Is a Macbook good for hacking/security testing?

[ferret]

I'm really getting into the security aspect of computers and want to know if an apple macbook 2.0 core duo is a good laptop to start with. I was thinking about picking up a IBM think pad but if the macbook is good then I will just use that. I didn't know if it was a good choice since it doesn't have a card slot and it might be harder to use OSX instead of windows or linux. . I do have windows installed with parellels. Thanks for any input.

[SomeoneE1se]

Mac aren't good for anything ;)

*nix is what you would probably need so if it will run *nix you should be good to go.

[metatron]

http://system76.com/ the Darter Ultra look excellent.

[ferret]

Cool link. I love Ubuntu and that would be great to have it already installed on a laptop. Thanks I will check it out.

[metatron]

Cool link. I love Ubuntu and that would be great to have it already installed on a laptop. Thanks I will check it out.

The good thing about them is that everything works out of the box so you don’t have to get the onboard wireless a/b/g and Bluetooth up and running properly yourself, it just all works. I have to say I am very tempted to buy one.

If you install Beryl you could have it looking and working better then OSX and Vista combined.

[xxAtimiskxx]

i have one question, what is beryl?

[Sparda]

i have one question, what is beryl?

It's pointless eye candy: http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?q=beryl

[Freakish]

Macs are good for photoshop, that's about it, well maybe a little low end movie editing.

[underground5]

It's just a matter of preferance, i like the ibm t-40's and the macbook pro's but for a out in the field kinda laptop i would get a thinkpad all of the best lappy's i've owned were thinkpads and anyways they're a lot cheeper than the macbook pro's. but if you want the best of both worlds go with a macbook. and on a side note if you drop ur expensive laptop it will haunt u for the rest of your life, i still wake up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat thinking about my t-40 crashing into the cement

[metatron]

i have one question, what is beryl?

It's pointless eye candy: http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?q=beryl

I would agree, but I have heard a number of people say that it has increased their productivity.

[nickisgod1]

i have one question, what is beryl?

It's pointless eye candy: http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?q=beryl

I would agree, but I have heard a number of people say that it has increased their productivity.

I would defionitely say it boosts my productivity, the cube is a fast way to switch desktops while allowing you to see at full size what is on every desktop, and the transparency is great if you have notes open in a window behind a project your working on. plus for some reason the wobbly windows feel more natural now, I i think keep me calmer and more focused(the last one could be my imagination though).

[xGERMx]

Wow, where should i start,,

How about beryl/eyecandy. Whoever said that this is unimportant couldn't be further from the truth. Yea, some will say that it increases productivity (and I agree 100%) but, your missing the big picture. "Eyecandy" is exactly what most home users want. If Linux wants to compete with Vista or OSX on the desktop it has to have beryl/compiz. Beryl with convert more home users to linux than almost any other single app.

MacBook for security Testing- if you're talking abt just the hardware, as long as you're using Intel based proc. you'll be fine. If you're talking abt software/os you're going to want linux.

As for using Ubuntu, this is probably the worst distro for security.

With ubuntu, you don't have access to the root account which is what you need to run most main stream security software (i.e. nessusd)

If I was you, I'd buy a cheap used laptop off ebay and load fedora/gentoo/slackware on it.

</end rant>

[ShinmaRyuu]

You could alway run multiple custom nix builds under parallels on the macbook giving you the best of both worlds of course running windows as well for any special progs you want to run under that as well. Macbook the swiss army knife of computers :).

[metatron]

Wow, where should i start,,

How about beryl/eyecandy. Whoever said that this is unimportant couldn't be further from the truth. Yea, some will say that it increases productivity (and I agree 100%) but, your missing the big picture. "Eyecandy" is exactly what most home users want. If Linux wants to compete with Vista or OSX on the desktop it has to have beryl/compiz. Beryl with convert more home users to linux than almost any other single app.

MacBook for security Testing- if you're talking abt just the hardware, as long as you're using Intel based proc. you'll be fine. If you're talking abt software/os you're going to want linux.

As for using Ubuntu, this is probably the worst distro for security.

With ubuntu, you don't have access to the root account which is what you need to run most main stream security software (i.e. nessusd)

If I was you, I'd buy a cheap used laptop off ebay and load fedora/gentoo/slackware on it.

</end rant>

I’m not an Ubuntu fan boy and I recognise that out of the box it has its issues when it comes to pen-testing but that is very easy to fix. My issues with Ubuntu is more about their lacklustre view on open source and their general view that the only thing that matters is that it works, even if it damages the rest of the community.

Ubuntu or Fedora are the two easiest distro’s for people new to Linux and even know they are easy to use, people whether they are new to Linux or not will have issues getting some hardware to work, which can be annoying, so buying a laptop (if you have the cash) which has everything working out of the box is just easier if all your looking for is a pen-testing platform.

