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1 • etckeeper (by etckeeper-user on 2022-03-21 01:37:56 GMT from United States)
The etckeeper package tracks files in /etc with a git repository. Changes are saved on package manager actions so you can rollback to an old copy of a config file.
2 • file change check (by Trihexagonal on 2022-03-21 01:50:10 GMT from United States)
I install rkhunter early in the FreeBSD build process after completion of building the Base System, issue the # rehash command so I don't have to reboot and run an initial scan to get a baseline on a clean System to compare any changes to.
After all 3rd party programs are installed I run it again and use the --propupd to set prerequisites clean after examining reported changes..
It runs as a cron job nightly and when I run it if any changes have been made to files will be able to tell if it's from some work I did or if it's something that needs looked into.
I also run it and Luniz, made by same people, on my Kali Linux boxen, one of which I am using now. Lynis had helpful hints on Debian hardening I was not previously aware of and was most helpful during thre apt update process. Because it is a Debian box and I run them like one.
I used to run aide and tripwire but once installed rarely ever looked at them again. OpenBSD doesn't have rkhunter and considers it a gimmick. Which is fine with me.
3 • Tracking filesystem changes (by Greg Zeng on 2022-03-21 03:03:32 GMT from Australia)
Use BTRFS? Is this the only way that Linux allows this? Btrfs seems so unstable, that it is very rare when any Linux creator dares to offer this as a default partition type. My test runs show that it is currently incompatible with most types of Grub Customizer.
Btrfs offers so many optional features. Each additional feature adds more overheads, complexity & operating system weaknesses. The independent benchtests of this partition type show it is slow, compared to Ext4 and other partitions. Btrfs relies so much on CLI, rather than GUI. This means that it stays as as a geeks only experiment.
With the Microsoft agreement on their NTFS copyrights etc, Linux now can try their replacement to Btrfs. Perhaps WINE etc might allow the Windows based utilities to work?
4 • Armbian (by BobL on 2022-03-21 04:43:44 GMT from New Zealand)
Pleased to see Armbian is added to your database. I use it to make my TV smarter :) running in a Nanopi M4 V2 .Recent OS upgrade has been great. I think the Armbian developers have up against it for a while trying to support a large number of SBCs, have made some hard decisions and been seeking more support from their user base. SBCs are exciting. Such little cards/boxes but I run a full desktop suite -with a 500M M2 drive. My best wishes to the Armbian team and I look forward to Distrowatch reviewing them.
5 • Tracking filesystem changes (by tumbo on 2022-03-21 07:52:25 GMT from Bulgaria)
I do it semi-manually at debian, with scripts for pre and post snaphots for zfs-on-root upon apt upgrade, idea coined from opensuse snapper/btrfs
6 • No tracking (by Luke on 2022-03-21 13:16:44 GMT from United States)
I understand it's different if you need to audit changes, but I don't use whole system backups/snapshots or anything. I have a relatively small number of important files backed up in various ways (docs in cloud, code on github, etc), but other than that I live on the edge. If/when something goes wrong, I try to fix it, if I can't, I start fresh. Having a nice, clean, brand new install is kinda nice every once in a while.
7 • Tracking?? (by Friar Tux on 2022-03-21 13:33:06 GMT from Canada)
I'm with @6 (Luke) on this one. I basically only back up my Documents, Pictures, and Music folders. With today's distros, it take almost as much time to simply do a fresh re-install of the distro as it does to fiddle with the likes of back up software/images/etc.. Also, with a fresh install you get rid of a lot of hidden "dustball" files that tend to accumulate, but are a waste of time to monitor. (One of the many reasons I don't do rolling release distros.)
8 • Tracking file changes (by Otis on 2022-03-21 14:25:11 GMT from United States)
Never heard of doing that. Might look now and then now that I’ve been exposed to the notion. No, I expect too little from my operating systems to care about such things.
9 • Tracking filesystem changes (by Alexandru on 2022-03-21 15:42:14 GMT from Romania)
Thank you for suggesting git as a way to keep track of changed files. Git need not be remote or shared repository, but a local one. And it of course does exactly this - keeps track on any file changes.
Another option I didn't see mentioned is a shell utility: find. It can search for files based on creation / modification or access time. This option is great when no special setup is available and still one needs to find the changes.
