Linux O/S on my Windows XPP Home PC

[Guest]

Can someone please tell me how it's possible to have a Linux partition and a
Linux O/S installed on my home computer. I did not install this on my
computer. I purchased the system new in 2001 and have installed many
applications and PNP devices into it over time and I am curious how someone
would be able to do this and for what purpose. I have a DSL connection to
the internet that is always on. I have used jump drives and external HDD for
transferring files but mostly use the computer for web browsing and gaming.
I have never used Linux and am desperate for answers. Is there some way,
other than installing it myself, that this got onto my computer? Please help
me understand.

Thank you,

 

[MCR]

Can someone please tell me how it's possible to have a Linux partition and a
Linux O/S installed on my home computer. I did not install this on my
computer. I purchased the system new in 2001 and have installed many
applications and PNP devices into it over time and I am curious how someone
would be able to do this and for what purpose. I have a DSL connection to
the internet that is always on. I have used jump drives and external HDD for
transferring files but mostly use the computer for web browsing and gaming.
I have never used Linux and am desperate for answers. Is there some way,
other than installing it myself, that this got onto my computer? Please help
me understand.

Thank you,

If you are not keen on just installing linux (which BTW, depending on
the distro, usually come with partitioning software), why dont you just
download a Live CD? Some of them even allow you to install from the
disk too if you like it.

The live CD should 'tell' you whether your kit will be detected or not.


http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php?pick=All&showonly=desktop

 

[Mike Fields]

If you are not keen on just installing linux (which BTW, depending on
the distro, usually come with partitioning software), why dont you just
download a Live CD? Some of them even allow you to install from the
disk too if you like it.

The live CD should 'tell' you whether your kit will be detected or not.

http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php?pick=All&showonly=desktop

No, no - you missed his point (or I did) -- Linux is installed on the
system and he did NOT do it and it wasn't there when he purchased
it new. I didn't see any mention of a firewall of any kind, but I did see
"DSL always on" mentioned. Sounds to me like it is now someone
elses computer (the person who hacked his way in, and installed a
linux version for some reason). Configured to run as someone's
email relay or some such handy "task" I would guess. You can
change the partition size on a disk, making space for a new one,
create the new one and install Linux (or whatever you want).

 

[Galen]

In Mike Fields <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

No, no - you missed his point (or I did) -- Linux is installed on the
system and he did NOT do it and it wasn't there when he purchased
it new. I didn't see any mention of a firewall of any kind, but I
did see "DSL always on" mentioned. Sounds to me like it is now
someone
elses computer (the person who hacked his way in, and installed a
linux version for some reason). Configured to run as someone's
email relay or some such handy "task" I would guess. You can
change the partition size on a disk, making space for a new one,
create the new one and install Linux (or whatever you want).

I don't suppose after all the work they must have gone through he ought to
just let them keep it? Nothing less than a comlete format would make me
trust that PC ever again. If the OP has a static IP address (some DSL
peoples are lucky enough to get such a critter) they might also want to take
a minute to call their ISP (after cleaning the box and taking it off-line)
and request a new one. Configuring, as you mentioned, a firewall properly
would also be a good step. If someone managed to establish enough control to
install an OS via the network there's some serious security holes going on
there.

Galen
--

"And that recommendation, with the exaggerated estimate of my ability
with which he prefaced it, was, if you will believe me, Watson, the
very first thing which ever made me feel that a profession might be
made out of what had up to that time been the merest hobby."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your responses. I just need to know if it is possible for
someone, other than myself, to hack into my home computer and install this
Linux O/S ("Lindows")with a small, dedicated partition. What would be the
purpose of someone doing this and is this a common problem? I do have WinXPP
with SP2, which includes the firewall protection. Apparently, at some point
in time before I installed SP2, this O/S was installed by someone other than
myself and I am trying to understand how and why people would do this. You
stated that it may have been "Configured to run as someone's email relay or
some such handy "task". What does that mean? What other "tasks" would
someone want to run from my computer?

