LQWiki - User contributions [en]

Sshd

2004-08-16T02:28:53Z

Dkaplowitz:

'''sshd''' is the name of the [[daemon]] that implements the [[SSH]] protocol on a server. Typically sshd will spawn a shell for an incoming SSH client, or run a single command and return the output (if any). Many [[Linux]] systems use the [[OpenSSH]] daemon as a [[telnet]] replacement.

sshd, by default, listens on [[TCP]] [[port]] 22, though it will use a random high-numbered port for outgoing communications. You can also configure sshd to listen on a high-numbered port.

Typically ssh logins (and failed login attempts) are logged to /var/log/authlog. On many systems the sshd_config file can be found in /etc/ssh/.

Lspci

2004-08-08T03:33:39Z

Dkaplowitz: brief description and gentoo info

Member Of: [[commands]]
Relating To: [[Hardware]]

Lists all pci devices. Similar to 'cat /proc/pci' for gathering information about PCI devices found on the present system.

Note to [[Gentoo]] users, lspci is part of the [[pciutils]] ebuild available in [[portage]].

Linux installation

2004-08-08T03:23:15Z

Dkaplowitz:

As the method of installation of Linux varies so much from distribution to distribution, you are best advised to look at the documentation for your chosen distribution.

Some [[Live CD distributions]], such as [[Knoppix]] or [[Morphix]] allow you to test-drive before you install. They also have a very good automatic detection and configuration system and are useful diagnostic tools to help you gather info about your system before installing any chosen distro.

A majority of distributions make a good attempt at autodetecting the target system's hardware, though [[WiFi]] device auto-detection is still more or less non-existent.

A [[Source_distributions|source based distribution]] such as [[Gentoo]] encourages its users to come to grips with Linux system management by making them configure, compile and set up everything from scratch. It's really worth doing if you have the time to learn that way, and the learning method and quality of the documentation set it apart from most other distros.

==See Also==
[[Partitioning]]

==System requirements==

There are hardly default hardware requirements. It depends a lot on the used [[Distributions|distribution]] and how much you are willing to tweak it. Most Linux [[distributions]] are rather modest with their hardware requirements so running any of them on a modern computer will not pose any problems. 
 
Of course if you require to run Linux on a pre Pentium machine you might get in trouble using the latest [[Mandrake]], [[Fedora]], etc. because they may not support every processor type and require a certain amount of system memory. 
 
On the other hand using the latest technology may confront you with a lack of drivers and propper support. 
 
A happy medium is probably the best solution.

==Choosing a distribution==
===How to decide which distribution to use?===

'''Always use the same [[distribution]] as the [[guru]] next door!''' This way you have somebody around to question and ask for help.

In general if you don't need special features or have exotic hardware requirements and little or no [[Linux]] knowledge you are on the safe side using one of the major [[distributions]], i.e. [[Fedora]], [[Mandrake]], [[Suse]], [[Red_Hat]]. All them are equipped with a graphical installation, preconfigured desktop and graphical configuration tools.

If you just want to try [[Linux]] your best choice is one of the [[Live_CD_distributions | Live CD distributions]] which run from one CD and don't need to be installed at all.

Special hardware requirements and/or curiosity may lead you to other [[distributions]] like [[VectorLinux]] for sparse hardware which is based on [[Slackware]].

Probably every [[distribution]] would be worth mentioning but believe me as I said before: '''The best [[distribution]] is the one your personal [[guru]] has!'''

For more information about how to choose a distribution, see [[Choosing a Linux distribution]].

----

===Distribution specific guides===
A comprehensive list of [[Distributions]].

===How to get a Distribution?===

* Buy a boxed [[Distributions|distribution]] online or in a store. This way you get user guides specific to your distribution and support from the distributor. If you buy an official copy some of the money will help maintain the distribution.
* Download the [[ISO]] files and burn your own CD set. The ISO files can be found at the main [[Distributions|distribution]] site or on countless mirrors. If the option exists, downloading from a distributed [[p2p]] network such as [[BitTorrent]] is preferable. Using p2p the download is likely to be faster, especially at busy times, and the cost to the distributor is far less than over [[ftp]].
* Download only a small installation CD or floppy image and install your system directly per [[FTP Install]] or [[HTTP Install]]. Only the selected software is downloaded which is in most cases faster than downloading the whole CD set. But not every [[Distributions|distribution]] supports this installation type.
* Sometimes magazines add partial or even complete [[distributions]], occasionally before they are made available online.

