Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

[craig10x]

Here is (i hope) an interesting question...Personally, i use google chromium on my Kubuntu 10.10 and have been very happy with it, but i have a friend who is on windows xp all these years and he is considering installing Kubuntu and leaving windows because he loves the kde look and applications and likes all the advantages of linux over windows..

But here is the thing, he also absolutely loves the way the fonts render in Internet Explorer (which are very difficult if not impossible to EXACTLY DUPLICATE in any browser your normally run on linux...and he would like to bring it over with him...

I know you can run Internet Explorer browser through the wine type programs like wine, wine doors, playonlinux,
but my question is this:
Would browsing with Internet Explorer on a linux system through wine compromise it's security?
Or would it be as safe as using, say Google Chromium, Firefox, etc...

[Ole Juul]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

I don't see why not. The security of Linux is mostly because of the permissions. That would not change by running a program like a browser.

BTW, last week for the first time I had occasion to use IE a little bit. Since I frequently run about 8 other browsers here, I can say with certainty that IE is a quirky piece of software, unlike any other. I can see how someone who got used to it would find all other browsers "different".

[rfakhrai]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

IE is a quirky piece of software, unlike any other. I can see how someone who got used to it would find all other browsers "different".

Well said. I don't take my web browsing too seriously. Google Chrome is a beautiful browser in my opinion. That said, I don't see how running IE in wine would compromise security in linux because it is still linux just with a terrible web browser running in a windows emulator.

[tlu]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

That said, I don't see how running IE in wine would compromise security in linux because it is still linux just with a terrible web browser running in a windows emulator.

Because you have write permission for your home directory with all your documents, emails and settings?

[rfakhrai]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

Because you have write permission for your home directory with all your documents, emails and settings?

An attacker does not come through your web browser using its protocol to hack your computer. Almost all of the hacking strategy that's used today is malware (key-loggers, etc.) that would require a DOS system to survive.

[Detonate]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

Couldn't a Windows malware infection compromise his wine install? I don't use wine or IE so I have no experience in this.

[craig10x]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

I'm trying to talk him out of it...i seem to have gotten a mixed input as to whether it could be potentially dangerous or not...

I've been using Kubuntu 10.10 which of course has the new ubuntu fonts installed (by default on all the system stuff and applications)...
It also appears in your firefox and Chrome browser font selections as well...although on Chrome, switching to them doesn't seem to do anything unless you add the Google Chrome ubuntu fonts extension..which then forces it on with a uniform, all ubuntu fonts look...
i was just surfing with it today...it DOES give it that Internet Explorer "uniform type face" look although of course the fonts themselves
are a bit different...maybe he would be satisfied with that instead...and he would be so much safer

I was thinking about using it myself...the ubuntu fonts give you a very uniform appearance in all your system stuff and applications and the extension extends that to your web browsing, as well...

Though i am a bit puzzled as to why when i set the font selection to Ubuntu Fonts in Chrome it doesn't automatically do what the extension does...

Has anyone who is on kubuntu 10.10 tried that extension in Chrome? I'd be curious as to your reaction...and if not, perhaps some will try it and let me know what they think...you can always disable the extension or remove it if you don't like the "look"

[Ole Juul]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

Are you referring to the Chrome CSS Styler or is there a new one? A few weeks ago, Chrome still didn't have users CSS enabled so that could be the problem unless they got it fixed by now.

I'm not really understanding what fonts are so important here, but I guess you know that you can install Windows fonts by typing "apt-get install msttcorefonts". Perhaps those aren't the ones you're talking about. Anyway, Firefox, as well as Opera and any WW3 compliant browser all have user CSS, so you can pretty much have any look you want if you are willing to configure it yourself.

[craig10x]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

Are you referring to the Chrome CSS Styler or is there a new one? A few weeks ago, Chrome still didn't have users CSS enabled so that could be the problem unless they got it fixed by now.

I'm not really understanding what fonts are so important here, but I guess you know that you can install Windows fonts by typing "apt-get install msttcorefonts". Perhaps those aren't the ones you're talking about. Anyway, Firefox, as well as Opera and any WW3 compliant browser all have user CSS, so you can pretty much have any look you want if you are willing to configure it yourself.

The google extension is called Ubuntu Fonts and it forces the Ubuntu fonts to work on all web pages...without it, even if you set the Chrome fonts to "Ubuntu" it doesn't make any change at all...So, i guess that hasn't been fixed yet....

As far as the microsoft fonts...i've always had them installed in Chrome (actually, Kubuntu Restricted Extras automatically adds it on) and while it makes thing look better, it still just does not render with that same "uniformity" that you get in Internet Explorer...

I was curious if anyone here was actively using the ubuntu fonts in Chrome or Chromium...or was thinking of trying it...
It does work when you use the extension...

