Terry's Computer Tips - Newsletter
July 30, 2006

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Volume 2, Number 07 — Sunday, July 30, 2006

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

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4.  Xandros 4 Home Edition Premium

My notebook runs Windows XP Professiona (with Service Pack 2) normally. I also have had it configured to dual-boot Linux for a couple years.

Most recently, I was running Xandros 3 Open Circulation Edition, because Xandros was the Linux distribution that our local computer club's Linux Special Interest Group was using. Before that, I ran Xandros Premium (or whatever the original premium package was called).

Xandros Linux is, and has been, the most Windows-like of the Linux distributions. Xandros has put a lot of effort into making the transition easy for Windows users who are tired of high prices for the operating system and for software.

They've usually offered a free version, a home paid version with additional features, and a home premium version with a LOT of additional features. With version 3, they added a business edition, a server edition and a "surfer" edition for folks that wanted to create kiosk-type installations.

So far, with Xandros 4, we have the Home Edition, the Home Edition Premium and a Business edition. Eventually, there will probably be a free version with fewer features, with the Xandros configuration but without many of the add-on programs already included.

I bought the Home Edition Premium, which is available via download or in a boxed version from Xandros. Amazon.com carries two of the Xandros versions at significant discounts: Home Edition and the Home Edition Premium.

The Home Edition Premium comes with three CDROMS: the Install CD, the Applications CD and a special Vesora Windows-Linux migration CD.

That's right — with the Premium edition, you get a copy of the Vesora migration utility to copy your Windows settings to the corresponding Xandros Linux programs. If you don't buy the Premium, you can buy Vesora if you want, but the better choice would be the Premium package. There are also a large number of other programs and capabilities that you only get with the Premium version.

In my case, installation went very smoothly. I did an upgrade, not an original installation of Xandros, and that may have been the underlying reason for my problem (I haven't heard of anyone else with the problem I had). Anyway, Xandros ran perfectly. However, when I rebooted, the boot manager (which lets me pick which OS to run) didn't show Windows XP as an option — it had my "Dell Utility Partition." Fortunately, fixing this was relatively easy since I have done a bit with Linux. A Linux novice would have had to spend some time on the Xandros forums to post his question or find a Linux-knowledgeable friend to solve the problem. Of course, a Linux novice probably wouldn't have had my problem, either <grin>.

Xandros is built to be installed alongside Windows XP so that you can migrate slowly and easily. One of the restrictions of earlier versions was that you could read the Windows XP "NTFS" partition, but you could not write to it.

This was a common problem for all Linux distributions. It was also why many of us still kept at least one partition of FAT32 so we could transfer data from one OS to the other. (With today's large, cheap flash drives, that is much less of an issue.)

The Home Edition Premium comes with the ability to both read and write to the NTFS partition. The regular Home Edition can only read from it, as most Linux distributions have been able to do.

Of course, Windows XP comes installed as one big C: drive on most computers. That's why Xandros has a utility built-in to resize the Windows XP partition to make room for the Xandros Linux partition.

Many of us are not looking forward to the instant obsolescence of our computers that will occur early next year. Windows Vista will have a number of new features and security improvements over Windows XP. So far, Vista is reported to be a real memory hog and require massive power from both CPUs and graphics cards.

For most of us, our existing computers will not run Vista well — we'll need to upgrade video cards and memory. In the past, we might have upgraded motherboards and CPU's, too, but Microsoft's stance now is that if you change motherboards, you have a "new computer" and have to buy a brand-new full license!

With the ease of installation and the design to mimic many Windows features, Xandros makes a great choice for people who want to start looking at alternatives to Windows. Xandros is already marketing Xandros 4 Home Edition for people who have been running Windows 98 and Windows Me.

With Microsoft's abandonment of those operating systems, there won't be any more fixes for security problems. Xandros becomes a cheap and viable solution for those who want to get a few more years from their existing hardware.

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5.  Terry's Computer Tips — and Vista

I've wondered what I will do when Vista comes out. I'm sure you are wondering, also, at least on what you will do.

