Mark G. Sobell is President of Sobell Associates Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in UNIX/Linux training, support, and custom software development. He has more than twenty-five years of experience working with UNIX and Linux systems and is the author of many best-selling books, including A Practical Guide to Red Hat^® Linux^®, Third Edition; A Practical Guide to Linux^® Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming; and A Practical Guide to UNIX^® for Mac OS^® X Users (coauthored with Peter Seebach), all from Prentice Hall, and A Practical Guide to the UNIX System from Addison-Wesley.

Praise for A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux®

 

“I am so impressed by how Mark Sobell can approach a complex topic in such an understandable manner. His command examples are especially useful in providing a novice (or even advanced) administrator with a cookbook on how to accomplish real-world tasks on Linux. He is truly an inspired technical writer!”

–George Vish II, Senior Education Consultant, Hewlett-Packard Company

 

“Overall, I think it’s a great, comprehensive Ubuntu book that’ll be a valuable resource for people of all technical levels.”

–John Dong, Ubuntu Forum Council Member, Backports Team Leader

 

“The JumpStart sections really offer a quick way to get things up and running, allowing you to dig into the details of his books later.”

–Scott Mann, Aztek Networks

 

“Ubuntu is gaining popularity at the rate alcohol did during prohibition, and it’s great to see a well-known author write a book on the latest and greatest version. Not only does it contain Ubuntu-specific information, but it also touches on general computer-related topics, which will help the average computer user to better understand what’s going on in the background. Great work, Mark!”

–Daniel R. Arfsten, Pro/ENGINEER Drafter/Designer

 

“I read a lot of Linux technical information every day, but I’m rarely impressed by tech books. I usually prefer online information sources instead. Mark Sobell’s books are a notable exception. They’re clearly written, technically accurate, comprehensive-and actually enjoyable to read.”

–Matthew Miller, Senior Systems Analyst/Administrator, BU Linux Project, Boston University Office, of Information Technology

 

“I would so love to be able to use this book to teach a class about not just Ubuntu or Linux but about computers in general. It is thorough and well written with good illustrations that explain important concepts for computer usage.”

–Nathan Eckenrode, New York Local Community Team

 

Praise for Other Books by Mark Sobell

 

“I currently own one of your books, A Practical Guide to Linux^®. I believe this book is one of the most comprehensive and, as the title says, practical guides to Linux I have ever read. I consider myself a novice and I come back to this book over and over again.”

–Albert J. Nguyen

 

“Thank you for writing a book to help me get away from Windows XP and to never touch Windows Vista. The book is great; I am learning a lot of new concepts and commands. Linux is definitely getting easier to use.”

–James Moritz

 

“I have been wanting to make the jump to Linux but did not have the guts to do so-until I saw your familiarly titled A Practical Guide to Red Hat^® Linux^® at the bookstore. I picked up a copy and am eagerly looking forward to regaining my freedom.”

–Carmine Stoffo, Machine and Process Designer to pharmaceutical industry

 

“I am currently reading A Practical Guide to Red Hat^® Linux^® and am finally understanding the true power of the command line. I am new to Linux and your book is a treasure.”

–Juan Gonzalez

 

The Most Complete, Easy-to-Understand, and Useful Guide to Ubuntu Linux Desktops and Servers

 

Ubuntu Linux is a state-of-the-art operating system, and you need a book that’s just as advanced. Along with being the most comprehensive reference to installing, configuring, and working with Ubuntu, A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux^® also provides extensive server coverage you won’t find in any other Ubuntu book.

 

Best-selling author Mark Sobell begins by walking you through every feature and technique you need to know, from installing Ubuntu–using the DVD included with the book–to working with GNOME, Samba, exim4, Apache, DNS, NIS, firestarter, and iptables. Sobell’s exceptionally clear explanations demystify everything from system security to Windows file/printer sharing.

 

Sobell presents full chapters on using Ubuntu from the command line and GUI; thorough system administration and security guidance; and up-to-the-minute, step-by-step instructions for setting up networks and every major type of Internet server. Along the way, you’ll learn both the “hows” and the “whys” of Ubuntu. Sobell knows every Linux nook and cranny: He’s taught hundreds of thousands of readers and never forgets what it’s like to be new to Linux. Whether you’re a user, administrator, or programmer, this book gives you all you need–and more.

