LQWiki - User contributions [en]

Libtool

2004-04-20T05:08:26Z

BillGarrett: hahaha, I'm so clever, use no linebreaks this time.

From the [[info]] page for '''libtool''':

:In the past, if a source code package developer wanted to take advantage of the power of shared libraries, he needed to write custom support code for each platform on which his package ran. He also had to design a configuration interface so that the package installer could choose what sort of libraries were built.

:GNU Libtool simplifies the developer's job by encapsulating both the platform-specific dependencies, and the user interface, in a single script. GNU Libtool is designed so that the complete functionality of each host type is available via a generic interface, but nasty quirks are hidden from the programmer.

In short, libtool is a standard way of supporting building libraries (static or shared), or using such libraries in your own programs, in a platform-independent way.

Libtool

2004-04-20T05:07:56Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

From the [[info]] page for '''libtool''':

:In the past, if a source code package developer wanted to take
advantage of the power of shared libraries, he needed to write custom
support code for each platform on which his package ran. He also had
to design a configuration interface so that the package installer could
choose what sort of libraries were built.

:GNU Libtool simplifies the developer's job by encapsulating both the
platform-specific dependencies, and the user interface, in a single
script. GNU Libtool is designed so that the complete functionality of
each host type is available via a generic interface, but nasty quirks
are hidden from the programmer.

In short, libtool is a standard way of supporting building libraries (static or shared), or using such libraries in your own programs, in a platform-independent way.

LQWiki:Accepted Section Discussion

2004-04-19T18:17:51Z

BillGarrett: recomMendations, compatIbility

See Also: [[Section_Request]] for proposing a new section 
[[Section_Discussion]] is where somebody will move your section if it is already implemented, or to specific for the main page.

Purpose: This lists the discussion surrounding the inclusion of a page into the home page...
Plan: When a topic is added to the home page as a result of the suggest sections page discussion, remove said discussion and paste it here as not to clutter.

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"Installing Linux" seems to be conspicuously absent. I think that would be one of the first things a novice would look for. I imagine the topic would branch off into specific instructions for each of the various distros.

[[User:Alanyst|Alanyst]] 18:49, Mar 5, 2004 (EST)
:I've added an [[Installation]] section. [[User:Jeremy|Jeremy]] 13:45, Mar 7, 2004 (EST)

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[[User:Alan Cox|Alan Cox]]

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A confiuration section would be nice, rather a configuration file section. Outlining how files like fstab, passwd, et al, work.

[[User:Teval|Teval]] 11:36, Mar 6, 2004 (EST)
Try: [[Configuration]]
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== Hardware ==
How about a section on hardware. A place to let other know about what will work or not work. I have been playing with an old Zaurus that I got off ebay aand could have used a couple of pointers on the little things that go with it. I learned at least one thing not to do!

pben

:http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/index.php
:[[User:Jeremy|Jeremy]] 18:21, Mar 3, 2004 (EST)

See: [[Hardware]] : [[Hardware Recommendations]]
or: [[Hardware Compatibility]]
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== Kernel and Hardware Configuration ==
Try linking this page under the kernel section... [[Kernel]]
I have a proof-of-concept mini Wiki - you might take a look to get ideas (copy and improve whatever you like) for the structure. It was supposed to be gentoo-specific but the design is pretty generic.

Here is the link:

http://michaelsen.kicks-ass.net/moinmoin

[[User:bmichaelsen|bmichaelsen]]

Section Discussion Backup 2004.03.10

2004-04-19T18:17:16Z

BillGarrett: recomMendations, compatIbility

Purpose: Nominate a page or topic for inclusion in the home page.

Plan: Please post any ideas you have for new sections below. If you are familiar with the conventions used on this wiki, CREATE that page here, and start adding to it. It may then be chosen to be on the main page

Note: You can create sub topic sections yourself, and tag it with [[Please_Fix]]
assuming [[Back_Links]] is implemented on this wiki. (extra n00b note: just write the correctly spelled and capitalized topic / section and enclose it in double brackets)

See Also: [[Accepted_Section_Discussion]] [[Section Discussion]] 

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An [[Alternate TOC]] section, because many of us would organize the wiki differently, and this provides healthy branching and different viewponts. (TOC = Table Of Contents)

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A section on [[Software Development]] would be super usefull, we all should know how to submit bug reports, search for prexisiting software, and know how to make and apply a patch.. modeled after: http://www.subverted.net/wakka/wakka.php?wakka=SoftwareDevelopment

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A seporate type of section for wiki house keeping would be really nice.
Wiki Upkeep Super Section (also shown on main page)
with: [[Sandbox]] [[Wiki Howto]] [[Wiki FAQ]] [[Category Pages]] and [[Wiki Actions]] and [[Wiki Concepts]]
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A confiuration section would be nice, rather a configuration file section. Outlining how files like fstab, passwd, et al, work.

[[User:Teval|Teval]] 11:36, Mar 6, 2004 (EST)
Try: [[Configuration]]
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It would be great if instead of us writing new documentation for each command, the man pages would get integrated and we could build on those instead
[[User:Koody|Koody]] 17:40, Mar 9, 2004 (EST)
See: [[Back_Links]]

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[[Off_Topic]]? Where should this go? [[Wiki_Tips_and_Tricks]]?
Remember, you can sign your name with 4 tildes on an empty line like below:
<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>
[[User:Skyline|Skyline]] 22:29, Mar 2, 2004 (EST)

Or <nowiki>~~~</nowiki> if you don't want a timestamp. [[User:Fennec|Fennec]] 22:06, Mar 5, 2004 (EST)

how about "in the court room". issues such as OS software legalities, SCO v. Linux, OS v. *, licensing, etc, but strictly based on a legal view.

[[User:danZenie|danZenie]]
Try: [[Discussions]] : [[Legal Discussions]]
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How about a section on "Storage configuration". I can contribute material on Linux Software RAID, LVM, and possibly material comparing the various supported file systems.
 Try: [[Choices]] : [[File Systems]] 
or: [[System Planning]] : [[File Systems]] , or [[Volume Managers]]

[[User:Texastwister|Texastwister]] 14:07, Mar 3, 2004 (EST)

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Perhaps a section on the best way to install gnome from scratch, with a list of dependency etc would be very useful (to me it would have been anyway). Unfortunately I do not have the expertise/time to do this. Anyone who takes up the buck will have my support.

[[User:Geniarse|generic_genus]] 03:33, Mar 2, 2004 (EST)

Try: [[Desktop Enviornments]] : [[Gnome]] : [[Gnome Installation]]
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Somebody started writing a long FAQ about windows vs linux commands... very cool, I put it here:

Try:
[[Compatibility]] : [[Microsoft Windows]] : [[Windows to Linux Migration]]
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== Hardware ==
How about a section on hardware. A place to let other know about what will work or not work. I have been playing with an old Zaurus that I got off ebay aand could have used a couple of pointers on the little things that go with it. I learned at least one thing not to do!

pben

:http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/index.php
:[[User:Jeremy|Jeremy]] 18:21, Mar 3, 2004 (EST)

See: [[Hardware]] : [[Hardware Recommendations]]
or: [[Hardware Compatibility]]
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I'd like to see a section on Hardware Installation that then branched out into things like configuring ALSA or OSS for soundcards or SANE for scanners. Things like that would be helpful, IMHO.

try:
[[Functionality]] : [[Sound]] : [[ALSA]] 
and
[[Hardware]] : [[Hardware Drivers]] 
[[Desktop Enviornments]] : [[GUI Hardware Configuration]] 

Oh, and it might be nice to block ads from Microsoft.com in the google ads. There's one now advertising "Get The Facts". I personally could do without seeing that. I'm trying to avoid high-blood pressure.

