How Firefox won the 2017 browser wars

Over half of all Windows 10 PCs now run Fall Creators Update

Apple devices again saw the most activations during the holidays

 Apple devices accounted for 44 percent of smartphone and tablet activations over the holidays, with nearly a third of those coming from new devices including the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X, according to new data from Flurry Analytics out this morning. However, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6 actually took the top two spots in terms of Apple activations, at 15.1 percent and 14.9 percent… Read More

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How to choose the best Linux distro for your laptop

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Buy Windows 10: the cheapest deals on Boxing Day 2017

The deadline to get a free upgrade to Windows 10 has sadly now passed. Not to worry though as you can rely on TechRadar to help you buy Windows 10 for the best price. Windows 10 is generally seen as an improvement over Windows 8 - yes, the Start button is back!

So, if you're building a brand new system or want to upgrade to Windows 10 on an older device, you're going to need to buy a copy. Don't worry though, because we check the prices of Windows 10 every day to make sure you get the best deals.

Buy Windows 10 Home deals

The perfect version of Windows for home users

Windows 10 Home is the version that most people will need. It's for home use and includes game streaming from Xbox One and other consumer features like Cortana, as well as Windows Hello for logging into your PC via a fingerprint scanner or your face. If Windows 8 was the steepest learning curve imaginable, Windows 10 is like meeting a great friend you once knew again - it's just that they've bought some new clothes of which you really do approve.

Buy Windows 10 Pro deals

Go Pro if you think it's worth paying more for the Pro features

Windows 10 Pro comes with security and management improvements over the Home version above. It includes Hyper-V for virtualisation, BitLocker whole disk encryption, enterprise mode IE, Remote Desktop, a version of the Windows Store for your own business and assigned access (which locks a PC to running only one modern application, to use like a kiosk). Network admins can also schedule updates so they don't happen at important times.

Buy Windows 7 deals

Windows 7 - because we fear change

What's this? Windows 7 deals on a page that advertises Windows 10? We understand some of you really want to stick with Windows 7, maybe even on a new machine. Don't worry, we totally get it. Maybe it's because you have some hardware/software that works better on the old OS or it just feels better. Or maybe it's because you've no time for the ridiculousness of the tiles format. Windows 7, the classic choice of the PC connoisseur?

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Save 50% on Wondershare PDFelement 6 – exclusively for TechRadar readers

As a special offer for the holiday season, WonderShare is giving TechRadar readers an exclusive 50% discount on PDFelement 6 – a full PDF editing suite that makes working with PDFs as easy as text documents.

• Save 50% on PDFelement 6

Many PDF editors are costly and complicated, but not PDFelement. It's designed much like a word processor, so you can dive straight in and begin editing documents without having to spend time mastering a new interface.

There's support for commenting, revisions, password protection, Bates numbering and much more, but it's all made so simple and accessible, you'll have no problems using the software to its full potential.

You can also convert PDFs into other formats, including Word and ebook documents, and vice versa.

It's all wonderfully easy to use, and is yours half price in this special deal.

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Get KeepVid Android VIP free, and save up to 40% on KeepVid desktop software

WonderShare has a special offer for TechRadar readers this Christmas. Until January 15, you can download KeepVid Android VIP completely free, and save up to 40% on KeepVid desktop software.

KeepVid Android is a powerful video downloading app that lets you save videos to your phone or tablet in resolutions up to 2K. It can download whole video playlists, and even convert videos to MP3 format with a single tap. 

• Get KeepVid Android VIP free

Wondershare is also offering an exclusive discount on KeepVid software for desktop, with savings of up to 40% on annual and lifetime licenses.

KeepVid Pro (was $19.95 for a one-year license, now $11.98)  lets you download videos from YouTube and 10,000 other sites in almost any format, including MP4, WebM, MP3, and options optimized for iOS and Android devices. It can download videos in batches, and includes a Turbo mode for improved speeds.

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• Save up to 40% on KeepVid desktop software

Note that you should only download videos when you have the copyright owner's permission to do so.

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IObit adds ransomware protection to Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 11

IObit has launched a new version of its one-click antivirus and optimization software, Advanced SystemCare, with ransomware protection and facial recognition tools now built in.

Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 11 features a 150% larger antivirus database, plus a new ransomware engine that detects and remove threats before they can encrypt your files. The engine uses behavioural analysis to identify ransomware before it's formally added to the list of known threats.

There's also enhanced browser protection to block ads and prevent unwanted changes to your homepage, and FaceID recognition to capture the face of anyone who tries to access your PC without authorization.

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Advanced SystemCare's one-click optimization tools have also received a boost. IObit has slashed scan times in half, cleaning up junk files and removing privacy threats faster than ever.

To cap it all off, the redesigned Performance Monitor displays your PC's resource usage, temperature and fan speed in real time, and lets you quickly end any processes that are slowing down your system. 

IObit Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 11  is available for Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 7, Windows XP and Vista for US$35.99/£26.83/AU$46.87.

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Best power user Linux distros in 2018: 5 reviewed and rated

Note: Our power user Linux distros round-up has been fully updated. This feature was first published in May 2013.

The Linux power user is a celebrated breed, and one that does not simply burst fully-formed from the earth. All newbies must toil long and hard with their Linux installations before they can describe themselves as one.

At the very least, the power user will have a great degree of skill concerning all things Linux, whether it's the kernel, Bash or package management systems – and they won’t be afraid to get their hands dirty in the name of configuring the system.

It seems, in many ways, that power users are a dying breed. Almost all modern Linux distributions require little effort to get up and running, or to install new software or configure basic functionality. By definition, no power user will want to run any of these distros. This is why, despite their popularity, the likes of Ubuntu and Mint are not featured here.

The Linux distributions in this feature are user-driven, not guided. This gives them much greater adaptability, as well as allowing them to perform a diverse range of tasks, from acting as a virtual jukebox at parties through to hosting complex websites. 

The development methodology and underlying package management system are still relevant concerns, but if you're driven by the desire to squeeze every ounce of power out of your Linux distro, you have the makings of a power user.

• These are the best Linux training providers and online courses in 2017

How we tested...

All of the distros in this article have been around for a long time, and we’ve revised our appraisals of them over the course of several years. Each one has earned a large amount of kudos by offering unique perks or advantages over their peers, either in terms of software management or ease of installation.

All these distros are extremely stable and so our roundup isn't so much about performance as adaptability. We're looking for things that make them ideal for experienced Linux users who are tired of newbie-oriented distros and want to do more with their Linux machines. This is possible only when you have great control over every aspect of a distro.

The ideal distro for power users is one that encourages tinkering extensively with all the different aspects of the OS, and makes you work towards your goal of a perfect system.

• 5 of the most popular Raspberry Pi distros
• 10 of the best Linux distros for privacy fiends and security buffs
• 5 of the most popular Linux gaming distros
• 10 of the most popular lightweight Linux distros

• Linux Format is the number one magazine to boost your knowledge on Linux, open source developments, distro releases and much more. Subscribe to the print or digital version of Linux Format here

Test 1: Installation

How easy is the first step?

These distros may be aimed at power users, but that doesn't mean you want to tear your hair out during the installation process, however much street cred you may stand to gain later on. It's not a question of how long it takes to install but rather how complicated the process is.

Slackware is one of our favourite distros, and its ncurses-based installer is very easy to navigate despite being very different. You may want to keep a copy of the Slackware book with you, naturally on a separate device.

Setup takes you through several installation steps including package selection. Pay special attention to the prompting mode and the software series. You can either install everything by selecting Full on the prompting mode, or select individual packages by choosing the Menu option.

You then have to select which software series to install. If you choose individual packages, the installer will not tell you how much space it will need – this is unlikely to be a problem on modern hard drives, but it’s still something to consider. Slackware gets a bad reputation because it doesn't offer a graphical installer, but it's still a very straightforward process. 

Fedora and Debian both provide a graphical installation method more akin to those of mainstream consumer distros. The process is very simple, and several tasks – such as the partitioning of disks – can be automated, but it's best if you at least review the partitioning scheme or do it yourself, especially if there are existing partitions on the disk that you would like to preserve. Neither distro lets you select the packages to install when installing from the Live CD.

Arch is one of the easiest distros to install, although it's far from the most straightforward to get running since it doesn't provide a usable system post-installation. The most difficult step is network card configuration. If you're unable to configure your wireless card, you can run an Ethernet cable to your machine until the installation is done, and then try to configure the card later.