10 • @3 - Btrfs, GUI, etc. (by Microlinux on 2022-03-21 17:55:34 GMT from France)
Btrfs is the default filesystem on SUSE Linux Enterprise systems (powering the NYSE among other things requiring reliability). And the command line is the standard way for system administrators (e. g. guys who run the Internet and those things) to interact with an operating system. :o)
11 • LMDE 5 (by dude on 2022-03-21 18:07:08 GMT from United States)
I like the idea of LMDE, but previous versions didn't support the wifi adapter in my laptop. But Linux Mint Xfce works just fine with my wifi. Why is that?
12 • Tracking filesystem changes (by Steve on 2022-03-21 19:19:38 GMT from United States)
As a system admin I would use other tools (than those in the poll) on servers to watch out for unexpected file changes.
I managed my own changes thru backups (in case I really screwed up) and only editing copies of stuff and keeping the original safe. It was a crude versioning system but it worked for me.
I also kept notes (or call it documentation) on everything I did on my systems. It was a small(ish) operation and I dealt with tens of servers instead of hundreds or thousands, so it was fairly easy to keep track of manually.
But I'm retired now and don't bother on my home systems. Theoretically I'm the only one making changes on my systems here at home. But I still backup all my systems on a strict and regular schedule. 8^)
13 • @3 (by Loup on 2022-03-21 22:19:30 GMT from Canada)
I use btrfs since introduction in linux.
Never had any problem.
Found over the years, that those with problem are most of the time missusing btrfs or lack knowledge.
Like @10 says " default filesystem on SUSE LINUX ENTERPRISE "
NTFS .... will keep the rest of my comments for myself !
14 • Tracking filesystem changes: ManicTime 5.0 (Freemium) (by Greg Zeng on 2022-03-22 03:05:11 GMT from Australia)
Just released today. Available for RPMM DEB, Arch, Chrome, Firefox. (MacOS, Android).
On Linux: "This is not a full ManicTime Windows port to Linux. It is only a tracker, which can send computer usage data to ManicTime Server, where you can view the reports."
> "ManicTime is a system tool for time management that quietly sits in the background and records your daily activities.
> When you are finished with your workday, you can use the collected data to track your time accurately. Since it is always tracking you, there is no more punch-clock-like software to report to, where you always forget to start or stop the clock. You sit back and do your work like normal, and ManicTime takes care of the rest.
> "ManicTime features a simple and intuitive UI, so, during the day, the average user can switch back and forth between applications more than 1000 times, which means it gathers a lot of data. Using their timeline technology, ManicTime presents the data in an easy-to-understand way. You can drag on the timelines to select time or just mouse over to see hints about underlying data. All the data gathered is stored locally on your computer, and you can delete it anytime you want. Having a local database also enables you to use it offline, without an internet connection.
> "ManicTime shows you which applications you use the most or on which websites you spend the most time and figure out how much time you spent working on projects to bill your clients or keep track of your work accurately."
15 • @11 LMDE5 (by kc1di on 2022-03-22 11:19:49 GMT from United States)
It's because the debian base does not ship with any proprietary drives which more than likely your wifi card requires. They can be added but it may take some work on your part. Where Main Mint is based upon Ubuntu which will include the needed drivers of firmware.
Straight up Debian will not even support my intel card which is well supported in linux because it will not out of the box supply the firmware needed to run it. Debian tries to be as completely free of Proprietary software as possible.
That's one reason so many distros tha would be Debian based have chosen Ubuntu as a base instead.
16 • LMDE5 (by Fabio on 2022-03-23 08:10:23 GMT from Italy)
i do not know LDME but in Debian it is very easy:
It is sufficient to add after "main" the contrib non-free labels
in the /etc/apt/sources.list file
After:$sudo apt update
:$sudo apt install firmware-linux-nonfree
and Debian at this point is similar to Ubuntu or mint when recognizing
the hardware (generally WiFi or in some case the Ethernet card or other).
By default Debian, when installed, contains just the label "main" with only
"free" packages. It is responsability of the user to enable the "non-free"
repository and install missing packages from this section. Unfortunately
due to this policy people think that debian has problem with hardware but
ubuntu, debian and mint have really the same behavior in this respect
17 • LMDE, Debian firmware (by Dr. Hu on 2022-03-23 12:18:03 GMT from Philippines)
@11, @15, LMDE 5 includes non-free firmware in the ISO. WiFi support should no be different from the Ubuntu-based Mint.
@16, the problem with Debian is that the official installer does not include the non-free firmware, so you either have to connect by wire, install, then add the firmware, or use a workaround by downloading the firmware prior on a WiFi enabled machine, then install it from a flash drive or other means. You can also download an unofficial CD/installer with the firmware included.