<AaronPeterson> have you seen the movie 10 things I hate about you? Microsoft is paying us to do what we love! That should lower your blood pressure!

[[User:Flickerfly|Flickerfly]] 09:27, Mar 5, 2004 (EST)

I would like a section on hardware issues (ie: FuBar DVD writer works with Kernal 2.6.XX and up.
[[Hardware]] : [[Hardware Compatibility]] : [[2.6 Hardware Compatibility]]
[[Kernel]] : [[Kernel 2.6]] : [[2.6 Hardware Compatibility]]
[[User:Kenng|Kenng]] 18:08, Mar 5, 2004 (EST)

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[[Installation]] Also Try: [[Distros]] 
See Also: [[Accepted_Section_Discussion]]

== Kernel and Hardware Configuration ==
Try linking this page under the kernel section... [[Kernel]]
I have a proof-of-concept mini Wiki - you might take a look to get ideas (copy and improve whatever you like) for the structure. It was supposed to be gentoo-specific but the design is pretty generic.

Here is the link:

http://michaelsen.kicks-ass.net/moinmoin

[[User:bmichaelsen|bmichaelsen]]

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==Communication==
For all things Jabber, IRC, Gaim, email, et cetera. [[User:Fennec|Fennec]] 21:59, Mar 5, 2004 (EST)

:Would this be better handled from the [[Applications]] page? [[User:Jeremy|Jeremy]] 13:47, Mar 7, 2004 (EST)
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==General Linux Administration Concepts==
(Maybe find a better name)

Please feel free to edit this section as is beneficial= moved it
[[System Administration Concepts]] -- They are quite universal... and covered elsewhere... but we do really need to link to them.

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this may just be a extention on hardware... and I would like to see a section for laptops as they have thier own needs.
[[User:Cue|Cue]] 07:07, Mar 6, 2004 (EST)

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Ok. I think there are two categories here. Hardware and more general administration. I'll try seperating them out.
[[User:Dircha|dircha]] 07:44, Mar 6, 2004 (EST)

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Pulled out hardware specific portions (tacked them to the bottom of the section for now)[[User:Dircha|dircha]] 08:10, Mar 6, 2004 (EST)

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I have added the [[Hardware]] section. Do people think that "General System Administration" should be seperate from "Common Tasks" and "Applications"?

[[User:David ross|David ross]] 09:38, Mar 6, 2004 (EST)

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Maybe others see it differently, but I had understood Common Task to be more orientated to the quick HOWTO. Whereas, for example, Networking and Security are hopefully also will bring longstanding knowledge beyond what would be useful or relevant for many HOWTO users.

I'll try to prune down General System Administration with this in mind, and see what you all think.
[[General System Administration]] or [[System Administration]]
[[User:Dircha|dircha]] 22:31, Mar 6, 2004 (EST)

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I think a "libraries" section would be useful.

Try: [[Libraries]] then! or do you mean
[[Software Development]] : [[Linked Libraries]] or [[Shared Libraries]] or [[Shared Objects]] ?

Whoops -- sorry, I forgot to add my username:
[[User:JohnMG|JohnMG]] 01:02, Mar 10, 2004 (EST)

Anyhow, I mean that the [[Main_Page]] should have a "Libraries" link off of it.

Also, as you suggest, there should be a "Software development" link off of Main_Page with the subcategories that you mention. Either way, This stuff needs to be easily available from the main page, otherwise folks won't be able to find it. If I could edit the Main Page, I'd do it myself, but since I can't, I'm posting here. :)

Hmm... I think "programming tips & tricks" just needs to be renamed "Software development".

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No idea who's saying what here, but generalizing and promoting 'Programming Tips & Tricks' to 'Software Development' sounds good to me. I don't see 'Libraries' being top-level, at least at this point in time, though. Top-level under 'Software Development'?

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 03:00, Mar 10, 2004 (EST)

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'from power up to bash prompt' --
Try: [[Step By Step]] ?
or: [[Step Through]]
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Digiot, the problem (as I see it) with "Libraries" being under "Software Development" is that there's the whole interesting story of how ld.so, ld.so.conf, ldd, etc. all work together so user's programs can get the system to find their libs so they can run. This is an important topic for folks to understand, but doesn't necessarily have anything to do with software development.

It seems to be more of an operating system issue that doesn't fit under any one topic in Main_Page. Can you think of where this useful ld.so info could fit into the LQwiki scheme of things? Hmm... maybe a new heading under the "Commands" page...

[[User:JohnMG|JohnMG]] 04:19, Mar 10, 2004 (EST)

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Hm. That's an excellent point. ldd, et al, are (or should be) in Commands already but that doesn't really bring out the connections. As far as 'Applications', it belongs to both sections - no true difference between command and apps to me. Just kind of a vague 'mostly GUI-ish' and 'mostly CLI-ish' divider. :) I'm not sure how much material you'd have in mind - I think it'd make an excellent 'Common Questions and Misconceptions' piece. Tie up all the small bits of material with a lot of links and plenty of discussion.

As far as OS issues, one thing that might be kind of neat is a sort of 'How did I get here?' section on the main page - do a sequence of things 'from power up to bash prompt' and then trace out all the steps to looking at a web page in a GUI browser, with packets flying to and fro. And a section on Libraries could figure into that. Or an 'Under the Hood' section. It is definitely generally important now that you make me look at it right, but I'm still not sure it's large enough or central enough to most people's concerns to be on the main page. And it doesn't seem to fit neatly into anything we've got so far. Any of that sound good?

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 05:05, Mar 10, 2004 (EST)

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Nah, actually looking over it and thinking over it again, it probably would work out as a section of commands. Looking at the kernel commands with depmod and all - I can see a library section. And, as there's a system info section in apps, I could see a system info section, with the lspci's and whatnot, in commands, too. I'd personally like to see every command categorized by concept/function as well as alphabetically, so that'd need to be done to achieve that, anyway.
Try: [[Alternate TOC]] or just add that info to existing pages..
[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 05:18, Mar 10, 2004 (EST)

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Digiot -- ok, I'm on it.

[[User:JohnMG|JohnMG]] 14:08, Mar 10, 2004 (EST)

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FAT

2004-04-18T22:30:01Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

'''FAT''' stands for ''File Allocation Table''. It is the [[file system]] used by [[Microsoft]] [[Windows]], and has been superceded by the [[VFAT]] and [[NTFS]] filesystems.

There are several versions of this filesystem: [[FAT12]], [[FAT16]], and [[FAT32]]. Each allows for successively larger files and directories to be stored.