Once the base Arch system is installed, you move on to weightier things, such as installing the X window system, video drivers, if necessary, and the desktop environment. Even after that’s done, you still have to install all the apps you may want to use, such as Firefox, VLC, LibreOffice. This is complex, but at least the installation makes no assumptions about the way you're going to want to use your system, allowing you to configure it exactly as you wish.

Installing Gentoo is far more tedious than the other distros, because it makes even fewer assumptions: Gentoo is all about building itself specifically to your hardware, and to your precise needs and wants. As such, it makes you do everything from defining USE flags to compiling the kernel, so be prepared for the installation to run to several days, depending on your configuration and needs. Be sure to keep the installation documentation to hand when you begin.

Verdict

Slackware: 4/5
Fedora: 5/5
Debian: 5/5
Arch: 5/5
Gentoo: 4/5

Test 2: Default packages

Not that a power user cares anyway…

An operating system is fundamentally an organised collection of a user's preferred applications. As such Gentoo or Arch aren't operating systems in the strictest sense because installing these distros leaves you with a barebones system which you must then populate with apps and a desktop environment.

There are no defaults when working with Gentoo or Arch. Their intention is to give the user complete control over what they wish to install on the machine. While the other three distros in this roundup also allow you to select which packages to install during setup, they still aim to provide you with a near complete system out of the box, offering a text editor, web browser, PDF reader and more.

For these three distros, despite the wide array of default packages, you still need to install codecs and other plugins before you can play media files, or enjoy videos on YouTube, or even get the most out of your proprietary graphics card.

Slackware offers the Calligra office suite, while Fedora and Debian both ship with LibreOffice. If you use Fedora's default Anaconda installer you can choose a base environment such as the KDE Plasma desktop as well as optional add-ons like LibreOffice. You can also set up automated installations of Fedora along with your favourite programs using KickStart.

With Slackware, you only get the choice of KDE and Xfce during installation. Gnome or Mate fans will have to install their favourite environment once the system is set up.

Verdict

Slackware: 4/5
Fedora: 5/5
Debian: 5/5
Arch: 1/5
Gentoo: 1/5

Test 3: Adaptability

How easy is it to configure these distros to your liking?

One of the best things about these distros is that they are highly configurable. You can change the desktop background, the icons theme, define keyboard shortcuts, configure power management, and make many other changes to the appearance and behaviour of all Linux distros though, so what's the big deal?

Well, aesthetic configuration is only a small part of the overall picture. While many other distros stop at providing all the functionality listed above, the distros we’re examining here go further, offering users the chance to make not just cosmetic changes but configure just about everything that can be configured. This gives you the chance to tweak everything to your specific needs, including the kernel. 

This is in marked contrast to distros where you go through installation, then you have to remove packages and settings you don't want, which will never deliver as good (or streamlined) a system as one built from scratch to your specifications.

Gentoo

Gentoo is an extremely configurable distro that you can optimise for just about any purpose. The advanced Portage package management system is at the heart of everything that's great about Gentoo. It delivers pinpoint control when installing packages, and the USE flags enable it to provide compile-time option support. This means you can define the precise features you want a package to support.

For instance, if you don't need the KDE desktop for installed packages, Gentoo compiles them without support for KDE. This trims them down and avoids unnecessary processing. Defining the USE flags is an integral part of installation.

As it doesn't burden you with unwanted apps or libraries, Gentoo is very fast. It insists you inspect the kernel during installation and remove features you don't need. No other distro lets you do this. 

Verdict: 5/5

Fedora

Fedora is the test-bed of tools and technologies that eventually end up in Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It’s an ideal distro for those wanting to be on the bleeding-edge of development.

One of the worst things about Fedora is the default graphical frontend to its package manager, Yum. Try Yumex if you want a stable and feature-rich alternative. That said, while Slackware, Gentoo and Arch force you to the command line for many configuration tasks, Fedora offers excellent graphical tools for things like configuring the network, firewall, and so on. It's perfect for all kinds of users, and can easily be configured to be a game station, music streamer or even a web server.

Fedora is best suited for developers and admins because of the tools it has to offer, but it’s not nearly as flexible as Gentoo, Arch or Slackware.

Verdict: 3/5

Slackware

Whereas most distros make several changes to software packages, with Slackware you get packages nearly identical to upstream offerings. People complain of a steep learning curve, but anyone familiar with the command line and classic Unix tools will find it straightforward.

Slackware strives to produce the most Unix-like distro available and makes ease of use and stability the top priorities. This makes it ideal for servers. Slackware comes with KDE by default, but can use Xfce or any desktop environment supporting any window manager. It gives great control over shaping the system during installation, thanks to its advanced package selection.

Slackware is free and open source software. However, it doesn't follow an open development methodology, which means there's no official, public software repository nor a bug tracking facility.

Verdict: 4/5

Debian

Debian is extremely stable, and this makes it ideal for servers. Its stability rests on the fact that the OS ships older packages, which can make it unsuitable for desktop users. 

That said, you can easily use the unstable repository if you want to be on the bleeding-edge. In fact, each of the three official Debian repositories have inspired several other distros. With Debian, you can run the same distro across many different architectures, as it supports i386, SPARC, AMD64, PowerPC, MIPS, ARM and other platforms.

Almost all software packages provide binaries for Debian, so you're unlikely to have any installation woes.

Verdict: 4/5

Arch

Arch doesn't believe in hiding the internal workings of the system. Like Gentoo, it's great if you wish to learn what makes a Linux distro tick. But despite their similarities, Arch provides a somewhat simpler way of building your system. You don't have to spend precious hours maintaining and grooming the system, as you do with Gentoo.

With its minimalistic philosophy, Arch stands in contrast to most other distros that compete to be the most feature-rich and beautiful. Other than a core system, which enables you to install additional packages, Arch makes no assumption about the kind of system you want, and allows users to mould the distro.

Building the distro from the ground-up results in a much speedier system. Like Slackware, Arch provides software packages from upstream without any modifications.

Verdict: 5/5

Test 4: Release schedule

Not that a power user cares anyway, part two

There are three popular development methodologies to which Linux distributions typically adhere – fixed schedule, fixed feature and rolling release. The fixed schedule, as followed by Fedora, involves pushing out a new release every six months. Debian deploys a new major release roughly every two years.

These distros, more often than not, are drastically different from one another. Switching from one release to the next thus involves a fresh install, or at least a major upgrade. This is more time-consuming and painstaking than a rolling release.

Next, we have the feature release model, as followed by Slackware. Here, instead of announcing a date for the next release, the distro is released when it's good and ready. The project decides on a number of features it wishes to implement in the next release and works towards incorporating all of these into this version. The new distribution is only released when all of these features have been added. The current version – 14.2 – was released in mid-2016 after a three year hiatus.

Finally we have the rolling release cycle. This practice is followed by Arch and Gentoo. These distros, instead of a full-sized release, offer a small, minimal distro that you can use to install the base system. You then install the latest updates of everything else that you need over the internet. With the very involved installation procedures that these distros require, the rolling release offers an install-and-forget way of working. This is a feature that you can't possibly dislike.

Verdict

Slackware: 4/5
Fedora: 3/5
Debian: 3/5
Arch: 5/5
Gentoo: 5/5

Test 5: Documentation

Because even a power user may need to RTFM

From installation, to desktop environment, to package management, Linux distros can sometimes change the status quo without warning. When this happens, the project's documentation and a helpful community can make the difference between a fatal kernel panic and a smooth-running system.

Thankfully, all the distros in this roundup boast a large repository of helpful documentation. Some, like Debian and Fedora, have been the subject of detailed books which describe setting them up for home use or as servers. As both distros are so popular, you can also usually find the answers you need online using a search engine. 

Gentoo and Arch, as you might expect given their relative complexity, offer the most extensive documentation. This tends to detail even the most basic of technologies, such as configuring the Ethernet interface or the Xinitrc and fstab files. This is especially needed for such distros because of their different way of doing things. Familiarity with any Linux distro can prepare you for just about all others, but Gentoo and Arch are so different that without proper documentation, even a seasoned Linux user might lose his or her footing.

All the distros are blessed with active communities, which you can engage with via mailing lists, forum boards and IRC. Additionally, on their websites, Slackware and Debian provide a list of companies/individual consultants you can contact for technical support.

