The Free Portable Privacy Machine

[anon]

• Carry your entire Internet communication system on a tiny USB drive.
• Contains a complete virtual Linux machine with privacy-enabled Open Source Internet applications.
• Carry your Internet applications, email, bookmarks, history, web cookies, download files in your pocket.
• Perfect for travellers - nothing to be scanned, started, poked, or prodded at the airport.
• Get English keyboard support no matter what computer you use.
• No installation needed - just plug the drive into any Windows or Linux computer, and click on the Virtual Privacy Machine icon and you're ready to go.
• The VPM's network connection will auto configure and run seamlessly on any machine with a working internet connection.
• All Internet session data (cookies, history, downloads, etc.) are stored on the VPM, not the host computer.
• Runs on any rewriteable media (USB drives, Flash Memory cards, Secure Digital devices, iPods, etc.)
• This PR1-2 release runs on Windows and Linux - OS X support is also possible, details in the readme.txt.
• Runs in full screen mode (CTRL-ALT to Exit Grab and CTRL-ALT f to Toggle Fullscreen)
• Includes the Latest Firefox 1.5.0.2 Browser with MetroPipe Privacybar for Firefox and the NOSCRIPT Extension Pre-installed.
• Includes Mozilla Thunderbird News/Email client (with Enigmail plugins for PGP email encryption)
• Persistent Home directory, changes, bookmarks are saved to the PVPM and available on next reboot.
• Created from 100% Open Source GPL code and binaries.

Link

Screenshot:

[Fingertip]

Shame it hasn't been updated in 2 years. Firefox 1.5.0.2. Wow.

[SealLion]

I have to agree with the last comment re: FF version.

though it may seem to be advantagous in some respect: size. I don't think that I need to imform you that FF's size must obviously increase since v 1.5X.

Hell, I remember when I first downloaded FF v 1.4X. That was my first FF version.

But no doubt FF security has also increased since then, so no doubt the FF version with this VPM is pretty old.

But I think that I'll also go and have a look at the link and see what is there.

[Fingertip]

I know that the size has changed, as I've been using it since it was Phoenix 0.6 (circa 2002). I was merely ruminating about the age of the product. There's no need to inform me of anything.

[anon]

There's no need to inform me of anything.

Easy, dude. You're not the only one that can see SealLion's post.

I didn't see the Firefox version was so old. Just once stumbled upon this and thought some of you may find it useful for extra security when using public computers.

[SealLion]

I wasn't even informing him of anything.

I was merely speaking....er....texting in a conversational tone.

I never thought someone would interpret my conversations as anything other.


Nevertheless, I did visit the website. I did happen to find the Metro-pipe FF extension worth visiting the site for.

That I think is a worthy extension. I like the idea of a high speed HTTP proxy. I have always found that proxies are quite slow when used for browsing. At least in my experience they have been.

I remember using the Vidalia bundle and that, I recall, was as slow as it is when your just 'dogg'in' it through the day.

there are other proxies that come with the Metro-Pipe extension....haven't tried them yet.


What I do find that I liked about the package is that its open source. That is a great advantage.

Have you noticed that, at least with some softwares(not all), the security is much improved over proprietary softwares??

Mind you not all open source softwares are better, or better in the sense of security, as proprietary.


there's lots of softwares nowadays that I see that are created in mind towards personal computer security such as for USBs when travelling for instance. As it sure demonstrates pple are very much concerned or at least aware of the importance of personal security when on the internet.

And its not just private citizens. Its also government etc.


Oh, and I think I recall reading that they are on the path to updating the package from the website that'll include FF v 3.X


0

[Fingertip]

Easy, dude. You're not the only one that can see SealLion's post.

Yeah, I kind of figured that, since it wasn't in a PM

I never thought someone would interpret my conversations as anything other.

Expect the unexpected.

[anon]

What I do find that I liked about the package is that its open source. That is a great advantage.

Have you noticed that, at least with some softwares(not all), the security is much improved over proprietary softwares??

Mind you not all open source softwares are better, or better in the sense of security, as proprietary.

I think that's because with open-source programs, it's much easier to look at the code, find any possible flaws/bugs, and tell the developers what you found, and how to fix it.

With propietary software this isn't possible, and companies partly rely on security through obscurity.

Oh, and I think I recall reading that they are on the path to updating the package from the website that'll include FF v 3.X

Hopefully, since their Web site reads they are no longer supporting the PVPM...

[SealLion]

Anon your definitely right about the first point you made re: comparison between open source and proprietary material.


I remember once I had this email client that had, as a default, encryption enabled in it. It wasn;'t enigma-mail though,.....something else. JUst can't remember right now.

Unfortunatly, Enigmail can't be used for Linux distro's. Check it out:

In particular, releases shipped with Linux distributions (such as Ubuntu, Redhat, OpenSuSE or Debian) cannot be supported. If you want to use Thunderbird / SeaMonkey / IceDove / IceApe created and installed by your distribution, then you also need an Enigmail release created by the same distribution.

