Linux Mint backdoors

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winofficially

Linux Mint backdoors

Post by winofficially »

How I can be sure there are no backdoors or linux mint is not controlled from organisations like NSA. Like it is in the new debian - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TmRHd27_ww Can You explain me please. All which I want is OS free of goverment and NSA control(normal desctop os without spying on me what I do)
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xenopeek
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Re: Linux Mint backdoors

Post by xenopeek »

Your takeaway from that video is that there is a "backdoor" in Debian because it has an optional audit log? Auditing is a standard Linux kernel feature; the logging is done by a daemon process such as is available from the systemd project. Normally such logging daemons are enabled by administrators on servers or workstations that need to be audited for security breaches. Read up on what an audit log is used for: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audit_trail
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Habitual

Re: Linux Mint backdoors

Post by Habitual »

2:16s: "I think some people who post articles online are a bit confused too".
Clearly this video is one of them.
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MartyMint
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Re: Linux Mint backdoors

Post by MartyMint »

YouTube account: no common sense required to register a Youtube channel.
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jimallyn
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Re: Linux Mint backdoors

Post by jimallyn »

It is nearly impossible to put a backdoor in Linux. All of the source code is available for anybody to download and examine. If somebody did put a backdoor in, somebody would find it almost immediately. If you use non-open source software, like Windows or Mac, you can't look at the source code, and it would be easy for Microsoft or Apple to put in a back door at the request of NSA or other three letter agency. But not in open source software.
“If the government were coming for your TVs and cars, then you'd be upset. But, as it is, they're only coming for your sons.” - Daniel Berrigan
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Fred Barclay
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Re: Linux Mint backdoors

Post by Fred Barclay »

Not to mention that Debian is highly scrutinsed for any trace of anything! Putting a backdoor in Debian, while not impossible, would take luck or talent. :)

If you're really worried--go with OpenBSD.

Ultimately, unless you are able to read source code, and then compile your entire OS (Mint*, Debian, or whatever) from that code, you will have to trust the devs to some degree. Clem has never done anything that I'm aware of that would make me not trust him, and neither have the Debian devs. Does that mean that I believe that there are no vulnerabilities? No--every OS has vulnerabilities. What it means is that I have faith in Clem not to install malware on my system, and I believe that you can do the same. :)


*Since Mint contains proprietary software (Flash and a few codecs, I think), you couldn't actually compile Mint entirely from source, though you could compile nearly all of it.
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"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy."
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Crewp

Re: Linux Mint backdoors

Post by Crewp »

But if your are really concerned there is the distro Tails which is very secure.
Chiefahol

Re: Linux Mint backdoors

Post by Chiefahol »

Fred Barclay wrote:Not to mention that Debian is highly scrutinsed for any trace of anything! Putting a backdoor in Debian, while not impossible, would take luck or talent. :)
Ha, you would hope there isn't a backdoor in debian, it's used to run the International Space Station. :lol:
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