I plan to stay with Windows XP for a good while. Despite open beta programs, Microsoft's first release of a new Operating System has never been really pleasant for the new users.

But, from a more important point, like most of you, I just don't have the desire to jump and grab the latest new OS that Microsoft releases. Nor do I want to buy new versions of much of my software.

I'm sure many of the other newsletters, web sites and magazines will jump on the Windows Vista bandwagon immediately.

When Windows XP came out, I waited over a year before upgrading my first computer to XP.

I expect to wait at least that long before I start running Vista on any machine. For one thing, none of my computers will run it well. Microsoft's position is that a new CPU and new motherboard turns an old computer into a "new computer" that requires it's own license for an OS.

So, whenever I decide to make a major upgrade of my computers -- motherboard, CPU and memory -- then I'll think about Vista. Or Xandros. Or any of the other Linux distributions. Linux is looking better all the time...

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6.  My Computer Security Software Recommendations

Anti-Virus

For your anti-virus needs (and, yes, you do have anti-virus needs!) I recommend anti-virus software from Trend Micro (PC-cillin, if you want a combination package) or ESET (NOD32, my choice).

Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security 2006 offers anti-virus, anti-spam, and firewall for your PC and PDA. TrendMicro provides an easy-to-use product that is from one of the big names in the anti-virus world.

• SAVE $9.95 when you purchase Trend Micro Anti-Spyware and PC-cillin Internet Security 2006.
• Save 60% when you Buy PC-cillin Internet Security 2006 - 3 User package.

I'm often asked about several large, popular anti-virus or anti-virus combination packages. Yes, I realize that they are not in my recommendation list, although I could easily use referral links for them, too.

My personal choice is the ESET's small, fast NOD32 anti-virus program, which offers a FREE 30-day evaluation license. I consider NOD32 to be the cream of the crop in anti-virus protection. Unlike some of the others, ESET offers multiple-year licenses also, including updates to the program as well as to the anti-virus signatures.

Read more about anti-virus programs on my web site.

Firewall Software

If you get either the PC-cillin Internet Security or the Panda Software Internet Security package above, you are covered from a firewall point of view.

While the Windows XP firewall is much better than no firewall, don't count on the Windows XP firewall to provide your needs. You need a much better firewall than the Windows XP firewall.

The Windows XP firewall does not control outbound communications originating from your computer — and you should want to have control if adware/trojans/spyware or even commercial products want to talk to the Internet.

Do you want Windows Media Player to call home every time you play something? It does! Do you use the Search function in Windows Explorer to find things on your hard drive? Did you know that every time you search, Windows Explorer talks to Microsoft — I didn't know that when I ran ZoneAlarm, but the Kerio Firewall flags that for me, and I can stop or allow it to happen.

Many other programs call home when you run them, too.

If you don't get either of the above multi-function packages, I recommend my choice for a firewall program is Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall. You can try the full-featured "paid version" of Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall free for 30 days — after that, you can register it or it loses the special functions of the paid version. Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall is $19.95 for a non-expiring license for the program and includes one year of their updates subscription.

You may prefer ZoneAlarm Pro or the ZoneAlarm free firewall as alternatives — I used to...

Read more about the need for firewalls in my The Internet Versus You and Do I Need a Firewall Program? articles.

Anti-Spyware / Anti-Adware Software

CounterSpy, from Sunbelt Software, has received many kudos from the computer press for its always-running and periodic full system scans. I use CounterSpy http://tct/archives/news_20060730_3.phpon my notebook (my main computer!), my wife's computer and my son's computer. I highly recommend this program.

Unadvertised sale on CounterSpy. If you act now, you can get $5 off on CounterSpy. The coupon code CSJULY06 expires Monday, July 31st. You must use Coupon Code CSJULY06 to get the discount. This code is not mentioned on their web site - Click here to get CounterSpy!