 

Don’t settle for yesterday’s Unbuntu Linux book...get the ONLY book that meets today’s challenges and tomorrow’s!

 

This book delivers… 

• Deeper coverage of the command line and the GNOME GUI, including GUI customization
• Coverage of important Ubuntu topics, such as sudo and the new Upstart init daemon
• More practical coverage of file sharing with Samba, NFS, and FTP
• More detailed, usable coverage of Internet server configuration, including Apache, exim4, and DNS/BIND
• More state-of-the-art security techniques, including firewall setup using firestarter and iptables, as well as a full chapter on OpenSSH and an appendix on security
• Deeper coverage of “meat-and-potatoes” system and network administration tasks–from managing users to CUPS printing, configuring LANs to building a kernel
• A more practical introduction to writing bash shell scripts
• Complete instructions on how to keep your Linux system up-to-date using aptitude, Synaptic, and the Software Sources window
• And much more...including a 500+ term glossary, five detailed appendixes, and a comprehensive index to help you find what you need fast

Print book includes DVD! Get the full version of the Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) release.

The Book

Whether you are an end user, a system administrator, or a little of both, this book explains with step-by-step examples how to get the most out of an Ubuntu Linux system. In 27 chapters, this book takes you from installing an Ubuntu system through understanding its inner workings to setting up secure servers that run on the system.

The Audience

This book is designed for a wide range of readers. It does not require you to have programming experience, although having some experience using a general-purpose computer, such as a Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, or another Linux system is certainly helpful. This book is appropriate for

• Students who are taking a class in which they use Linux
• Home users who want to set up and/or run Linux
• Professionals who use Linux at work
• System administrators who need an understanding of Linux and the tools that are available to them
• Computer science students who are studying the Linux operating system
• Programmers who need to understand the Linux programming environment
• Technical executives who want to get a grounding in Linux

Benefits

A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux® gives you a broad understanding of many facets of Linux, from installing Ubuntu Linux through using and customizing it. No matter what your background, this book provides the knowledge you need to get on with your work. You will come away from this book understanding how to use Linux, and this book will remain a valuable reference for years to come.

Overlap

If you read A Practical Guide to Linux® Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming, you will notice some overlap between that book and the one you are reading now. The first chapter, the chapters on the utilities and the filesystem, and the appendix on regular expressions are very similar in the two books, as are the three chapters on the Bourne Again Shell (bash). Chapters that appear in this book but do not appear in A Practical Guide to Linux® Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming include Chapters 2 and 3 (installation), Chapters 4 and 8 (Ubuntu Linux and the GUI), Chapter 10 (networking), all of the chapters in Part IV (system administration) and Part V (servers), and Appendix C (security).

Differences

While this book explains how to use Linux from a graphical interface and from the command line (a textual interface), A Practical Guide to Linux® Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming works exclusively with the command line. It includes full chapters on the vi and emacs editors, as well as chapters on the gawk pattern processing language and the sed stream editor. In addition, it has a command reference section that provides extensive examples of the use of more than 80 of the most important Linux utilities. You can use these utilities to solve problems without resorting to programming in C.

This Book Includes Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon (7.10) on a Live/Install DVD

This book includes a live/install DVD that holds the Gutsy Gibbon (7.10) release of Ubuntu Linux. You can use this DVD to run a live Ubuntu session that displays the GNOME desktop without making any changes to your computer: Boot from the DVD, run an Ubuntu live session, and log off. Your system remains untouched: When you reboot, it is exactly as it was before you ran the Ubuntu live session. Alternatively, you can install Ubuntu from the live session. Chapter 2 helps you get ready to install Ubuntu. Chapter 3 provides step-by-step instructions for installing Ubuntu from this DVD. This book guides you through learning about, using, and administrating an Ubuntu Linux session.

DVD Features

The included DVD incorporates all the features of the live/install Desktop CD as well as the Alternate and Server CDs. It also includes all software packages supported by Ubuntu. You can use it to perform a graphical or textual (command line) installation of either a graphical or a textual Ubuntu system. If you do not have an Internet connection, you can use the DVD as a software repository and install any supported software packages from it.