I faced a Catch-22 around 15 years ago, where I was trying to install Ubuntu and needed ndiswrapper to use the Windows WiFi driver. Problem was, I had to download ndiswrapper and I only had access to WiFi. To connect, I had to be connected. Linux Mint came to the rescue by including ndiswrapper in the ISO. Since, when installing "free" distros like Debian I make sure to have a wired connection handy.
18 • snapshots of the filesystem (by zcatav on 2022-03-23 12:23:59 GMT from Turkey)
Ubuntu has an option for ZFS during first install. You can add it later to Debian and derivatives (including Ubuntu). Ubuntu grub bootloader will allow you to revert the system (and optionally user) states on demand! An history entry will propose you to boot on an older state of your system.
It's very useful. You can manage it with CLI if desired.
19 • No Tracking (by Bill Donnelly on 2022-03-23 16:38:43 GMT from Canada)
I backup documents and photos to usb stick & USB disk drive. Run both Fedora 35 and Debian Testing on my SSD in case one of these distro's has an issue. Have been running Debian Stable since Debian 6. Too many issues with Debian 11 so I went back to 10. Still too many small issues with 10 so went to Fedora 35 which provided the icons, icon themes and fonts and none of the printing issues of Debian.
Installed Debian Testing a couple of days ago and was pleased to find that all of the issues I had with Debian 10 & 11 were overcome. Don't understand why 10 & 11 issues went unheeded.
20 • Tracking Changes with Overlayfs (by Justin on 2022-03-25 20:11:50 GMT from United States)
I have laptops set up with overlayfs to protect the root system. I'd like to be able to see what changes are made (stored in RAM), but I don't know a good way to do it. When I saw the question, I had hoped there would be answer on this topic.
Number of Comments: 20
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| Archives |
| • Issue 1091 (2024-10-07): Redox OS 0.9.0, Unified package management vs universal package formats, Redox begins RISC-V port, Mint polishes interface, Qubes certifies new laptop |
| • Issue 1090 (2024-09-30): Rhino Linux 2024.2, commercial distros with alternative desktops, Valve seeks to improve Wayland performance, HardenedBSD parterns with Protectli, Tails merges with Tor Project, Quantum Leap partners with the FreeBSD Foundation |
| • Issue 1089 (2024-09-23): Expirion 6.0, openKylin 2.0, managing configuration files, the future of Linux development, fixing bugs in Haiku, Slackware packages dracut |
| • Issue 1088 (2024-09-16): PorteuX 1.6, migrating from Windows 10 to which Linux distro, making NetBSD immutable, AlmaLinux offers hardware certification, Mint updates old APT tools |
| • Issue 1087 (2024-09-09): COSMIC desktop, running cron jobs at variable times, UBports highlights new apps, HardenedBSD offers work around for FreeBSD change, Debian considers how to cull old packages, systemd ported to musl |
| • Issue 1086 (2024-09-02): Vanilla OS 2, command line tips for simple tasks, FreeBSD receives investment from STF, openSUSE Tumbleweed update can break network connections, Debian refreshes media |
| • Issue 1085 (2024-08-26): Nobara 40, OpenMandriva 24.07 "ROME", distros which include source code, FreeBSD publishes quarterly report, Microsoft updates breaks Linux in dual-boot environments |
| • Issue 1084 (2024-08-19): Liya 2.0, dual boot with encryption, Haiku introduces performance improvements, Gentoo dropping IA-64, Redcore merges major upgrade |
| • Issue 1083 (2024-08-12): TrueNAS 24.04.2 "SCALE", Linux distros for smartphones, Redox OS introduces web server, PipeWire exposes battery drain on Linux, Canonical updates kernel version policy |
| • Issue 1082 (2024-08-05): Linux Mint 22, taking snapshots of UFS on FreeBSD, openSUSE updates Tumbleweed and Aeon, Debian creates Tiny QA Tasks, Manjaro testing immutable images |
| • Issue 1081 (2024-07-29): SysLinuxOS 12.4, OpenBSD gain hardware acceleration, Slackware changes kernel naming, Mint publishes upgrade instructions |
| • Issue 1080 (2024-07-22): Running GNU/Linux on Android with Andronix, protecting network services, Solus dropping AppArmor and Snap, openSUSE Aeon Desktop gaining full disk encryption, SUSE asks openSUSE to change its branding |
