Linux Annoyances for Geeks

Linux Annoyances for Geeks

by Michael Jang
Released April 2006
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9780596008017

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Book description

GNU/Linux is an immensely popular operating system that is both extremely stable and reliable. But it can also induce minor headaches at the most inopportune times, if you're not fully up to speed with its capabilities.

A unique approach to running and administering Linux systems, Linux Annoyances for Geeks addresses the many poorly documented and under-appreciated topics that make the difference between a system you struggle with and a system you really enjoy. This book is for power users and system administrators who want to clear away barriers to using Linux for themselves and for less-trained users in their organizations.

This book meticulously tells you how to get a stubborn wireless card to work under Linux, and reveals little-known sources for wireless driversand information. It tells you how to add extra security to your systems, such as boot passwords, and how to use tools such as rescue disks to overcome overly zealous security measures in a pinch. In everyarea of desktop and server use, the book is chock full of advice based on hard-earned experience.

Author Michael Jang has spent many hours trying out software in a wide range of environments and carefully documenting solutions for the most popular Linux distributions. (The book focuses on Red Hat/Fedora, SUSE, and Debian.) Many of the topics presented here are previously undocumented or are discussed only in obscure email archives.

One of the valuable features of this book for system administrators and Linux proponents in general is the organization of step-by-step procedures that they can customize for naive end-users at their sites. Jang has taken into account not only the needs of a sophisticated readership, but the needs of other people those readers may serve.

Sometimes, a small thing for a user (such as being able to play a CD) or for an administrator (such as updating an organizations' systems from a central server) can make or break the adoption of Linux. This book helps you overcome the most common annoyances in deploying Linux, and trains you in the techniques that will help you overcome other problems you find along the way.

In keeping with the spirit of the Annoyances series, the book adopts a sympathetic tone that will quickly win you over. Rather than blaming you for possessing limited Linux savvy, Linux Annoyances for Geeks takes you along for a fun-filled ride as you master the system together.

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Table of contents

  1. Dedication
  2. Preface
    1.  
    2. Conventions Used in This Book
    3. Organization of This Book
    4. Using Code Examples
    5. Safari® Enabled
    6. How to Contact Us
    7. Acknowledgments
  3. 1. Configuring a Desktop Environment
    1. 1.1. I Want the Advantages of Both KDE and GNOME
      1. 1.1.1. Basics of GNOME
      2. 1.1.2. Basics of KDE
      3. 1.1.3. Configuring KDE Applications on a GNOME Menu
        1. 1.1.3.1. Customizing the GNOME menu
        2. 1.1.3.2. Sharing the custom GNOME menu
      4. 1.1.4. Configuring GNOME Applications on a KDE Menu
        1. 1.1.4.1. Customizing the KDE menu
        2. 1.1.4.2. Sharing the custom KDE menu
    2. 1.2. I Need a Custom Login Menu
      1. 1.2.1. Configuring the Preferred Login Menu
      2. 1.2.2. Customizing the GNOME Login Menu
        1. 1.2.2.1. General
        2. 1.2.2.2. Standard greeter
        3. 1.2.2.3. Graphical greeter
        4. 1.2.2.4. Security
        5. 1.2.2.5. Accessibility
        6. 1.2.2.6. XDMCP
        7. 1.2.2.7. Replicating login configuration to multiple systems
      3. 1.2.3. Customizing the KDE Login Manager
        1. 1.2.3.1. Appearance
        2. 1.2.3.2. Font
        3. 1.2.3.3. Background
        4. 1.2.3.4. Shutdown
        5. 1.2.3.5. Users
        6. 1.2.3.6. Convenience
    3. 1.3. I Can’t Configure a Standard Background
