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Old 17th April 2014
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HusseinMoussa HusseinMoussa is offline
Real Name: Hussein Moussa
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Posts: 7
Question What is security for average joe?

Hi,
My question revolves around what is security like for an average user like me and other people around the world

Let me introduce myself (my background with the OSs generally) since we don't know one another just to save time

I've been a windows user since 1995, I used to run most of my games from DOS so I'm familiar with boring black and white screens with many lines! Haha

I also used to play around with files of windows and stuff like that; for example, I tracked down every single file of a program called : system file checker on win me. Copied them and ran it on a win98 and made it scan the system with results on my friend’s computer, (btw I’m not saying that I’m genius or anything I’m just saying that I was a young kid who didn’t settle with clicking and right clicking!) anyways, he was an engineer, he liked what I did and told me about this thing called linux. “it imitates windows” he said. (of course he just wanted to simplify things for me ) I said ok, let me see. With qemu emulator and etc...

I liked it. So I searched, and found Ubuntu. But I didn’t stop there. I had more free time; so I tried xubuntu, kubuntu, lubuntu much earlier before, Now I just ran mint. But I’m not an expert with the shell and the terminal commands and such (yet! )

And finally I have downloaded like almost literally a dozen of isos and files of many distros of linux and BSDs to check out and settle on a specific one to take for a looong journey (haven’t install BSDs yet, but that’s another issue than my questions)

I also understand the BSD is somehow different than Linux, with the tools of the repositories and such.

Quote from wiki:

“FreeBSD is a complete operating system. The kernel, device drivers, and all of the userland utilities, such as the shell, are held in the same source code revision tracking tree. (This is in contrast to Linux distributions, for which the kernel, userland utilities, and applications are developed separately, and then packaged together in various ways by others.) Third-party application software may be installed using various software installation systems, the two most common being source installation and package installation, both of which use the FreeBSD Ports system.”

I understand the concept of the same source, but know actual/technical knowledge about it. All I’m saying is (and please don’t be offended by direct approach English is not my native tongue) I have a small idea about these “stuff”. I’m no techie here. But I plan to be.

So, now for the discussion I’m hoping I have:

Even after all this long introduction, I’m still an average joe. So I just want to understand what will the famous OpenBSD “security” will do to me as an average user (well, maybe if I liked/understood it, I might be not only an average user but an average user who’s willing to be a programmer someday)

You know, I read a lot about privacy online and security and programming languages, but, I still can’t put my finger on what is this “security” everyone is talking about.

Let’s talk practically here (giving practical examples that I need explanation/guidance for):

For example: (and sorry if I sounded so rookie to you guys, but people like me do exist! )

What about Firefox addons:

I actually use:

Noscript – Disconnect – Disconnect facebook – Disconnect Twitter – Disconnect google – DoNotTrack me – Adblock Plus – HTTPS Everywhere from the eff.org guys – and even: Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on 0.9.6 (after some average-joe persistent search on the subject!)

I read things on prism-break.org

And I read somewhere on the internet that Addons reveal your ID or something other than that...(Maybe on a TOR-related article)

So,



1- Are these things what we’re talking about here? Just some Pre-set safety gadgets/features in OpenBSD?

Or

2- Is this “security” thingy related to the coding/programming programmy stuff that pros do on the system itself? (if it is, then it will be of course a whole different thing now)

(Again and again, I apologize if my imagination sounds childish or trivial to you guys. Well, I have to reasons for that: the first is that I’m doing this on purpose, because I really want to spread the message of the freedom of software and the tools with-which people can use to better their lives. I’m a total believer and want to learn, even if I sounded brashly annoying (sorry!). I could be the missing link between the pros and the amateurs here. I really wanna preach on the whole thing with the open-source software programming and the security/privacy thing. Think of me as that annoying/curious student who really wants to learn So encourage me, don’t scold me. I’m well intentioned and I like this programming world! I hope I can be part of it someday.
And the second reason why I sound childish and brash, is my vocabulary of English. It’s not much. So I tend to use simpler words.
And I ask you (please) to use simpler language (without cultural metaphors and stuff). Not baby language but just a simple/clear one.

I mean the best answer for me would be:

“Yes, “security” is what you said in number 2” or “Yes, It’s closer to number 1”

Peace out, people!

Last edited by HusseinMoussa; 17th April 2014 at 10:45 PM. Reason: changing the formatting
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