Alternatively you could hunt around looking for a laptop that will run Linux, has no known issues and has native driver support for all hardware. People using closed kernel modules have a lot of negative effects on those of us who choose not to use them.

[SomeoneE1se]

Wow, where should i start,,

....

</end rant>

I’m not an Ubuntu fan boy and I recognise that out of the box....

What would your recommendation be I'm guessing Debian with a custom Kernel? any tutorials I should look in to to get my tecra m4(including pen) working with one?(I'd be probably be using Debian with fluxbox now but I could never get all my hardware working)

[VaKo]

There isn't a best one really, and they all work in pretty much the same way. Package management is the main issue for me though. Which is why after playing around with *nix for a while I settled on FreeBSD. I find it simple to use and it seems to do what I want on both the desktop and the server/appliance level. But the next person who you ask might think its horribly complex and insane to use.

[CrazyDesi]

I have a macbook and I think its fine for everything other than wifi arp poisoning. You can simply get an external usb wifi for that. Thats what I did and it does everything fine. Plus OS X is very stable.

[metatron]

Wow, where should i start,,

....

</end rant>

I’m not an Ubuntu fan boy and I recognise that out of the box....

What would your recommendation be I'm guessing Debian with a custom Kernel? any tutorials I should look in to to get my tecra m4(including pen) working with one?(I'd be probably be using Debian with fluxbox now but I could never get all my hardware working)

Debian with a custom Kernel is my pick for most things, as I know what I want/need out of an operating system for different boxes I build and sometimes a custom Kernel is needed (I have a box with 8 dual core Opteron’s).

When it comes to tutorials, well there are a bunch online, although I have never read one and a lot of them look like they where written a few years back. I been using *NIX longer then I’ve been using Windows and I’ve been fucking around with the Linux kernel since the early releases of Slackware, so I’ve never had much need for a tutorial, although I enjoyed reading "Linux Kernel Development" by Andrew Morton.

The OS most pen-testers I know use Gentoo and its what I use on my laptop, so it’s fair to say I like it.

I have a macbook and I think its fine for everything other than wifi arp poisoning. You can simply get an external usb wifi for that. Thats what I did and it does everything fine. Plus OS X is very stable.

I have a MacBook Pro and it’s good for a lot of things mainly visual things (video/ photo/ audio editing) and you can get a lot of thing that are developed for Linux running on OSX, although I have to say there a waste of money if your not planning on using them for what they where designed for as the hardware really isn’t anything special.

As a pen-testing platform there not good as:

• The battery life is bad and extra batteries are expensive.

• They scratch easily.

• If you are seen with it, you will get mugged.

• They break easily.

• Parts are expensive if you choose to fix it yourself, which is a must if you have sensitive data on it.

• No PCMCIA

I use a custom military spec laptop for pen-testing, which I was given by a friend in exchange for helping him solve some issues.

[SomeoneE1se]

I use a custom military spec laptop for pen-testing, which I was given by a friend in exchange for helping him solve some issues.

I have a feeling metatron is nuclear capable....

[metatron]

I use a custom military spec laptop for pen-testing, which I was given by a friend in exchange for helping him solve some issues.

I have a feeling metatron is nuclear capable....

LOL, my friend works for a company that develops ROV’s and tools for the oil industry, so it’s rugged and hi-end but sadly not nuclear capable, although it does have a solid state hard drive which is nice when it comes to power consumption.

[ferret]

Ubuntu is the only distro that I can get every video player to work in. Fedora I command line all day long and follow all th instructions and nothing. ubuntu you don't even have to use the command line to get anything to work. Just go to getautomatix.com and select your verison and 10 minutes later your done. Fedora is not for the new user. also. I love Mepis. that is another great system. You can also get automatix to work with the version 6.0 mepis. It should not take someone all day to get a flashplayer to work. Ubuntu is really easy to use without the 10 hours of command line only to not ahve your videos to work. I never tried Gentoo. I will give it a try. I heard that the support for that distro is way down and its almost given up on. I'm not an expert on linux but I know that i like it when my videos work.

[SomeoneE1se]

Ubuntu is the only distro that I can get every video player to work in. Fedora I command line all day long and follow all th instructions and nothing. ubuntu you don't even have to use the command line to get anything to work. Just go to getautomatix.com and select your verison and 10 minutes later your done. Fedora is not for the new user. also. I love Mepis. that is another great system. You can also get automatix to work with the version 6.0 mepis. It should not take someone all day to get a flashplayer to work. Ubuntu is really easy to use without the 10 hours of command line only to not ahve your videos to work. I never tried Gentoo. I will give it a try. I heard that the support for that distro is way down and its almost given up on. I'm not an expert on linux but I know that i like it when my videos work.

if you can't set up a gui in fedora (excluding hardware issues) then gentoo is not for you...