[Ole Juul]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

I am using Chromium, but I don't see any such extension available. Perhaps if you would say what it is I could give it a try. Is it "FontReplace"? I run most available browsers so as not to get too used to one, but actually don't use Chromium much because of it's inability to change fonts.

[craig10x]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

Sure...i am copying this from the page it is on:

Ubuntu 10.10 (unified font style) v1.0 by ubuntulife.admin
(31) - 2,106 users - Weekly installs: 2,648
use Ubuntu 10.10 font to render all pages

So, just go to Google Chrome Extensions and type Ubuntu Fonts into the search bar and this item should come up on the search...Of course, you already have to have Ubuntu Fonts installed (which are installed by default in 10.10)...

As soon as you install it, it should immediately make the change...if you change it to "disable" it will turn it off and of course, it can also be uninstalled as well...And you won't even have to change your font settings, it will automatically "kick in"...i should note that i do raise the top two font tabs up to 17 pts instead of the default 16 pts, because i find it makes many web pages type a bit larger (which i prefer)...and i have it like that even normally (without the extension)...


Please do try it and let me know what you think

And if there any other adventurous souls here...please do likewise and report back with your impressions

I'd also like to know if you could see yourself using it all the time, instead of the normal default fonts of Chrome...
Thanks...

[Ole Juul]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

OK, I see it now. (blush) Sorry to report that I don't currently have a machine with 10.10 so I can't try it. I wonder why this plugin is so specific to the OS version when the browser is not. Hopefully some other people here will give it a try.

[tlu]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

Because you have write permission for your home directory with all your documents, emails and settings?

An attacker does not come through your web browser using its protocol to hack your computer. Almost all of the hacking strategy that's used today is malware (key-loggers, etc.) that would require a DOS system to survive.

There have been many cases of malware using ActiveX in IE. Besides, AFAIK it's not possible to get (automatic) Windows updates. Thus, there is a high risk that IE under Wine will be outdated and affected by security leaks before long - and most users won't notice.

[Pillage Idiot]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

WINE is not Windows. It is an implementation of the windows 32 bit schema, set up as a runtime environment in a similar way to the java runtime environment.
Nothing is taken directly from Windows, it is all written from scratch due to the lack of documentation and of course source code.
Windows updates do not apply in any way to WINE.
Anything running in WINE cannot access anything outside of this runtime environment directly, would not understand the file structure if it could, and also would not have any permissions to do anything.
There have been attempts to get viruses and malware to run in WINE, but without success. The WINE crew has taken known working examples and tried to execute them in the WINE environment and they still did not work.
In any case, even if something were to become infected the cleanup is as simple as deleting the WINE folder with its Windows file structure that is contained therein.
The short answer to the security question is therefore; No, running Windows programs in WINE does not expose the rest of the system to Windows security "issues."

As for running IE in WINE, that is not likely to work. IE reaches very deeply into the heart of the Windows core. There is just not enough Windows in WINE for it to work.
However, there is a project called IEs4Linux, here http://www.tatanka.com.br/ies4linux/page/Main_Page
Nothing newer than IE6 is supported though, and it is a stripped down test environment only, not a usable browser.

So, here are the answers to your two questions;

• No WINE does not compromise your systems security
• No, IE7 and IE8 cannot be successfully installed and run on Linux, even in WINE

[tlu]

Re: Using Internet Explorer on Kubuntu

Anything running in WINE cannot access anything outside of this runtime environment directly, would not understand the file structure if it could, and also would not have any permissions to do anything.
There have been attempts to get viruses and malware to run in WINE, but without success. The WINE crew has taken known working examples and tried to execute them in the WINE environment and they still did not work.
In any case, even if something were to become infected the cleanup is as simple as deleting the WINE folder with its Windows file structure that is contained therein.
The short answer to the security question is therefore; No, running Windows programs in WINE does not expose the rest of the system to Windows security "issues."

As for running IE in WINE, that is not likely to work. IE reaches very deeply into the heart of the Windows core. There is just not enough Windows in WINE for it to work.
However, there is a project called IEs4Linux, here http://www.tatanka.com.br/ies4linux/page/Main_Page
Nothing newer than IE6 is supported though, and it is a stripped down test environment only, not a usable browser.

So, here are the answers to your two questions;

• No WINE does not compromise your systems security
• No, IE7 and IE8 cannot be successfully installed and run on Linux, even in WINE

I'm sorry - but I'm afraid that you're wrong. Read what is written in the Wine FAQ, specifically on http://wiki.winehq.org/FAQ#head-1c91...2be4f346eebe87. You're assertion that nothing outside the Wine environment can be accessed is not true unless you delete the z: drive.