Panda Software's Platinum 2006 Internet Security also includes anti-spyware. Anti-spyware is one situation where more than one scanner actually is better. Only let one program provide the real-time, always-running protection, but doing periodic scans with two different programs are a better solution to adware & spyware than only one scanner. No one anti-spyware program catches everything. Also, different companies differ in their criteria for classifying programs as adware and/or spyware.

While I have not recommended any free alternatives (which you can read about in my Computer Tips section of the site), many people prefer to use free products.

I have found, purchased and reviewed a very good ebook called Spyware Secrets Exposed about conquering adware and spyware with free software. The ebook also includes three training videos as a bonus.

Anti-spam Software

In today's Internet world, the question is not "if" you will get spam, but when and how much. I'm changing my recommendation on anti-spam software. I use and now I recommend PopFile as my first choice.

PopFile uses a different approach to spam than some other programs — it does nothing to reduce spam. It is designed as an email classification tool — you train it to recognize spam and any other type of email that you want to classify. These classifications can help you sort your emails into appropriate folders in your email program.

Mailwasher Pro is my first choice to handle spam before it ever gets into your computer's Inbox. Mailwasher Pro uses on-line Realtime Black Lists mail servers sending spam recently, "training" by you of what you think is spam, and your own "friends" and "blacklist" lists.

Mailwasher Pro can even bounce spam messages, as if your email address was not valid, although the usefulness and appropriateness of this is questionable. There is s free version called "Mailwasher," but it omits a lot of the functions of Mailwasher Pro that I consider essential — such as previewing the emails safely before they ever get to your email inbox.

Sunbelt Software, who makes the anti-spyware program CounterSpy (which I recommend) and the firewall that I recommend (Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall) also has a well-regarded anti-spam program called iHateSpam. I haven't used it because it is designed for Outlook and Outlook Express, neither of which do I use for email.

If you use iHateSpam, please write me and let me know what you think about it.

Cable/DSL Router

If you have a cable modem or a DSL modem, you need to have another layer of inexpensive protection between you and the Internet. A cable/DSL router isolates your computer from direct connection to the Internet. Your computer can easily request your email, web pages, etc. through the router. The responses come back to the router and are smoothly routed to your computer. But, someone on the Internet side of the router can not initiate a connection to your computer — they can only respond to your request.

Even if you only have one computer to connect to your cable or DSL modem, I recommend that you purchase and use a cable/DSL router because of the protection it can give you against attempts to attack through some flaws in Windows itself.

A router isolates your local network, whether it is only one computer or several, from the Internet by actually making it a separate network. The router gets the "public" IP address and handles all your outbound communications and the responses to them. But, it blocks computers on the Internet side from being able to initiate communications with your computer! This will prevent you from falling prey to many worms that try to attack security holes in Windows itself.

I've changed my recommended wireless router. A number of friends who have bought WRT54G wireless routers are having occasional "green death" problems — all the lights on the router say it's connected to the cable and to the computers, but they can't get to the Internet without a power-off/power-on on the router.

Why is this happening with this long-respected router? It turns out that Linksys has been keeping the same model number on the router while they changed version numbers. This has been a regular practice with Linksys and was nothing to be concerned about.

But, in this case, with version 5, they changed the router's operating system. Versions 1 through 4 used Linux for its operating system. Effectively, they created a brand new model and gave it the same model number as a frequently-recommended model.

Even more disturbing, they brought the Linux-based router back with a new model number, as if it is the new model.

So, I'm dropping the Linksys WRT54G recommendation. Now, I recommend their "new" Linux-based Linksys WRT54GL 802.11g wireless router (Amazon.com or Buy.com ). If you don't want wireless now, or at any time, the function is easily turned off in the router's menu. You may be able to find a wired (that is, non-wireless) Linksys router on sale. If you don't want wireless, I recommend the Linksys BEFSR42 wired router (Amazon.com or Buy.com). Either way, based on my experience, I recommend Linksys routers.

Read more on my Wireless Security web page.

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Volume 2, Number 07 — Sunday, July 30, 2006
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Copyright © 2006 Terry A. Stockdale.  All rights reserved.