any firewall hints and trips?

[Diana]

QUOTE(Mayo @ Feb 1 2004, 6:31 PM)

Diana, does GnuPG work better and is it easier to use than PGP?  I had compatibility problems with PGP and I also found it somewhat difficult to grok how to use it...

Hi Mayo,

I used PGP several years ago with Eudora (installed as plugin from the Eudora software itself)  on Win98. It never gave me trouble but as new computers arrived, I failed to keep up with installing PGP on each new computer. When I finally thought of it again, it appeared that Eudora had dropped that plugin.

At that point I started investigating and found GnuPG. After reading and beginning to understand the differing philosophies, I opted for GnuPG.

Now for your question, .."is it easy?" I say not. The documentation is lacking and believe it or not, I found it easier to do on Linux using Mozilla and Enigma than on Windows. I did install Thunderbird on my WinXP, and installed the Enigma plugin for Windows/Thunderbird. The problem was it was working before I even knew it..meaning the install went without a hitch, but the docs were so lacking, I couldn't tell at first what I needed to do after the install to get it setup and working from inside Thunderbird. I've never had any "issues" though once it's installed...it just works.

I think I could do it again now much easier. If anyone here is game to learn and try, I'm always willing to try to help. I haven't installed this on a Mac, but with Linux and Win98/WinXP under me belt, it's the next step...*grin

I encourage anyone to go ahead with the install. It's been painless on each machine...it's the understanding that comes hard...and later...

I am now signing all my e-mails...even though most recipients aren't able to decipher the sig. That's ok...my signing doesn't prevent their reading and my sig line on each email contains a link to my public GnuPG key. I'm hoping that over time, the curious will notice and take it upon themselves to learn more. If I get really hard nosed, I could start encrypting my email, at which point recipients would have to install GnuPG/PGP and use my public key to unlock the messages..*grin...I doubt many would do so now...they'd just get mad and throw my messages away.

This education thing will be a long process... Anyone who wants to experiment or communicate with me via e-mail is welcome to do so...just send me a Private message through the board here and we can trade email addresses without posting them for the public.

http://www.crestcomm.com/diana/gnupg.txt for GnuPG public key

My key is also available from the public key servers such as the one that GnuPG uses by default..(I think it's on the MIT key server too). Just imagine TS get-togethers that would include Key Signing Parties  

see ya,
edit to replace the word Firebird with Thunderbird..silly me.

[Stef]

Hi Mrious....

Advice from Da Lowlands! I even could do this in Dutch !!! I mean only if you're not French Speaking from Antwerp(en).... But for the sake of intelligibillity (spelling?) here it is in Common Speak!

Apart from all the sane advice about security, I have this little comment on using X's firewall together with iChat.... I understood that using the firewall prevented sending images?? I looked around in the preferences for the firewall and the system itself gives the possibillity to 'free' the port iChat uses (and it's possible to open ports which are not yet 'stated').... Perhaps that will solve the sending images thing!
Go to System Preferences, Internet/Networks, Sharing, Firewall.... and the rest will be pretty intuitive.... But! I just noticed that the window says: "allow incoming...." Dunno what it'll mean for sending though.... Hmmm.....

Greetz, Stef

[Mrious_be]

QUOTE(Stef @ Feb 2 2004, 2:24 PM)

I understood that using the firewall prevented sending images?? I looked around in the preferences for the firewall and the system itself gives the possibillity to 'free' the port iChat uses (and it's possible to open ports which are not yet 'stated')

 Someone from Holland?
Hey that's close by... and you'll be thrilled to hear i work in Holland probably (Oosterhout, nabij Breda) but for a Belgian firm

Ok, to answer the iChat/not able to send files...
It's true, for some reason i can't send files anymore.
iChat uses these ports: 5060, 5190, 5297*, 5298*, 5353*, 5678 and 16384** till 16403**.
To find the explanation on those ports, go to the link i mentioned above
One asterisk (*) means that these ports are used only on "Rendevous" or LAN network.
Two asterisks (**) means that those ports are used for Audio/Video broadcast.
The other ones are the minimum requirements to run iChat to talk and... it should do filetransfer (5190) although 5060 also is used to send invites on Audio/Video chat as far as i remember.
Although i made exeptions on those ports, filetransfer still doesn't work.
But it doesn't bother me to much, as i can just deactivate the firewall when i really need to send or receive a file, which doesn't really happen much.

QUOTE

By Mayo:
BrickHouse provides a GUI for accessing OS X's network firewall settings without having to use Terminal.app.

I heard of BrickHouse yes, but i must say that the build in Firewall doesn't really need the Terminal to get it set up.
You can add every port you like by simply creating your own exeptions on the Firewall, and name them (as i created one called "iChat"... smart huh).

[kelly]

Related.

Wondering Who Your Mac Is Talking To? You Need A Little Snitch!

http://www.macobserver.com/columns/macgadg.../20040202.shtml

[Mrious_be]

Looks really handy but.... shareware and since i'm living in Belgium without internation accept creditcard...

(((sigh)))