Verdict

Slackware: 4/5
Fedora: 4/5
Debian: 4/5
Arch: 5/5
Gentoo: 5/5

Test 6: Package management

Tools, repositories and happy customers

On Arch, you can use the Pacman package manager to install applications. Pacman uses compressed files, or tarballs, as a package format. It works by syncing the local packages with the server. Pacman supports dependency resolution and can download and install packages with a single command. The /etc/pacman.conf file contains a list of repositories.

In addition to the built-in repository, there's also the Arch User Repository (AUR), which is driven and maintained by Arch users. Users can vote on the packages in the AUR. If a package gets enough votes and has a compatible licence, its pushed into the official repositories.

Like Arch, Gentoo doesn't provide any default packages, but makes installing apps a breeze thanks to Portage, which is frequently identified as one of the best package management systems on Linux.

Emerge is a command line interface to the Portage system and, as with Pacman, you can use it to install, remove, upgrade and query packages. That said, you may have to do some fiddling, adjusting the USE flags or using package.mask before you can install packages. This is a tedious process, especially for beginners. The reliance on USE flags to define what packages you want or don't want on your machine gives Gentoo an edge over the others in terms of speed. The package management systems on other distros also seem to be slower than Portage.

Fedora is the home of the yum package manager. It offers several graphical frontends for you to manage packages, none of which are quite as good as the available third-party solutions. Yum relies on the rpm package format, which is fairly similar across Red Hat distros. This allows you to tap into many different third-party repositories. You will have to configure these repositories if you wish to install multimedia codecs and plugins, as a stock Fedora installation doesn't play many media file formats.

Debian's package management systems, APT and dpkg, need no introduction. Both of these are like Clint Eastwood – they continue to deliver outstanding performances year after year. Debian allows you to configure several other repositories, such as non-free and contrib, which contain packages that don't gel with the very strict Debian Free Software Guidelines. As with Pacman and yum, you can use APT to install local packages and use the repositories to resolve dependencies.

Unlike the other distros, Slackware doesn't offer a single full-featured tool for package management. Instead, you have a separate tool to install, update and remove packages. As Slackware uses source tarballs as packages, there's also a tool to convert rpm packages to tar.gz packages.

If you're willing to sacrifice a few features, you can use the pkgtool utility to manage packages. This tool allows you to install and remove packages only.

Verdict

Slackware: 2/5
Fedora: 4/5
Debian: 4/5
Arch: 5/5
Gentoo: 5/5

Test 7: Fun quotient

Let's put a smile on that face

Our whole reason for the selection of these distros is that they offer a chance for Linux users to go over and beyond what they are normally used to doing. There’s a lot of mucking about with files such as /etc/fstab, setting up hostnames and configuring network interfaces with Arch and Gentoo. This is all done using command lines tools, too!

These are generally processes that almost all Linux distros outgrew by the time we entered the 21st century. Their insistence on doing some things the old-fashioned way is not what makes them special, rather, it's the fact that this gives you the chance to learn the many things that modern distros take for granted.

Fedora has a lot to offer if you're interested in being at the bleeding-edge of Linux development. If you've never ventured beyond newbie-friendly distros, such as Ubuntu and Mint, it provides the perfect starting point on your way to achieving power user status. 

Slackware and Debian are for more seasoned Linux users, who are willing to move towards more difficult things but still want enough familiarity to continue their learning. These distros give you the choice of working with the command line, as opposed to the graphical interface, for any number of routine tasks.

Finally, we have Arch and Gentoo. These are for adventurous souls who are ready to learn a completely different way of working. Both operating systems will introduce you to the core of Linux in a way no other distro will. Forget graphical interfaces which obfuscate configuration files – with these two distros, you are forced to spend time with files you probably didn't know existed!

Verdict

Slackware: 4/5
Fedora: 3/5
Debian: 3/5
Arch: 5/5
Gentoo: 5/5

The verdict

The only area where Gentoo and Arch falter is with their default packages or lack thereof. We spent a lot of time debating whether we should award them five stars each. This is because by not providing any default packages they offer you much greater control and the ability to design a distro specifically for your particular needs. This degree of control is the hallmark of a distro suited to power users.

As we deducted points from both distros for this reason, we had to be equally harsh when scoring other distros in the documentation and package management sections.

This is why Debian and Fedora only managed four stars each in these two sections, despite offering detailed documentation and excellent package management tools. Even though we couldn't find any fault in APT or yum, Arch's Pacman and Gentoo's Portage system fare better because of their level of sophistication and elegance.

Debian and Slackware are an ideal starting point for would-be power users, and give you an idea of how configurable and flexible Linux systems can be.

Arch versus Gentoo

We were tempted to award first place to Arch because it's easier to install and doesn't require management of USE flags before installing packages. But the real test here is the level of control the distros offer to help you mould the system to your exact specifications.

Gentoo offers extremely fine control. It allows you to fine-tune the kernel during installation, so that you can remove the features you don't want. You can do this either using the minimal text-based installer Portage or by booting into a 'live' Gentoo environment. You don't get much more configurable than that.

The USE flags which let you prepare the system for all the packages you wish to install (or not) are a really novel feature. They allow you to specify the options and features with which Portage installs packages. This helps you cut down dependencies, package size, and compile results in a faster and leaner system. This is why Gentoo is so much faster in comparison to the other distros.

Final ranking

1st: Gentoo: 5/5

2nd: Arch: 5/5

3rd: Slackware: 4/5

4th: Debian: 4/5

5th: Fedora: 3/5

Also consider...

KDE has long been a favourite with power users because of all the configuration options it offers. By extension, all distros using KDE can be modified in the same way, so are suitable for power users. You can try the likes of OpenSUSE or Chakra Linux to get a taste of KDE's flexibility. These are both built around KDE itself, as opposed to the KDE-based spins of other popular distros you might come across.

We've tried to limit our selection to distros that not only allow you greater control in configuring the system, but are also fun to use. The distros in our list are different from all other modern Linux distros in almost all respects, be it installation or package management. Also, they are great for familiarising yourself with the internal workings of Linux, and teaching you things that you wouldn't be aware of if you used other distros.

For this reason, it's difficult to recommend any other distro. If you've already mastered Gentoo and Arch, or are ready for even more of a challenge, you can try Linux From Scratch. LFS is the name of both a book and installation and as the name suggests, it shows you how to build your own Linux system entirely from source code. Unlike Gentoo and Arch, which at least provide a working base system, with LFS you have to do all the work by yourself.

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Windows Hello facial login gets tricked by printed photo on older Windows 10 versions

If you log into your PC using facial recognition on Windows 10 (otherwise known as Windows Hello), then be aware that older versions of Microsoft’s OS can be easily fooled with a simple printed photo of the user. Even those running the latest Fall Creators Update could potentially be victims here.

German security firm Syss discovered this exploit, which circumvents Windows Hello security on Windows 10 PCs running versions which are older than the Fall Creators Update.

But, crucially, it can affect even fully up-to-date Windows 10 machines running builds of the Fall Creators Update known as 1703 or 1709, if facial recognition was set up in a previous version. In other words, to avoid the exploit, you’ll need to set up Windows Hello again even on PCs using the latest version of Microsoft’s desktop OS.

According to a few proof of concept videos released by the security researchers (see the first clip below), Windows Hello can be spoofed with a relatively low resolution laser-printed photo of the user taken with a near IR (infrared) camera, although the image must be slightly modified.

The spoof is out there

As The Register reports, Syss claims that even if Windows Hello has its enhanced anti-spoofing mode enabled, a somewhat differently modified photo can still be used to successfully log onto the target machine. Even in this case, the researchers say that the “additional effort for an attacker is negligible.”

All this sounds like a very worrying hole in Microsoft’s facial recognition login procedure, for sure, assuming the security firm is on the money here.

We’ve contacted Microsoft for comment on the matter, and we’ll be sure to update this story if we receive a response.

It would seem, though, that if you use facial recognition for logging in to your Windows 10 PC, then it might be a prudent idea to set it up once again. Or, if you’re running an older version of Windows 10, you’ll first want to update to the new Fall Creators Update, and then set up Windows Hello again.

• Some of the best laptops out there run Windows 10

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What’s the best Linux firewall distro?

This article was provided to TechRadar by Linux Format, the number one magazine to boost your knowledge on Linux, open source developments, distro releases and much more. Subscribe to the print or digital version of Linux Format here.

