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Using Samhain on Windows
This document aims to explain how to compile and run
samhain on Windows with the
Cygwin POSIX emulation layer, and how to install it as a service.
These instructions have been written by Kris Dom,
who has tested this on WinXP Professional, with additions by Geries Handal
and Jorge Morgado.
Interix / Services For UNIX
Samhain can also be used with Interix/SFU 3.5. Note that in Interix,
the Windows
filesystem is referred as /dev/fs/C, while in Cygwin it
is /cygdrive/c (both refers to the C: drive; other drives
are analogous).
Older versions of samhain would need to be built with
./configure --disable-mail (i.e. without support for email
logging) because Interix does not provide some of the required functionality
to build the email module. This issue should be fixed as of samhain
version 2.0.7 (not tested).
[Based on information kindly provided by Geries Handal].
Cygwin installation procedure to compile samhain
Cygwin download
-
Make a temporary directory to store cygwin installer (e.g. c:\temp\cygwin)
-
Surf to http://www.cygwin.com
to download cygwin
-
Use the "install or update now (using setup.exe)" to
download the installer in c:\temp\cygwin
-
Execute "setup.exe" in c:\temp\cygwin
-
Choose the "download from the Internet" option
-
Choose "c:\temp\cygwin" as 'Local Package Directory'
-
Choose an FTP site
-
Click on 'Default' just after 'All' to change the installation type
from 'Default' to 'Install'. This will most likely install way too much
stuff but I am not familiar with Cygwin, so this way I know that all libs and
compilers are installed.
-
Let it download the stuff (there is a lot to download so be patient).
You don't need to download and install All packages. It is enough to keep
the Default and then add the following additional packages:
Category Devel -> gcc: C compiler upgrade helper
Category Devel -> make: The GNU version of the 'make' utility
Category Libs -> minires: A simple synchronous non caching stub resolver
When selecting these packages, Cygwin installer will automatically add
other packages based on their dependencies.
The package minires is only necessary for a minimal Cygwin installation
(below). [Kindly pointed out by Jorge Morgado].
Cygwin installation
-
When the download is complete you have the Cygwin software in the
temporary directory, however, it still needs to be installed.
-
To install, execute the "setup.exe" in "c:\temp\cygwin"
-
Choose the "Install from local directory" option.
-
Choose "C:\Cygwin" as root directory (this will be the Unix '/')
-
Choose the Local Package Directory: "c:\temp\cygwin"
-
Click on 'Default' just after 'All' to change the installation type
from 'Default' to 'Install'.
-
Let it install Cygwin (this will take some time so be patient).
Samhain install procedure (used 'samhain 1.8.7a' in this procedure)
(in the following procedure I use my personal preferences)
-
Start up Cygwin using the "Cygwin" icon on the desktop (a classic
Unix environment will be started).
-
Download the 'samhain' gzip/tar (I always put in my home directory)
-
Make directories to install samhain (taking into account the configure
options):
$ mkdir /usr/local/sbin
$ mkdir /usr/local/var
$ mkdir /usr/local/log
$ mkdir /usr/local/tmp
- Go to the home directory:
$ cd $HOME
- Un-gzip and untar the samhain package:
$ gunzip samhain-1.8.7a.tar.gz
$ tar xvf samhain-1.8.7a.tar
- Go to the samhain directory:
$ cd samhain-1.8.7a
- Configure:
$ ./configure --enable-xml-log=yes --with-tmp-dir=/usr/local/tmp --with-config-file=/usr/local/etc/samhainrc --with-log-file=/usr/local/log/samhain.log --with-pid-file=/usr/local/var/samhain.pid --with-state-dir=/usr/local/var
In my experience, the paths given in the 'configure' command should refer to
the Cygwin filesystem view, i.e. /cygdrive/c/..., otherwise
samhain may not work from a pure DOS shell, and may not run as a Windows
service.
- Make the binary:
$ make
- Install samhain:
$ make install
- Now configure the "/usr/local/etc/samhainrc" file.