Login

2004-04-18T22:26:33Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

'''Login''' (or ''log in'') is the process of authenticating oneself to a computer system, usually by typing in a user name and [[password]] when prompted. It is a standard process in computer [[security]].

The '''login''' program (usually <code>/bin/login</code>) is the name of a small program on Unix systems that prompts a user for a username and password, then checks if the [[user account]] so named exists, and has the proper password. Some systems support a more comprehensive array of authentication methods, such as [[PAM]], smart cards, and biometrics. The <code>login</code> program itself usually invokes some other program or library to handle such things.

Talk:Partition

2004-04-07T01:45:24Z

BillGarrett:

Good stuff. But... 5 ''gigs'' of swap? For an ultra-heavy-duty server, I take it? :) 10 gigs for root? I'm not sure if these are intended to be hard numbers, or if a note that they're merely round examples is needed, or if there should be an attempt at a Partitioning micro-HOWTO in here. [[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 02:58, Apr 5, 2004 (EDT)

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Supply better numbers as needed, I just pulled these out of the air for demonstration purposes. A 'how to partition' wiki entry seems appropriate, and I'll get on that right now.

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 18:47, Apr 6, 2004 (EDT)

:Yes, the seperate page is much better (5gig really sounds insane, what are you planning to do? massive video editing? 3d rendering? some huge heavy traffic web application server? ;) Why not remove the partition sizes completely on this page and just only rever to the seperate wiki page? It's just duplicate (and conflicting) info now I think [[User:Jor|Jor]] 19:14, Apr 6, 2004 (EDT)

::Actually, I do work on massive video editing :) Anyway, article revised, feel free to hack on it or PG as you see fit. -- [[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 21:45, Apr 6, 2004 (EDT)

Partition

2004-04-07T01:44:20Z

BillGarrett: Revised layout, removed partition sample numbers

A '''partition''' is a segment of a [[hard disk]]. On the traditional [[IDE]] drive, you can have up to four "physical partitions" and possibly more "logical partitions".

== Why Partition? ==

The purpose of partitioning a hard drive is generally to make the best use of the available space. A problem on multi-user systems is that filling up a partition can prevent anyone or anything else from writing to files on the same partition; often, separate partitions will be created for "busy" directories such as /var. [[Quota|Disk quotas]] can go a long way to solving this problem. Use quotas and appropriate partitioning as needed, if you are running a system that risks becoming full quickly.

== How Do I Create Partitions? ==

On [[Linux]] systems, partitions are managed by programs such as [[fdisk]] or [[cfdisk]]. It is very dangerous to repartition a running system, and any changes in partitioning can render the data on the affected areas of the disk unusable. You will almost never have to partition ulness you are installing a new operating system, or a new hard drive.

== What Partitions Do I Need? ==

Read [[Partitioning Guidelines]] for suggestions on how to divide up your available disk space.

Older versions of [[LILO]] required that the boot information for the [[kernel]] reside on a partition near the "front" of the disk. Newer versions have eliminated this requirement.

Partition

2004-04-06T23:09:28Z

BillGarrett: Revisions of text, mention of quotas.

A '''partition''' is a segment of a [[hard disk]]. On the traditional [[IDE]] drive, you can have up to four "physical partitions" and possibly more "logical partitions".

The purpose of partitioning a hard drive is generally to make the best use of the available space. A problem on multi-user systems is that filling up a partition can prevent anyone or anything else from writing to files on the same partition; often, separate partitions will be created for "busy" directories such as /var. [[Quota|Disk quotas]] can go a long way to solving this problem. Use quotas and appropriate partitioning as needed, if you are running a system that risks becoming full quickly.

A very rough example of choosing partition sizes: a single 60 [[gigabyte]] drive may be partitioned into 4 gigs (for the root filesystem /), 30 gigs (for the /usr filesystem), 24 gigs (for the /home filesystem) and another 2 gigs for [[swap space]]. Read [[Partitioning Guidelines]] for suggestions on how to divide up your available disk space.

Older versions of [[LILO]] required that the boot information for the [[kernel]] reside on a partition near the "front" of the disk. Newer versions have eliminated this requirement.

On [[Linux]] systems, partitions are managed by programs such as [[fdisk]] or [[cfdisk]]. It is very dangerous to repartition a running system, and any changes in partitioning can render the data on the affected areas of the disk unusable. You will almost never have to partition ulness you are installing a new operating system, or a new hard drive.

Partitioning guidelines

2004-04-06T23:05:29Z

BillGarrett: Initial version - tear my assumptions apart if you want :)

When installing [[Linux]] on a new system, users are frequently confronted with the need to [[partition]] their available hard-drive space. Some newer [[distributions]] make partitioning choices automatically for you, and allow you to override those choices if you wish. Others require that you use tools like [[fdisk]] or [[cfdisk]].

== The Root Partition ==

The [[root]] of the [[filesystem]] is called "/". Typically, it does not require much space, and will probably be one of the smallest partitions on your system. One or two gigabytes is probably enough.

== /usr ==

The "/usr" filesystem is where almost every program, library or data-file on your system will live. It needs to be correspondingly big. 6-15 gigabytes is adequate for most applications, even if you load your system down with package after package.

== Swap Space ==

Almost every Linux system will need swap space. The classic piece of advice is "swap should be double the amount of RAM you have", though this is not a rigid guideline.

== Other Filesystems ==

If you have several disks, or choose to use logical partitions, you may want to add additional partitions. Operators of multi-user systems in particular may have a use for some or all of the following. You should evaluate how much usage you expect your system to get, and size these partitions accordingly.

=== /boot ===

At one time, the venerable [[LILO]] boot-loader required that it find its necessary files within the first 1024 cylinders of the disk it was booting from. People would typically create a small (10 megabyte) partition for this purpose. This restriction is not a problem with recent versions of LILO and its presumed successor [[GRUB]].

=== /var ===

Many large systems have hundreds or thousands of email accounts. It is often desirable to put the mail spool directory (usually <code>/var/spool/mail</code>, the place where email inboxes reside in the filesystem) onto a separate partition. Creating a separate partition for /var lets the system administrator keep a full email box from disrupting the rest of his system.

=== /home ===

On large multiuser systems where users may be storing a lot of data (such as Web pages), creating a separate partition for home directories is useful.

On a single-user system where you have a lot of disk space left over, you might also choose to create a /home partition for your home directory, and use the remaining space for it.

== Special Partitions ==

People who collect home movies may want a "/media" partition; likewise, people supporting large CVS projects may want a "/cvs" partition.

Partition

2004-04-06T22:51:58Z

BillGarrett: what programs do this?

A '''partition''' is a segment of a [[hard disk]]. On the traditional [[IDE]] drive, you can have up to four "physical partitions" and possibly more "logical partitions".

The purpose of partitioning a hard drive is generally to make the best use of the available space. For example, single 60 [[gigabyte]] drive may be partitioned into 10 gigs (for the root filesystem /), 30 gigs (for the /usr filesystem), 15 gigs (for the /home filesystem) and another 5 gigs for [[swap space]].