===How to solve problems with your distribution===

* Do it yourself, using [[man]] pages, local documents, the web
* Get help. See [[Linux support options]]

----

===How to keep a distribution up to date===

* Use a package manager like [[apt-get]], [[Synaptic]], [[up2date]] ... to download, install, and upgrade applications, and to find applications that will meet your needs. For a cookbook on how to use Synaptic, see [[Fedora, Synaptic Package Manager, finding Repositories, listing RPMs, previously installed]].

==Configuring Linux==
* [[Networking]]
* [[Security]]
* [[Hardware]]
* [[Booting]]
* [[Finding configuration parameters]]

==What next? How to make the most of Linux.==
* List of Linux [[Applications]]
* List of Linux [[Commands]]
* [[Common Tasks]]
* [[Documentation]]
* [[Gaming]]

==Installation Guides==
(guides to install distros at linuxquestions.org)
*[[ipodlinux:documentation|ipodlinux]]
*[[installing_woody|Debian woody on a 100MHz Pentium]]

==External links==
(links to guides etc.)

Linux installation

2004-08-08T03:22:51Z

Dkaplowitz: some rewording and clean up

As the method of installation of Linux varies so much from distribution to distribution, you are best advised to look at the details for your chosen distribution.

Some [[Live CD distributions]], such as [[Knoppix]] or [[Morphix]] allow you to test-drive before you install. They also have a very good automatic detection and configuration system and are useful diagnostic tools to help you gather info about your system before installing any chosen distro.

A majority of distributions make a good attempt at autodetecting the target system's hardware, though [[WiFi]] device auto-detection is still more or less non-existent.

A [[Source_distributions|source based distribution]] such as [[Gentoo]] encourages its users to come to grips with Linux system management by making them configure, compile and set up everything from scratch. It's really worth doing if you have the time to learn that way, and the learning method and quality of the documentation set it apart from most other distros.

==See Also==
[[Partitioning]]

==System requirements==

There are hardly default hardware requirements. It depends a lot on the used [[Distributions|distribution]] and how much you are willing to tweak it. Most Linux [[distributions]] are rather modest with their hardware requirements so running any of them on a modern computer will not pose any problems. 
 
Of course if you require to run Linux on a pre Pentium machine you might get in trouble using the latest [[Mandrake]], [[Fedora]], etc. because they may not support every processor type and require a certain amount of system memory. 
 
On the other hand using the latest technology may confront you with a lack of drivers and propper support. 
 
A happy medium is probably the best solution.

==Choosing a distribution==
===How to decide which distribution to use?===

'''Always use the same [[distribution]] as the [[guru]] next door!''' This way you have somebody around to question and ask for help.

In general if you don't need special features or have exotic hardware requirements and little or no [[Linux]] knowledge you are on the safe side using one of the major [[distributions]], i.e. [[Fedora]], [[Mandrake]], [[Suse]], [[Red_Hat]]. All them are equipped with a graphical installation, preconfigured desktop and graphical configuration tools.

If you just want to try [[Linux]] your best choice is one of the [[Live_CD_distributions | Live CD distributions]] which run from one CD and don't need to be installed at all.

Special hardware requirements and/or curiosity may lead you to other [[distributions]] like [[VectorLinux]] for sparse hardware which is based on [[Slackware]].

Probably every [[distribution]] would be worth mentioning but believe me as I said before: '''The best [[distribution]] is the one your personal [[guru]] has!'''

For more information about how to choose a distribution, see [[Choosing a Linux distribution]].

----

===Distribution specific guides===
A comprehensive list of [[Distributions]].

===How to get a Distribution?===

* Buy a boxed [[Distributions|distribution]] online or in a store. This way you get user guides specific to your distribution and support from the distributor. If you buy an official copy some of the money will help maintain the distribution.
* Download the [[ISO]] files and burn your own CD set. The ISO files can be found at the main [[Distributions|distribution]] site or on countless mirrors. If the option exists, downloading from a distributed [[p2p]] network such as [[BitTorrent]] is preferable. Using p2p the download is likely to be faster, especially at busy times, and the cost to the distributor is far less than over [[ftp]].
* Download only a small installation CD or floppy image and install your system directly per [[FTP Install]] or [[HTTP Install]]. Only the selected software is downloaded which is in most cases faster than downloading the whole CD set. But not every [[Distributions|distribution]] supports this installation type.
* Sometimes magazines add partial or even complete [[distributions]], occasionally before they are made available online.

