EnGarde Secure Linux

EnGarde Secure Linux

File:EnGarde Screen Shot.jpg Guardian Digital's EnGarde Secure Linux Interface
OS family	Linux
Latest release	3.0.18 / December 2007
Platforms	i686, x86 64
Official website	http://www.engardelinux.org

EnGarde Secure Linux is a fully open source server-only Linux distribution marketed as a secure platform. EnGarde incorporates many open source tools like Postfix, BIND, and the LAMP stack, and many others.

The platform provides services including Web hosting, DNS and email support and others. EnGarde utilizes SELinux access policies coupled with other services including integrated intrusion detection, anti-virus, network management and graphical auditing and reporting.

All services are remotely managed through WebTool, a browser-based interface. Upgrades and security patches are freely obtained through GDSN, the Guardian Digital Secure Network, with free registration.

EnGarde is specifically engineered for the server environment and according to the company, focuses on security, usability and performance, in that order.

Overview of History and Development

The platform, since its inception in 2001, has been developed as an OS that incorporates only those capabilities which are necessary to accomplish server tasks, while focusing on security. Originally, the platform loosely drew on some of the code from early versions of Red Hat. Within less than a year of development, much of that was re-engineered, and since then EnGarde has been assessed as its own platform.

Over time, many non-security centric features were left out of development, as long as primary functions were still provided. For example, EnGarde does not include an X Window interface. Traditionally, this kind of utility is called hardening, and has had restricted its adoption based on its specialized nature. The company has always maintained a focus on creating a platform that wasn't all things to all people, and has always engineered EnGarde with server security as its number one focus.

Specific Focus

One of the earliest distributions to include SELinux for complete server implementations, EnGarde was one of the very first Linux server platforms designed solely for security, and as such, does not include music, video and other capabilities normally found on desktop distribution. Specifically, this emphasis on security never existed as an added component to a desktop project, or as security-enhancement to another existing platform. Instead, EnGarde was engineered explicitly as a security platform.

Additionally, usability of the platform has been praised, when it was reviewed on Linux.com in November 2005, where WebTool was described as innovative and well-designed and lets you get productive quickly. On the other end, a recent review on PolishLinux.org gave it a positive review, but had argued it could have included more popular modules and packages.

EnGarde Secure Linux Professional Version

Developed by Guardian Digital, EnGarde Secure Professional is a part of the company's commercial solutions, and include the operating platform, its applications, as well as extra support and services. According to an interview with Customer Business Review Online, the company has over 500 customers, mostly in the United States and Canada, but also in India, Kenya and others.

The additional service applications combined with the platform are engineered for commercial-level functionality for business operations, such as corporate workgroup environments, VPN services, etc... The Community version is the free platform for home users. Guardian Digital's security solutions also benefit from many of the developments in the community platform, as improvements and features often undergo testing for eventual deployment in EnGarde Professional.

Release History and Developments for EnGarde 3.0

Guardian Digital publishes a detailed history on their website. With over sixteen releases in its two year history, EnGarde Linux Community 3.0 has undergone many significant changes.

Some of the early design parameters included SELinux policies within the architecture, 64bit support, practical interfaces for network intrusion detection, as well as translations for both Spanish and Italian. Other versions of EnGarde are currently being translated into other languages.

Also improved throughout version 3.0 has been the SELinux framework, incorporated with a point-and click GUI in 3.0.10, along with automatic hardware inventory generation and a new WebTool API guide for community modules. Changes to the IDS with an Ajax interface and a real-time WebTool support tool are also some changes.

These are some of the major developments the platform has seen, in addition to numerous application upgrades, new features, enhancements and bug fixes that traditionally accompany an active, professional and up-to-date distribution.

Reaction to the Economics of Open Source Business

As a repercussion of the dotcom bubble in 2002-2003, and just like any growing company, some strategies were more short-lived than others. A $60 fee was placed on users who wanted to continue to use EnGarde Community Edition after 30 days of use. While the platform was still completely open source, the price-move was antithetical to the company's original strategy and caused a backlash among the community. As such, it was exceptionally short-lived. Taking care to respond to the wants and needs of its community base, the company discontinued the price-rise after only seven weeks.

Development Cycles

Guardian Digital is currently releasing platform updates and upgrades about once every thirty days. The GDSN is used to relay updates and other information to EnGarde users automatically within the configuration interface, WebTool.

News Story/Review

• www.linux.com