LINK: Enigmail Forum • View topic - Why is Enigmail incompatible with my Thunderbird or IceDove?

quite odd I find is that on the first WEB-LINK you gave for the PVM, made mention of is this:

Includes Mozilla Thunderbird News/Email client (with Enigmail plugins for PGP email encryption)

So, I'm assuming that with the quote from above re: incompatibility for Unix distro's and Thunderbird, Thunderbird and Enigmail can't be used as compatible agents when used in Unix systems.

do you see the discrepancies??

So does one assume that Unix systems can't use Enigmail unless thier own distro's make them for thier own distro consumers or does this new PVM now have Enigmail enabled for Linux as per the website's info??



Nevertheless, Anon, have you seen this here??

Enigmail: A simple interface for OpenPGP email security

The website also made mention of a LInux enabled PVM for this.

Contains a complete virtual Linux machine with privacy-enabled Open Source Internet applications.

I like the fact that this is compatible with more than just one OS.

Were you aware that there is a Ubuntu installer for Windows??
I came across this a couple of years ago. I did try it and it worked quite well actually. No need to partition your HDD either.

If you didn't know, check it out:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/install.exe/Prototype

I know it says 'prototype', but there have been previous Windows installers for Ubuntu prior to 'Wubi'.

[anon]

Hi SealLion,

you must know that I'm a total Linux noob. But as far as I can see, the first quote in your post says that Enigmail releases shipped with Linux distros can't be supported - but not that they won't work.

I did know about the Ubuntu installer, but never used it nor bothered to find out more about it, since I always prefer to install Linux to a virtual machine when experimenting with it - in my opinion it's the best and safest way to try an OS.

By the way, I have posted another minimal Linux system you may want to check out in the "Computer, Internet & Network" section - Blueflops. It can boot from two floppies, and lets you browse the Web (with the browser "links"; there's also SSL support) and chat on IRC.

[SealLion]

anon, I think that your correct re: trying a different OS on a virtual machine. Here's an example: When I had the Ubuntu installer on my machine and then, after some time in using it, uninstalled it. After the uninstall, Ubuntu still had some left-overs on my machine.

Upon boot up, I would always be questioned which OS I"d want to use, even after having uninstalled the thing. I did have trouble finding the file that was still left over for quite some time.

So, now that you've mentioned Virtual machine's, I think that I"ll try one the next time that I want to experiment with another OS.
I have been looking at REACTOS, which is a type of Windows OS.
I did come across a virtual machine site which I think is Open Source too.


And you know, one thing that I did not like about Ubuntu or any of the Unix OS is necessity of familiarization of the various Unix commands to download softwares from the built in Package Manager.

I should state here that is one excellent element of a Unix OS. The Package Manager that is. Ubuntu has this and I think its a great advantage as part and parcel of a Unix OS. One need not go looking half way around the internet to find some program. Its all accessible for that distro.

The programs are not limited. They do have quite a lot as I recall. Over a thousand, I believe......I think. Cant' remember right now.

[anon]

Hi SealLion,

yes, that's one of the reasons I have never liked such tools - they often leave a lot of traces in your PC after uninstallation, and even though it's possible to remove them, you can never be sure your PC will be as clean as before testing them. I guess your problem was caused by Ubuntu's boot entry still being in your boot.ini, or its loader in your drive's MBR.

You mention ReactOS in your post. It's a very good NT-compatible open-source iniciative, but still under development - when I tried it some time ago and wanted to configure my screen saver, I got a dialog box reading "oops! that button doesn't do anything yet". In case you want to find a review and some programs/games that work on it, you can go to this site - the versions are old, though. There's also an official live CD available in case you don't feel like creating and running a virtual machine.

The free VM software you also talk about could be VirtualBox - if it supported more floppy image formats (I often play with old OSes that need to be installed, or to start their setup program, from floppies), it'd have definitely replaced VMWare for me.

And yes, Synaptic Packet Manager for the win. It's a bit like a mixture of Windows's setup program and Warez Downloader.

[SealLion]

ya, thats right. The boot.ini still had traces of Ubuntu in it. It took me some time to figure out that, that is where the traces of UBuntu still were. What a job that was in trying to revert the original boot.ini file back to original.

But it was a good learning experience for me.

I remember having had to contact MS for the info and get info on what the boot.ini file is supposed to contain. Oh, and ya...I did manage to get through the live chat thing they have.

That was a surprise as I heard much too often about MS never bothering to communicate with consumer's concerns.

Would you believe the nerve of the first fool that I made contact with at MS that he wanted to know my telephone number so as to provide service?? FRAK that!!!

Ya. I just gave him SBI's number----------1-800-WeLeachYou


PS: vIRtualBox. That's the one I was looking at as well.