August 12, 2006 - Reading time: 16 minutes

Update: though much of this guide is still relevant, some parts are outdated. This guide is in need of an overall revamp, which might happen soon. If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment. May 2007

06.12.04

The following are recommendations for securing and using your Microsoft Windows operating system, compiled from years of use and observation. In a nutshell:

1. Use common sense.
2. Use and update antivirus software.
3. Run Windows Update service frequently.
4. Use a browser other than Internet Explorer.
5. Use a software firewall.
6. Scan for Adware/Spyware.
7. Run as a “limited” user.
8. Know what’s on your system.
9. Probe your ports.
10. Alternatives.
11. Make backups.

1. Use common sense.

Rule number one of internet security: What you don’t know CAN hurt you. Due to the massive popularity of Microsoft Windows, and its inherent insecurity, it pays to be in control of your PC, not the other way around. Read more

August 12, 2006 - Reading time: 5 minutes

I’m a recent Arch Linux convert. I appreciate the quickness of install and the ease of Pacman. Yet I had a few slightly annoying issues configuring my system that I would like to address here. For the sake of reference I’m currently using kernel 2.6.10 and udev.

1) Blacklist ‘pciehp.’

Upon first boot, I noticed that there was an error loading the ‘pciehp’ module. This did not cause a problem for me as I have no need for PCI hotplugging, but it added a few seconds to the boot time. There are two ways to solve this problem. One way is to recompile the kernel and leave out the ‘pciehp’ module. The faster way is to add ‘pciehp’ to a list of blacklisted modules. Edit “/etc/hotplug/blacklist” and add the offending module name to the list. Read more