You don’t have to manage a large corporate network to use a dedicated firewall. While your Linux distro may already have an impressive firewall installed as well as an equally impressive arsenal of tools to manage it, the advantages don’t extend to the other devices on your network. 

A typical network has more devices connected to the internet than the total number of computers and laptops in your average small or home office. With the onslaught of IoT, it won’t be long before your router is doling out IP addresses to your washing machine and microwave as well.

The one thing you wouldn’t want in this Jetsonian future is having to rely on your router’s limited firewall capabilities to shield your house – and everyone in it – from the malicious bits and bytes floating about on the internet.

A dedicated firewall stands between the internet and your internal network, regulating the data flowing from one to the other. Setting one up is an involved process both in terms of assembling the hardware and configuring the software. However, there are quite a few distros that help you set up a dedicated firewall with ease, and we’re going to look at the ones that have the best protective open source software and roll them into a convenient and easy to use package.

Specifically, in this roundup, we’re going to dissect and compare five different distros: IPFire, OPNsense, pfSense, Sophos UTM and Untangle NG Firewall.

How we tested

While you can test these firewall distros on a spare physical PC, it’s more convenient to take them for a spin inside a virtual machine. Create a virtual network by firing up VirtualBox and heading to File > Preferences > Network. Switch to the host-only network tab and add a new network using the screwdriver icon to assign it an IP address e.g. 192.168.56.1.

Next, create a VM for the firewall distro and make sure it had two network adaptors – the first one in bridged mode, the second one as a host-only network. After installing the distro, you can assign a different IP address such as 192.168.56.2 to the second adaptor and configure it as a DHCP server to assign an IP address range of 192.168.56.20 - 192.168.56.50. From here on out, any other VM connected to the host-only adaptor will be routed through the firewall VM, so you can experiment with it safely. 

See our guide to running Linux in a Virtual Machine here.

• 5 of the most popular Linux gaming distros
• What's the best Linux distro for beginners?
• 10 of the most popular lightweight Linux distros
• 7 of the best Linux distros
• Also check out our look at the best free Linux firewalls

IPFire contains a number of security measures such as an IDS (Intrusion Detection System) and a GeoIP block which can block hackers by country.  

The distro can also compartmentalise networks based on their respective security levels using a simple colour-coded system. IPFire also allows you to create custom policies to manage individual networks. For more elaborate control, you can also manage outbound access to the internet from any segment.

IPFire uses a Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall that’s built on top of the utility netfilter. It facilities Network Address Translation (NAT), packet filtering and packet mangling. You can set up the firewall for everything from forwarding ports to creating a safe DMZ between your network and internet. The project’s wiki also hosts a 'security hardening' guide to create firewall rules for common scenarios.

The pfSense distro uses the p0f OS fingerprinting utility to allow you to filter traffic based on the operating system initiating the connection. You can also choose to log traffic matching each rule. The OPNsense distro was forked from pfSense and offers pretty much the same features for the firewall and other aspects of the system.

Sophos UTM, unlike the other distros, cuts off all traffic and then enables you to allow specific types, such as web and email, during initial setup. The server also includes an innovative category-based web filter that blocks sites based on the type of content and includes categories such as Drugs, Spam URLs, Nudity, Weapons and so on. It also offers to scan emails sent over POP3 for viruses.

Untangle’s hosted firewall can be set up through an easy to use interface that makes it very straightforward and simple to define rules for firewalling traffic. You can also gain granular control over the traffic by defining complex rules that combine multiple parameters. This might seem like quite an involved process, but it’s made more accessible by abundant use of relevant pull-down menus.

Verdict

• IPFire: 4/5
• OPNsense: 4/5
• pfSense: 4/5
• Sophos UTM: 5/5
• Untangle NG Firewall: 4/5

All the distros in this roundup bundle a lot of other functionality besides a basic firewall. Some distros offer these features as free add-ons while others charge for them. While we’ll list all the functionality provided by each distribution, in order to be fair to the FOSS distros, we’ll rate all of them based on the modules that are available free of charge.

IPFire can be used as a VPN gateway, infrastructure server, content filter, proxy server, caching name server, an update accelerator and much more. When used as an internet gateway the distro can connect to the internet through various technologies, encompassing all popular types of broadband access, as well as mobile access, including VDSL, ADSL, Ethernet and 3G/4G.

Both pfSense and OPNsense can operate as a traffic shaper, load balancer and VPN. They both offer three options for VPN connectivity including IPsec, OpenVPN and PPTP. Similarly, you can use the Sophos UTM server as a site-to-site VPN solution and configure it to handle VoIP connections and balance load.

Untangle allows you to choose which features to install via its App Store style interface. If you selected the recommend package during setup it'll install over a dozen applications and services including: a web filter, virus blocker, spam blocker, application control, captive portal, WAN balancer as well as the firewall itself.

Some of the applications that Untangle doesn’t install are an ad blocker, intrusion prevention and web cache. The latest version of Untangle also supports VPN through the Tunnel VPN app.

Unlike the other distros, some of the Untangle applications are paid options with a 14-day trial. 

Verdict

• IPFire: 5/5
• OPNsense: 5/5
• pfSense: 5/5
• Sophos UTM: 5/5
• Untangle NG Firewall: 3/5

While servers require more involvement and active maintenance, some aspects of the installation process are, in fact, streamlined i.e. a server distro is designed to take over an entire hard disk which eradicates the need to define partitions. The firewall distros in this roundup go to great lengths to help you mould the installation as per your network configuration. All of them employ browser-based interfaces that can be used to monitor and modify the various components of the firewall. 

Having a graphical interface is crucial – a technologically sound base isn’t enough by itself. A convoluted or illogically arranged management interface will have a direct bearing on a distro’s usability and prevent users from getting the most out of it.

We’ll break this slide down into mini-reviews of the deployment experience, starting with…

IPFire

IPFire is written from scratch and has a straightforward installation process. The installer will detect the number of NICs (Network Interface Controllers) attached to the computer and ask you to assign them to one of the four colour-coded zones. Each of these zones caters to a group of machines that share a common security level. Later on you’ll be asked to assign an IP address to the NIC that’s connected to your internal network. An IP address will be doled out via DHCP.

Once you’ve installed the distro, fire up its browser-based admin interface which is available on the IP address you assigned to the NIC connected to the local network. Head to the Firewall section in the admin interface to define the rules for the firewall. While the interface is simple to use, it requires some expertise for effective deployment. You should also read the documentation thoroughly. 

Score: 3/5

OPNsense

This distro was forked from pfSense and follows the same straightforward installation procedure. After installation, the distro boots to the command-line dashboard which also includes the address of the browser-based admin console. The admin interface is the one major visible difference between the distro and its progenitor. The interface takes you through a brief setup wizard prompting you for information about your network.

Once it’s rebooted with the right settings, head to the Rules section under Firewall. The rules definition interface is presented logically and includes a switch to display relevant help information to explain the various settings. Similarly, configuring the other components of the firewall distro is also a relatively intuitive process. Since the distro has a vast number of settings, you can enter keywords in the search box at the top of the interface to locate the relevant setting.

Score: 4/5

pfSense

The FreeBSD-based distros, pfSense and OPNsense, use the same fairly automated installers, though the original pfSense version offers more advanced options, including the ability to install a custom kernel. Again, just like OPNsense, pfSense boots to a console-based interface that gives you the option to configure the network interfaces on the installed machine.

Once they're installed a browser-based console will take you through the firewall setup wizard. The web interface for pfSense has recently been updated giving it a much smoother and more streamlined feel. 

The distro requires you to put some time into learning it, especially if you’re going to use the add-on packages, but the documentation is worth its weight in gold (if printed out).

Score: 3/5

Sophos UTM

To get started with Sophos UTM you have to download the ISO, register on the project’s website, get a user licence and upload it to the server for further configuration. During installation, Sophos asks you to select the NIC connected to the internal network and assign it an IP address, which you can use to access the distro’s browser-based admin interface. You'll also be asked to agree to installation of some proprietary components which are necessary in order to use the distro.

Once installed, you can bring up the browser-based management interface and run through the brief setup during which you can upload the licence. Sophos then locks down all traffic and enables you to 'poke' holes for the type of traffic you wish to allow.

Score: 5/5

Untangle NG Firewall

The Debian-based distro Untangle NG is very easy to set up and is the only distro in this roundup which restarts automatically after installation into the web-based setup wizard. Untangle NG asks you to set the password for the admin user, then to choose and configure the two network cards. One of these connects to the internet and the other to your local network.

