sulinux gif SULinux Documentation

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What is SULinux?
SULinux stands for Stanford University Linux. SULinux is a version of Linux, based upon the standard RedHat distribution of Linux, that has been pre-configured to work safely and securely within the Stanford computing environment. Stanford has added its own packages (in RPM format) to the Redhat version of Linux and nightly package updates as a means of achieving that goal.
Where do I get SULinux?
The most current version of SULinux is always available at ftp://sulinux.stanford.edu/pub/sulinux. Please see the download page for more information.

If you are experienced installing RedHat, you should have no problem using this distribution. If you have never installed a Linux system before, see our Installation instructions.

How is SULinux different than RedHat?
SULinux is built nightly from the latest RedHat packages, guarenteeing you the most up to date system in both security and functionality. Beyond this, the core of SULinux is the addition of four new packages in RPM format:
  • zzsecurity - This package significantly strengthens your system against hacker attack. It is added as part of the base system, so it is always installed.
  • libsafe - Libsafe is a wrapper for C function calls like strcpy() and sprintf(). Libsafe protects against buffer overflows (the most common type of exploit). Libsafe also notifies the root account and logs via syslog all buffer overflow attempts.
  • kerberos - The kerberos package makes SULinux kerberos aware. After installation, your machine will only allow safe, encrypted connections to your machine.
  • AFS - The AFS package is from OpenAFS.org. Stanford then adds appropriate configuration information to connect your system to the campus-wide AFS system.
NOTE: On SULinux 7.1 and later, packages are now named beginning with "sulinux-". The zzsecurity package is now simply named "sulinux"
SULinux Support
Stanford does not support the installation of any Linux system. Stanford only supports the 4 additional packages provided with the distribution. If you have questions about these packages, send e-mail to sulinux-help@leland.stanford.edu. If you have questions about Linux, send e-mail to the su.computers.linux newsgroup or go to http://www.redhat.com/support.

If you wish to have support please purchase a distribution that offers support,  such as RedHat Linux. If the distribution uses the RPM format, you can simply apply the packages after successfully installing the system.

General Linux Documentation

Questions about SULinux should be addressed to: sulinux-help@stanford.edu
Last modified: Mon Jun 11 16:15:00 PDT 2001