SELinux FAQ
From FedoraProject
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
= Frequently Asked Questions = | = Frequently Asked Questions = | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{Admon/note | The current draft is the wiki is work in progress. Do not rely on it currently. Older versions of the FAQ is available in the references section .}} | ||
== What is SELinux? == | == What is SELinux? == | ||
| − | SELinux is a security feature in the Linux kernel that provides fine grained access control | + | SELinux is a security feature in the Linux kernel that provides more fine grained access control compared to traditional file permissions. A centralized policy determines which software can access what resources. For example, network services can be confined to a particular port, Apache web service is restricted to be able to connect to only 80 by default. |
== Is it a firewall? == | == Is it a firewall? == | ||
| Line 13: | Line 15: | ||
Yes. SELinux policies in Fedora were initially focused on network facing services. However several dozens of desktop software including Firefox, HAL, D-Bus etc are protected by default in current releases of Fedora. | Yes. SELinux policies in Fedora were initially focused on network facing services. However several dozens of desktop software including Firefox, HAL, D-Bus etc are protected by default in current releases of Fedora. | ||
| − | + | == What is the performance impact of SELinux? == | |
== Previous FAQs == | == Previous FAQs == | ||
Revision as of 03:22, 2 July 2008
Contents |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SELinux?
SELinux is a security feature in the Linux kernel that provides more fine grained access control compared to traditional file permissions. A centralized policy determines which software can access what resources. For example, network services can be confined to a particular port, Apache web service is restricted to be able to connect to only 80 by default.
Is it a firewall?
Though often confused with one, SELinux is not a firewall. A firewall controls the flow of traffic to and from a computer to the network. SELinux can confine access of programs within a computer and hence can be conceptually thought of a internal firewall between programs.
Is it useful on a desktop?
Yes. SELinux policies in Fedora were initially focused on network facing services. However several dozens of desktop software including Firefox, HAL, D-Bus etc are protected by default in current releases of Fedora.