      1. 1.3.1. A Consistent Background
        1. 1.3.1.1. KDE backgrounds
        2. 1.3.1.2. GNOME backgrounds
      2. 1.3.2. A Secure Screensaver
        1. 1.3.2.1. GNOME screensavers
        2. 1.3.2.2. KDE screensavers
      3. 1.3.3. Going Further
    4. 1.4. I’d Like Desktop Icons for My Applications
      1. 1.4.1. KDE Desktop Icons
      2. 1.4.2. GNOME Desktop Icons
      3. 1.4.3. Special Problem: Customizing SUSE Desktop Icons
    5. 1.5. The Desktop Is Too Big for My Monitor
      1. 1.5.1. X Window Configuration
        1. 1.5.1.1. The X configuration file
        2. 1.5.1.2. xorgconfig/xf86config
      2. 1.5.2. Graphical X Configuration Tools
        1. 1.5.2.1. SUSE’s SAX
        2. 1.5.2.2. Fedora/Red Hat Display settings tool
        3. 1.5.2.3. Debian’s X configuration tool
        4. 1.5.2.4. GNOME’s X configuration tool
        5. 1.5.2.5. KDE’s X configuration tool
    6. 1.6. My Mouse Doesn’t Do What I Want
      1. 1.6.1. GNOME Mouse Preferences
      2. 1.6.2. KDE Mouse Preferences
      3. 1.6.3. The Scroll Wheel
    7. 1.7. My Users Mess Up Their Desktops
      1. 1.7.1. Disabling Changes on KDE
      2. 1.7.2. Restricting Actions on KDE
      3. 1.7.3. Disabling Changes on GNOME
        1. 1.7.3.1. Configuring system-wide GNOME desktop settings
      4. 1.7.4. Disabling Menu Items on GNOME
    8. 1.8. My CD/DVD Is Locked
      1. 1.8.1. Recommended /etc/fstab Defaults for a CD/DVD on a Server
      2. 1.8.2. Recommended Defaults for a CD/DVD on a Workstation
        1. 1.8.2.1. Modifying the GUI device-management tool
      3. 1.8.3. Getting the CD/DVD Out
    9. 1.9. I Can’t Get to the GUI
      1. 1.9.1. Packages Associated with the GUI
        1. 1.9.1.1. Fedora Core
        2. 1.9.1.2. Red Hat Enterprise Linux
        3. 1.9.1.3. Debian Linux
        4. 1.9.1.4. SUSE Linux
      2. 1.9.2. Making Configuration Files Point to the GUI
      3. 1.9.3. The X Font Server Is Not Running
      4. 1.9.4. Key Directories Are Full or Missing
    10. 1.10. User Downloads Are Overloading Workstations
      1. 1.10.1. Red Hat/Fedora
      2. 1.10.2. SUSE
      3. 1.10.3. Debian
    11. 1.11. I Need to Manage Sound Events
      1. 1.11.1. Red Hat/Fedora
      2. 1.11.2. SUSE
      3. 1.11.3. Debian and alsaconf
      4. 1.11.4. GNOME Sound Preferences
      5. 1.11.5. KDE Sound Management
  4. 2. Configuring User Workstations
    1. 2.1. I’m Afraid of Losing Data
      1. 2.1.1. The rsync Command
      2. 2.1.2. The Secure Shell Command
      3. 2.1.3. Backing Up Your Home Directory
      4. 2.1.4. Configuring SSH Without Passwords
      5. 2.1.5. Creating a cron Job for Your Backups
    2. 2.2. My Boss Insists on Real-Time Backups
      1. 2.2.1. RAID Basics
      2. 2.2.2. Tools for Software RAID
      3. 2.2.3. Typical RAID 1 Configuration
      4. 2.2.4. Networking RAID 1
    3. 2.3. I Lost Data When I Removed My Floppy/Memory Stick
      1. 2.3.1. Modifying /etc/fstab for Removable Media
      2. 2.3.2. Automatic Mounts
        1. 2.3.2.1. Customizing HAL
        2. 2.3.2.2. Disabling HAL on Red Hat/Fedora
      3. 2.3.3. Other Hotplug Update Methods
      4. 2.3.4. Configuring the Automounter for Removable Media
    4. 2.4. That Command Doesn’t Write to My DVD
      1. 2.4.1. DVD Standards and Packages
      2. 2.4.2. The KDE DVD Writer
      3. 2.4.3. Nautilus Also Writes to DVDs
    5. 2.5. I Don’t Remember Where That File Is
      1. 2.5.1. The find Command
      2. 2.5.2. The locate Command
      3. 2.5.3. GNOME File Search Tool
      4. 2.5.4. KDE File Search Tool
    6. 2.6. I Need to Search Within a Bunch of Files
      1. 2.6.1. The grep Command
      2. 2.6.2. Searching Within Files in GNOME
      3. 2.6.3. Searching Within Files in KDE
    7. 2.7. I Can’t Copy from the Command Line
      1. 2.7.1. Using Your History
      2. 2.7.2. Copying with the Middle Mouse Button
      3. 2.7.3. Adding a Directory to Your Path
        1. 2.7.3.1. Defining your current PATH
        2. 2.7.3.2. Adding to your PATH
    8. 2.8. How Do I Deal with Spaces and Odd Characters in Filenames?
