Mandrake 9.2 Custom iptables interferes with Gnome/KDE
 

I'm running Mandrake 9.2 Torrent. I recently learned enough about iptables to set it up, and I used the following rules:

iptables -F
iptables -X
iptables -P OUTPUT ACCEPT
iptables -P FORWARD DROP
iptables -P INPUT DROP
iptables -A INPUT -i ppp0 -m state --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT

Basically, it drops any packet I didn't specifically ask for. Brutally simple, I know, but I'm a newbie and I only have a single ppp dialup.

Anyway, according to Sygate Online Services, it works great. They couldn't get a single open port out of me. However, it seems to be interfering with the Gnome and KDE guis in some manner. Neither will load, and a number of apps (though not all) from both hang when I try to run them from Windowmaker, which is what I'm using now.

For instance: None of the Gnome/KDE web browsers work very long or at all. Galeon and Mozilla invariably hang shortly after I start them. Konqueror won't load at all. Nor will ARK, File-Roller or a number of other handy little gadgets. I'm using Firefox to browse with at the moment and, although Gecko-based like Galeon and Moz, it seems immune to whatever problem is plaguing the others.

From various net searches, I thought it had something to do with NFS and/or portmapper trying to access port 111, or something, so I reinstalled Mandrake without them, but it made no difference.

So here I am. Does anybody know what I'm doing wrong?

Okay, I think I made progress. The following thread sounds suspiciously like my problem:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...e&pagenumber=2

To wit: iptables is dropping packets to and/or from the loopback.

Now if some kind soul would give me a hint as to what addendum I could add to my script that will allow the necessary communication without compromising my system I would be most thankful.

Never mind! I did it! Success!!