Very Old PC - Google Chrome refuses to install - Suggestions please?

[trebormoinet]

Before you retire that machine an interesting weekend project would be to download and try Lubuntu, a light version of Ubuntu, a popular free operating system.

 

You will be surprised how fast and fresh and responsive your PC will feel, you will be able to run the latest chrome browser and not have to worry about slowing your machine down with all those anti virus / malware / speed booster etc etc etc applications.

 

Unlike windows where it seems 70% of the time is spent maintaining the PC, Lubuntu will also free you from that burden.

 

If you need hand holding during the process they have a fantastic army of users who will guide you in every way.

 

http://lubuntu.net/

[trebormoinet]

We are well into the 21st century, but it is astonishing how people can still believe that Linux-based operating systems are completely secure. Indeed, “Linux” and “security” are two words that you never see together.

 

Just as some people believe Macs are immune to viruses, some Linux users have the same misconception – and who can blame them? After all, vendors have been telling them that for years.

 

In 2012, after an exponential rise of OS X malware (such as MacDefender and Flashback), Apple decided to change its homepage by removing sentences like “It doesn’t get PC viruses.”

 

 

 

Only recently, Red Hat also decided to (finally) remove the label “virus-free” from the feature overview of Fedora Linux.

 

 

 

This is not to say don't use Linux, this is to say please be aware.

 

There is no such beast as absolute security, no one with any sense is saying Linux is immune to malware, the weakest link in the chain is the user on any operating system, but as an alternative light operating system that will bring new life to an old PC, lubuntu is an ideal, safe and secure choice amongst many others offered by the open source community.

 

 

"Indeed, “Linux” and “security” are two words that you never see together." now that is just plain wrong.

 

I am not getting into the Microshaft V Linux V Apple debate I am basing my opinion on 35 years working on all flavours of operating systems and over the years whenever I have converted someone over to Linux I never had them returning with a problem again apart from hardware, I could fix a window users PC and normally they would be back again within a month, sometimes the next day.

[trebormoinet]

linux isnt any more secure, to be honest unless they have improved since the last one i saw it was easier to bust the password on linux than on windows as you don't need any outside tools, whereas on windows Konboot or active password remover are your best friend

Anyone with physical access to your PC it is game over regardless of operating systems.

 

Linux was built from the ground up with security in mind whereas security for Windows was an after thought.

 

Windows has progressed somewhat and is getting better security wise but it still has a long way to go to equal the security open source software offers, by its very nature of being closed source.

 

Still each to their own.

[trebormoinet]

Linux wasn't built with security in mind, in the days of beta Linux there wasn't the problems there are now and the internet was unheard of as a general consumer utility.

How long back in time do you think networks existed, you might be surprised.

You do realise the majority of the internet is run on open source software and thus is a prime target for attacks but we are still here. so it it is doing a pretty good job ya think ?

 

Regarding not being built with security in mind, are you attempting to rewrite history or you have access to a document which proves your point ?

[trebormoinet]

Linux was written with 'free' in mind, not security.

I do not think you understand the word "Free" in open source, dig a little deeper.

 

It is the FREE-dom to read the source code and allow thousands of security experts review that code and make changes, that makes open source far more secure than a propitiatory closed source OS and applications that only a very few can review.

 

 

 

Can you really trust code you cannot read, who knows what backdoors and bugs lie in that bloated OS.

[trebormoinet]

Whatever.

whatever

Used in an argument to admit that you are wrong without admitting it so the argument is over.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=whatever

[trebormoinet]

I don't see anywhere it saying 'I'm building an os that everyone can add to'. I do, however, see where it says 'free'

 

“Free software” means software that respects users' freedom and community. Roughly, it means that the users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. Thus, “free software” is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of “free” as in “free speech,” not as in “free beer”. We sometimes call it “libre software” to show we do not mean it is gratis."

 

This is what Linus meant by free, you obviously have your own definition.

[trebormoinet]

really? boot recovery mode. ls the usr directory to get username then one command to change password

That is not a bug that is a feature and there is many ways to protect against this if paranoid such as a BIOS password.

[trebormoinet]

I will never think of 0800 number in the same way ever again.

 

What the heck has 0800 number got to do with it unless your fixated in the belief free can only be used to refer to monetary matters.

 

This idea of free as in liberty for code had long been around before Linux hit the scene, and he knew exactly what it meant when he said free as did those his post was intended for.

 

You are clearly not one of the intended audiences,

[trebormoinet]

power on password - bios password wont do diddly

 

Sorry I do not understand why you think a BIOS password that prevents you from booting up has no effect ? not the best option granted but its a start.

 

I thought we had already agreed that is game over if someone has physical access, you need to have physical access to the machine to do this. If someone has physical access to your PC, they could do far worse than change a password.

 

When it comes to physical access, the battle for security is lost on any system UNLESS you use strong disk encryption.

 

If you think this is a security flaw then your sorely mistaken, as I have said already its a feature.

[trebormoinet]

power on password prevents the system booting until the password is entered

bios password prevents bios settings being changed and thats it boot is still allowed

 

That is simply not true, power on password is simply a feature of the BIOS on some motherboards BUT not all, I stated setting a BIOS password which prevents the PC from booting up if that means power on password feature so be it, but I am not about to go through every permutation to make a simple point and a BIOS password is more commonly referred to prevent the PC from booting up.

 

If we change the scenario somewhat and this hypothetical box has been sensibly locked down then all those methods you described would not work.

 

The original point you made to show Linux was insecure was wrong, I wished to set the record straight, that is all, it is a feature NOT a flaw.

 

Yes computer security is an interesting subject, Many years ago I spent a lot of time building a lab to understand penetration techniques and the tools used for both local and remote exploits, I remember the days before Windows had the firewall turned on by default and home routers were uncommon, just connecting to the internet the PC would be immediately compromised with exploitable ports open to the world, which is the wrong way to do security, Linux on the other hand always came shipped with all ports closed, security done right !!!!!!

 

Now most of us sit comfortably and safely behind our LINUX powered router.

 

Suffice to say my interest lay in defence rather than attack but one has to know thy enemy as they as say.