      1. 2.8.1. Single Quotes
      2. 2.8.2. Double Quotes
      3. 2.8.3. Back Quotes
      4. 2.8.4. Escaping a Character
    9. 2.9. Users Are Complaining There’s No ZIP
      1. 2.9.1. Installing the Components
      2. 2.9.2. Helping Regular Users Zip Up
      3. 2.9.3. Zipping with the Archive Manager
      4. 2.9.4. Archiving and Zipping with Nautilus
  5. 3. Optimizing Internet Applications
    1. 3.1. Firefox Isn’t Working as It Should
      1. 3.1.1. Installing the Latest Version of Firefox
        1. 3.1.1.1. SUSE installations
        2. 3.1.1.2. Red Hat/Fedora installations
        3. 3.1.1.3. Debian installations
        4. 3.1.1.4. Tarball installations
      2. 3.1.2. Firefox Plug-ins
        1. 3.1.2.1. Installing Acrobat for Firefox
        2. 3.1.2.2. Installing Java for Firefox
      3. 3.1.3. Customize Firefox for Your Organization
        1. 3.1.3.1. General Preferences
        2. 3.1.3.2. Privacy Preferences
        3. 3.1.3.3. Web Features Preferences
        4. 3.1.3.4. Download Preferences
        5. 3.1.3.5. Advanced Preferences
      4. 3.1.4. Copying Preferences
    2. 3.2. I’m Drowning in Good Email
      1. 3.2.1. Filtering Spam with Evolution
        1. 3.2.1.1. Installing SpamAssassin
        2. 3.2.1.2. Activating spam filtering
        3. 3.2.1.3. Junk filters
        4. 3.2.1.4. Spam filters
    3. 3.3. I’m Having Trouble Converting from Outlook
      1. 3.3.1. Preparing Outlook
      2. 3.3.2. The Conversion Process
      3. 3.3.3. Configuring Evolution for Exchange
    4. 3.4. I’m Having Trouble Chatting on AIM, Yahoo!, or MSN
      1. 3.4.1. Gaim
      2. 3.4.2. Kopete
    5. 3.5. I Need a Simple Web Browser
      1. 3.5.1. Text Browsers
      2. 3.5.2. Other Graphical Browsers
    6. 3.6. I Keep Having to Start an FTP Download from Scratch
      1. 3.6.1. lftp
      2. 3.6.2. gFTP
      3. 3.6.3. Checksums
    7. 3.7. I Need to Connect via Modem (GUI Tools)
      1. 3.7.1. Key Tools
      2. 3.7.2. Scanning for Modems
      3. 3.7.3. Configuring KPPP
      4. 3.7.4. The AOL Problem
  6. 4. Setting Up Local Applications
    1. 4.1. So Many Options for Applications
      1. 4.1.1. Linux Application Libraries
      2. 4.1.2. Selection Criteria
      3. 4.1.3. Sample Applications Search: Office Suites
    2. 4.2. Microsoft Word Documents Don’t Work on Linux
      1. 4.2.1. Linux Word Processing
      2. 4.2.2. OpenOffice.org Writer Document Formats
      3. 4.2.3. OpenOffice.org Writer Capabilities
      4. 4.2.4. OpenOffice.org Writer on Microsoft Operating Systems
      5. 4.2.5. Installing Microsoft Word on Linux
    3. 4.3. I Need My Microsoft Office
      1. 4.3.1. Evaluating the OpenOffice.org Alternative
      2. 4.3.2. Excel Spreadsheets Are Not Readable
      3. 4.3.3. I Need My Microsoft Access
      4. 4.3.4. I Want My PowerPoint
      5. 4.3.5. I Miss My Front Page
    4. 4.4. I Can’t Read PDFs or PostScript Documents
      1. 4.4.1. Alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader
      2. 4.4.2. Creating Acrobat Files
      3. 4.4.3. Reading PostScript Documents
    5. 4.5. I Want My Quicken
      1. 4.5.1. KMyMoney
      2. 4.5.2. GNUCash
      3. 4.5.3. Personal Finance via CrossOver Office
      4. 4.5.4. Tax Software
    6. 4.6. I Need a Screenshot
      1. 4.6.1. The GIMP
      2. 4.6.2. Eye of GNOME
      3. 4.6.3. GNOME Panel Screenshot
      4. 4.6.4. KDE Viewers
      5. 4.6.5. KDE Snapshot
    7. 4.7. Making GUI File Managers Work for You
      1. 4.7.1. KDE Konqueror
        1. 4.7.1.1. Behavior
