LQWiki - User contributions [en]

Znew

2006-03-24T09:46:21Z

1143193786:

'''znew''' is a [[Linux]] [[command]] to recompress .Z files to .gz files.

Usages:
$ znew [''options''] ''filename''

'''DESCRIPTION'''
Znew recompresses files from .Z ([[compress]]) format to .gz ([[gzip]]) format. If you want to recompress a file already in gzip format, rename the file to force a .Z extension then apply znew.

==[[Command options|Options]]==

*<b>-f</b>: Force recompression from .Z to .gz format even if a .gz file already exists.
*<b>-t</b>: Tests the new files before deleting originals.
*<b>-v</b>: Verbose. Display the name and percentage reduction for each file compressed.
*<b>-9</b>: Use the slowest compression method (optimal [[compression]]).
*<b>-P</b>: Use [[pipe]]s for the conversion to reduce disk space usage.
*<b>-K</b>: Keep a .Z file when it is smaller than the .gz file

== See also ==
[[gzip]], [[zmore]], [[zdiff]], [[zgrep]], [[zforce]], [[gzexe]], [[compress]]

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PuTTY

2006-03-24T09:46:17Z

1143193786:

'''PuTTY''' is a [[free]] [[SSH]] and [[Telnet]] client for [[Windows]], but is now also available for [[UNIX]] systems including Linux. It is small and includes a [[terminal emulator]], which makes it ideal to use when you're stuck on a Windows machine, but need to access your Linux machine.

Besides PuTTY, there are also several companion tools available:

* PSCP -- PuTTY Secure Copy, a [[SCP]] client.
* PSFTP -- PuTTY [[sftp]] client
* Plink -- PuTTY Link, command line interface, useful in [[script]]s
* PuTTYgen -- generate SSH public and private keys
* Pageant -- SSH authentication agent for PuTTY, PSCP and Plink
* [[pterm]] -- PuTTY's terminal emulator for UNIX

For GUI [[SCP]] and [[SFTP]] client see [[Using_SSH#WinSCP_-_A_Windows_implementation_of_scp|WinSCP]]

==External links==
*[http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/ Homepage]
*[http://rc.vintela.com/topics/putty/ Patches for GSSAPI / Kerberos support on Windows]

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RPM

2006-03-24T09:46:09Z

1143193786:

'''RPM''' stands for [[RPM|'''R'''PM]] '''P'''ackage '''M'''anager. Depending on the context, RPM can mean either the rpm program, which manages installed software, or the file format it uses - ''rpm files''. The rpm file format is a container for distributing software as [[package|packages]], either in pre-compiled binary or [[source code]] form.

RPM packages are usually targeted at a particular [[distribution]] and [[CPU]] architecture. By convention this information is reflected in the filename. For example, the file foo-1.2.3-2.rh9.i386.rpm contains version 1.2.3 of the program foo, compiled for Intel 386 computers with Red Hat 9 in mind. If the cpu is given as ''noarch'' the program is not platform dependent and should run on any architecture. RPM files containing source code end ''.src.rpm'', although the distinction is not always clear with interpreted languages like [[Perl]].

RPM maintains a local database, which keeps track of all installed software.

RPM was developed by [[Red Hat]] and used to stand for [[Red Hat|'''R'''ed Hat]] '''P'''ackage '''M'''anager before it was changed to the [[recursive acronym]].

==Installing RPM Packages==
An RPM package can be installed either from an rpm file on the local filesystem, or from remote locations using [[apt]] or [[yum]]. Apt and yum download the file for you and pass it to the rpm program (see their pages for more instructions). Instructions here deal with using the rpm program directly.

The following examples assume that there is a file called 'nameOfPackage.rpm' in the current directory, and that you are at a root prompt.

To install an RPM package:

# rpm -ivh nameOfPackage.rpm

The command-line flags indicate (i)nstallation, (v)erbose reporting, and (h)ash marks printed to indicate progress. v and h are not necessary, but with them rpm outputs progress information during the install.

To upgrade a currently-installed package to a newer version:

# rpm -Uvh nameOfPackage.rpm

The command-line flags indicate (U)pgrading, (v)erbosity, and (h)ash marks.

Note that the -U switch will also install a package even if no prior version exists.

To install only if a prior version exists:

# rpm -Fvh nameOfPackage.rpm

The command-line flags indicate (F)reshen, (v)erbosity, and (h)ash marks.