Older versions of [[LILO]] required that the boot information for the [[kernel]] reside on a partition near the "front" of the disk. Newer versions have eliminated this requirement.

Please note that the above numbers are arbitrary. Read [[Partitioning Guidelines]] for a better idea of how to divide up your available disk space.

On [[Linux]] systems, partitions are managed by programs such as [[fdisk]] or [[cfdisk]]. It is very dangerous to repartition a running system, and any changes in partitioning can render the data on the affected areas of the disk unusable. You will almost never have to partition ulness you are installing a new operating system, or a new hard drive.

Partition

2004-04-06T22:48:06Z

BillGarrett:

Talk:Partition

2004-04-06T22:47:03Z

BillGarrett:

Partition

2004-04-05T06:20:15Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

Pine

2004-03-22T12:00:06Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

'''PINE''' stands for Program for Internet News and Email. Pine Is Not [[Elm]]. Pine is a [[curses]]-based [[Email Client]] written by the University of Washington. It is simple and easy to learn, and its major commands are always displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Pine uses the text editor [[Pico]] to compose email messages.

See Also: [[Elm]], [[Mutt]]

Make

2004-03-22T11:46:09Z

BillGarrett: Makefile

'''Make''' is a software tool that is generally used when compiling software from source. It allows the (re)compilation progress to be performed more efficiently and automates the construction of each software component into one, single program. Most software can be installed from a prepared package such as [[RPM]] or [[dpkg]] file, but many new software packages don't have someone maintaining a package for each system. This is where building software from source comes in, with Make automating the process, leaving the installation to be generally a three step process.

Make uses a special configuration file, called a [[Makefile]], to tell it how to proceed.

==Using make to install software==
Make generally has two uses - using it to build software that you have written yourself, or to build and install software from others. Most users will want to use these instructions that cover how to install software from others, using the make tool.

===Example install using make===
Assuming that you don't need to specify any special configurations, when you install software from the source, you generally run it like this:
<tt>
$./configure
$make
$sudo make install
</tt>
Unless you've set your permissions to allow your user to create directories in the various /usr directories, you will need to [[su switch user]] to root in order to run "make install".

===Installing silently===
Some folks like to see the whiz of configuration scripts and Makefiles buzzing by as their software installs. Others just want it to do it's jump and report back any errors. If you fall into the latter of these two groups, here's the magic parameters:
<tt><CODE><PRE>
$./configure -q
$make -s
$sudo make -s install
</PRE></CODE></tt>
This will run each of the three steps silently and only report back what is needed. Generally, you'll just see a success message or an error message.

===Stacking install commands into one line===
One can use a shell feature to make sure that programs are executed in order - ie., if configure fails, the general process stops. The <tt>&&</tt> command is used as such:
<tt><CODE><PRE>
#./configure -q && make -s && make -s install
</PRE></CODE></tt>
This will run the configure script, if it succeeds, it will run make, if that succeeds, it will finally run make install. Generally, you'll only want to do this on software that you know is going to install without a hitch. It's easier to track down problems when you're doing things one step at a time, but after the 10th installation on the same configuration, you should be clear to run all of the commands at once.

Makefile

2004-03-22T11:44:46Z

BillGarrett: Initial version - need makefile example, maybe move Apache Ant link to make if not already there

A '''Makefile''' is the configuration file for a software project (or some part of a project's [[source code]] tree). It is used by the [[make]] program.

Makefiles define a series of ''targets'', describing the steps <code>make</code> should take to completely build a software package. For example, it will include a command line to (for example) compile C source code (.c files) into object code (.o files) for later linking with [[ld]]. More sophisticated targets will invoke simpler targets, thus meeting whatever dependencies a target declares. For example, the "all" target may declare that it needs the "foo" target, and "foo" requires "foo.o", which in turn leads to "foo.c" being compiled into "foo.o" by the C compiler (such as [[gcc]]).

FIXME: sample Makefile?

Makefiles can become very complex very quickly, and can be especially cumbersome for some languages. Many people have tried to rectify this, using such things as [[Apache Ant]] for compiling Java-based software.

Cfdisk

2004-03-19T07:38:21Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

'''cfdisk''' is a [[curses]]-based version of the [[fdisk]] program. It offers a slightly more user-friendly interface.

Interpreter

2004-03-19T07:37:30Z

BillGarrett: differentiate between vm interpreters and stuff like perl et al

An '''interpreter''' is a [[program]] that interprets [[source code]] or [[bytecode]] and executes it directly, rather than taking the intermediate stage to compile it. Interpreted languages include [[perl]], [[Python]] and [[tcl]]. Many interpreted languages are also known as ''scripting languages'', and their programs as ''scripts''; they do not produce [[bytecode]] for later use, although they use it internally.

The advantage of a scripting language is that changes in the source code are reflected immediately upon running the script. The disadvantage is that interpreting human-readable source code is slower than, for example, processing [[bytecode]], which is easier for a computer to read. Many modern interpreted languages are working on [[compiler|compilers]] that can create [[bytecode]] or an actual [[executable]] from source, which overcomes the speed problem.

Interpreter

2004-03-19T07:34:58Z

BillGarrett: initial version

An '''interpreter''' is a [[program]] that interprets [[source code]] and executes it directly, rather than taking the intermediate stage to compile it. Interpreted languages include [[perl]], [[Python]] and [[tcl]]. Many interpreted languages are also known as ''scripting languages'', and their programs as ''scripts''.

The advantage of an interpreted language is that changes in the source code are reflected immediately upon running the script. The disadvantage is that interpreting human-readable source code is slower than, for example, processing [[bytecode]], which is easier for a computer to read. Many modern interpreted languages are working on [[compiler|compilers]] that can create [[bytecode]] or an actual [[executable]] from source, which overcomes the speed problem.

RBL

2004-03-19T04:16:53Z

BillGarrett:

'''RBL''' stands for Real-time Black-Listing. It is a spam-fighting method used by [[MTA|mail transfer agents]] such as [[sendmail]] to detect that a remote machine is a known spammer, upon receipt of an [[email]] from that machine. If the machine is on one or more blacklists the MTA knows about, the email will be rejected as [[spam]].

RBL

2004-03-19T04:15:18Z

BillGarrett: initial version

Ext3

2004-03-19T04:13:09Z

BillGarrett: initial version

'''Ext3''' is the third extended filesystem for [[Linux]]. It is descended from the long-used [[ext2]] filesystem. It is compatible with ext2 for the most part; the major addition is [[journalling]].

See also: [[XFS]], [[JFS]], [[ReiserFS]]

Talk:RMS

2004-03-19T00:06:53Z

BillGarrett:

How about:

He is an unswerving advocate of his 'beliefs about' the rights of computer users and the virtues of 'GPL'ed software'.

That seems pretty objective and a little more concise at the same time. The reader can then follow links to 'GPL' and 'free' and so on for more details.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 23:54, Mar 10, 2004 (EST)

----

That seems kind of biased in reverse. May I counter with: He is an unswerving advocate of the rights he believes computer users deserve, as outlined on the fsf.org site and codified in the text of the GNU GPL. insert linkage where appropriate.

