IPCop is a Linux based firewall (networking) Linux distribution, which aims to provide a simple to manage firewall appliance based on IBM PC compatible hardware. IPCop is a Stateful firewall built on the Linux netfilter framework.

Originally a Fork (software) of the SmoothWall Linux firewall, the projects are developed independently, and have now diverged significantly.

IPCop is licensed under the GNU General Public License, and is developed, in traditional Open Source style, by a diverse development group spread across the Internet at large. CD-ROM ISO image for the installation CD are distributed via a network of mirror (computing). Support websites are maintained in English, French, German and Dutch. IPCop s user interface is available in 17 languages.

IPCop includes a simple, user managed, update mechanism to install security updates when required.

Although not an official part of IPCop, there are many addons, some based on the [http://firewalladdons.sourceforge.net/ Addon Server] and some not, that add lots of additional functionality to IPCop such as [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/QoS_2.5_-_Advanced_Traffic_Shaping_for_IPCop advanced QoS] , email virus checking, traffic summary, extended interfaces for controlling the proxy, and many more.

Development of IPcop continues. A significant new release, version 1.4.0, now based on the Linux From Scratch distribution, was released in October 2004, offering an updated user interface and a number of additional language options. Version 1.5 is currently in active development.

=See also=

*Comparison of Linux distributions

=External links=