===How to solve problems with your distribution===

* Do it yourself, using [[man]] pages, local documents, the web
* Get help. See [[Linux support options]]

----

===How to keep a distribution up to date===

* Use a package manager like [[apt-get]], [[Synaptic]], [[up2date]] ... to download, install, and upgrade applications, and to find applications that will meet your needs. For a cookbook on how to use Synaptic, see [[Fedora, Synaptic Package Manager, finding Repositories, listing RPMs, previously installed]].

==Configuring Linux==
* [[Networking]]
* [[Security]]
* [[Hardware]]
* [[Booting]]
* [[Finding configuration parameters]]

==What next? How to make the most of Linux.==
* List of Linux [[Applications]]
* List of Linux [[Commands]]
* [[Common Tasks]]
* [[Documentation]]
* [[Gaming]]

==Installation Guides==
(guides to install distros at linuxquestions.org)
*[[ipodlinux:documentation|ipodlinux]]
*[[installing_woody|Debian woody on a 100MHz Pentium]]

==External links==
(links to guides etc.)

User talk:Dkaplowitz

2004-06-15T01:26:15Z

Dkaplowitz:

Just a couple of things. Not everything under the sun needs to be a redirect. It's probably better to deal with those sorts of discrepancies as they arise. And wikified <nowiki>''italics''</nowiki> go like ''so''. Oh, and no need to italicize Latin abbreviations. Latin phrases or unnaturalized words, sure, but 'i.e.' and 'e.g.' and the like are just English these days. :)

But keep up the good work.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 01:16, Mar 21, 2004 (EST)

----

Yeah, I've been kinda' anal about trying to make sure all the capitalizations get redirected. I just find it disconcerting when two versions exists due to capitalization. I'll chill on the italics abuse...I'm bad with that and ...elipses.

P.S. How do you get the signature in your post with the time/date stamp? I looked in the markup page and couldn't find it.

Thanks.

Dave

----

It's in there somewhere. :) It's 3 tildes <nowiki>~~~</nowiki> for the name ([[User:Digiot|Digiot]]) and 4 <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> for the name and date ([[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 01:39, Mar 21, 2004 (EST))

----

Musta' glossed right over it. Thanks!

[[User:Dkaplowitz|Dkaplowitz]] 01:42, Mar 21, 2004 (EST)

----
Hey, Dave, what university is it? Not that I know anything about the Philly area, but I'm curious. [[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 23:23, May 25, 2004 (EDT)

----
Crazyeddie, I'm working for Villanova right now. You live in the area? 
[[User:Dkaplowitz|Dkaplowitz]] 21:25, Jun 14, 2004 (EDT)

User talk:Dkaplowitz

2004-06-15T01:25:49Z

Dkaplowitz:

Just a couple of things. Not everything under the sun needs to be a redirect. It's probably better to deal with those sorts of discrepancies as they arise. And wikified <nowiki>''italics''</nowiki> go like ''so''. Oh, and no need to italicize Latin abbreviations. Latin phrases or unnaturalized words, sure, but 'i.e.' and 'e.g.' and the like are just English these days. :)

But keep up the good work.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 01:16, Mar 21, 2004 (EST)

----

Yeah, I've been kinda' anal about trying to make sure all the capitalizations get redirected. I just find it disconcerting when two versions exists due to capitalization. I'll chill on the italics abuse...I'm bad with that and ...elipses.

P.S. How do you get the signature in your post with the time/date stamp? I looked in the markup page and couldn't find it.

Thanks.

Dave

----

It's in there somewhere. :) It's 3 tildes <nowiki>~~~</nowiki> for the name ([[User:Digiot|Digiot]]) and 4 <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> for the name and date ([[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 01:39, Mar 21, 2004 (EST))

----

Musta' glossed right over it. Thanks!

[[User:Dkaplowitz|Dkaplowitz]] 01:42, Mar 21, 2004 (EST)

----
Hey, Dave, what university is it? Not that I know anything about the Philly area, but I'm curious. [[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 23:23, May 25, 2004 (EDT)

----
Crazyeddie, I'm working for Villanova right now. You live in the area?
[[User:Dkaplowitz|Dkaplowitz]] 21:25, Jun 14, 2004 (EDT)

FTP Install

2004-04-12T11:51:21Z

Dkaplowitz: F'n spammers!