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 01:45, Mar 11, 2004 (EST)

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How about a pro-RMS paragraph followed by an anti-RMS paragraph. Give the reader a balanced view, while giving him or her all the information.

[[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 02:20, Mar 11, 2004 (EST)

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Well, if it held at a paragraph each, that might not be so bad, Crazyeddie, but I doubt it would stop there. :) I don't really care about the precise wording - just looking for something a little cleaner. The 'belief' part seemed a little roundabout and I could barely follow the 'free' phrasing. Yours (BillGarrett) is similar to the edit I was commenting on. I don't wish to change it regarding RMS, but regarding the style. But if it's fine with everybody else, it's fine with me.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 04:55, Mar 11, 2004 (EST)

----

Spliting it into two (or more) paragraphs would clean it up a bit, make it a bit more clear. Could we possibly find a partisian from each side? I wouldn't worry too much about the article going "over length". To me, most of the articles here seem to be too short. RMS is important enough to rate quite a few paragraphs. I'm sure the moderate majority will keep fanatics on both sides in check. If a flame war does get out of hand, we could get one of the moderators to do a "disputed article" lockdown, but I seriously doubt it will come to that. I've only seen *one* of those on the wikipedia. Remember the Golden Rule of Wikis: Given enough eyeballs, any problem is shallow - including human stupidity.
[[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 12:00, Mar 11, 2004 (EST)

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Okay. I'm hands off on this, and will let wiser heads prevail. :)

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 14:01, Mar 11, 2004 (EST)

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Nah, I don't seriously think we should try to ''create'' a polarized article - and there's no sense sparking flame wars over commas. :D I'm okay with JohnMG's latest edit (suits you, BillGarrett?) But I do agree most articles are too short. I figure that will evolve and expand naturally over time, though.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 02:16, Mar 12, 2004 (EST)

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What's there now looks great. I'd say all that's left on this article is expansion, not rewrites.

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 13:54, Mar 12, 2004 (EST)

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Hmm, instead of trying to expand this article, why don't we just import the wikipedia's article? We could use the present article as an introduction. I have a cut a paste of the wikipedia's version here.(link has been removed) Oh, and Digiot, you're right about the flame war thing. I'd blame sleep deprivation, if I wasn't ''permamently'' sleep deprived.

[[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 16:45, Mar 16, 2004 (EST)

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I've cleaned up the links in the imported article. I'd say that it's ready to be dropped in, but I don't want to do it unilateraly. Bill, since you were the one to start this article, I leave the decision up to you.

[[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 17:14, Mar 16, 2004 (EST)

----

That's a good idea - and I appreciate the work you put into it but... unfortunately, it seems the Wikipedia and LQ Wiki's licenses don't get along and we can't just copy and paste material from there. Or even really revise it and paste it. We can use it for information and inspiration but the articles have to be completely rewritten from scratch. I'd agree it'd be Bill's decision except that I think it's just not an option.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 17:38, Mar 16, 2004 (EST)

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In that case I'd say let's do the best we can, and I think so far we've proven we can have rational conversations in a Talk page. I see no reason that same restraint can't be found in the article itself. No drop-ins. I'm going to add some expansion, please let me know what you all think.

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 23:28, Mar 16, 2004 (EST)

----
Bill, you added:
Many people consider Stallman to be an essential voice in the community; many others consider him a fanatic or zealot, whose politics will damage the credibility of the community. Ultimately there is no right and wrong answer to this question.

I think there is a right answer.

I just went to a talk RMS gave in Hartford, CT. He was most assuredly *not* a zealot. He's just a guy who wants to be good to his neighbor (software-wise, at least) -- he doesn't want to be put in a position where he can't share code with another developer. He licenses *his* code with the GPL, and only hopes that you will too. It just happens that RMS has written an enormous amount of software and given it away -- just so, in his mind (and I agree with him), the software world will be a better place.

Saying "well, there's no right or wrong about RMS being a fanatic" is just insulting to the guy and the whole free software community that has blossomed around him. Don't forget, RMS has been at this for some 20 odd years -- and he's stuck to the same key values all that time. Unswerving. It seems that only recently it's become fashionable for some folks to call him a fanatic.

And, by the way, at the meeting I was at, when Richard stood up to talk about free software, *everyone* immediately became dead silent in reverence for the soft-spoken generous fellow who started it all.

I think you should remove that 2nd paragraph.

[[User:JohnMG|JohnMG]] 00:06, Mar 17, 2004 (EST)
----

I think it is undeniable that RMS is seen by some in a negative light as you yourself say - "it's become fashionable for some folks to call him a fanatic". Bill merely stated that and, in an effort to forestall precisely this kind of argument, said there was no right or wrong. You take the approach that there *is* a clear decision and that he is *not* a fanatic. Which is precisely what those who *do* think he is a fanatic would say. That there *is* a clear decision and he *is* a fanatic. I think Bill's addition excellently rose above that sort of thing. The one definite thing he stated was positive - that RMS was an excellent hacker, which virtually no one disputes and is hardly insulting.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 01:28, Mar 17, 2004 (EST)

----

Today's terrorist is tomorrow's freedom fighter. "There is no right or wrong" is in regard to perception. If this is not clear enough, I will rewrite it. Frankly I have a lot of respect for RMS. I think "GNU/Linux" is a pointless waste of time, but at the same time I have no problem with "free" vs. "open source" being made clear. I think Stallman takes on a lot of battles that other people think should be left alone. Is that good? Is that bad? Good or bad for whom? You see the problem.

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 02:12, Mar 17, 2004 (EST)

----
Bill: Ok. I think your most recent edit is well done.

I think Stallman takes on a lot of battles that other people think should be left alone. Is that good? Is that bad?

It's, of course, good to stick to what you believe is right and just. :) The thing with calling the OS "GNU/Linux" instead of "Linux" (which I'm guessing you're alluding to): when it came up at the talk, RMS explained that he thought it was an error to call it just "Linux". That's all. Though, I'm guessing he also finds it insulting when folks call it just "Linux". RMS, the rest of the FSF folks, and the many like-minded programmers who, over the years, have GPL'd their software and contributed it to GNU probably feel slighted that the masses picked up on their project, put the Linux kernel into it, and just went and started calling it Linux instead of GNU. Many (most?) users don't care about copyleft -- they just want free as in beer.

Anyhow, one last thing you might find interesting (I did anyway): at the talk, RMS didn't refer to "Free vs. Open Source" per se. Instead, when the topic came up, he preferred the term "copyleft" vs. open source. Maybe it's because the "free as in libre, not gratis" explanation is a bother. Dunno.

[[User:JohnMG|JohnMG]] 13:13, Mar 17, 2004 (EST)
----

I do find that (copyleft) interesting, but I'm hard-pressed to figure out how to make it relevant to this article. Perhaps a modification to [[free]] et al. is in order? Revising the one reference to free in here, as well, which I'll do now.

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 14:13, Mar 17, 2004 (EST)

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*blink* Why are the LQwiki and wikipedia's licenses not compatiable? Aren't they both Creative Commons? I suppose I'd better remove that cut and paste page also, if that's the case.