Once setup is complete, Untangle prompts you to create a free account in order to configure the server. You’ll then have to install applications, such as the firewall, to enable specific functions. Almost all the applications are preconfigured and run automatically after install. You can also customise each application by clicking the Settings button under it. Untangle’s dashboard also enables you to analyse the traffic passing through the server, and each application will show statistics for its own traffic as well.

Score: 4/5

Virtually all the distros in this roundup offer a range of paid services. IPFire offers paid support through Lightning Wire Labs who provide custom solutions to businesses deploying the firewall. The company also offers customised hardware appliances  to integrate into your network infrastructure.

OPNsense has multiple commercial support options. The annual subscription to the business support package costs €299 (around £265, $355 or AU$460)  and includes three hours of technical assistance. You can purchase additional hours if you wish. There are also gold, silver and bronze professional services designed for larger deployments, integrations and custom changes to the distro.

You can also purchase support packages for your pfSense deployment which include technical support, configuration assistance and a configuration review. Furthermore, the pfSense project offers pfSense Training, with the cheapest course starting at $899 (around £670, AU$1,170).

Besides selling a retail version of the Sophos UTM for larger organisations, Sophos offers support packages via its resellers. The firm also has over 40 online and offline training courses on different aspects of the distro. Fees for the courses vary but an introductory two-hour webinar costs $249 (around £180, AU$310). Sophos also offers a free weekly ransomware webcast.

Untangle sells several components to extend the functionality of the firewall. If you purchase NG Firewall Complete it costs $50 a month (around £40, AU$65) for up to 25 devices. There's a 10% discount for paying annually.

Untangle also sells several hardware appliances with its firewall server preinstalled ranging from the small u25 appliance for $399 (around £300, AU$520) to the firm’s m3000 for $7,599 (around £5,670, AU$9,900).

Verdict

• IPFire: 5/5
• OPNsense: 5/5
• pfSense: 5/5
• Sophos UTM: 5/5
• Untangle NG Firewall: 5/5

Just like paid services, all projects behind the firewall distros in this roundup offer a hefty amount of documentation and support in the form of guides, wikis and forums to help you through the deployment process.

The IPFire project hosts detailed documentation in wikis, as well as its English and German forum boards in addition to an IRC channel and dedicated mailing lists.

OPNsense also has forums, a wiki, IRC and very detailed documentation covering every aspect of deployment. Furthermore, the project has over a dozen how-tos on popular configurations/setups, such as configuring traffic shaping, web filtering and setting up a guest network.

The best source of documentation for the pfSense distro is its handbook which comes with a gold membership subscription. Besides this there’s a wiki, forums, mailing lists and IRC. The wiki hosts a large collection of how-tos, most of which are clear and to the point. The project developers are also very active on social networks, such as Reddit, where users can seek help.

The Sophos website hosts PDFs of the quick-start guide and a 600-page administrator’s guide, in addition to community-supported bulletin boards. There’s also the Sophos Knowledge Base which hosts articles on different aspects of the distro. 

Finally, the Untangle project hosts forums, a FAQ, and its wiki pages have screenshots where applicable, along with some short tutorials.

Verdict

• IPFire: 5/5
• OPNsense: 5/5
• pfSense: 5/5
• Sophos UTM: 5/5
• Untangle NG Firewall: 5/5

A firewall server – just like any other server – needs constant upkeep, whether it’s to install updates or new add-ons. IPFire ships with Pakfire, an extensive package management utility that makes it fairly simple to expand on the basic installation. The package manager also enables updates to address security issues.

Similarly, pfSense also includes a package manager which can be used to install and update packages. The packages are grouped under categories, for example Services and Utility, Security and so forth, and include a wide range of applications, such as FreeRadius2, Snort, Squid and many more. The distro is configured to automatically install new versions of firmware and includes a host of diagnostic tools and utilities to troubleshoot the installation.

OPNsense also supports add-ons via the use of plugins, but doesn’t offer as many packages as you get with pfSense. Like pfSense, OPNSense can fetch and install updates for all the installed components.

There’s no package management option in Sophos UTM as all features are shipped in the distro and you can enable them as required. The distro includes the Up2Date utility for installing updates to the firewall’s firmware, as well as for fetching newer patterns for components, such as the antivirus and the Intrusion Prevention System.

Untangle requires you to use the interface to fetch any components you need. The Reports application monitors and prepares detailed and visually appealing reports about the server as well as its different components. The distro also includes the ability to update the installation and its components. You can configure it to install updates automatically during setup, as well as use the web interface to customise the schedule for the automatic updates.

Verdict

• IPFire: 5/5
• OPNsense: 4/5
• pfSense: 5/5
• Sophos UTM: 4/5
• Untangle NG Firewall: 5/5

While IPFire is based on Linux From Scratch, its browser-based interface is borrowed from the older firewall distro IPCop. The interface has a simple and easy to navigate layout with the different aspects of the firewall server grouped under tabs listed at the top of the page. The System tab houses options to configure the overall installation. This is where you’ll find the option to enable SSH access and create a backup ISO image of IPFire with or without log files. The Status tab shows you an overview of the various components, while the Services tab lets you enable and configure individual services besides the firewall.

The dashboard in pfSense is more verbose than IPFire’s but has pretty much the same layout. The Firewall drop-down menu houses options to define the filtering rules as well as configure the traffic shaper. Settings for other services, such as the load balancer and captive portal, are housed under the Services menu. VPN has its own menu and enables you to configure the various supported VPN protocols. The CLI console on the firewall server displays a dashboard of sorts, as well. In addition to the addresses assigned to the different NICs, it allows you to reset the configuration of the install to the default state and even upgrade the install.

OPNsense has a more refined interface than pfSense. Certain sections, such as when adding firewall rules, include a toggle labelled 'Full Help'. When enabled, this option appends relevant information to fields to help you make the right selection.

Sophos UTM also has a loaded dashboard interface. Among other things, it displays information about the threats that firewall components have blocked in the last 24 hours. You can also use the Search box to narrow down the list of options.

Untangle also has a polished interface. Once you’ve installed an application, it’s enabled automatically and listed in the app rack. Each app has a Settings button for tweaking parameters. The rack also supplies a snapshot of traffic it has processed.

Verdict

• IPFire: 3/5
• OPNsense: 4/5
• pfSense: 2/5
• Sophos UTM: 4/5
• Untangle NG Firewall: 4/5

Deploying a server is as much about personal preference as it is about a product’s technical dexterity. Despite objective testing, the results and our recommendation are influenced by our own preferences. Also, all firewall servers offer much the same functionality, but since this is delivered by different applications, one product might perform a certain task better than the others.

The one distro we definitely do not recommend is Untangle. This isn’t a reflection of its technical inferiority, but the fact that similar functions from its competitors are available cost-free. The majority of Untangle’s apps in the free version are 14-day trials. Even with the paid components, the distro doesn’t offer anything compelling over the others.

We’ve docked pfSense a few points for similar reasons. The distro is a tweaker’s paradise – you can flesh it out into any kind of server. However, unless you’re used to its tools and FreeBSD underpinnings, it’ll only end up confusing you with a myriad options. 

OPNsense, which is a fork of pfSense, has a much better user interface and rewritten components, such as the captive portal.

The runner-up prize goes to IPFire which has an impressive list of features. Its Pakfire package management system helps you to update and expand the initial installation. The distro’s UI also makes it easier to configure several components, such as OpenVPN, when compared with the other offerings here.

The top honour goes to Sophos UTM which is free for managing a network of up to 50 IP addresses, and bundles Sophos Endpoint Protection for up to 10 computers. The distro includes an impressive list of tools, many of which are identical to the paid enterprise edition. We also like that the distro enables the firewall as soon as it’s installed, and allows you to poke holes in the firewall to enable the flow of required traffic. Not only is this the proper way to deploy a firewall, the Sophos wizard makes it easier for inexperienced users to reap the benefits from the get-go.

So, our final rankings are as follows:

1st Place: Sophos UTM – bundles all the essential features with an intuitive UI.

Overall score: 4/5

Web: https://www.sophos.com

2nd Place: IPFire – a secure and expandable distro with a functional management interface.

Overall score: 4/5

Web: http://www.ipfire.org

3rd Place: OPNsense – all the benefits of pfSense with a reimagined UI.