Features of This Book

This book is designed and organized so you can get the most out of it in the shortest amount of time. You do not have to read this book straight through in page order. Instead, once you are comfortable using Linux, you can use this book as a reference: Look up a topic of interest in the table of contents or index and read about it. Or think of the book as a catalog of Linux topics: Flip through the pages until a topic catches your eye. The book includes many pointers to Web sites where you can get additional information: Consider the Internet an extension of this book.

A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux® is structured with the following features:

• Optional sections enable you to read the book at different levels, returning to more difficult material when you are ready to delve into it.
• Caution boxes highlight procedures that can easily go wrong, giving you guidance before you run into trouble.
• Tip boxes highlight ways you can save time by doing something differently or situations when it may be useful or just interesting to have additional information.
• Security boxes point out places where you can make a system more secure. The security appendix presents a quick background in system security issues.
• Concepts are illustrated by practical examples throughout the book.
• Chapter summaries review the important points covered in each chapter.
• Review exercises are included at the end of each chapter for readers who want to further hone their skills. Answers to even-numbered exercises are available at www.sobell.com.
• The glossary defines more than 500 common terms.
• The chapters that cover servers include JumpStart sections that get you off to a quick start using clients and setting up servers. Once a server is up and running, you can test and modify its configuration as explained in the rest of the chapter.
• This book provides resources for finding software on the Internet. It also explains how to download and install software using Synaptic, aptitude, the GNOME Add/Remove Applications window, and BitTorrent. It details controlling automatic updates using the Update Notifier and the Update Manager window.
• This book describes in detail many important GNU tools, including the GNOME desktop, the Nautilus File Browser, the parted and gparted partition editors, the gzip compression utility, and many command line utilities that come from the GNU project.
• Pointers throughout the text provide help in obtaining online documentation from many sources, including the local system, the Ubuntu Web site, and other locations on the Internet.
• Many useful URLs point to Web sites where you can obtain software, security programs and information, and more.
• The comprehensive index helps you locate topics quickly and easily.

Key Topics Covered in This Book

This book contains a lot of information. This section distills and summarizes its contents. In addition, “Details” (starting on page xli) describes what each chapter covers. Finally, the table of contents provides more detail.

Installation

The book:

• Describes how to download Ubuntu Linux ISO images from the Internet and burn the Ubuntu live/install Desktop CD, the DVD, or the Ubuntu Alternate or Server installation CD.
• Helps you plan the layout of the system’s hard disk. It includes a discussion of partitions, partition tables, and mount points, and assists you in using the ubiquity or gparted graphical partitioner or the Ubuntu textual partitioner to partition the hard disk.
• Explains how to set up a dual-boot system so you can install Ubuntu Linux on a Windows system and boot either operating system.
• Describes in detail how to install Ubuntu Linux from a live/install Desktop CD or the live/install DVD using the ubiquity graphical installer. It also explains how to use the textual installer found on the Alternate CD, the Server CD, and the DVD. The graphical installer is fast and easy to use. The textual installer gives you more options and works on systems with less RAM (system memory).
• Covers testing an Ubuntu CD/DVD for defects, setting boot command line parameters (boot options), and creating a RAID array.
• Covers the details of installing and customizing the X.org version of the X Window System either graphically using the Screen and Graphics Preferences window or manually with a text editor.

Working with Ubuntu Linux

The book:

• Introduces the GNOME desktop (GUI) and explains how to use desktop tools, including the Top and Bottom panels, panel objects, the Main menu, object context menus, the Workspace Switcher, the Nautilus File Browser, and the GNOME Terminal emulator.
• Explains how to use the Appearance Preferences window to add and modify themes to customize your desktop to please your senses and help you work more efficiently.
• Details how to set up 3D desktop visual effects that take advantage of Compiz Fusion.
• Covers the Bourne Again Shell (bash) in three chapters, including an entire chapter on shell programming that includes many sample shell scripts. These chapters provide clear explanations and extensive examples of how bash works both from the command line in day-to-day work and as a programming language to write shell scripts.
• Explains the textual (command line) interface and introduces more than 30 command line utilities.
• Presents a tutorial on the vim textual editor.
• Covers types of networks, network protocols, and network utilities.
• Explains hostnames, IP addresses, and subnets, and explores how to use host and dig to look up domain names and IP addresses on the Internet.
• Covers distributed computing and the client/server model.
• Explains how to use ACLs (Access Control Lists) to fine-tune user access permissions.