| • Issue 1079 (2024-07-15): Ubuntu Core 24, hiding files on Linux, Fedora dropping X11 packages on Workstation, Red Hat phasing out GRUB, new OpenSSH vulnerability, FreeBSD speeds up release cycle, UBports testing new first-run wizard |
| • Issue 1078 (2024-07-08): Changing init software, server machines running desktop environments, OpenSSH vulnerability patched, Peppermint launches new edition, HardenedBSD updates ports |
| • Issue 1077 (2024-07-01): The Unity and Lomiri interfaces, different distros for different tasks, Ubuntu plans to run Wayland on NVIDIA cards, openSUSE updates Leap Micro, Debian releases refreshed media, UBports gaining contact synchronisation, FreeDOS celebrates its 30th anniversary |
| • Issue 1076 (2024-06-24): openSUSE 15.6, what makes Linux unique, SUSE Liberty Linux to support CentOS Linux 7, SLE receives 19 years of support, openSUSE testing Leap Micro edition |
| • Issue 1075 (2024-06-17): Redox OS, X11 and Wayland on the BSDs, AlmaLinux releases Pi build, Canonical announces RISC-V laptop with Ubuntu, key changes in systemd |
| • Issue 1074 (2024-06-10): Endless OS 6.0.0, distros with init diversity, Mint to filter unverified Flatpaks, Debian adds systemd-boot options, Redox adopts COSMIC desktop, OpenSSH gains new security features |
| • Issue 1073 (2024-06-03): LXQt 2.0.0, an overview of Linux desktop environments, Canonical partners with Milk-V, openSUSE introduces new features in Aeon Desktop, Fedora mirrors see rise in traffic, Wayland adds OpenBSD support |
| • Issue 1072 (2024-05-27): Manjaro 24.0, comparing init software, OpenBSD ports Plasma 6, Arch community debates mirror requirements, ThinOS to upgrade its FreeBSD core |
| • Issue 1071 (2024-05-20): Archcraft 2024.04.06, common command line mistakes, ReactOS imports WINE improvements, Haiku makes adjusting themes easier, NetBSD takes a stand against code generated by chatbots |
| • Issue 1070 (2024-05-13): Damn Small Linux 2024, hiding kernel messages during boot, Red Hat offers AI edition, new web browser for UBports, Fedora Asahi Remix 40 released, Qubes extends support for version 4.1 |
| • Issue 1069 (2024-05-06): Ubuntu 24.04, installing packages in alternative locations, systemd creates sudo alternative, Mint encourages XApps collaboration, FreeBSD publishes quarterly update |
| • Issue 1068 (2024-04-29): Fedora 40, transforming one distro into another, Debian elects new Project Leader, Red Hat extends support cycle, Emmabuntus adds accessibility features, Canonical's new security features |
| • Issue 1067 (2024-04-22): LocalSend for transferring files, detecting supported CPU architecure levels, new visual design for APT, Fedora and openSUSE working on reproducible builds, LXQt released, AlmaLinux re-adds hardware support |
| • Issue 1066 (2024-04-15): Fun projects to do with the Raspberry Pi and PinePhone, installing new software on fixed-release distributions, improving GNOME Terminal performance, Mint testing new repository mirrors, Gentoo becomes a Software In the Public Interest project |
| • Issue 1065 (2024-04-08): Dr.Parted Live 24.03, answering questions about the xz exploit, Linux Mint to ship HWE kernel, AlmaLinux patches flaw ahead of upstream Red Hat, Calculate changes release model |
| • Issue 1064 (2024-04-01): NixOS 23.11, the status of Hurd, liblzma compromised upstream, FreeBSD Foundation focuses on improving wireless networking, Ubuntu Pro offers 12 years of support |
| • Issue 1063 (2024-03-25): Redcore Linux 2401, how slowly can a rolling release update, Debian starts new Project Leader election, Red Hat creating new NVIDIA driver, Snap store hit with more malware |
| • Issue 1062 (2024-03-18): KDE neon 20240304, changing file permissions, Canonical turns 20, Pop!_OS creates new software centre, openSUSE packages Plasma 6 |
| • Issue 1061 (2024-03-11): Using a PinePhone as a workstation, restarting background services on a schedule, NixBSD ports Nix to FreeBSD, Fedora packaging COSMIC, postmarketOS to adopt systemd, Linux Mint replacing HexChat |
| • Issue 1060 (2024-03-04): AV Linux MX-23.1, bootstrapping a network connection, key OpenBSD features, Qubes certifies new hardware, LXQt and Plasma migrate to Qt 6 |
| • Issue 1059 (2024-02-26): Warp Terminal, navigating manual pages, malware found in the Snap store, Red Hat considering CPU requirement update, UBports organizes ongoing work |