        2. 4.7.1.2. Appearance
        3. 4.7.1.3. Previews & Meta-Data
        4. 4.7.1.4. File Associations
        5. 4.7.1.5. Web Behavior
        6. 4.7.1.6. Java & JavaScript
        7. 4.7.1.7. Fonts
        8. 4.7.1.8. Web Shortcuts
        9. 4.7.1.9. History Sidebar
        10. 4.7.1.10. Cookies
        11. 4.7.1.11. Cache
        12. 4.7.1.12. Proxy
        13. 4.7.1.13. Cascading Stylesheets (CSS)
        14. 4.7.1.14. Crypto
        15. 4.7.1.15. Browser Identification
        16. 4.7.1.16. Plugins
        17. 4.7.1.17. Performance
      2. 4.7.2. GNOME Nautilus
        1. 4.7.2.1. Configuring Nautilus
        2. 4.7.2.2. Nautilus as an Internet file browser
    8. 4.8. I Need a Movie Viewer
      1. 4.8.1. Decryption Issues
      2. 4.8.2. Current DVD Decryption Software
      3. 4.8.3. Totem Movie Player
      4. 4.8.4. MPlayer
      5. 4.8.5. Kaffeine
  7. 5. Installation Annoyances
    1. 5.1. Linux Won’t Work with All My Hardware
      1. 5.1.1. Classifying Hardware
      2. 5.1.2. Certified Hardware
      3. 5.1.3. Compatible Hardware
      4. 5.1.4. Additional Linux-Compatible Hardware
      5. 5.1.5. Linux Hardware in the Works
      6. 5.1.6. Incompatible Hardware
    2. 5.2. I’m Having Trouble with Microsoft-Dependent Hardware
      1. 5.2.1. The winmodem
        1. 5.2.1.1. Plug and Play ISA
        2. 5.2.1.2. Plug and Play PCI
        3. 5.2.1.3. Testing your winmodem
        4. 5.2.1.4. Finding the driver for your chipset
      2. 5.2.2. The winprinter
    3. 5.3. Making That Laptop Sing with Linux
      1. 5.3.1. Laptops That Just Work
      2. 5.3.2. Laptop Hardware Challenges
      3. 5.3.3. Finessing a Laptop Installation
      4. 5.3.4. Display Issues
      5. 5.3.5. Post-Installation Laptop Configuration
        1. 5.3.5.1. A better Linux kernel?
        2. 5.3.5.2. Laptop CPUs
        3. 5.3.5.3. Laptop batteries
    4. 5.4. My Wireless Card Works on Another Operating System, but Not Linux
      1. 5.4.1. Identifying the Wireless Card
      2. 5.4.2. Finding Drivers
      3. 5.4.3. Installing Developmental Drivers
      4. 5.4.4. Compiling the Drivers
      5. 5.4.5. Starting the System
    5. 5.5. So Many Distributions, So Little Time
      1. 5.5.1. Alternative Distributions
      2. 5.5.2. Red Hat Enterprise Rebuilds
    6. 5.6. Downloading New Distributions Takes Too Long
      1. 5.6.1. Use a Mirror
      2. 5.6.2. Getting BitTorrent Help
    7. 5.7. Too Many Computers on Which to Install Linux
      1. 5.7.1. Configuring Kickstart
      2. 5.7.2. SUSE AutoYaST
        1. 5.7.2.1. Setting up AutoYaST installation media
    8. 5.8. I Need Help and Am Afraid of Asking Online
      1. 5.8.1. Selecting a Newsgroup or Mailing List
      2. 5.8.2. Signing Up for a Mailing List
      3. 5.8.3. Organizing a Newsgroup or Mailing-List Message
      4. 5.8.4. Posting Guidelines for Newsgroups and Mailing Lists
      5. 5.8.5. Flame Wars
      6. 5.8.6. Posting in Bugzilla
  8. 6. Basic Start Configuration
    1. 6.1. It Takes Too Long to Boot
      1. 6.1.1. Uninstalling Services
        1. 6.1.1.1. Uninstalling at the command line
        2. 6.1.1.2. Uninstalling with a GUI tool
        3. 6.1.1.3. Simplifying your system
        4. 6.1.1.4. Uninstalling services built from a tarball
      2. 6.1.2. Disabling Services
      3. 6.1.3. 4G/4G Kernel Issue
      4. 6.1.4. Network Mounts
    2. 6.2. Rooting Out the Bootloader
      1. 6.2.1. Managing GRUB
        1. 6.2.1.1. Red Hat’s GRUB
        2. 6.2.1.2. SUSE and GRUB
        3. 6.2.1.3. Debian’s GRUB