System Administration

The book:

• Explains how to use the Ubuntu graphical and textual (command line) tools to configure the display, DNS, NFS, Samba, Apache, a firewall, a network interface, and more. You can also use these tools to add users and manage local and remote printers.
• Goes into detail about using sudo to allow specific users to work with root privileges (become Superuser) and customizing the way sudo works by editing the sudoers configuration file. It also explains how you can unlock the root account if necessary.
• Describes how to use the following tools to download and install software to keep a system up-to-date and to install new software:
• The Software Sources window controls which Ubuntu and third-party software repositories Ubuntu downloads software packages from and whether Ubuntu downloads updates automatically. You can also use this window to cause Ubuntu to download and install security updates automatically.
• If you do not have an Internet connection, you can use the Software Sources window to set up the DVD included with this book as a software repository. You can then install any software packages that Ubuntu supports from this repository.
• Based on how you set up updates in the Software Sources window, the Update Notifier pops up on the desktop to let you know when software updates are available. Click the Update Notifier to open the Update Manager window, from which you can download and install updates.
• The Add/Remove Applications window provides an easy way to select, download, and install a wide range of software packages.
• Synaptic allows you to search for, install, and remove software packages. It gives you more ways to search for packages than does the Add/Remove Applications window.
• APT downloads and installs software packages from the Internet (or the included DVD), keeping a system up-to-date and resolving dependencies as it processes the packages. You can use APT from a graphical interface (Synaptic) or from several textual interfaces (e.g., aptitude and apt-get).
• BitTorrent is a good choice for distributing large amounts of data such as the Ubuntu installation DVD and CDs. The more people who use BitTorrent to download a file, the faster it works.
• Covers graphical system administration tools, including the many tools available from the GNOME Main menu.
• Explains system operation, including the boot process, init scripts, recovery (single-user) and multiuser modes, and steps to take if the system crashes.
• Describes how to use and program the new Upstart init daemon, which replaces the System V init daemon.
• Describes files, directories, and filesystems, including types of files and filesystems, fstab (the filesystem table), and automatically mounted filesystems, and explains how to fine-tune and check the integrity of filesystems.
• Covers backup utilities, including tar, cpio, dump, and restore.
• Describes compression/archive utilities, including gzip, bzip2, compress, and zip.
• Explains how to customize and build a Linux kernel.

Security

The book:

• Helps you manage basic system security issues using ssh (secure shell), vsftpd (secure FTP server), Apache (Web server), iptables (firewalls), and more.
• Covers using firestarter to share an Internet connection over a LAN, run a DHCP server, and set up a basic firewall to protect the system.
• Provides instructions on using iptables to share an Internet connection over a LAN and to build advanced firewalls.
• Describes how to set up a chroot jail to help protect a server system.
• Explains how to use TCP wrappers to control who can access a server.

Clients and Servers

The book:

• Explains how to set up and use the most popular Linux servers, providing a chapter on each: Apache, Samba, OpenSSH, exim4, DNS, NFS, FTP, firestarter and iptables, and NIS (all of which are supported by Ubuntu Linux).
• Describes how to set up a CUPS printer server.
• Describes how to set up and use a DHCP server either by itself or from firestarter.

Programming

The book:

• Provides a full chapter covering shell programming using bash, including many examples.

Details

Chapter 1 presents a brief history of Linux and explains some of the features that make it a cutting-edge operating system. The “Conventions Used in This Book” (page 17) section details the typefaces and terminology this book uses.

Part I

Part I, “Installing Ubuntu Linux,” discusses how to install Ubuntu Linux. Chapter 2 presents an overview of the process of installing Ubuntu Linux, including hardware requirements, downloading and burning a CD or DVD, and planning the layout of the hard disk. Chapter 3 is a step-by-step guide to installing Ubuntu Linux from a CD or DVD, using the graphical or textual installer. It also shows how to set up the X Window System and customize your desktop (GUI).