Thanks, you have been very helpful.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Galen, I think this was something that was done a while ago and no
longer resides on my computer. I have reformatted my computer and installed
SP2 with the firewall protection. I am just trying to understand if it is
possible for someone, via my internet connection, to do these things without
my knowledge. I know it sounds like a dumb question, but I know that there
are people out there that know the answers to these perplexing questions that
I have. Thank you very much.

 

[MCR]

Mike Fields wrote:
Snipped

No, no - you missed his point (or I did) -- Linux is installed on the
system and he did NOT do it and it wasn't there when he purchased
it new. I didn't see any mention of a firewall of any kind, but I did see
"DSL always on" mentioned. Sounds to me like it is now someone
elses computer (the person who hacked his way in, and installed a
linux version for some reason). Configured to run as someone's
email relay or some such handy "task" I would guess. You can
change the partition size on a disk, making space for a new one,
create the new one and install Linux (or whatever you want).

Oops... sorry... I think I was tired

 

[Galen]

In PaulK <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Thanks Galen, I think this was something that was done a while ago
and no longer resides on my computer. I have reformatted my computer
and installed SP2 with the firewall protection. I am just trying to
understand if it is possible for someone, via my internet connection,
to do these things without my knowledge. I know it sounds like a
dumb question, but I know that there are people out there that know
the answers to these perplexing questions that I have. Thank you
very much.

I've never SEEN it done but knowing as little as I do I can't see any reason
why it couldn't be done though the logic of doing so is beyond me. I can't
see why anyone would go to the extremes that would (again I know enough to
know I know nothing if that makes sense) entail to do that when they could
more easily have done something like make a dedicated hidden folder and just
dropped what ever applications they wanted on there instead. Can it be done?
I see no reason why it CAN NOT be done. I do NOT know how to do it
personally nor would I bother to learn such a thing but it seems likely that
Lindows could be deployed via a network, I don't see any reason why it
couldn't but it just strikes me as odd. You might want to pose this question
to the security gurus in that group. You might get a more detailed answer.

Galen
--

"And that recommendation, with the exaggerated estimate of my ability
with which he prefaced it, was, if you will believe me, Watson, the
very first thing which ever made me feel that a profession might be
made out of what had up to that time been the merest hobby."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[Paul Knudsen]

Can someone please tell me how it's possible to have a Linux partition and a
Linux O/S installed on my home computer. I did not install this on my
computer. I purchased the system new in 2001 and have installed many
applications and PNP devices into it over time and I am curious how someone
would be able to do this and for what purpose. I have a DSL connection to
the internet that is always on. I have used jump drives and external HDD for
transferring files but mostly use the computer for web browsing and gaming.
I have never used Linux and am desperate for answers. Is there some way,
other than installing it myself, that this got onto my computer? Please help
me understand.

Thank you,

Hello from another Paul K. If Linux just showed up on your computer
one day, someone (kids?) got on your computer and installed it.

To get rid of it, I suggest getting Partition Magic and erasing the
Linux partitions.

Unfortunately, I don't know of a surefire way to keep them from doing
it again, short of locking your PC in a closet! Dire threats may
help.

 

[Richard Urban]

Someone with physical access to your computer installed Linux on your
computer. I can not think of any way that an operating system can be
installed over the internet, from a remote location.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you thought you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Guest]

The only thing I am certain of is that I did not do it. The computer was
purchased from Dell in 2001. Configured by me and shipped to me. I have
called Dell and they say that it was built for me and shipped. I I have no
way of knowing if there was anything on the drive when it was configured for
me.

What is "Lindows"? Is that Linux? How old is it?

 

[Malke]

The only thing I am certain of is that I did not do it. The computer
was
purchased from Dell in 2001. Configured by me and shipped to me. I
have
called Dell and they say that it was built for me and shipped. I I
have no way of knowing if there was anything on the drive when it was
configured for me.

What is "Lindows"? Is that Linux? How old is it?

Lindows is a Linux distribution (distro) aimed at new Linux users. If
you have Lindows, this is an older version. After Microsoft sued the
company for trademark infringement, the distro was renamed "Linspire".
I think this happened sometime last year.

There is no way Lindows or Linspire or any other Linux distro could have
magically appeared on your computer, particularly in a new partition,
unless someone with physical access to your computer installed it.

Malke