Remember: "C:\" -> "/cygdrive/c/"
- Initialize the samhain local baseline database:
$ /usr/local/sbin/samhain -t init
- Start it up:
$ /usr/local/sbin/samhain -t check
Cygwin minimal installation procedure to run samhain
-
Files needed to create a service (from NT/W2K Resource Kit):
-
First copy these files to the "%winnt%\system32" directory.
-
Files needed to run the 'samhain.exe'. Copy the following .dll from the
Cygwin setup (c:\Cygwin\bin) to the "%winnt%\system32" directory:
-
cygwin1.dll
-
cygminires.dll
-
Files needed from c:\Cygwin\bin to create the /etc/passwd and /etc/group files:
To generate these files on a minimal Cygwin installation execute - on a
Windows Command Prompt:
mkdir c:\etc
path\to\mkpasswd.exe -l > c:\etc\passwd
path\to\mkgroup.exe -l > c:\etc\group
IMPORTANT NOTE: You should re-create these two files, each time the
Windows users and groups accounts database changes. Failing to do this
might generate critical log messages (depending on your configuration
file).
-
Create a directory structure for samhain (following the compilation options
you used)
- in a DOS box (or via Windows Explorer)
mkdir c:\usr
mkdir c:\usr\local
mkdir c:\usr\local\sbin
mkdir c:\usr\local\var
mkdir c:\usr\local\tmp
mkdir c:\usr\local\log
mkdir c:\usr\local\etc
-
Use the "instsrv.exe" binary to create a new service:
instsrv.exe samhain c:\windows\system32\srvany.exe
(this will create a service called "Samhain" that will
start the "srvany.exe" process).
- Now edit the registry to change the startup parameters for the newly
created service:
- regedit
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE->SYSTEM->CurrentControlSet->Services->Samhain
- Add a String value (type: REG_SZ called: "Description") under the 'Samhain' key
- Open the newly created "Description" value and fill in a description for the 'Samhain' service
- Add a key to specify what file the "srvany.exe" process must start:
Edit->New->Key called "Parameters"
- Under the newly created "Parameters" key, add a new String
value called "Application".
The value for "Application"
should be "c:\usr\local\sbin\samhain.exe".
-
Make sure that in the "samhainrc" file, you have used
"/cygdrive/c" to refer to "c:"
-
Initialize the samhain baseline database first:
c:\usr\local\sbin\samhain -t init
-
Reboot (it is Windows so ...)
Also see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q137890/ for information regarding the creation of a
user-defined service.
Note: the first time I tried to install samhain as an NT service, I first
installed a default Cygwin on the system. This however made things much more
complex. I think when there is no Cygwin installed, it is more easy to install
Samhain as a service.
Troubleshooting samhain
[Rainer Wichmann] I had some problems at first getting it to run as a
Windows service. Some tips:
-
Running samhain from a pure DOS shell (outside the Cygwin environment)
helps to identify problems, in particular if it refuses to start
as a Windows service.
-
I found it neccessary to put the cygwin1.dll DLL into the
same directory as the samhain.exe executable. Also, you
can use the command ldd ./samhain.exe to identify further
Cygwin-specific DLL that may be required (if any).
-
Also, I found it neccessary to use Cygwin-style paths
(/cygdrive/c/...) in the './configure ..' command when
compiling samhain.
[Tip from Jorge Morgado] If you, like me, have a Windows server not part of any domain and (for
security reasons) you even turn off DNS resolution, you might probably get
the following error when initializing the baseline database:
--------- sh_unix.c --- 1487 ---------
According to uname, your nodename is yourcomputername, but your resolver
library cannot resolve this nodename to a FQDN.
Rather, it resolves this to yourcomputername.
For more information, see the entry about self-resolving under
'Most frequently' in the FAQ that you will find in the docs/ subdirectory
----------------------------------------------
To fix this problem open the Registry Editor and create the following
entries under the key
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters
Name: Domain
Type: REG_SZ
Data: your.domain.name
Name: NV Domain
Type: REG_SZ
Data: your.domain.name
The NV Domain registry value contains the computer's primary DNS suffix
while the Domain registry value contains the computer's primary DNS
domain. This will make the warning message go away.