How can I disable the firewall on SLES?

Believe it or not, there are valid reasons why you might want to disable the firewall service on a Suse Linux Enterprise Server (SLES).  For instance, avoiding NCP time-outs on client connections for an OES/SLES server.  If you just want to know how to disable the firewall in most modern incarnations of SLES, read on…

The examples given here are assuming you are remote to the server.  Of course, you could do all of this locally on the console, or adapt my instructions to the gui “Yast2”, but I’m going non-gui here for simplicity.

First, shell into the box, and su to root.

Method 1:

Launch the Yast non-gui firewall module:
yast firewall

To change to startup setting to “Manually”:
Alt + m

Optionally, to stop the service right now if running:
Alt + t

To complete the change:
Alt + n

To accept and finish:
Alt + a

Method 2:

To disable the service at next startup:
chkconfig SuSEfirewall2_setup off

Optionally, to stop the service right now if running:
rcSuSEfirewall2 stop

I hope that helps!  Now, if you want to argue about how one should never disable the firewall, drop me a line…

😉

6 Comments

  1. Prasath

    Thx.. for posting these cmd’s as it got help form this. 🙂

  2. ForNever

    Much appreciated. I have to turn off the firewall in order for ip cameras to be recorded on a vitual media surveillance servers running sles. THANK YOU.

  3. Alex

    Hi Jeremy:

    Thank you very much for recommendation how to disable firewall
    on SLES (version 10.0), ‘Method 1’. I think it’s possible to write
    some small script to include 4 steps.

    I like better Ubuntu, but I have to keep SuSE as it supports 3D monitor ‘IIyama MAD203DT D”. I am not sure that Ubuntu-12.04 will
    support 3D monitor.

    Best regards,
    Alex

  4. Jeremy Pavlov

    @ Alex

    I like your way of thinking… I try to script everything! I wish I could script getting dressed… or eating…

    -Jeremy

  5. james hartley

    ok, here one reason you want the firewall disabled,, teaching the fundementals of routing and networking where you do not need the firewall getting in the way of the basics.

    having something working on your behalf without your knowledge or consent violates Unix philosophy, and gets in the way of training.

    so there 🙂

  6. Peter

    no one should ever disable the firewall; it should ship disabled by default.

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