Part II

Part II, “Getting Started with Ubuntu Linux,” familiarizes you with Ubuntu Linux, covering logging in, the GUI, utilities, the filesystem, and the shell. Chapter 4 introduces desktop features, including the Top and Bottom panels and the Main menu; explains how to use the Nautilus File Browser to manage files, run programs, and connect to FTP and HTTP servers; covers finding documentation, dealing with login problems, and using the window manager; and presents some suggestions on where to find documentation, including manuals, tutorials, software notes, and HOWTOs. Chapter 5 introduces the shell command line interface, describes more than 30 useful utilities, and presents a tutorial on the vim text editor. Chapter 6 discusses the Linux hierarchical filesystem, covering files, filenames, pathnames, working with directories, access permissions, and hard and symbolic links. Chapter 7 introduces the Bourne Again Shell (bash) and discusses command line arguments and options, redirecting input to and output from commands, running programs in the background, and using the shell to generate and expand filenames.

TIP: Experienced users may want to skim Part IIIf you have used a UNIX or Linux system before, you may want to skim or skip some or all of the chapters in Part II. Part I has two sections that all readers should take a look at: “Conventions Used in This Book” (page 17), which explains the typographic and layout conventions used in this book, and “Where to Find Documentation” (page 124), which points out both local and remote sources of Linux and Ubuntu documentation.

Part III

Part III, “Digging into Ubuntu Linux,” goes into more detail about working with the system. Chapter 8 discusses the GUI (desktop) and includes a section on how to run a graphical program on a remote system and have the display appear locally. The section on GNOME describes several GNOME utilities, including the new Deskbar applet, and goes into more depth about the Nautilus File Browser. Chapter 9 extends the bash coverage from Chapter 7, explaining how to redirect error output, avoid overwriting files, and work with job control, processes, startup files, important shell builtin commands, parameters, shell variables, and aliases. Chapter 10 explains networks, network security, and the Internet and discusses types of networks, subnets, protocols, addresses, hostnames, and various network utilities. The section on distributed computing describes the client/server model and some of the servers you can use on a network. Chapter 11 goes into greater depth about shell programming using bash, with the discussion enhanced by extensive examples. Details of setting up and using clients and servers are reserved until Part V.

Part IV

Part IV covers system administration. Chapter 12 discusses core concepts such as the use of sudo, working with root privileges, system operation, chroot jails, TCP wrappers, general information about how to set up a server, DHCP, and PAM. Chapter 13 explains the Linux filesystem, going into detail about types of files, including special and device files; the use of fsck to verify the integrity of and repair filesystems; and the use of tune2fs to change filesystem parameters. Chapter 14 explains how to keep a system up-to-date by downloading software from the Internet and installing it, including examples of using APT programs such as aptitude, apt-get, and apt-cache. It also covers the dpkg software packaging system and the use of some dpkg utilities. Finally, it explains how to use BitTorrent from the command line to download files. Chapter 15 explains how to set up the CUPS printing system so you can print on both local and remote systems. Chapter 16 details customizing and building a Linux kernel. Chapter 17 covers additional administration tasks, including setting up user accounts, backing up files, scheduling automated tasks, tracking disk usage, and solving general problems. Chapter 18 explains how to set up a local area network (LAN), including both hardware (including wireless) and software configuration.

Part V

Part V goes into detail about setting up and running servers and connecting to them with clients. Where appropriate, these chapters include JumpStart sections that get you off to a quick start in using clients and setting up servers. The chapters in Part V cover the following clients/servers:

• OpenSSH: Set up an OpenSSH server and use ssh, scp, and sftp to communicate securely over the Internet.
• FTP: Set up a vsftpd secure FTP server and use any of several FTP clients to exchange files with the server.
• Mail: Configure exim4 and use Webmail, POP3, or IMAP to retrieve email; use SpamAssassin to combat spam.
• NIS: Set up NIS to facilitate system administration of a LAN.
• NFS: Share filesystems between systems on a network.
• Samba: Share filesystems and printers between Windows and Linux systems.
• DNS/BIND: Set up a domain nameserver to let other systems on the Internet know the names and IP addresses of local systems they may need to contact.
• firestarter and iptables: Share a single Internet connection between systems on a LAN, run a DHCP server, and set up a firewall to protect local systems.
• Apache: Set up an HTTP server that serves Web pages that browsers can display. This chapter includes many suggestions for increasing Apache security.