Overall score: 4/5 

Web: https://opnsense.org

4th Place: pfSense – feature rich and fully functional distro, with a simple interface.

Overall score: 3/5

Web: https://www.pfsense.org

5th Place: Untangle NG Firewall – the free version is little more than a demo for the paid version.

Overall score: 2/5

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One popular firewall distro we didn’t include in this roundup is Smoothwall Express. It hasn't had a stable release since 2014, but is still one of the most well-known firewall distros out there. 

Then there’s also the feature-restricted community edition of the Endian Firewall as well as the Zeroshell firewall router distro for embedded devices. You can also add firewall functionality to your existing gateway server. ClearOS and Zentyal are two such systems which can be adapted into firewalls.

If you are the DIY type, it’s possible to build your own firewall appliance with little effort. One approach would be to use an ARM-based computer such as a Raspberry Pi. The website for the IPFire distro provides ARM images to download and install to your Pi’s SD card.

Alternatively you could install a minimal Linux distro, such as Arch Linux, and then use the built-in iptables firewall. To assist you with creating and managing rules, you could also use a graphical tool such as Shorewall. Another approach would be to install and use Ubuntu’s command line tool ufw or its graphical companion Gufw to manage iptables.

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Microsoft foils Google's bid to smuggle Chrome onto Windows Store

Google has tried something of a cheeky ‘workaround’, if you like, for getting its Chrome browser onto the Windows Store – it put an installer for the app on the store, rather than the app itself, although Microsoft has now removed it.

If you’ve not been following the saga of Chrome and the Windows Store, this needs a bit of explanation. Essentially, Microsoft has prevented Google from offering its browser on the store for a number of reasons, most of which revolve around security.

Windows Store policies insist apps shouldn’t jeopardize the user’s security, and tied in with that is the specification that any browsers must use “the appropriate HTML and JavaScript engines provided by the Windows Platform”.

Chrome falls foul of this, with Microsoft basically insisting that the browser must not use its own engines to get on the store – so really, it wouldn’t be Chrome any more.

So Google’s bright idea was to publish a simple installer for Chrome on the store, which allowed for the download and installation of the browser.

This made it past Microsoft’s security sniffer dogs – at least for a short while, until the software giant realized what Google had done. Whereupon, as The Verge reports, the app was yanked down and a Microsoft spokesperson commented: “We have removed the Google Chrome Installer App from Microsoft Store, as it violates our Microsoft Store policies.”

Fighting the fakes

Why does Google care that much about getting an app on the Windows Store anyway? Apparently, part of the reason is combating the raft of fake Chrome lookalike apps trying to take advantage of folks who are looking to install the browser from the store, as obviously these are potentially muddying Google’s reputation – and they’re arguably a security risk in themselves.

Also, Microsoft’s new spin on its desktop operating system, Windows 10 S, only allows apps to be installed from the Windows Store, to keep a tighter rein on software security. So the Store is the only way to reach users on that particular OS.

For now, then, the Chrome controversy rumbles on, and it seems unlikely that Google’s browser will ever make the cut for the store. Microsoft seemingly won’t budge an inch on store policy, and Google isn’t going to gut the browser completely in order to get in, because what it would end up with wouldn’t really be Chrome anyway.

• Two Chromebooks make it onto our best laptops list

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How to Stay Secure This Holiday Season

The following piece was contributed by Srinivasan CR, Senior Vice President, Global Product Management & Data Centre Services at Tata Communications.

The holiday season is in full swing but as you wind down for your holidays it’s important to consider the security impacts of your activity during this period. Today, there are a number of avenues that cybercriminals can take advantage of – from the rise of connected devices in your home to fraudulent activities across retail and banking channels. So, what are some of the red flags you should look out for, and the steps you can take to avoid falling foul of security breaches this time of the year?

Securing the Holiday-of-Things

Connected toys such as mini robots and smart teddies are high on kids’ wish lists this year. Unlike with smartphones and PCs that have been designed with security built-in, with toys, security is often an afterthought. The most alarming scenario is that a hacker could potentially communicate with a child through an unsecured Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-enabled toy. This could quickly escalate into something even more sinister. 

As the home becomes increasingly connected, we will see more and more “things” become “devices”. Unfortunately, because things like doorbells, toys and kettles don’t hold any financially lucrative or sensitive data or information that a hacker would want to get hold of, the security standards on these devices can be lax to say the least. The problem with that is that they are still an entry point to other devices connected to your home network which do contain information that needs to be kept secure.

If you think about your home as a collection of things which connect via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular networks, then everything in your home is a potential vulnerability through which a hacker could gain access to your network. Even if your Wi-Fi connection is password-protected, if a hacker can access a toy that is connected to it, they could then infiltrate data on your devices such as smartphones, laptops and TVs. Once they have access to those devices, they could steal sensitive files, or hold your applications and data hostage, demanding a ransom from you.

Thus, the security standards of the connected toy is an issue of genuine severity for you and your family. For peace of mind, consumers should only buy consumer technology products from trusted retailers and manufacturers and ensure that they come with robust security built-in.

Staying safe when shopping online

The festive period leads to an upsurge of online activity, with consumers rushing to finish their holiday shopping and taking advantage of the January sales. However, this also leads to a surge in online criminal activity. According to a recent survey by Barclays, 52 per cent of consumers said that the lure of a bargain can get in the way of checking website security credentials. With the average fraud victim losing out on an estimated £893 on average, consumers lose an estimated £1.3bn to fraud during the holiday period.

You can get ahead of retail fraudsters at Christmas by taking the time to ensure the websites they’re accessing are genuine sellers. Generally, genuine websites will have additional signs that mark them as secure, such as a “https://” address.

Another quick way to check if a website is secure or not is by looking out for the lock sign, which is a standard feature among web browsers that denote a website that has been marked as secure. 

Fraudsters often replicate reputable sites and retailers to trick consumers, so it’s always worth double checking the address. Before clicking ‘confirm’ at the checkout, you should always ensure that the payment system on offer is reputable. If in doubt, contact your bank.

Security at work

Industry experts have observed that computer and phishing scams spike during the holidays. At work especially, there is seemingly a perception from employees that their work devices are fortified, impregnable machines that are completely immune to influence from the outside world. So, employees often operate under the assumption that if they click a link to a seemingly harmless and enticing holiday promotion when they have no idea who has sent it and what it will trigger on their work machine, there will be no consequences.

The reality, however, is that a malicious link from an unknown sender could infect your email application with a virus that would automatically send the file to every address in your contact list. You may have a sleepless night with people from all over the world phoning your mobile asking what the suspicious email you have sent them is and whether they should open the file or not. While this is a very tangible impact for you as a consumer, such an attack means your device is being used to infect other devices, and eventually bring the entire network to a standstill, allowing cyber-attackers to gain access to sensitive, valuable and incriminating data and extort a ransom from your company.

The key holiday takeaway for consumers is taking a more proactive view on cybersecurity this time of the year. Exercising additional vigilance this holiday season means that you won’t get caught out by cybercriminals. In today’s increasingly connected world it is more critical than ever to extend an increased awareness of cybersecurity issues in every aspect of our lives.

 

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You can create amazing art on your iPad

Procreate is aimed squarely at artists – whether dabblers or full-time professionals – both for finished artwork and visualization, where a scene or character is roughed out. So you can get results quickly, but you also have the depth and precision to produce polished work if you wish.

This is a big update, with changes both above and below the surface. The neat interface is more streamlined than ever, with everything clearly and logically laid out in drop-down panels accessed from the top toolbar, making it easy to switch colors and brushes. The developers have also made clever use of gestures, so you can find extra settings with a swipe, which is not unlike using keyboard shortcuts.

In the Layers panel, for example, swiping a layer to the left reveals options to duplicate, lock, or delete it. Tapping the selected layer pops up a contextual menu with more advanced commands, including the new ability to add a layer mask. You edit this using any of the brushes, painting areas dark to hide the contents of the layer. This does need to be more sophisticated, but it provides another means of non-destructive editing.

That’s one respect in which Procreate still feels a little lacking overall. You can undo with a two-finger tap, or hold your fingers down to wind back as many steps as you want, but there’s no way to edit individual strokes or effects later, or change the resolution of a canvas. Still, this suits the app’s painterly approach, which is enhanced by a new set of wet painting brushes. These feel convincingly real and interact satisfyingly with any color on the canvas. There’s also a Smudge mode that makes any brush act as if it’s being dragged over wet paint.

