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Date:      Thu, 16 Feb 2006 14:17:47 +0100
From:      peter@bgnett.no (Peter N. M. Hansteen)
To:        freebsd-pf@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: PF --> IPTABLES Conversion?
Message-ID:  <86accr7890.fsf@amidala.datadok.no>
In-Reply-To: <43F35750.7020701@veldy.net> (Thomas T. Veldhouse's message of "Wed, 15 Feb 2006 10:31:12 -0600")
References:  <43F35750.7020701@veldy.net>

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"Thomas T. Veldhouse" <veldy@veldy.net> writes:

> Does anybody know if there is a conversion tool to convert PF scripts 
> over to IPTables scripts?  

I had originally decided it was best to keep my mouth shut about
IPTables in public, but, well, frankly the cover of the March 2006 Linux
Journal really sums it all up for me.  Cover bottom left tempts
prospective readers with what appears to be a very useful article:

"Perl script your way to firewall security"

> I have a firewall that is working nicely using PF and FreeBSD, but I
> have a machine that I need to setup for a friend that has a similar
> configuration, but will be running Linux.  Rather than learn IPTables
> outright, I was hoping that there might be a scripting utility to help
> get me 90% of the way.

In my limited experience, if you've gotten used to PF, the only thing
you will gain by going to IPTables is a catalogue of profound reasons to
hate IPTables and the people who force you to use the thing.  If you are
used to IPTables, going to PF you will initally refuse to believe that
firewall adminning can be that pleasant.  Recovering IPTables sufferers
tend to quintuple-check their working PF rulesets in disbelief and still
end up with rule sets which are way too complicated for their needs.

But if there is no way around it, Max' suggestion that fwbuilder is
likely to be useful is about as good advice as you can get. Mind you,
with IPTables the need for a point'n'click front end to your rule set is
a lot bigger than if you stay with PF.

-- 
Peter N. M. Hansteen, member of the first RFC 1149 implementation team
http://www.blug.linux.no/rfc1149/ http://www.datadok.no/ http://www.nuug.no/
"First, we kill all the spammers" The Usenet Bard, "Twice-forwarded tales"
20:11:56 delilah spamd[26905]: 146.151.48.74: disconnected after 36099 seconds.




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