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warra · Jun 20, 2006, 07:07 PM

I constantly get this message every time i try to open up the firewall settings, yet I have no other firewall software on my computer. I used to use flying buttress, but i have deleted that and all of its preference files. Every time i want to open up the firewall settings i have to do these two steps:

1. delete the firewall preference file
2. open up terminal and type "sudo ipfw flush" to delete all the rules

i have used "ipfw list" to show the current rules, but it really doesnt help me much.

NeXTLoop · Jun 20, 2006, 08:22 PM

Do you run Virtual PC? If so, it taps into the firewall to protect itself and prevent your Windows installation from being hacked. Another possiblity is PGP Desktop. It also modifies your existing firewall.

warra · Jun 20, 2006, 10:23 PM

no, the only thing i can think of is that my wireless router security settings are tapping into the firewall, but i still want to use options like "stealth mode"

CharlesS · Jun 20, 2006, 11:35 PM

Check /Library/StartupItems for anything that Flying Buttress may have left behind. If there's a startup item in there, that would explain what you're seeing.

JerryB · Jun 21, 2006, 08:46 PM

I had this same problem a few months back. The solution that worked for me was to download a fresh copy of flying buttress, immediatly use the uninstall that was downloaded. Viola, no more messages.

warra · Jun 23, 2006, 07:05 PM

i check the startupitems folder, and i see a folder titled "firewall". is that part of the os, or can i delete that? im not sure whether it is part of FB or not.

besson3c · Jun 23, 2006, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by warra

i check the startupitems folder, and i see a folder titled "firewall". is that part of the os, or can i delete that? im not sure whether it is part of FB or not.

Try moving it to your Desktop to see if it goes away. This way, if you actually need it you can just move it back.

sudo mv /path/to/firewall ~/Desktop/

CharlesS · Jun 23, 2006, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by warra

i check the startupitems folder, and i see a folder titled "firewall". is that part of the os, or can i delete that? im not sure whether it is part of FB or not.

If it's in /Library/StartupItems, it's most likely from FB (make sure you're not looking in /System/Library/StartupItems!). However, dragging it to the Desktop and rebooting is a good idea. You should just be able to drag using the Finder and click the "Authenticate" button if it claims you don't have permission.

warra · Jun 24, 2006, 09:40 AM

yea that seemed to work, i moved the firewall folder out, and restarted.

But, is the OS X firewall enough. I have "block UDP traffic" and "enable stealth mode" checked. is that sufficient?

besson3c · Jun 24, 2006, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by warra

yea that seemed to work, i moved the firewall folder out, and restarted.

But, is the OS X firewall enough. I have "block UDP traffic" and "enable stealth mode" checked. is that sufficient?

No firewall is this piece of voodoo that just sort of makes everything secure at the click of a button.

What sorts of traffic are you trying to keep out? What services are you running on your computer? What are your goals?

warra · Jun 24, 2006, 08:30 PM

honestly, nothing in particular, but I am using zonealarm suite 6 on my pc and i was looking for security up to par with that, unless its not necessary on os x.

besson3c · Jun 25, 2006, 12:29 AM

Originally Posted by warra

honestly, nothing in particular, but I am using zonealarm suite 6 on my pc and i was looking for security up to par with that, unless its not necessary on os x.

If you want security, you should learn about what a firewall does.

warra · Jun 25, 2006, 09:55 PM

ouch, haha alright, ill read up a bit.