Part VI

Part VI includes appendixes on regular expressions, helpful Web sites, system security, and free software. This part also includes an extensive glossary with more than 500 entries plus a comprehensive index.

Supplements

The author’s home page (www.sobell.com) contains downloadable listings of the longer programs from this book as well as pointers to many interesting and useful Linux sites on the World Wide Web, a list of corrections to the book, answers to even-numbered exercises, and a solicitation for corrections, comments, and suggestions.

Preface  xxxvi

 

Chapter 1: Welcome to Linux  1

The GNU—Linux Connection 2

The Linux 2.6 Kernel 5

The Heritage of Linux: UNIX 5

What Is So Good About Linux? 6

Overview of Linux 10

Additional Features of Linux 15

Conventions Used in This Book 17

Chapter Summary 20

Exercises 20

 

PART I: Installing Ubuntu Linux  21

 

Chapter 2: Installation Overview  23

The Live/Install Desktop CD/DVD 24

More Information 24

Planning the Installation 25

The Installation Process 36

Downloading and Burning a CD/DVD 37

Gathering Information About the System 41

Chapter Summary 42

Exercises 43

Advanced Exercises 43

 

Chapter 3: Step-by-Step Installation  45

Basic Installation from the Live/Install Desktop CD/DVD 46

Graphical Partitioners 53

Upgrading to a New Release 59

Installing KDE 60

Setting Up a Dual-Boot System 61

Advanced Installation 62

The X Window System 74

Chapter Summary 83

Exercises 83

Advanced Exercises 84

 

PART II: Getting Started with Ubuntu Linux  85

 

Chapter 4: Introduction to Ubuntu Linux     87

Curbing Your Power: root Privileges/sudo 88

A Tour of the Ubuntu Linux Desktop 89

Getting the Most out of the Desktop 105

Updating, Installing, and Removing Software Packages 119

Where to Find Documentation 124

More About Logging In 132

Working from the Command Line 136

Controlling Windows: Advanced Operations 139

Chapter Summary 142

Exercises 143

Advanced Exercises 144

 

Chapter 5: The Linux Utilities  145

Special Characters 146

Basic Utilities 147

Working with Files 149

(Pipe): Communicates Between Processes 156

Four More Utilities 157

Compressing and Archiving Files 159

Locating Commands 164

Obtaining User and System Information 166

Communicating with Other Users 170

Email 171

Tutorial: Creating and Editing a File with vim 172

Chapter Summary 179

Exercises 181

Advanced Exercises 182

 

Chapter 6: The Linux Filesystem  183

The Hierarchical Filesystem 184

Directory Files and Ordinary Files 184

Pathnames 189

Directory Commands 191

Working with Directories 196

Access Permissions 199

ACLs: Access Control Lists 203

Links 209

Chapter Summary 214

Exercises 216

Advanced Exercises 218

 

Chapter 7: The Shell  219

The Command Line 220

Standard Input and Standard Output 226

Running a Program in the Background 237

Filename Generation/Pathname Expansion 239

Builtins 243

Chapter Summary 244

Exercises 245

Advanced Exercises 247

 

PART III: Digging into Ubuntu Linux  249

 

Chapter 8: Linux GUIs: X and GNOME  251

X Window System 252

The Nautilus File Browser Window 260

GNOME Utilities 266

Chapter Summary 271

Exercises 272

Advanced Exercises 272

 

Chapter 9: The Bourne Again Shell  275

Background 276

Shell Basics 277

Parameters and Variables 295

Special Characters 309

Processes 310

History 312

Aliases 328

Functions 331

Controlling bash Features and Options 334

Processing the Command Line 338

Chapter Summary 347

Exercises 349

Advanced Exercises 351

 

