Neowin Forums > Linux for CEH

Scraggles

Dec 14 2004, 18:43

I'm studying to get my CEH and I am going to build a cheap machine for linux. What should I get? I'm not going to be running any games on the pc, no movies/mp3's or anything like that. I already have a few extra monitors. BTW, CEH is 'Certificate for Ethical Hacking' and I don't have to learn linux, but it'll help if I do before the classes start. So basically anything involved with ethical hacking this machine needs to be able to handle, which actually isn't too much.

MateoGWJ

Dec 14 2004, 18:49

QUOTE(Scraggles @ Dec 14 2004, 13:43)

I'm studying to get my CEH and I am going to build a cheap machine for linux. What should I get? I'm not going to be running any games on the pc, no movies/mp3's or anything like that. I already have a few extra monitors. BTW, CEH is 'Certificate for Ethical Hacking' and I don't have to learn linux, but it'll help if I do before the classes start. So basically anything involved with ethical hacking this machine needs to be able to handle, which actually isn't too much.
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I have no idea what a CEH is, but FreeBSD is a better choice. Many more free forsensic tools, lots of good security apps....check the ports collection, its massive. Steep learning curve though.

Scraggles

Dec 14 2004, 18:54

I need help building the pc. I just need to know what to put in it so it's powerful enough to handle linux well. CEH is not an OS, it's a certification. if you read my first post completely you would have seen that.

kjordan2001

Dec 14 2004, 19:08

Any computer, even a 300MHz would be able to handle Linux. It's just a matter of how much you want to throw on it. If you want a DE like KDE or GNOME, 1GHz is probably about what you need.

MateoGWJ

Dec 14 2004, 19:13

QUOTE(Scraggles @ Dec 14 2004, 13:54)

I need help building the pc. I just need to know what to put in it so it's powerful enough to handle linux well. CEH is not an OS, it's a certification. if you read my first post completely you would have seen that.
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Yeah, I got that. Which is why I suggested FreeBSD. How about you read my post?

Scraggles

Dec 14 2004, 19:36

QUOTE(kjordan2001 @ Dec 14 2004, 14:08)

Any computer, even a 300MHz would be able to handle Linux. It's just a matter of how much you want to throw on it. If you want a DE like KDE or GNOME, 1GHz is probably about what you need.
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That's what I was looking for. Something to handle KDE or GNOME. I have a p4 2.4ghz lying around that i truthfully don't know if it works, but I'll throw that in a barebones I think. it'd make sense.

QUOTE(MateoGWJ @ Dec 14 2004, 14:13)

Yeah, I got that. Which is why I suggested FreeBSD. How about you read my post?
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I thought freeBSD is an OS? I don't need an OS, I needed to know what specs it would take to run a linux based pc. Maybe I'm wrong. If so, what is FreeBSD?

tapo

Dec 14 2004, 19:42

FreeBSD is an OS, much like Linux, but it behaves a lot more like Unix does, and some believe it's better for hacking. Honestly though, I don't see the difference. Every hacking tool that's on FreeBSD (or other BSDs like OpenBSD, NetBSD, and Darwin) is also available for Linux.

Learn Linux, especially Debian/Gentoo/Ubuntu or any other distro that does not use RPM (it's extremely frustrating). Then, once you're comfortable, give FreeBSD a shot if you want to.

Scraggles

Dec 14 2004, 19:46

So that proves my point, I don't need to worry about the OS, I am going to get my CEH which is a Certificate for Ethical Hacking, and in those classes the hacking techniques taught are on both Linux AND Windows. However, it is clearly stated in the paperwork that the entire course can be done on linux or windows alone and I want to have both so I know more.

SoNiCfReAk

Dec 14 2004, 19:58

FreeBSD is slower and more UNIX-like but it lacks all the support GNU/Linux is getting so I'd recommend learning Linux. CPU speed has little to do with how well your computer will run a desktop enviroment like Gnome or KDE, ram is a more limiting factor. A 300Mhz machine with 256MB of ram would run most distros with KDE or Gnome better than that machine would run Windows XP or possibly 2000.