An '''FTP install''' is a means of installing an operating system using the [[ftp]] [[protocol]] instead of forcing the installer to have the complete package on hand. Most [[distro]]s allow this type of install, and will only require a single [[boot floppy]] to [[bootstrap]] the [[installation]].

Some advantages to this installation method are:

# Having access to the latest system binaries (if you choose to run a development or -current version of the OS
# Only download the software you need (not a whole CD worth of stuff you don't want)
# Install an entire [[OS]] using a single floppy disk

Bash

2004-04-02T20:56:42Z

Dkaplowitz: wording

'''bash''' (the '''b'''ourne-'''a'''gain '''sh'''ell) - is the default [[shell]] for Linux users. It is compatible with the traditional Bourne shell ([[sh]]) in that Bourne shell scripts will work in bash, though there are some bash-specific features that will not work on older Bourne shells.

== Shell initialization ==

The place to put [[alias]]es and simple [[environment variable]] settings that you want every time you open a shell is in <tt>.bashrc</tt> in your home directory. Example <tt>.bashrc</tt> file:
if [ -f /etc/bashrc ]; then . /etc/bashrc ; fi # Load system-wide bashrc
export PAGER=less
alias md='mkdir'
alias rd='rmdir'

Appending text to environment variables like your [[PATH]] should not be done in the <tt>.bashrc</tt>, because it gets run often when subshells are started. Place lines like this in your <tt>~/.bash_profile</tt>:
PATH=$HOME/bin:$PATH # Adds to path, only in .bash_profile

When started as a login shell, bash first reads <tt>/etc/profile</tt>, then the first of <tt>~/.bash_profile</tt>, <tt>~/.bash_login</tt>, or <tt>~/.profile</tt> that it finds. It doesn't automatically read the <tt>~/.bashrc</tt> file in login shells. For consistency, the following line shold probably be in your <tt>.bash_profile</tt>:
if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then . ~/.bashrc ; fi

== Bash-specific features ==

=== User features ===

* Tab filename completion - Type the beginning of a [[commands|command]], variable, or file, press TAB, and bash will attempt to fill in the rest.

* Typing <Esc>. repeats the last argument of the previous command.

* Typing <Esc><BackSpace> backspaces a whole "word" at a time.

* Readline - a [[GNU]]-created [[library]] for line-by-line text input. It allows a searchable command history and easy editing of the current command line, among other things.

*<ctrl> + <r> invokes reverse-i-search for the [[command buffer]] (history of what you've typed). Then just type a part, any part, not necessarily from the begining, of a command you've typed in before and it'll give you the chronologically closest match

=== Language features ===

* The use of <tt>$( command )</tt> for command substitution (backquotes are traditional)

* Numerical for loops
for (( i=0; i<10; i++ )) ; do echo $i ; done

* Substitution in variable expansions (not [[regex]])
TEXT="I like dogs."
echo ${TEXT/dogs/bats} # Prints: I like bats.

Be sure to check out the [http://www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html Advanced Bash Scripting Guide], which has (most of) the info you need to start with bash scripting.

=== Custom Prompt ===

For a colorful bash prompt that looks like:

username@hostname/cwd$ 
or for one without colors: 
username@hostname:cwd$

use either of the following in your ~/.bash_profile, respectively:

export PS1=" [e[32m]u@h[e[1;31m]w[e[1;34m]$[e[0m] "

export PS1='\u@\h:\w\$ ' # Single quotes with single backslashes

And for some PS1 options:

*\d Displays the date in "Weekday Month Date"
*\h Displays the hostname
*\t Displays current time in 24-hour HH:MM:SS format
*\u Displays the name of your user.
*\w Displays the name of the current directory

In addition, the PROMPT_COMMAND variable is run every time the shell prompt is printed. Many use this to change the [[xterm]] title bar:
export PROMPT_COMMAND='echo -ne "\033]0;${USER}@${HOSTNAME%%.*}:${PWD/$HOME/~}\007"'

==External links ==

* [http://man.linuxquestions.org/index.php?query=bash&section=0&type=2 bash man page]
* [http://www.linuxcommand.org/ LinuxCommand tutorials]
* [http://www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html Advanced Bash Scripting Guide]

''This article is a [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:stub_articles|stub]] and needs to be finished. [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:plunging_forward|Plunge forward]] and [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:How_to_edit_a_page|help it grow]] !''

