How to Implement a Software Firewall on a Linux Server

Firestarter is a software based firewall that can be installed in most Linux distributions. Unlike traditional Linux firewalls which are configured through the command line, Firestarter is a graphical application. The software includes a setup wizard that allows you to create your firewall in five steps. It also allows you to view blocked access attempts, create personal profiles for both incoming and outgoing traffic and perform advanced kernel tuning. These features create a software application that is suitable for a single desktop, a small home network or a larger, corporate network.

Things You'll Need

• Linux operating system
• Root user access

Instructions

Install the Software

1. Download and Install Firestarter through your distribution's package manager or by clicking on the "Download Now" button on the Firestarter website (see Resources).

2. Open the Firestarter graphical user interface (GUI). It will be found under the "Administration" sub-menu of the main "System" menu in the toolbar. This will start a setup wizard where you will configure your firewall.

3. Click the "Forward" button on the first screen to start the setup process.

4. Choose your network device from the "Detected device(s):" drop-down menu.

5. Click the check box next to "IP address is assigned via DHCP" if your network uses DHCP.

6. Click the "Forward" button twice to go through the next two screens. Use the default settings for both pages.

7. Click "Save" on the last page of the setup wizard to start Firestarter.

8. Type the root password to start the regular Firestarter GUI. Firestarter will automatically start with a policy that allows normal Web browsing and email usage but blocks all outside attempts to access the network.

Creating a New Policy

1. Click on the "Policy" tab at the top of the Firestarter GUI.

2. Choose whether you want your policy to apply to inbound traffic or outbound traffic from the "Editing" drop-down menu. You will be presented with a pop-up window.

3. Choose whether to allow connections from "IP, host or network" by typing the connection in the text box.

4. Click "Add" to add the connection.

5. Right click on "Allow Service" and choose the appropriate service.

6. Click "Apply Policy" to have the new policy take effect.

References

• Setup a Software Firewall in Linux using Firestarter
• Install the Firestarter Firewall on Ubuntu Linux
• Firestarter: Simple to use, powerful desktop firewall

Resources

• Firestarter