[Xastir] Status of Xastir.org

[Curt, WE7U]

633:  The number of new Wiki users created during the first four days the new Wiki was up, all via script-kiddie scripts.  There was an even larger number of new Wiki pages created, but thankfully they didn't modify ANY of the existing Wiki pages so I could just delete them.  I didn't delete the new users, but blocked them from further use.  Later I may try to delete them from the database but may also have to fix up the database references in that case.  The Wiki S/W doesn't appear to have a way to delete users, so it will have to be MySQL commands and/or scripts to get that accomplished.

I'm considering blocking any Wiki accounts that don't have a callsign in the username or in the account's Wiki homepage.  There may be script-kiddie accounts still in there from previous years waiting to be activated.  If an account hasn't been used to edit any pages and shows no sign of being a ham login, it's fair game to block it.  It can be unblocked easily if someone complains.

Today I backed up the existing Wiki and upgraded it to the latest S/W release.  I'll be attempting to get Captcha's going for it:  I know we all hate them, but it's one of the few ways we have to combat Wiki vandalism.  I may also set up the Wiki so an admin must personally OK each new Wiki login.  Seems like a good idea anyway.  Right now no new Wiki accounts can be created by users logging in for the first time.

I need to upload or restore the few images we're missing on the Wiki.  Mostly the SAR page.

The firewall is up protecting the few open ports on IPv4 and IPv6.  I should probably recheck the IPv6 firewall rules again though.

I set up "fail2ban" against the SSH port today, giving it a timeout of 1 day.  It's doing its job keeping the hackers at bay, at least slowing them down dramatically.  I may add static firewall rules later for some of the subnets it is finding.

The mailing lists are up, but reverse DNS against the IP address points to the VM service provider's DNS name instead of the xastir.org machine names.  I submitted a trouble ticket to ask them to add records so that reverse DNS will work.  After that is done, the most restrictive mail servers which are currently rejecting the list mail may start accepting it.  Most of the list email is going out just fine though.

The NWS Data changes can wait a bit, as can the new release and possible minor changes.  I'll get to them when the new server is secure and running well.

Please test the Wiki and mailing list out and let me know of any problems you're seeing.  With solutions if possible!  I'll continue to work on the Postfix rules:  I started out with them very strict and relaxed them a bit last night.  I'll probably tighten them up again after the reverse DNS issues are fixed (not that the two issues have any real relation).

For those of you who don't know, Chuck decided to pass the server baton after MANY YEARS of service to the Xastir project.  We should all thank him for the time and hard work he put in, as well as the funding for the domain and the server.  One never realizes how much work it actually is until one has to do it!

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Curt, WE7U.        http://wetnet.net/~we7u
APRS Client Capabilities:  http://wetnet.net/~we7u/aprs_capabilities.html