Chapter 10: Networking and the Internet  353

Types of Networks and How They Work 355

Communicate Over a Network 370

Network Utilities 372

Distributed Computing 379

Usenet 388

WWW: World Wide Web 390

Chapter Summary 392

Exercises 393

Advanced Exercises 394

 

Chapter 11: Programming the Bourne Again Shell  395

Control Structures 396

File Descriptors 429

Parameters and Variables 432

Builtin Commands 444

Expressions 458

Shell Programs 466

Chapter Summary 476

Exercises 478

Advanced Exercises 480

 

PART IV: System Administration  483

 

Chapter 12: System Administration: Core Concepts  485

Running Commands with root Privileges 487

The Upstart Event-Based init Daemon 500

System Operation 510

Avoiding a Trojan Horse 520

Getting Help 522

Textual System Administration Utilities 522

Setting Up a Server 527

nsswitch.conf: Which Service to Look at First 542

PAM 545

Chapter Summary 550

Exercises 551

Advanced Exercises 551

 

Chapter 13: Files, Directories, and Filesystems  553

Important Files and Directories 554

File Types 566

Filesystems 570

Chapter Summary 580

Exercises 580

Advanced Exercises 581

 

Chapter 14: Downloading and Installing Software  583

JumpStart: Installing and Removing Packages Using aptitude 585

Finding the Package That Holds a File You Need 587

APT: Keeps the System Up-to-Date 588

dpkg: The Debian Package Management System 598

BitTorrent 604

Installing Non-dpkg Software 607

wget: Downloads Files Noninteractively 609

Chapter Summary 610

Exercises 610

Advanced Exercises 610

 

Chapter 15: Printing with CUPS  611

Introduction 612

JumpStart I: Configuring a Local Printer 614

system-config-printer: Configuring a Printer 614

JumpStart II: Configuring a Remote Printer Using the CUPS Web Interface 618

Traditional UNIX Printing 622

Configuring Printers 624

Printing from Windows 630

Printing to Windows 632

Chapter Summary 633

Exercises 633

Advanced Exercises 633

 

Chapter 16: Building a Linux Kernel  635

Prerequisites 636

Downloading the Kernel Source Code 637

Read the Documentation 638

Configuring and Compiling the Linux Kernel 639

Installing the Kernel, Modules, and Associated Files 646

Rebooting 647

grub: The Linux Boot Loader 647

dmesg: Displays Kernel Messages 654

Chapter Summary 655

Exercises 656

Advanced Exercises 656

 

Chapter 17: Administration Tasks  657

Configuring User and Group Accounts 658

Backing Up Files 662

Scheduling Tasks 668

System Reports 671

parted: Reports on and Partitions a Hard Disk 673

Keeping Users Informed 677

Creating Problems 678

Solving Problems 679

Chapter Summary 690

Exercises 690

Advanced Exercises 691

 

Chapter 18: Configuring a LAN      693

Setting Up the Hardware 694

Configuring the Systems 697

Setting Up Servers 702

More Information 703

Chapter Summary 703

Exercises 704

Advanced Exercises 704

 

PART V: Using Clients and Setting Up Servers  705

 

Chapter 19: OpenSSH: Secure Network Communication  707

Introduction 708

About OpenSSH 708

OpenSSH Clients 711

sshd: OpenSSH Server 720

Troubleshooting 724

Tunneling/Port Forwarding 725

Chapter Summary 727

Exercises 728

Advanced Exercises 728

 

Chapter 20: FTP: Transferring Files Across a Network  729

Introduction 730

More Information 731

FTP Client 731

FTP Server (vsftpd) 740

Chapter Summary 753

Exercises 753

Advanced Exercises 754

 

Chapter 21: exim4: Setting Up Mail Servers, Clients, and More  755

Introduction to exim4 756

JumpStart I: Configuring exim4 to Use a Smarthost 758

JumpStart II: Configuring exim4 to Send and Receive Email 760

How exim4 Works 761

Configuring exim4 765

SpamAssassin 768

Additional Email Tools 772

Authenticated Relaying 777

Alternatives to exim4 779

Chapter Summary 779

Exercises 780

Advanced Exercises 780

 

Chapter 22: NIS: Network Information Service     781

Introduction to NIS 782

How NIS Works 782

Setting Up an NIS Client 784

Setting Up an NIS Server 790

Chapter Summary 798

Exercises 798

Advanced Exercises 798

 