      2. 6.2.2. Working with LILO
    3. 6.3. Dual Boots Can Be Troublesome
      1. 6.3.1. Configuring a Linux Kernel Dual Boot
      2. 6.3.2. Configuring a Dual Boot with Microsoft Windows
      3. 6.3.3. Other Bootloaders
    4. 6.4. Dual-Boot Recovery
      1. 6.4.1. Rescuing with Red Hat or SUSE
      2. 6.4.2. Rescuing with Debian or Knoppix
      3. 6.4.3. Finding the Boot Partition
    5. 6.5. My Computer Won’t Stop Rebooting
      1. 6.5.1. The Computer Starts and Then Shuts Down
      2. 6.5.2. The Computer Starts and Then Reboots
      3. 6.5.3. Something Weird Happens During the Boot Process
    6. 6.6. User Passwords Are Too Weak
      1. 6.6.1. PAM Password Administration
      2. 6.6.2. PAM Options Related to Strong Passwords
    7. 6.7. I Lost the Root Password
      1. 6.7.1. Single-User Mode
      2. 6.7.2. Protecting Single-User Mode
        1. 6.7.2.1. Password-protecting GRUB
        2. 6.7.2.2. Password-protecting LILO
    8. 6.8. My Server Is So Secure I Can’t Log In as Root
      1. 6.8.1. Rescue Disks
        1. 6.8.1.1. Creating a Red Hat/Fedora rescue disk
        2. 6.8.1.2. Rescuing a Red Hat/Fedora system
        3. 6.8.1.3. Rescuing a SUSE system
        4. 6.8.1.4. The Debian from Scratch rescue
        5. 6.8.1.5. Using Knoppix
        6. 6.8.1.6. USB boot
    9. 6.9. There Are Too Many Ways to Log In
      1. 6.9.1. Restricting Remote Internet Services
        1. 6.9.1.1. Limiting Telnet access
        2. 6.9.1.2. Limiting FTP access
        3. 6.9.1.3. Limiting SSH access
      2. 6.9.2. Preventing Access via RADIUS, Modems, and Serial Ports
        1. 6.9.2.1. Limiting root logins via terminal
      3. 6.9.3. Using PAM to Control the Console
    10. 6.10. The Boss Told Me to Secure the Server Without Locking the Room
  9. 7. Kernel Itches and Other Configuration Annoyances
    1. 7.1. The Kernel Needs an Upgrade
      1. 7.1.1. Upgrading from a Package
      2. 7.1.2. Selecting a Source
      3. 7.1.3. Patching the Kernel
      4. 7.1.4. Sharpen Your Tools
    2. 7.2. Recompiling the Kernel
      1. 7.2.1. Configuring the Kernel
      2. 7.2.2. Preparing the Source for Fedora/Red Hat
      3. 7.2.3. Processing a Red Hat/Fedora or SUSE Kernel
      4. 7.2.4. Processing a Debian Kernel
    3. 7.3. I Can’t Boot Because of a Kernel Panic
      1. 7.3.1. Sample Panic Messages and Their Possible Meanings
      2. 7.3.2. Reviewing the Rescue Process After a Panic
      3. 7.3.3. Rescuing from a Kernel Panic
    4. 7.4. I Can’t Boot Because of Some “File Not Found” Error
      1. 7.4.1. Finding That File
    5. 7.5. I Need to Add a Custom Kernel Module
      1. 7.5.1. Check Installed Modules
      2. 7.5.2. Check Compiled Modules
      3. 7.5.3. Check the Kernel Source Code
      4. 7.5.4. Check Your Hardware Manufacturer
      5. 7.5.5. Making Sure Your Kernel Is Loaded
    6. 7.6. My Files Are on That Other Computer
      1. 7.6.1. Connecting with NFS
      2. 7.6.2. Connecting with Samba
      3. 7.6.3. Automating Mounts with the Automounter
        1. 7.6.3.1. NFS automouter share
        2. 7.6.3.2. Samba automouter share
    7. 7.7. Regular Users Can’t Mount the CD/DVD Drive
      1. 7.7.1. Configuring the Automouter
      2. 7.7.2. Setting Up Mounts by Regular Users
    8. 7.8. I’m Having Trouble Connecting to an Existing Network
      1. 7.8.1. Isolating the Problem
        1. 7.8.1.1. Basic loopback connections
        2. 7.8.1.2. Checking network interfaces
        3. 7.8.1.3. Checking connectivity
        4. 7.8.1.4. Checking names on your LAN
