothing noobie about Linux Mint. Everything that you can do on, say, Arch Linux, you can do on Linux Mint, with some minor adjustments. That’s what’s Linux is all about. :D

https://uwuntuos.site/ obvi?

But seriously though, Arch all the way, because it teaches me about Linux and computers, because I can customize all the packages at OS install (without the need for lengthy compiling like Gentoo) and because my Steam games work flawlessly on it.