Chapter 23: NFS: Sharing Filesystems  799

Introduction 800

More Information 802

Setting Up an NFS Client 802

Setting Up an NFS Server 808

automount: Mounts Directory Hierarchies on Demand 818

Chapter Summary 821

Exercises 822

Advanced Exercises 822

 

Chapter 24: Samba: Linux and Windows File and Printer Sharing  823

Introduction 824

About Samba 825

JumpStart: Configuring a Samba Server Using shares-admin 826

swat: Configures a Samba Server 828

smb.conf: Manually Configuring a Samba Server 832

Accessing Linux Shares from Windows 838

Accessing Windows Shares from Linux 839

Troubleshooting 841

Chapter Summary 844

Exercises 844

Advanced Exercises 844

 

Chapter 25: DNS/BIND: Tracking Domain Names and Addresses  845

Introduction to DNS 846

About DNS 857

JumpStart: Setting Up a DNS Cache 858

Setting Up BIND 860

Troubleshooting 872

A Full-Functioned Nameserver 873

A Slave Server 877

A Split Horizon Server 878

Chapter Summary 883

Exercises 883

Advanced Exercises 884

 

Chapter 26: firestarter and iptables: Setting Up a Firewall  885

About firestarter 886

JumpStart: Building a Firewall Using the firestarter Firewall Wizard 888

firestarter: Maintains a Firewall 890

How iptables Works 896

About iptables 899

Anatomy of an iptables Command 900

Building a Set of Rules 901

Copying Rules to and from the Kernel 907

Sharing an Internet Connection Using NAT 908

Chapter Summary 912

Exercises 913

Advanced Exercises 913

 

Chapter 27: Apache: Setting Up a Web Server  915

Introduction 916

About Apache 917

JumpStart: Getting Apache Up and Running 919

Configuring Apache 921

Configuration Directives 925

The Ubuntu apache2.conf File 948

The Ubuntu default Configuration File 950

Redirects 951

Content Negotiation 951

Server-Generated Directory Listings (Indexing) 953

Virtual Hosts 953

Troubleshooting 956

Modules 957

webalizer: Analyzes Web Traffic 964

MRTG: Monitors Traffic Loads 964

Error Codes 964

Chapter Summary 965

Exercises 966

Advanced Exercises 966

 

PART VI: Appendixes 969

 

Appendix A: Regular Expressions  971

Characters 972

Delimiters 972

Simple Strings 972

Special Characters 972

Rules 975

Bracketing Expressions 976

The Replacement String 976

Extended Regular Expressions 977

Appendix Summary 979

 

Appendix B: Help  981

Solving a Problem 982

Finding Linux-Related Information 983

Specifying a Terminal 988

 

Appendix C: Security  991

Encryption 992

File Security 997

Email Security 997

Network Security 998

Host Security 1001

Security Resources 1006

Appendix Summary 1009

 

Appendix D: The Free Software Definition  1011

 

Appendix E: The Linux 2.6 Kernel  1015

Native Posix Thread Library (NPTL) 1016

IPSecurity (IPSec) 1016

Asynchronous I/O (AIO) 1016

O(1) Scheduler 1017

OProfile 1017

kksymoops 1017

Reverse Map Virtual Memory (rmap VM) 1017

HugeTLBFS: Translation Look-Aside Buffer Filesystem 1018

remap_file_pages 1018

2.6 Network Stack Features (IGMPv3, IPv6, and Others) 1018

Internet Protocol Virtual Server (IPVS) 1019

Access Control Lists (ACLs) 1019

4GB-4GB Memory Split: Physical Address Extension (PAE) 1019

Scheduler Support for HyperThreaded CPUs 1019

Block I/O (BIO) Block Layer 1019

Support for Filesystems Larger Than 2 Terabytes 1020

New I/O Elevators 1020

Interactive Scheduler Response Tuning 1020

 

Glossary  1021

Index  1071

Publisher: Pearson Education
Distributor: Pearson Education
Publication Date: 12-18-2007
Pages: 1200
Measurements: 9.25in X 7.4in X 2.2in X 1821gr