Frequently Asked Questions
What is SELinux?
SELinux is a security feature in the Linux kernel that provides more fine grained access control compared to traditional file permissions. A centralized policy determines which software can access what resources. For example, network services can be confined to a particular port, Apache web service is restricted to be able to connect to only 80 by default.
Is it a firewall?
Though often confused with one, SELinux is not a firewall. A firewall controls the flow of traffic to and from a computer to the network. SELinux can confine access of programs within a computer and hence can be conceptually thought of a internal firewall between programs.
Is it useful on a desktop?
Yes. SELinux policies in Fedora were initially focused on network facing services. However several dozens of desktop software including Firefox, HAL, D-Bus etc are protected by default in current releases of Fedora.