[[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 03:12, Mar 18, 2004 (EST)

:Yep, wikipedia is GFDL licensed, which means you have to keep it GFDL when you copy/change it. Can't re-license it to the Creative Commons license used on this site. Would be pretty funny, breaking the GFDL license on a page about RMS ;) Ohh, and IANAL ;) [[User:Jor|Jor]] 06:33, Mar 18, 2004 (EST)

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Gotcha. How about other "free as in speech" documents out there? man pages, HOWTOs, and the hacker's jargon file? Also, are there any advantages to the Creative Commons license vs GFDL? Could we convince the LQwiki PTBs to switch? I realize that would be an uphill battle, but it would be nice not to have to reinvent the wheel. Meanwhile, I'll take down that cut and paste article, but I'll copy it locally in case we can use it later.

[[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 15:48, Mar 18, 2004 (EST)

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Did some checking on my own. Looks like the hacker's jargon file is public domain, so it can be reused here. The Linux Documentation Project can be reused verbatium or under the GPL, but modification (except, I think, under the GPL) requires explicit permission from the creator or maintainer. I believe most man pages are GFDL.

Although we could reuse the jargon file's rms entry here, ours is more complete.

[[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 16:34, Mar 18, 2004 (EST)

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The Linux Documentation did mention that they were thinking about moving to something that sounded like the GDFL. It wouldn't surprise me if they'd moved to the GDFL since that page was last updated. If so, moving to the GDFL ourselves would give us access to Wikipedia, LDP, and man pages.

[[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 17:13, Mar 18, 2004 (EST)

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Does anyone dislike how the article stands now? I personally think the only expansion would be "history of RMS" but that may be overkill for a Linux-questions Wiki. :) Let's hammer out some of the missing articles from here.

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 19:06, Mar 18, 2004 (EST)

Talk:RMS

2004-03-17T19:13:23Z

BillGarrett:

How about:

He is an unswerving advocate of his 'beliefs about' the rights of computer users and the virtues of 'GPL'ed software'.

That seems pretty objective and a little more concise at the same time. The reader can then follow links to 'GPL' and 'free' and so on for more details.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 23:54, Mar 10, 2004 (EST)

----

That seems kind of biased in reverse. May I counter with: He is an unswerving advocate of the rights he believes computer users deserve, as outlined on the fsf.org site and codified in the text of the GNU GPL. insert linkage where appropriate.

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 01:45, Mar 11, 2004 (EST)

----

How about a pro-RMS paragraph followed by an anti-RMS paragraph. Give the reader a balanced view, while giving him or her all the information.

[[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 02:20, Mar 11, 2004 (EST)

----

Well, if it held at a paragraph each, that might not be so bad, Crazyeddie, but I doubt it would stop there. :) I don't really care about the precise wording - just looking for something a little cleaner. The 'belief' part seemed a little roundabout and I could barely follow the 'free' phrasing. Yours (BillGarrett) is similar to the edit I was commenting on. I don't wish to change it regarding RMS, but regarding the style. But if it's fine with everybody else, it's fine with me.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 04:55, Mar 11, 2004 (EST)

----

Spliting it into two (or more) paragraphs would clean it up a bit, make it a bit more clear. Could we possibly find a partisian from each side? I wouldn't worry too much about the article going "over length". To me, most of the articles here seem to be too short. RMS is important enough to rate quite a few paragraphs. I'm sure the moderate majority will keep fanatics on both sides in check. If a flame war does get out of hand, we could get one of the moderators to do a "disputed article" lockdown, but I seriously doubt it will come to that. I've only seen *one* of those on the wikipedia. Remember the Golden Rule of Wikis: Given enough eyeballs, any problem is shallow - including human stupidity.
[[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 12:00, Mar 11, 2004 (EST)

----

Okay. I'm hands off on this, and will let wiser heads prevail. :)

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 14:01, Mar 11, 2004 (EST)

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Nah, I don't seriously think we should try to ''create'' a polarized article - and there's no sense sparking flame wars over commas. :D I'm okay with JohnMG's latest edit (suits you, BillGarrett?) But I do agree most articles are too short. I figure that will evolve and expand naturally over time, though.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 02:16, Mar 12, 2004 (EST)

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What's there now looks great. I'd say all that's left on this article is expansion, not rewrites.

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 13:54, Mar 12, 2004 (EST)

----

Hmm, instead of trying to expand this article, why don't we just import the wikipedia's article? We could use the present article as an introduction. I have a cut a paste of the wikipedia's version [[Crazyeddie's easel|here]].Oh, and Digiot, you're right about the flame war thing. I'd blame sleep deprivation, if I wasn't ''permamently'' sleep deprived.

[[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 16:45, Mar 16, 2004 (EST)

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I've cleaned up the links in the imported article. I'd say that it's ready to be dropped in, but I don't want to do it unilateraly. Bill, since you were the one to start this article, I leave the decision up to you.

[[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 17:14, Mar 16, 2004 (EST)

----

That's a good idea - and I appreciate the work you put into it but... unfortunately, it seems the Wikipedia and LQ Wiki's licenses don't get along and we can't just copy and paste material from there. Or even really revise it and paste it. We can use it for information and inspiration but the articles have to be completely rewritten from scratch. I'd agree it'd be Bill's decision except that I think it's just not an option.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 17:38, Mar 16, 2004 (EST)

----

In that case I'd say let's do the best we can, and I think so far we've proven we can have rational conversations in a Talk page. I see no reason that same restraint can't be found in the article itself. No drop-ins. I'm going to add some expansion, please let me know what you all think.

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 23:28, Mar 16, 2004 (EST)

----
Bill, you added:
Many people consider Stallman to be an essential voice in the community; many others consider him a fanatic or zealot, whose politics will damage the credibility of the community. Ultimately there is no right and wrong answer to this question.

I think there is a right answer.

I just went to a talk RMS gave in Hartford, CT. He was most assuredly *not* a zealot. He's just a guy who wants to be good to his neighbor (software-wise, at least) -- he doesn't want to be put in a position where he can't share code with another developer. He licenses *his* code with the GPL, and only hopes that you will too. It just happens that RMS has written an enormous amount of software and given it away -- just so, in his mind (and I agree with him), the software world will be a better place.

Saying "well, there's no right or wrong about RMS being a fanatic" is just insulting to the guy and the whole free software community that has blossomed around him. Don't forget, RMS has been at this for some 20 odd years -- and he's stuck to the same key values all that time. Unswerving. It seems that only recently it's become fashionable for some folks to call him a fanatic.

And, by the way, at the meeting I was at, when Richard stood up to talk about free software, *everyone* immediately became dead silent in reverence for the soft-spoken generous fellow who started it all.

I think you should remove that 2nd paragraph.

