Is SELinux Really too Complex? - The Community's Center for Security


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Is SELinux Really too Complex?

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Source: EnterpriseLinuxLog - Posted by Bill Keys

What I discovered is that part of SELinux’s current dilemma is more easily fixable than the other, because it has nothing to do with technological chops and everything to do with public perception. Jim Klein, the director of information services and technology at the California-based Saugus Union School District, put it best: “The biggest problem for SELinux is mindshare,” Klein told me. Why do users think that SELinux is too hard to use? One reason, could be that it can prevents some of our favorite Linux programs from running, if we don't make changes to the default SELinux policy. I find the standard set of SELinux tools to be a great aid in getting SELinux working on in any Linux enviroment.

Read this full article at EnterpriseLinuxLog

Comments

too much damn control

Written by pauly on 2007-09-28 14:13:42

why should i have to undo controls just to use programs - its seen as unnecessary for the desktop and most people use desktops.

SELinux

Written by Jon on 2007-10-01 08:07:07

For desktop users it might take to much time to get working right, but all servers should have SELInux turned on.

SELinux on a server

Written by johnny on 2007-10-03 09:30:20

One compromise approach is to switch SELinux to permissive mode until it's settled down and nicely configured, and then switch back to enforcing mode and leave it that way until permissive mode is really needed during a major change to the server. Changes that big should be infrequent.

Agreed that it needs to be simplified for desktop users.

Often enough it's difficult enough just

Written by Jim Dennis on 2008-04-10 12:38:24

... adding SELinux over the top of that is just too onerous for the majority of professional sys admins (let alone normal users). (Even good admins periodically have to spend hours chasing down obscure permissions issues just using the stock 4 octets modes on normal UNIX files and directories).

I wouldn't even consider deploying SELinux in an organization of any size or complexity without dedicating at least one full-time security specialist to managing its policies and supporting admins and developers through every new application deployment.

That's an expectation which must be firmly and clearly set with management before they attempt any sort of SELinux adoption.

PRevious comment subject truncated!

Written by Jim Dennis on 2008-04-10 12:41:18

That was supposed to read:

Often enough it's difficult enough just to configure and get a new subsystem up and running ...

[A comment posting backend which truncates subject text without warning is LAME!)

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