I'm new to Linux, having wanted to setup a simple web server for some web projects I am experimenting with.

I've reached a point where the system is setup, Apache is working and my XP boxes are communicating with the Samba server.

After reading up on security, I decided to try changing the security level from standard (msec 2) to higher (msec 4), using the DrakConf tools (using Mandrake 9.1)

Reset the PC, tried to login to Gnome through GDM. Gnome 2.2 splash screen appears and nothing else happens. The hard drive is accessing like crazy. I left the PC for 25 minutes, still no change when I got back (HDD is still spinning like a top).

Other items I've noticed during msec 4: SSHD server is running, but can't connect, webmin works fine, apache works, samba works (but some previously working public folders write access removed)

Switched to a different shell, su'd to root and msec'd back to 2. As soon as I did that, Gnome started loading!

I've repeated this a couple of times, and am continuously getting the same problem.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? In addition, if the linux box is already behind a router/firewall (forwarding port 80 to linux box), would that provide enough security without additional use of shorewall, msec 4, etc? I'm generally in the belief that you can never have too much...


-Scrawl