[[User:JohnMG|JohnMG]] 00:06, Mar 17, 2004 (EST)
----

I think it is undeniable that RMS is seen by some in a negative light as you yourself say - "it's become fashionable for some folks to call him a fanatic". Bill merely stated that and, in an effort to forestall precisely this kind of argument, said there was no right or wrong. You take the approach that there *is* a clear decision and that he is *not* a fanatic. Which is precisely what those who *do* think he is a fanatic would say. That there *is* a clear decision and he *is* a fanatic. I think Bill's addition excellently rose above that sort of thing. The one definite thing he stated was positive - that RMS was an excellent hacker, which virtually no one disputes and is hardly insulting.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 01:28, Mar 17, 2004 (EST)

----

Today's terrorist is tomorrow's freedom fighter. "There is no right or wrong" is in regard to perception. If this is not clear enough, I will rewrite it. Frankly I have a lot of respect for RMS. I think "GNU/Linux" is a pointless waste of time, but at the same time I have no problem with "free" vs. "open source" being made clear. I think Stallman takes on a lot of battles that other people think should be left alone. Is that good? Is that bad? Good or bad for whom? You see the problem.

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 02:12, Mar 17, 2004 (EST)

----
Bill: Ok. I think your most recent edit is well done.

I think Stallman takes on a lot of battles that other people think should be left alone. Is that good? Is that bad?

It's, of course, good to stick to what you believe is right and just. :) The thing with calling the OS "GNU/Linux" instead of "Linux" (which I'm guessing you're alluding to): when it came up at the talk, RMS explained that he thought it was an error to call it just "Linux". That's all. Though, I'm guessing he also finds it insulting when folks call it just "Linux". RMS, the rest of the FSF folks, and the many like-minded programmers who, over the years, have GPL'd their software and contributed it to GNU probably feel slighted that the masses picked up on their project, put the Linux kernel into it, and just went and started calling it Linux instead of GNU. Many (most?) users don't care about copyleft -- they just want free as in beer.

Anyhow, one last thing you might find interesting (I did anyway): at the talk, RMS didn't refer to "Free vs. Open Source" per se. Instead, when the topic came up, he preferred the term "copyleft" vs. open source. Maybe it's because the "free as in libre, not gratis" explanation is a bother. Dunno.

[[User:JohnMG|JohnMG]] 13:13, Mar 17, 2004 (EST)
----

I do find that (copyleft) interesting, but I'm hard-pressed to figure out how to make it relevant to this article. Perhaps a modification to [[free]] et al. is in order? Revising the one reference to free in here, as well, which I'll do now.

[[User:BillGarrett|BillGarrett]] 14:13, Mar 17, 2004 (EST)

Talk:RMS

2004-03-17T07:12:50Z

BillGarrett:

Talk:RMS

2004-03-17T04:28:49Z

BillGarrett:

Quota

2004-03-13T06:43:34Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

File system quotas refer to how much disk space a given user is allowed to have on a given partition. Quotas are established using the <code>quota</code> command. The purpose of quotas is to keep the users from taking up more disk than they should properly have - for example, on a large, multi-user system.

TTL

2004-03-13T05:13:50Z

BillGarrett: Expanded article

'''TTL''' stands for ''Time-To-Live''. It refers to the number of hops (or [[nodes]]) a [[packet]] can take before it is declared dead, and an error message sent back to the originating [[host]].

TTL values depend on the [[operating system]] that sent the packet; a TTL of 128 is typical for Windows systems. TTL is used by the [[traceroute]] program to measure the path a packet takes.

Memory

2004-03-13T04:31:47Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

'''Memory''', in computing, refers to the non-persistent storage area in a computer. All the programs actively running on your computer use up some of its memory. The [[operating system]] (the [[kernel]] and any basic [[services]] it relies on) also consume memory.

'''Physical memory''' means the Random-Access Memory or [[RAM]] installed in your computer. [[Virtual Memory]] is the act of using free hard disk space to simulate physical memory, in situations where the programs running on the system demand more memory than is actually available.

Memory (overall capacity and usage) is measured in [[kilobytes]] and [[megabytes]]. As of this writing, memory capacity of more than one gigabyte is rare on a personal computer, and only found on high-end enterprise [[servers]].

Ftpd

2004-03-13T04:26:52Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

'''FTPd''' stands for File Transfer Protocol Daemon. It is a [[server]] program for the [[FTP]] protocol.

A number of FTP servers for Linux exist. They include:
* wu-ftpd, the Washington University FTP daemon
* ProFTPd, a newer daemon
* vsftpd, the Very Secure FTP daemon

Server

2004-03-13T04:23:52Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

A '''server''' is anything that provides [[services]] for [[clients]].

The word server can refer to:

* A physical computer ("the server") on which server software runs.
* The [[operating system]] and [[environment]] that constitute a system designed to run services.
* A computer program that offers a service. Examples would be the [[Apache]] [[Web server]], or the [[Samba]] [[SMB]] server.

Binary

2004-03-13T04:19:36Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

'''Binary''' refers to a base-two numbering system. ''Binary numbers'' are represented by a string of 1s and 0s, e.g. 0001010011101. All modern computers use binary numbers for their calculations.

Because of this, compiled computer programs are sometimes referred to as ''binaries'', because they are represented in a form that a computer (which speaks binary) understands, rather than [[source]], which a human does.

Top

2004-03-13T01:16:39Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

'''Top''' stands for ''Table of Processes'' (according to some). It is a program that shows you a list of the most CPU-hungry processes on the system, along with system statistics on [[load average]] and available [[memory]]. The display refreshes about once a second.

<code>top</code> is useful for seeing what processes are bogging down your system performance, or finding out the overall health of your system's processor and memory.

Mkfs

2004-03-12T19:04:03Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

'''mkfs''' is the [[Unix]] command to make a filesystem. It creates a new [[filesystem]] on a disk [[partition]]. For example:

:<code>mkfs -t ext3 /dev/hdb1</code>

Would create a new [[Ext3]] filesystem on the <code>/dev/hdb1</code> partition, which is the first partition on your second IDE disk drive.

You should not normally use <code>mkfs</code> unless you are installing a new hard drive in your system.

Set up an NFS server

2004-03-12T19:00:46Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

'''NFS''' is Sun Microsystems' Network File System. It was the industry standard in networked file-systems for a time, and is still in use. Linux systems can ''export'' directories via an NFS [[server]], or [[mount]] directories exported by other NFS servers.

See also: [[Samba]]

Talk:RMS

2004-03-12T18:54:14Z

BillGarrett:

Talk:RMS

2004-03-11T19:01:36Z

BillGarrett:

Talk:RMS

2004-03-11T06:45:41Z

BillGarrett:

Less

2004-03-08T21:24:41Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

'''Less''' is the name of a popular and common pager program, related to [[More]].

Many commands produce reams of output, often scrolling by too fast to be readable. Also, many text-files that a user wants to read are larger than his physical screen (or at least larger than the console he's working in). The intent of a pager is to let the user browse such text at his own pace. While the original <code>more</code> only let you advance to the next page, <code>less</code> buffers the text as much as possible, letting you scroll backwards or forwards, search for patterns in the text, or even edit it using your favorite [[editor]].

Alpha

2004-03-08T21:21:03Z

BillGarrett: Initial version - need elaboration on Alpha CPU

The '''DEC Alpha''' microprocessor.

This can also refer to ''alpha software'', as opposed to [[beta]]. Alpha releases of a program are generally very unstable and are meant for testing purposes only, not general usage. The intent of an alpha release is to receive bug reports from the general user-base, not just the regular developers and testers.

