Firestarter

From MEPIS Documentation Wiki

Firestarter is a open-source personal firewall tool that relies on iptables, the firewall that comes with Linux kernel. It provides a GUI for configuring rules and settings. It monitors all network traffic for the system in real time, and provides port forwarding, internet connection sharing and DHCP service. You don't need it to run it all the time unless you want to monitor connections and events.

Comparison with Guarddog

Like Guarddog, installed by default with MEPIS, Firestarter makes it easier for the user to configure the firewall.
Advantages compared to Guarddog:

• Easier configuration.
• Displays realtime the network connection.
• Blacklisting and whitelisting of incoming and outgoing connections.

Disadvantages compared to Guarddog:

• Can only be configured for one interface at a time, making it difficult if you switch regularly between wired and wireless.

Installation

Firestarter can be installed through Synaptic, or by opening up a terminal and typing as root:

apt-get install firestarter

Configuration

To get started, see this tutorial. A manual can be downloaded here.

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