| • Issue 1058 (2024-02-19): Drauger OS 7.6, how much disk space to allocate, System76 prepares to launch COSMIC desktop, UBports changes its version scheme, TrueNAS to offer faster deduplication |
| • Issue 1057 (2024-02-12): Adelie Linux 1.0 Beta, rolling release vs fixed for a smoother experience, Debian working on 2038 bug, elementary OS to split applications from base system updates, Fedora announces Atomic Desktops |
| • Issue 1056 (2024-02-05): wattOS R13, the various write speeds of ISO writing tools, DSL returns, Mint faces Wayland challenges, HardenedBSD blocks foreign USB devices, Gentoo publishes new repository, Linux distros patch glibc flaw |
| • Issue 1055 (2024-01-29): CNIX OS 231204, distributions patching packages the most, Gentoo team presents ongoing work, UBports introduces connectivity and battery improvements, interview with Haiku developer |
| • Issue 1054 (2024-01-22): Solus 4.5, comparing dd and cp when writing ISO files, openSUSE plans new major Leap version, XeroLinux shutting down, HardenedBSD changes its build schedule |
| • Issue 1053 (2024-01-15): Linux AI voice assistants, some distributions running hotter than others, UBports talks about coming changes, Qubes certifies StarBook laptops, Asahi Linux improves energy savings |
| • Issue 1052 (2024-01-08): OpenMandriva Lx 5.0, keeping shell commands running when theterminal closes, Mint upgrades Edge kernel, Vanilla OS plans big changes, Canonical working to make Snap more cross-platform |
| • Issue 1051 (2024-01-01): Favourite distros of 2023, reloading shell settings, Asahi Linux releases Fedora remix, Gentoo offers binary packages, openSUSE provides full disk encryption |
| • Issue 1050 (2023-12-18): rlxos 2023.11, renaming files and opening terminal windows in specific directories, TrueNAS publishes ZFS fixes, Debian publishes delayed install media, Haiku polishes desktop experience |
| • Issue 1049 (2023-12-11): Lernstick 12, alternatives to WINE, openSUSE updates its branding, Mint unveils new features, Lubuntu team plans for 24.04 |
| • Issue 1048 (2023-12-04): openSUSE MicroOS, the transition from X11 to Wayland, Red Hat phasing out X11 packages, UBports making mobile development easier |
| • Issue 1047 (2023-11-27): GhostBSD 23.10.1, Why Linux uses swap when memory is free, Ubuntu Budgie may benefit from Wayland work in Xfce, early issues with FreeBSD 14.0 |
| • Issue 1046 (2023-11-20): Slackel 7.7 "Openbox", restricting CPU usage, Haiku improves font handling and software centre performance, Canonical launches MicroCloud |
| • Issue 1045 (2023-11-13): Fedora 39, how to trust software packages, ReactOS booting with UEFI, elementary OS plans to default to Wayland, Mir gaining ability to split work across video cards |
| • Issue 1044 (2023-11-06): Porteus 5.01, disabling IPv6, applications unique to a Linux distro, Linux merges bcachefs, OpenELA makes source packages available |
| • Issue 1043 (2023-10-30): Murena Two with privacy switches, where old files go when packages are updated, UBports on Volla phones, Mint testing Cinnamon on Wayland, Peppermint releases ARM build |
| • Issue 1042 (2023-10-23): Ubuntu Cinnamon compared with Linux Mint, extending battery life on Linux, Debian resumes /usr merge, Canonical publishes fixed install media |
| • Issue 1041 (2023-10-16): FydeOS 17.0, Dr.Parted 23.09, changing UIDs, Fedora partners with Slimbook, GNOME phasing out X11 sessions, Ubuntu revokes 23.10 install media |
| • Issue 1040 (2023-10-09): CROWZ 5.0, changing the location of default directories, Linux Mint updates its Edge edition, Murena crowdfunding new privacy phone, Debian publishes new install media |
| • Issue 1039 (2023-10-02): Zenwalk Current, finding the duration of media files, Peppermint OS tries out new edition, COSMIC gains new features, Canonical reports on security incident in Snap store |
| • Issue 1038 (2023-09-25): Mageia 9, trouble-shooting launchers, running desktop Linux in the cloud, New documentation for Nix, Linux phasing out ReiserFS, GNU celebrates 40 years |
| • Issue 1037 (2023-09-18): Bodhi Linux 7.0.0, finding specific distros and unified package managemnt, Zevenet replaced by two new forks, openSUSE introduces Slowroll branch, Fedora considering dropping Plasma X11 session |
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