Traceroute

2004-03-08T21:18:31Z

BillGarrett: initial version

'''Traceroute''' is a program for determining the path that packets take to reach another [[Internet]] [[host]]. It works by sending packets with short ''time-to-live'' (TTL) values, and seeing which hosts send back error messages. For example, a packet with a TTL of 1 will die at the first host along the route, and that host (if it is standards-compliant) will transmit an error packet back.

Traceroute is useful for debugging networking problems. If you aren't sure why you can't reach a particular computer, use traceroute and see where packet traffic stops, or starts to show high round-trip times.

Ftp

2004-03-08T21:11:03Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

'''FTP''' stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is one of the most venerable protocols on the Internet, on par with [[Telnet]]. As the name suggests, it is used to transfer files between computers. FTP clients for [[Linux]] include [[ncftp]] and the original <code>ftp</code> command-line program. Other programs such as [[Nautilus]] and [[gnome-vfs]] support FTP transactions.

FTP servers listen on [[TCP]] [[port]] 21. Other ports are used in FTP transactions as well, making it somewhat difficult to easily control via a [[firewall]].

POP

2004-03-06T16:00:12Z

BillGarrett:

Please see [[POP3]].

Sendmail

2004-03-06T15:58:34Z

BillGarrett: pop -> pop3

'''Sendmail''' is the name of a venerable MTA (or Mail Transfer Agent) still used today on the Internet at large. It is renowned for its arcane configuration files and history of security holes, although modern sendmail has taken great pains to overcome this reputation.

Sendmail understands the [[SMTP]] protocol, and others; it does not support reading mail (as a [[POP3]] or [[IMAP]] server does). Many enhancements to sendmail exist, for such things as anti-virus scanning in real time, anti-spam blacklist checking, and organization-wide mail routing.

All [[Linux]] systems typically come with sendmail, or a compatible program, and the major Unix MTAs such as [[qmail]] and [[postfix]] come with binaries that do "sendmail emulation", allowing them to function as drop-in replacements for sendmail.

* [http://www.sendmail.org/ sendmail.org], home of the Sendmail Consortium

Email client

2004-03-06T15:58:17Z

BillGarrett: pop -> pop3

An [[email]] [[client]] is a program that receives mail from some source (a ''mailbox'', such as a local mailfile, or a [[POP3]] or [[IMAP]] [[server]]), processes it, and formats it for display to a user. They also allow the user to send email messages via an out-going mail ([[SMTP]]) server. They are also called '''MUAs''' (Mail User Agents), as opposed to the '''MTAs''' (Mail Transfer Agents) such as [[sendmail]] or [[postfix]] that handle the actual work of dispatching email.

Popular email clients for Linux and Unix include:
* [[BALSA]] - a [[GNOME]]-based email reader
* [[elm]] - an older, text-based email program
* [[Evolution]] - a full-featured personal information manager that includes email
* [[Kmail]] - a mail program for the [[KDE]] desktop
* [[mutt]] - a newer, text-based email program
* [[pine]] - Program for Internet News and Email (or Pine Is Not Elm)
* [[Sylpheed]] - a [[GTK]]-based email program

Most email clients include a standard set of features:
* The ability to send and receive email from at least one account
* An address book of commonly-used email addresses
* Some sort of "filtering" ruleset for deleting useless or bothersome messages
* Some sort of "cataloguing" system (also known as "vfolders") for collecting related emails into categories

POP3

2004-03-06T15:57:32Z

BillGarrett: Pasted in POP, I should have checked first.

==Post Office Protocol 3==

A protocol that provides a simple, standardized way for users to access mailboxes and download messages to their computers. One of the most used mail-protocols on the internet.

'POP' stands for Post Office Protocol. Currently, [[POP3]] (POP version 3) is the latest version. POP is a protocol for receiving [[email]] from a remote [[host]] in a single [[batch]]; it is best suited for [[non-interactive]] mail retrieval, where [[email]] is finally stored on the client [[computer]]. It is currently the most wide-spread email-reading protocol, although [[IMAP]] has made strong headway.

The POP3 protocol runs on [[TCP]] [[port]] 110.

===POP3 daemons===
* [[Courier Mail Server]]

Web server

2004-03-06T15:55:28Z

BillGarrett: mention apache. duh.

A '''Web server''' is any [[server]] that supports the [[HTTP]] protocol. Generally, Web servers will provide Web-browser clients (called ''user-agents'') with the contents of a given requested file. For example,

:<code>http://www.linuxquestions.org/donate.html</code>

might be mapped to a file on the linuxquestions.org Web server's host, such as

:<code>/var/www/html/linuxquestions.org/donate.html</code>

A request for that particular URL would return the contents of the given file.

Many Web servers support other protocols such as WebDAV or HTTPS (Secure HTTP).

The most popular Web server for [[Linux]] is [[Apache]], although many others exist.

Web servers canonically listen on TCP port 80, although many alternate ports such as 8080 or 8088 are used. Secure HTTP is on TCP port 443.

* [http://www.apache.org/ Apache homepage]

Web server

2004-03-06T15:53:50Z

BillGarrett: Initial version

A '''Web server''' is any [[server]] that supports the [[HTTP]] protocol. Generally, Web servers will provide Web-browser clients (called ''user-agents'') with the contents of a given requested file. For example,

:<code>http://www.linuxquestions.org/donate.html</code>

might be mapped to a file on the linuxquestions.org Web server's host, such as

:<code>/var/www/html/linuxquestions.org/donate.html</code>

A request for that particular URL would return the contents of the given file.

Many Web servers support other protocols such as WebDAV or HTTPS (Secure HTTP).

Web servers canonically listen on TCP port 80, although many alternate ports such as 8080 or 8088 are used. Secure HTTP is on TCP port 443.

Email client

2004-03-06T15:49:55Z

BillGarrett: kmail and sylpheed

An [[email]] [[client]] is a program that receives mail from some source (a ''mailbox'', such as a local mailfile, or a [[POP]] or [[IMAP]] [[server]]), processes it, and formats it for display to a user. They also allow the user to send email messages via an out-going mail ([[SMTP]]) server. They are also called '''MUAs''' (Mail User Agents), as opposed to the '''MTAs''' (Mail Transfer Agents) such as [[sendmail]] or [[postfix]] that handle the actual work of dispatching email.

Popular email clients for Linux and Unix include:
* [[BALSA]] - a [[GNOME]]-based email reader
* [[elm]] - an older, text-based email program
* [[Evolution]] - a full-featured personal information manager that includes email
* [[Kmail]] - a mail program for the [[KDE]] desktop
* [[mutt]] - a newer, text-based email program
* [[pine]] - Program for Internet News and Email (or Pine Is Not Elm)
* [[Sylpheed]] - a [[GTK]]-based email program

Most email clients include a standard set of features:
* The ability to send and receive email from at least one account
* An address book of commonly-used email addresses
* Some sort of "filtering" ruleset for deleting useless or bothersome messages
* Some sort of "cataloguing" system (also known as "vfolders") for collecting related emails into categories