        5. 7.8.1.5. Checking names on the Internet
        6. 7.8.1.6. Firewalls
      2. 7.8.2. Physical Network Troubleshooting
      3. 7.8.3. Troubleshooting Network Services
      4. 7.8.4. Wireless Network Issues
        1. 7.8.4.1. iwevent
        2. 7.8.4.2. iwgetid
        3. 7.8.4.3. iwlist
        4. 7.8.4.4. iwconfig
    9. 7.9. I Need to Work with Microsoft-Formatted Partitions
      1. 7.9.1. Mounting Microsoft Partitions
      2. 7.9.2. Configuring Captive NTFS
  10. 8. System Maintenance
    1. 8.1. I Can’t Boot Because the Partition Is Corrupt
      1. 8.1.1. Symptoms of Corruption
      2. 8.1.2. Basic Checks with fsck
      3. 8.1.3. Finding Bad Blocks
      4. 8.1.4. Fixing Bad Blocks
    2. 8.2. My Hard Drive Is Failing and I Need a Backup—Fast
      1. 8.2.1. Symptoms
      2. 8.2.2. Configuring an Emergency Backup
    3. 8.3. A Windows User Reinstalled Windows on a Dual-Boot System
      1. 8.3.1. Restoring the Bootloader
      2. 8.3.2. Recovering from Backup
    4. 8.4. My /home Directory Is Too Small
      1. 8.4.1. Backing Up /home
      2. 8.4.2. Configuring a Logical Volume
        1. 8.4.2.1. Preparing a partition
        2. 8.4.2.2. Creating a physical volume
        3. 8.4.2.3. Creating a volume group
        4. 8.4.2.4. Growing a VG
        5. 8.4.2.5. Creating a LV
        6. 8.4.2.6. Configuring an LV as a partition
        7. 8.4.2.7. Expanding a LV
    5. 8.5. My Hard Drive Is Too Slow
      1. 8.5.1. Hard Drive Defaults
      2. 8.5.2. Adjusting Hard Drive Parameters
    6. 8.6. Find the Right Update Repository
      1. 8.6.1. Debian
      2. 8.6.2. SUSE
      3. 8.6.3. Fedora
      4. 8.6.4. Red Hat Enterprise Linux
    7. 8.7. Avoid Dependency Hell with yum
      1. 8.7.1. The yum Subcommands
      2. 8.7.2. Configuring a Nightly yum Update
      3. 8.7.3. Preparing Your Repository for Yum
    8. 8.8. Avoid Dependency Hell with apt
      1. 8.8.1. The apt Commands
        1. 8.8.1.1. apt-cache
        2. 8.8.1.2. apt-get
      2. 8.8.2. Configuring a Nightly apt Update
        1. 8.8.2.1. Keeping packages in apt
    9. 8.9. I Need Those Microsoft Applications on Linux
      1. 8.9.1. Find a Linux Port
      2. 8.9.2. Windows Inside a Virtual Machine
      3. 8.9.3. Wine
      4. 8.9.4. Configuring CrossOver Office
      5. 8.9.5. Working with Cedega
    10. 8.10. Keeping Up with Security
      1. 8.10.1. Fedora Core
      2. 8.10.2. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3/4
      3. 8.10.3. SUSE
      4. 8.10.4. Debian Security Updates
      5. 8.10.5. Other Packages
    11. 8.11. My Firewall Blocks My Internet Access
      1. 8.11.1. Basic iptables Commands
        1. 8.11.1.1. Masquerading
        2. 8.11.1.2. Blocking
        3. 8.11.1.3. Letting traffic through
        4. 8.11.1.4. Stopping the “ping of death”
      2. 8.11.2. Red Hat/Fedora
      3. 8.11.3. SUSE
      4. 8.11.4. Debian
  11. 9. Servicing Servers
    1. 9.1. Too Many Options for Services
      1. 9.1.1. Distribution Support
      2. 9.1.2. Functionality
      3. 9.1.3. Developer and User Support
      4. 9.1.4. Licensing
    2. 9.2. Users Need to Download Files
      1. 9.2.1. Configuring vsFTP
        1. 9.2.1.1. Red Hat/Fedora
        2. 9.2.1.2. SUSE
        3. 9.2.1.3. Debian
    3. 9.3. Users Are Still Demanding Telnet
      1. 9.3.1. Preparing Kerberos for Telnet
      2. 9.3.2. Secure Telnet
      3. 9.3.3. Secure Telnet Client
        1. 9.3.3.1. Debian Telnet client
        2. 9.3.3.2. SUSE Telnet client