[metatron]

Ubuntu is the only distro that I can get every video player to work in. Fedora I command line all day long and follow all th instructions and nothing. ubuntu you don't even have to use the command line to get anything to work. Just go to getautomatix.com and select your verison and 10 minutes later your done. Fedora is not for the new user. also. I love Mepis. that is another great system. You can also get automatix to work with the version 6.0 mepis. It should not take someone all day to get a flashplayer to work. Ubuntu is really easy to use without the 10 hours of command line only to not ahve your videos to work. I never tried Gentoo. I will give it a try. I heard that the support for that distro is way down and its almost given up on. I'm not an expert on linux but I know that i like it when my videos work.

if you can't set up a gui in fedora (excluding hardware issues) then gentoo is not for you...

If you can’t handle very basic things in Fedora I would strongly recommend that you don’t go anywhere near Gentoo. You might want to read a couple of books on *NIX to get a better grasp on the subject before moving to a distro that was developed for *NIX users, instead of one that was developed for moving people away from Windows.

[ferret]

Ubuntu is the only distro that I can get every video player to work in. Fedora I command line all day long and follow all th instructions and nothing. ubuntu you don't even have to use the command line to get anything to work. Just go to getautomatix.com and select your verison and 10 minutes later your done. Fedora is not for the new user. also. I love Mepis. that is another great system. You can also get automatix to work with the version 6.0 mepis. It should not take someone all day to get a flashplayer to work. Ubuntu is really easy to use without the 10 hours of command line only to not ahve your videos to work. I never tried Gentoo. I will give it a try. I heard that the support for that distro is way down and its almost given up on. I'm not an expert on linux but I know that i like it when my videos work.

if you can't set up a gui in fedora (excluding hardware issues) then gentoo is not for you...

If you can’t handle very basic things in Fedora I would strongly recommend that you don’t go anywhere near Gentoo. You might want to read a couple of books on *NIX to get a better grasp on the subject before moving to a distro that was developed for *NIX users, instead of one that was developed for moving people away from Windows.

I know I am a Linux Noob. I do read a lot and will get better in the near future. I just use my Ubuntu computer for basic things(mail, videos, ipod, movies etc). I have used Fedora core 5 in the past and had good sucess, but when I went to number 6 I could not get things to install and work. Its hard for a new linux user to understand why everything they just did didn't work when you followed the instructions perfect. I don't understsnd the whole Ubuntu is a sellout thing but rather I just like using stuff that works. With Mepis and Ubuntu my printers(and usb stuff) work right off the bat. Part of the problem is when I tried other distros they would not load on my computers. Basically its nice just to have a linux box running when everything works and I don't get crushed by nastys all the time like with windows. I will learn it just takes some time. People with 15 years of experience will of course know more than me with only 1(with linux).

[CrazyDesi]

Wow, where should i start,,

....

</end rant>

I’m not an Ubuntu fan boy and I recognise that out of the box....

What would your recommendation be I'm guessing Debian with a custom Kernel? any tutorials I should look in to to get my tecra m4(including pen) working with one?(I'd be probably be using Debian with fluxbox now but I could never get all my hardware working)

Debian with a custom Kernel is my pick for most things, as I know what I want/need out of an operating system for different boxes I build and sometimes a custom Kernel is needed (I have a box with 8 dual core Opteron’s).

When it comes to tutorials, well there are a bunch online, although I have never read one and a lot of them look like they where written a few years back. I been using *NIX longer then I’ve been using Windows and I’ve been fucking around with the Linux kernel since the early releases of Slackware, so I’ve never had much need for a tutorial, although I enjoyed reading "Linux Kernel Development" by Andrew Morton.

The OS most pen-testers I know use Gentoo and its what I use on my laptop, so it’s fair to say I like it.

I have a macbook and I think its fine for everything other than wifi arp poisoning. You can simply get an external usb wifi for that. Thats what I did and it does everything fine. Plus OS X is very stable.

I have a MacBook Pro and it’s good for a lot of things mainly visual things (video/ photo/ audio editing) and you can get a lot of thing that are developed for Linux running on OSX, although I have to say there a waste of money if your not planning on using them for what they where designed for as the hardware really isn’t anything special.

As a pen-testing platform there not good as:

• The battery life is bad and extra batteries are expensive.

• They scratch easily.

• If you are seen with it, you will get mugged.

• They break easily.

• Parts are expensive if you choose to fix it yourself, which is a must if you have sensitive data on it.

• No PCMCIA

I use a custom military spec laptop for pen-testing, which I was given by a friend in exchange for helping him solve some issues.

I'm getting three to four hours easy on my macbook. Which is about average. However where it really kicks in is the standby which allows you to close the computer really really quickly compared to other pcs. They do scratch easily but I don't think your gonna get mugged and they don't break easily in my opinion either. However I do agree with you it is a waste if ALL you are gonna do is use it for security testing. If you use it for regular use and just a little security testing on the side its perfect. Also most computers do not come with PCMCIA cards anymore.