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Recognition of the critical role of secure and stable mechanisms in
enterprise operating systems led to the birth of Trustix Secure Linux
in 1999. The fact that enterprises crave stability and security in
Linux made Trustix go mission-critical in mainstream enterprises.
Trustix Secure Linux is a security-enhanced and stability-augmented
Linux distribution for servers. With focus on security and stability,
the system is painlessly kept safe and up to date from day one using
SWUP, the automated software updater.
The Trustix Linux project was created by Erlend Midttun in 1999 taking
inspiration from GNU guidelines of the freedom to use, study, copy,
modify, and redistribute computer software, and to defend the rights of
Free Software users. TSL is a secure Linux distribution aimed
specifically at the enterprise server market, without all the
unnecessary extra packages and desktop features typically offered by
other Linux Distributions.
Comodo Group offers commercial support for Trustix Secure Linux to
complement their existing product range of a Trustix Firewall to
provide fast secure IT infrastructure connections. TSL is
security-hardened and specifically optimized to maximize the
performance and stability of enterprise servers without superfluous
programs.
What is Linux?
Linux is a freely distributed UNIX-like operating system which was
originally designed for 386/ 486 / Pentium based PCs but now also runs
on other systems as well. The Linux kernel has been written by Linus
Torvalds with assistance from a number of developers around the world.
Linux has no proprietary code in it and is available in both source and
object form. Linux has number of UNIX utilities and a file system which
follows the Linux File System Hierarchy Standard. It is an independent
implementation of the POSIX operating system specification with System
V and BSD extensions.
What are the main features of Trustix Secure Linux TSL?
Trustix Secure Linux combines the innovation of open source technology
and the constancy of a true enterprise-class platform. Each new release
supports i586 and other higher platforms.
Trustix Secure Linux was specifically designed for the server market.
With a focus on security and stability, the whole system benefits from
a fully automatic update agent known as SWUP, eliminating the most
critical issue of server security - Patch management.
What makes Trustix Secure Linux TSL better than other Linux distributions?
TSL better addresses the needs of corporate servers. Trustix Secure
Linux includes the open standards based SoftWare UPdater, SWUP, which
keeps all software packages up-to-date, resolves library dependencies
and integrates public key cryptography to ensure safety and security.
These key features make TSL better than other Linux distributions.
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Security hardened vs. Software Proliferation
TSL believes in delivering the most efficient, stable and secure
Linux distribution available by streamlining the distribution to
include only the most secure server essential Linux packages. Whereas
other distributions like Red hat offer multiple packages which means
that there is always the possibility of more potential security holes,
more server configuration, more dependency issues, more drain on system
resources and less efficient server performance. TSL means better value
for your money due to lower TCO from day one.
- VERY Fast Security Updates
Since Linux distributions are not static entities, the updates with
new, patched packages are equally important as the original
installation. TSL will help you maintain a secure system by providing
fast security updates via fully automated Software Updater SWUP . SWUP
is the more versatile and cost effective option when you need to
upgrade your installation. Also the Trustix updates may be
automatically downloaded for free using SWUP, whereas the updates for
other distributions like Red Hat are only included with subscriptions
to Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
- SWUP enables administrators to secure update installations of
TSEL from any media (CD, Mirror Servers, FTP, Web Server etc) using GPG
signature verification- free of charge. On the other hand, Red Hat, for
example, offers the same functionality via their Proxy and Satellite
Architecture Models but you have to pay for them.
- SWUP can, due to the verification of GPG signatures, use any
mirror site securely which means that Trustix users are able to verify
the integrity of each update, regardless of the integrity of the many
distributed mirrors. On the other hand, Red Hat's up2date depends on
the RH distribution servers which create dependency on the official Red
Hat servers.
- SWUP maintains the privacy of the users by creating the list of
packages to update locally. On the other hand, Red Hat's updates
transfers a lot of information to the update servers (including, but
not limited to your current hardware configuration and a list of all
software installed). The arrangement is documented in their End User
License Agreement.
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Secure Default Installation
Trustix Secure Enterprise Linux ships with only essential, server
specific packages and no remote services running. This means that a
default installation of Trustix is much less vulnerable to attacks than
the default installation of other distributions. On the hand, Red Hat
ships with a lot more packages with no real consistency, some services
enabled, some not. Red Hat has no defined policy about the default
status of installed services, and it’s up to the user to decide if a
running service is a security threat
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Secure Default Configuration
Trustix provides secure defaults for its services by providing
updated installation media, saving administrators from having to
immediately update the installation. The latest security and bugfix
updates are installed from the installation CD. On the hand, other
distributions like Red hat make you download additional 400MB just to
secure the software you just installed. In contrast, TSEL represents
immediate security and functionality out of the box.
How does the TSL fit in the category of “Free Software”?
Trustix Secure Linux is one of the front line providers of Open Source
Software worldwide and we are fully committed to the support and
further development of the Open Source Community. Trustix Secure Linux
TSL history is based on “free software philosophy” with the
participation of a wide open source community. The purpose of the
Trustix Secure Linux TSL is to create a high quality, open source
operating system designed for the server share of the PC market by
using carefully selected components from well-known reliable sources
like the GNU Project and the Linux kernel in addition to software
created specifically for Trustix.
What licensing model does TSL follow?
All code developed and distributed by Trustix are released under a set
of guidelines which incorporate the main features of different licenses
like General Public License and equivalent. Trustix will include any
license that allows us to modify the sources, distribute, use, and
everything else we may or may not like to do, without fee. We also
include software with proprietary licenses as long as it's in-house
developed software.
What is the latest version of TSL?
Stable Release TSL v 2.2
TSL 2.2 brings together enhancements in speed and security along with
support for Serial ATA disk drives and the leading open source Anti
Spam and Anti Virus solutions like Spam assassin and ClamAV. More
importantly, updates and patches to the system are controlled via fully
automated patch management system SWUP which keeps your server software
constantly updated.
2.8 How can I get the latest version?
You can download a bootable ISO image or you can download the entire distribution and install locally afterwards.
Download from here
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