This is useful if you've just e.g. downloaded all of the available updates for your distro, and you're not sure which packages you actually need to update. Just go into the directory with all the RPM files, and execute:

# rpm -Fvh *.rpm

Note: if you aren't sure what the ''''*.rpm'''' element of the command line refers to, please look at [[Filename Matching]].

If you come across a stray RPM package, and you want to know what it is:

# rpm -qpi nameOfPackage.rpm

In addition - you can get a list of all the installed packages on your system with:

# rpm -qa

N.B - The ''rpm -qa'' "command" is often used in conjunction with [[grep]] when you want to focus on a "specific" package:

# rpm -qa | grep -i <your_string>

==See also==
* [[URPMI]] or rpmdrake - This is [[Mandrake]]'s default package management program.
* [[RedCarpet]] - the RPM installer used by [[Ximian]].
* [[Synaptic]] - a powerful and easy to use GUI program manager.
* [[Up2date]] - GUI program manager in [[Redhat]] and [[Fedora]].

==External links==
* [http://www.rpm.org/ RPM home page]
* [http://www.rpm.org/RPM-HOWTO/ RPM HOW-TO]
* [http://rpmfind.net/ rpmfind]
* [http://freshrpms.net/ freshrpms]

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Free

2006-03-24T09:45:54Z

1143193786:

''This article concerns the concept of "Free" as it applies to software. There is also a Linux command [[free (command)|free]].''

The concept of "freedom", as it applies to software, is complicated because of the multiple uses of "free" in the English language. The difference between the multiple uses is often explained as [[free-as-in-beer]] and [[free-as-in-speech]]. Some have proposed the terms [[libre]] and [[gratis]] to eradicate potential confusion; as of this writing, this term has not caught on widely. A piece of software that is ''gratis'', or "free as in beer" is available at no cost. A piece of software that is ''libre'', or "free as in speech" is freely modifiable under a non-restrictive license.

According the Free Software Foundation[http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/free-sw.html], a piece of software is free if it permits the user the following freedoms:

#The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.
#The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to their needs. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
#The freedom to redistribute copies so they can help their neighbors.
#The freedom to improve the program, and release their improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

Note that, politically, ''free software'' and ''[[Open Source]] software'' are two separate movements, with separate but frequently overlapping goals.

*"Free Software" focuses on the political and ethical ramifications of keeping software free.

*"Open Source" tends to focus on more the more pragmatic advantages that come with open source, such as code quality and lower development costs.

To put this another way, the Free Software movement believes that non-libre software is inherently evil, and must be stopped. The Open Source movement believes that libre software is inherently better than non-libre software on purely technical merit, and will eventually win out over non-libre software anyway. Some members of the more corporate-focused Open Source movement, such as [[Eric Raymond]], dislike the "Free Software" label, because the gratis aspect has "communist" overtones that make FLOSS a hard sale in corporate board rooms.

An example of the two different approaches is illustrated by the debate over the [[LGPL]]. Different versions of the LGPL are the Lesser General Public License, and the Library General Public License. This relative of the [[GPL]] is less restrictive in its [[copyleft]] terms, and explicitly allows non-libre programs to [[dynamically link]] to LGPL [[library|libraries]], which the GPL is legally ambiguous on. Works derivived from LGPL materials can be licensed under either the LGPL or the GPL, but once released under the GPL, they cannot be released under the LGPL by a third party. If major libraries are licensed under the GPL, non-libre software would be effectively barred from the Linux platform. The Free Software discourages the use of the LGPL in order to discourage the development of non-libre software. The Open Source movement does not discourage the use of the LGPL, because porting non-libre software to Linux will make the platform more appealing to users, which will expose greater numbers of people to libre software.

Individual software packages are often referred to using either of the "Free" or "Open Source" terms, and the distinctiveness of the two approaches is further blurred by the increasing use of the term [[FOSS]], or 'Free and Open-Source Software' to refer to software that is both Free (as in speech) and Open-Source.

"FOSS" is a better term to describe programs satisfying its definition when only the practical effects are being considered, since the term can be defined once, without any unfortunate connotations.

The term [[FLOSS]], or '''F'''ree, '''L'''ibre, and '''O'''pen '''S'''ource '''S'''oftware is also gaining ground.

The [[Open Source Initiative]] maintains a list of dozens licenses which are considered compatible with the goals of the Open Source movement, including the [http://www.illusivecreations.com Design], [[GPL]] and [[LGPL]], [[BSD license|BSD]], [[Apache]], [[Mozilla MPL|Mozilla]], and [[SISSL]] licenses.

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