An iPad Pro with Apple’s Pencil is the ideal setup: both pressure and tilt are supported, and you get detailed control over how brushes (which include pencils, pens, and airbrushes) respond. For lesser iPads, many Pogo, Jot, and Wacom active styluses are also supported (see procreate.art/faq/). Even with a basic rubber stylus or your finger, you can get impressive results moving paint around to make textures and backgrounds.

On a first-generation iPad Pro, Procreate’s new 64-bit graphics engine, using iOS’ Metal API, ensures it almost always keeps up smoothly with your strokes when working at the screen’s native 2048 x 1536 resolution or even higher. Inevitably, you see some lag on slower iPads, but rival painting app ArtRage struggles even on iPad Pro with canvases large enough for professional work.

Procreate is a serious creative tool. At $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$14.99 all-in, with no in-app purchases required, it’s great value.

• Subscribe to Mac Life magazine with an extra 10% off

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Best Linux distros for small businesses in 2017

Note: Our best Linux distro for small businesses feature has been fully updated. This article was first published in July 2016.

Running a small business is no easy task. The last thing you need is extra complexity in your IT infrastructure – so why turn to Linux?

Well, it could (if you're lucky) actually turn out to be a less complex choice for many tasks, depending on the distribution you select. And, critically, Linux is free; at least if you don't figure in support costs. That's an overhead ticked off the list.

So what's the best choice for your small business? We've approached this selection with a few criteria in mind. Stability must come first: if you're putting a distro to work, uptime is critical. Solid support provision comes a close second.

We've also considered practical capabilities, which is why you'll find a couple of non-desktop distributions on our list.

• 10 of the best Linux distros for privacy fiends and security buffs
• 10 best Linux distros: which one is right for you?
• What's the best Linux distro for beginners?
• How to choose the best Linux distro for laptops
• 10 of the most popular lightweight Linux distros

• Linux Format is the number one magazine to boost your knowledge on Linux, open source developments, distro releases and much more. Subscribe to the print or digital version of Linux Format here.

Built on the solid foundation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) – and, indeed, officially funded by Red Hat as of 2014 – CentOS is undoubtedly a distro with strong credentials. Its default Gnome desktop is pleasant and reasonably familiar to most computer users, the RPM package management system is widely supported, and it's equally at home on workstations and servers.

CentOS harnesses the open source components of its parent OS, which actually make up the majority of RHEL. Only Red Hat's trademarks and a few proprietary components are omitted. Thanks to this unique partnership, updates tend to flow to CentOS only a day or two after they hit RHEL. In other words, this is enterprise-class Linux that anyone can use.

CentOS is now one of the world's most popular server distros, and is perfect if you want to build serious hardware appliances without paying for a Red Hat subscription. While the CentOS community can provide some useful advice free of charge, professional support is the key reason for using RHEL. Server prices for Red Hat combined with a support package start at $799 (around £600, AU$1,065) per year, so it could be prohibitively expensive for small business use.

• You can download CentOS here

ClearOS and CentOS are pretty close cousins. Both run many of the same packages inherited from RHEL, and can benefit from the swift Red Hat release cycle. But while CentOS is a functional desktop OS, ClearOS is designed primarily as a server platform and an alternative to commercial options like Red Hat Enterprise Server or Windows Small Business Server. The OS is administered entirely from a web interface, so you won't need a keyboard, mouse, or even a monitor connected to the machine once ClearOS is installed. 

Because of its tight focus, ClearOS is actually easier to use than most server operating systems. That web interface makes installing this operating system's various components a breeze, so you can easily set up a firewall for your business, manage an email server, install a file server or more – all safe in the knowledge that each of these components will (most likely) work perfectly together.

ClearOS 7 is supported professionally by a dedicated ClearCARE team. It also includes software packages that have been thoroughly tested for stability. Prices start at $108 (£80, AU$145) per year. You might also be interested in ClearVM, the team's virtualisation solution – the free version allows you to finely manage the precise performance of two virtual machines and eight CPU cores.

• You can download ClearOS here

While CentOS is an open source OS based on a paid-for release, OpenSUSE works in reverse. This community-developed operating system is used as the basis for the commercially-supported SUSE Linux Enterprise. SUSE actually borrows a lot from Red Hat, including its RPM package management system, but isn't a direct clone.

OpenSUSE is one of the few distros to use the graphically-heavy KDE window manager by default, though you can also install Mate, LXDE and others. This means it can run on older hardware. In fact, if you're looking to run small web appliances, the latest version will run on a Raspberry Pi and includes a huge number of packages. 

OpenSUSE now follows a rolling release model, which means updates are regularly available without you having to manually upgrade every 18 months as before. This makes for a much more secure and stable operating system.

• You can download OpenSUSE here

If you're running a small business, the security of your network should be as important a concern as the behaviour of your employees. IPFire ticks both these boxes at once. It's an all-in-one Linux appliance: install it on a machine which sits between your internet connection and your network switch and it'll do everything from managing IP addresses to protecting you with a firewall, and controlling what sites your workers are allowed to visit and when.

It does require a certain level of knowledge to get IPFire installed, and its unique nature – it's constructed from scratch, not forked from any specific version of Linux – means it won't be quite as easy to configure as other distros may be. Thankfully there are regular ‘Core’ updates, which incrementally keep IPFire up to date with the latest security and app updates.

IPFire is managed via a web interface and requires at least a machine with two network connections. There's an excellent installation handbook and paid support is available if necessary.

• You can download IPFire here

As the most popular desktop distribution of Linux, Ubuntu’s reputation might lead you to think that it’s best suited to home users. While Ubuntu's stability and flexibility for end users is very solid, there's also a free-to-use Ubuntu Server version to handle your backend tasks. This is based on Debian Linux, and can make use of Debian’s packages through the Apt package management system (to supplement its own offerings). This means you'll be able to get the software you need quickly and easily.

One of Ubuntu's strongest features is the level of support it benefits from. The vast user base means there's a raft of technical documentation available, and its generous community has answered just about every question you might have.

Ubuntu is released twice a year in April and October. The April releases are tagged LTS which stands for Long Term Support, and unlike the versions released in the autumn, these are maintained for five years. With Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, you're covered until 2021, which is a great advantage for long-term stability.

For those times when you need a little more help, the Ubuntu Advantage program is a reasonably priced support offering, starting from $75 (£55, AU$100) per year for virtual servers and $225 (£170, AU$300) for physical nodes.

• You can download Ubuntu here

Manjaro is built on top of Arch Linux, traditionally one of the more complex and obtuse Linux distros out there. This OS does away with that complexity, while sharing Arch's streamlined and fast environment, its latest 'bleeding edge' software, and its rolling release schedule.

This means you should never have to install a later version of the software – you'll get the updates as they're released, and your Manjaro machines will upgrade over time rather than being taken out of service.

The latest release of Manjaro 17.0.6 uses its own default dark theme which is based on Xfce, but other official builds use the KDE and Gnome desktop environments. 

Manjaro has made other improvements over Arch – a better installer, improved hardware detection and repositories full of stable software make it a solid choice for end-user systems. With some work you could probably build a server from Manjaro's Minimal Net edition, but other distros handle that aspect a lot better.

You could also find a prebuilt version amongst Manjaro's community editions which may suit your needs perfectly; check them out here.

• You can download Manjaro here

We're entering the realm of more difficult distros here, and we're doing it without the safety net of a dedicated paid support structure, but give Slackware a chance if you're looking to build bespoke Linux systems.

It's the oldest consistently maintained Linux distro, having first emerged in 1993, and as such it doesn't make any assumptions about the way you're going to use it, giving you more control than most other types of Linux.

You're going to need control, though: its package manager doesn't resolve software dependencies, there's no fixed release schedule (new stable versions of Slackware tend to come out when they're ready, and the most recent release gap was around three years), and there are no graphical configuration tools.

But knuckle down, edit a bunch of plain text files, and you'll be able to create exactly the package you need for your business, all on top of a lightweight and bloat-free distro.

• You can download Slackware here

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Kaspersky sues US government over antivirus ban and reputational damage

Security firm Kaspersky has filed a lawsuit against the US government, following the Trump administration banning the Russian company’s security products from use by federal agencies.

As you may be aware, all this revolves around the US government’s belief that Kaspersky has links to the Russian government, and therefore its products can’t be trusted. This resulted in Trump signing a law banning Kaspersky products across all federal departments, civilian and military, earlier this month.