        3. 9.3.3.3. Red Hat/Fedora Telnet client
      4. 9.3.4. Limiting Access to Particular Hosts
    4. 9.4. I Can’t Send out Email Because the ISP’s Server Is Down
      1. 9.4.1. Route Email Through a Different ISP
      2. 9.4.2. Create Your Own Email Server
        1. 9.4.2.1. Configuring outgoing sendmail on Red Hat
        2. 9.4.2.2. Configuring outgoing Postfix on SUSE
        3. 9.4.2.3. Configuring outgoing Exim on Debian
    5. 9.5. I Need Multiple Web Sites but Have Only One IP Address
      1. 9.5.1. Variations Among Distributions
      2. 9.5.2. Configuring a Virtual Host
        1. 9.5.2.1. Debian virtual hosts
        2. 9.5.2.2. SUSE virtual hosts
        3. 9.5.2.3. Red Hat/Fedora virtual hosts
    6. 9.6. I Can’t Remember Which Printer to Use
      1. 9.6.1. Installing CUPS
      2. 9.6.2. Configuring CUPS Printers
      3. 9.6.3. Sharing CUPS Printers
      4. 9.6.4. Configuring CUPS Administrators
        1. 9.6.4.1. Configuring CUPS for multiple administrators
        2. 9.6.4.2. Adding CUPS administrators
      5. 9.6.5. Organizing Printers by Classes
    7. 9.7. BIND Is Too Complex for My Growing Network
      1. 9.7.1. djbdns Components
      2. 9.7.2. Installing djbdns
      3. 9.7.3. Configuring djbdns
        1. 9.7.3.1. Configuring dnscache on one computer
        2. 9.7.3.2. Configuring tinydns on a second computer
    8. 9.8. The Windows Computers on My Network Don’t Show Up
      1. 9.8.1. Sharing from a Microsoft Computer
        1. 9.8.1.1. Is the Samba service running?
        2. 9.8.1.2. Does the Samba configuration make sense?
        3. 9.8.1.3. Do you have an account on a domain?
        4. 9.8.1.4. Have you consolidated account databases?
        5. 9.8.1.5. Is there a problem with the browse master?
      2. 9.8.2. Finding Microsoft-Networked Computers
      3. 9.8.3. Authorized Sharing
      4. 9.8.4. The net Commands
  12. 10. User Management
    1. 10.1. The Boss Wants to Set Up a Special Group of Users
      1. 10.1.1. The Standard User Scheme
      2. 10.1.2. The Red Hat User Private Group Scheme
      3. 10.1.3. Configuring a Special Group
    2. 10.2. There Are Too Many Users Accessing the Internet from the Office
      1. 10.2.1. Squid System Requirements
      2. 10.2.2. Installing Squid
      3. 10.2.3. Configuring Squid
      4. 10.2.4. Starting Squid
      5. 10.2.5. Connecting Clients
    3. 10.3. Some User Is Taking Too Much Disk Space
      1. 10.3.1. Space Management
      2. 10.3.2. Quotas in the Kernel
      3. 10.3.3. Installing Quota Packages
      4. 10.3.4. Quotas in Start Scripts
      5. 10.3.5. Quotas When Mounting
      6. 10.3.6. Quota Management Files
      7. 10.3.7. Quota Configuration Commands
      8. 10.3.8. Quota Grace Periods
      9. 10.3.9. Applying Quotas to Others
      10. 10.3.10. Quota Reports
    4. 10.4. Too Many Tasks, Too Few Qualified Administrators
      1. 10.4.1. Full sudo Privileges
        1. 10.4.1.1. Adding a user to /etc/sudoers
        2. 10.4.1.2. Securing with the wheel
        3. 10.4.1.3. Configuring sudo without passwords
        4. 10.4.1.4. Aliases in sudoers
      2. 10.4.2. Managing sudoers
        1. 10.4.2.1. Authorizing password changes
      3. 10.4.3. Disabling Root Logins
    5. 10.5. Former Employees Keep Accessing the Server
      1. 10.5.1. When an Employee Leaves
        1. 10.5.1.1. Transfer files and delete an account
        2. 10.5.1.2. Transferring an account
        3. 10.5.1.3. Managing email
      2. 10.5.2. When an Employee Leaves Temporarily