As Wccftech.com reports, Kaspersky’s lawsuit claims that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “failed to satisfy even the minimum standards of due process” in the way it has acted.

Open letter

In a separate open letter, Kaspersky observed: “The DHS failed to provide Kaspersky Lab with adequate due process and relied primarily on subjective, non-technical public sources like uncorroborated and often anonymously sourced media reports and rumors in issuing and finalizing the Directive [which bans the software].”

Kaspersky further argues that the US government’s actions have harmed its reputation and therefore its commercial operations, all with no evidence of any wrongdoing.

Whatever happens next probably won’t happen very quickly, as always in the world of heavyweight legal battles, and that’s doubtless set to be another thorn of frustration in the side of Kaspersky.

Meantime the security firm stresses the fact that it welcomes “constructive and collaborative engagement” with the US regime to address any concerns that the government may have with its products.

• These are the best antivirus apps currently available

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Downloads advent calendar: get Incomedia WebSite x5 Start 14 free today

Downloads advent calendar: get Incomedia WebAnimator GO free today

The holidays are an expensive time, so we’re bringing you a special treat: a full, free Windows program to download every day until Christmas.

Take a look behind door number 18 on our free downloads advent calendar to find Incomedia WebAnimator GO – an amazing tool that makes it easy for complete beginners to make stunning HTML5 animations ready to use online.

Download Incomedia WebAnimator GO, click the 'Register' link on the bottom left and enter your name, email address and the license key WEBANIMATORGO-TECHRADAR-DEC17. You will receive an email with a verification link; click this to activate the full version of the software.

With WebAnimator GO, you can make HTML5 animations in just three steps: choose one of the stylish templates, add images and text, and export it. You can add the resulting animation to your own website, or share it on social media.

The resulting smooth animations will look amazing in any modern web browser, whether it's on a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. Follow the instructions above to get Incomedia WebAnimator GO free and get started today!

• Download provided by Incomedia

• Want to make a custom video? See our guide to the best free editing software

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The Gift List app finally helped me Christmas shop like an adult

Downloads advent calendar: get Ashampoo Office free today

The holidays are an expensive time, so we’re bringing you a special treat: a full, free Windows program to download every day until Christmas.

Peek behind door number 17 on our free downloads advent calendar to discover Ashampoo Office Free – a complete suite of office software for creating and editing text documents, spreadsheets and presentations.

• Download Ashampoo Office Free

Ashampoo Office Free includes three programs:

Ashampoo TextMaker for all kinds of word processing tasks – whether you're writing reports, composing letters, creating flyers or writing a novel. It's fully compatible with Microsoft's DOC format.

Ashampoo PlanMaker for creating and working with spreadsheets. PlanMaker includes over 330 built-in calculation functions, and can create great looking charts for presenting data visually.

Ashampoo Presentations for creating stunning slideshows that will captivate your audience. It's packed with great templates, and includes a great set of animations and transitions.

You can even install and run Ashampoo Office Free 2017 directly from a USB stick. Download it free today – we think you'll be impressed.

• Download provided by Ashampoo

• Get your PC in shape with the best free optimization software

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Downloads advent calendar: get Ashampoo ZIP 2017 free today

The holidays are an expensive time, so we’re bringing you a special treat: a full, free Windows program to download every day until Christmas.

Behind door 16 on our free downloads advent calendar you'll find Ashampoo Zip 2017 – a brilliant file compression tool that creates and extracts compressed file archives in over 60 formats.

• Download Ashampoo Zip 2017

Ashampoo Zip 2017's integrated ZIP engine is the fastest on the market, with multi-core support for processing huge archives in seconds.

It can create self-extracting files – ideal for sharing – and includes a cloud browser that makes uploading archives a piece of cake. You also get immediate access to files hosted on cloud storage services including Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive and more.

Download Ashampoo ZIP 2017 free today – it's the only file compression software you need.

• Download provided by Ashampoo

• Get your PC in shape with the best free optimization software

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The best online YouTube downloader

If you want to save a video from YouTube to watch offline, you have two options: you can install a program designed specifically for the job, or you can use an online tool to save the clip without leaving your web browser.

If you download videos regularly then desktop software is the best option, offering better speeds and the ability to save several videos at once, but if you just want to download a single clip then an online YouTube downloader is idea.

In this roundup we've chosen five YouTube downloaders which can be used to save offline copies of content. Some of them give you the option of download videos at various quality settings, they may give you the option of downloading just the audio, and some support other video sites such as Vimeo.

What all give tools have in common, though, is that they are all wonderfully simple to use and will quickly furnish you with the videos you desire. Just make sure you have permission from the copyright holder before downloading.

1. Apowersoft Online Video Downloader

The quickest, most convenient way to download videos or rip audio

Apowersoft Online Video Downloader is refreshingly uncluttered and easy to use – just paste the video's URL into the box provided, open the Apowersoft Online Launcher and take your pick from the available options.

You can download videos in MP4, WEBM or 3GP format, in a choice of resolutions, or save just the audio as a WEBM or M4A file. Helpfully, Apowersoft Online Video Downloader makes all these options available at once, so you can  download the video in several formats without having to re-enter its URL.

Unlike some online YouTube downloaders, Apowersoft Online Video Downloader lets you download at the highest quality settings, and there are no time restrictions to worry about.

When you need to download a video quickly, Apowersoft should be your top choice.

Try it online: Apowersoft Online Video Downloader

2. Clip Converter

Save videos from YouTube in any format, with optional browser plugins

Despite the name, Clip Converter isn't just a tool for saving videos in different formats. Its main purpose is downloading videos from YouTube – a task it makes incredibly simple.

Unlike some browser-based YouTube downloaders, Clip Converter doesn't ask you to hunt around for a specific version of a video's URL. Just copy the main address from your browser's address bar, choose the video quality and file format, or opt to grab just the audio, and hit Start.

As an added bonus, there are also plugins available for Chrome, Safari and Firefox so you can easily download YouTube videos without the need to keep visiting the Clip Converter site.

One slight downside is that Clip Converter can be picky about downloading videos that contain music – the error message that appears doesn’t say as much, but this will be because of licensing issues. That aside, this is a great online YouTube video downloader.

Try it online: Clip Converter

3. KeepVid

One of the easiest ways to save YouTube videos in the quality of your choice

To make downloading YouTube videos as simple as possible, KeepVid requires you to do nothing more than paste a link and hit Enter. Once the video has been identified, all you need to do is click the Download button next to the version of the file you want to download.

KeepVid detects video quality options automatically and lets you choose which you want to save. You can also choose to rip the audio from a video if you prefer. All of the basic features are free, but it's worth bearing in mind the highest quality video options and MP3 downloads are only available to Pro subscribers.

But even with these minor limitations KeepVid is worth adding to your bookmarks thanks to its speed and simplicity. While it may seem like you're missing out if you're denied the opportunity to download a 1080p version of a video, often it doesn't matter.

• KeepVid

4. Online Video Converter

Save videos from YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and many others in the best format for your device, whether it's a phone, console, PC or something else

Another site that's incredibly easy to use, Online Video Converter can save YouTube videos in no fewer than seven audio and seven video formats. This means that no matter what device you have in mind as a target, and no matter what you intend to use the video for – within reason, of course – the site should have you covered.

The number of download formats isn't Online Video Converter's only impressive feature. It can also grab videos from Facebook, Vimeo, Daily Motion and a plethora of other supported sites.

When it comes to actually saving clips, there are no fancy extras here. This is an online video downloader that gets the job done, and does so quickly. You're offered a download link almost as soon as you've set your download options, and you can't ask for much better than that.

• Online Video Converter

5. Convert2mp3.net

A simple YouTube downloader that offers a good choice of download options

Another site with a slightly deceptive name, Convert2mp3.net can be used to convert videos from YouTube, Daily Motion and others to a range of formats – not just MP3.

There are a few restrictions to bear in mind. Some file formats – such as AVI – have time limits, so if you're looking to download lengthy clips it is possible that you'll have to opt for your second choice of format. Once the file is converted, you can download it to your hard drive or save it to Dropbox if you'd like to keep it online

If you don't like skipping between browser tabs and copying links, Convert2mp3.net has a search tool that not only searches YouTube for you, but offers an instant download button to keep things as simple as possible.

If the site initially appears in German, click the US flag icon at the top right to switch to English.

• Convert3mp3.net

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