        1. 10.5.2.1. Disabling an account
        2. 10.5.2.2. Provide access to appropriate users
      3. 10.5.3. When an Employee Is Transferred
    6. 10.6. Securing by User
      1. 10.6.1. Securing by Service
        1. 10.6.1.1. Allowing user access on FTP
        2. 10.6.1.2. Allowing user access on Apache
      2. 10.6.2. Securing by Pluggable Authentication
  13. 11. Administration Tips
    1. 11.1. Too Many Computers to Update over the Internet
      1. 11.1.1. Available Mirror Tools
      2. 11.1.2. Basic Steps
      3. 11.1.3. Find the Best Update Mirror
      4. 11.1.4. Make Room for the Updates
      5. 11.1.5. Synchronize the Mirror
        1. 11.1.5.1. Synchronizing a Fedora mirror
        2. 11.1.5.2. Synchronizing a SUSE mirror
        3. 11.1.5.3. Synchronizing a Debian mirror
      6. 11.1.6. Making Your Mirror Work with Your Update System
        1. 11.1.6.1. Creating apt repository database files
        2. 11.1.6.2. Creating yum repository database files
      7. 11.1.7. Test a Local Update
      8. 11.1.8. Automate the Synchronization Process
      9. 11.1.9. Connecting Local Workstations
    2. 11.2. My Favorite Service Is Not Included with My Distribution
      1. 11.2.1. Check the Home Page for the Service
      2. 11.2.2. Explore Alternative Services
      3. 11.2.3. Look for a Third Party Who Has Built the Package for Your Distribution
      4. 11.2.4. Try Installing the Older Package
      5. 11.2.5. Install from Source Package, if Available in the Appropriate Format
      6. 11.2.6. Install from a Tarball
    3. 11.3. Configuring a Linux Gateway
      1. 11.3.1. IP Forwarding
        1. 11.3.1.1. Forwarding on an IPv4 network
        2. 11.3.1.2. Forwarding on an IPv6 network
      2. 11.3.2. IP Masquerading
      3. 11.3.3. Firewalls
    4. 11.4. My Other Computer Has No Monitor
      1. 11.4.1. Configure SSH
      2. 11.4.2. Limiting Access on the SSH Server
        1. 11.4.2.1. Limiting access by user
        2. 11.4.2.2. Specific network
        3. 11.4.2.3. Specific group
        4. 11.4.2.4. External access via firewall
      3. 11.4.3. Create Encryption Keys
      4. 11.4.4. SSH on the Client
    5. 11.5. I Need to Run an X Application Remotely
      1. 11.5.1. Configuring the SSH Server for X Access
      2. 11.5.2. Configuring the SSH Client for X Access
      3. 11.5.3. Remote SSH Access to GUI Applications
    6. 11.6. So Many Server Logs
      1. 11.6.1. Central Log Servers
      2. 11.6.2. Forwarding Server Logs to a Central Server
      3. 11.6.3. Logwatch Monitoring
        1. 11.6.3.1. Basic Logwatch configuration
        2. 11.6.3.2. Logwatch service configuration files
        3. 11.6.3.3. Logwatch log groups
        4. 11.6.3.4. Logwatch scripts
    7. 11.7. The Logs Are Overloading My Hard Drive
      1. 11.7.1. Logfile Partitions
      2. 11.7.2. Log Rotation Frequency
      3. 11.7.3. Deleting Old Logs
      4. 11.7.4. Create Jobs to Move Logs
    8. 11.8. Administration Is So Repetitive
      1. 11.8.1. Basic cron Jobs
      2. 11.8.2. Creating a cron Job
        1. 11.8.2.1. User-specific cron jobs
    9. 11.9. I Don’t Want to Work Late to Do That Special Job
      1. 11.9.1. Creating an at Job
      2. 11.9.2. Managing the Load of Your at Jobs
      3. 11.9.3. Batch Job Security
  14. Index
  15. About the Author
  16. Colophon
  17. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: Linux Annoyances for Geeks
  • Author(s): Michael Jang
  • Release date: April 2006
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9780596008017