Bash

2004-04-02T20:56:10Z

Dkaplowitz: forgot to mention the first prompt has colors

'''bash''' (the '''b'''ourne-'''a'''gain '''sh'''ell) - is the default [[shell]] for Linux users. It is compatible with the traditional Bourne shell ([[sh]]) in that Bourne shell scripts will work in bash, though there are some bash-specific features that will not work on older Bourne shells.

== Shell initialization ==

The place to put [[alias]]es and simple [[environment variable]] settings that you want every time you open a shell is in <tt>.bashrc</tt> in your home directory. Example <tt>.bashrc</tt> file:
if [ -f /etc/bashrc ]; then . /etc/bashrc ; fi # Load system-wide bashrc
export PAGER=less
alias md='mkdir'
alias rd='rmdir'

Appending text to environment variables like your [[PATH]] should not be done in the <tt>.bashrc</tt>, because it gets run often when subshells are started. Place lines like this in your <tt>~/.bash_profile</tt>:
PATH=$HOME/bin:$PATH # Adds to path, only in .bash_profile

When started as a login shell, bash first reads <tt>/etc/profile</tt>, then the first of <tt>~/.bash_profile</tt>, <tt>~/.bash_login</tt>, or <tt>~/.profile</tt> that it finds. It doesn't automatically read the <tt>~/.bashrc</tt> file in login shells. For consistency, the following line shold probably be in your <tt>.bash_profile</tt>:
if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then . ~/.bashrc ; fi

== Bash-specific features ==

=== User features ===

* Tab filename completion - Type the beginning of a [[commands|command]], variable, or file, press TAB, and bash will attempt to fill in the rest.

* Typing <Esc>. repeats the last argument of the previous command.

* Typing <Esc><BackSpace> backspaces a whole "word" at a time.

* Readline - a [[GNU]]-created [[library]] for line-by-line text input. It allows a searchable command history and easy editing of the current command line, among other things.

*<ctrl> + <r> invokes reverse-i-search for the [[command buffer]] (history of what you've typed). Then just type a part, any part, not necessarily from the begining, of a command you've typed in before and it'll give you the chronologically closest match

=== Language features ===

* The use of <tt>$( command )</tt> for command substitution (backquotes are traditional)

* Numerical for loops
for (( i=0; i<10; i++ )) ; do echo $i ; done

* Substitution in variable expansions (not [[regex]])
TEXT="I like dogs."
echo ${TEXT/dogs/bats} # Prints: I like bats.

Be sure to check out the [http://www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html Advanced Bash Scripting Guide], which has (most of) the info you need to start with bash scripting.

=== Custom Prompt ===

For a colorful bash prompt that looks like:

username@hostname/cwd$ 
or for one without colors: 
username@hostname:cwd$

use the following in your ~/.bash_profile, respectively:

export PS1=" [e[32m]u@h[e[1;31m]w[e[1;34m]$[e[0m] "

export PS1='\u@\h:\w\$ ' # Single quotes with single backslashes

And for some PS1 options:

*\d Displays the date in "Weekday Month Date"
*\h Displays the hostname
*\t Displays current time in 24-hour HH:MM:SS format
*\u Displays the name of your user.
*\w Displays the name of the current directory

In addition, the PROMPT_COMMAND variable is run every time the shell prompt is printed. Many use this to change the [[xterm]] title bar:
export PROMPT_COMMAND='echo -ne "\033]0;${USER}@${HOSTNAME%%.*}:${PWD/$HOME/~}\007"'

==External links ==

* [http://man.linuxquestions.org/index.php?query=bash&section=0&type=2 bash man page]
* [http://www.linuxcommand.org/ LinuxCommand tutorials]
* [http://www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html Advanced Bash Scripting Guide]

''This article is a [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:stub_articles|stub]] and needs to be finished. [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:plunging_forward|Plunge forward]] and [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:How_to_edit_a_page|help it grow]] !''

Platform

2004-04-01T10:49:15Z

Dkaplowitz: format bold

1) The term '''platform''' can be used to describe the [[hardware]] of a [[computer]] system, particularly with reference to the [[operating system|operating systems]] it is able to run. For example; ''many [[Linux]] [[distributions]] are intended to run on the [[x86]] platform, but there are also versions available for [[PPC]], [[Sparc]] and [[Alpha]]''.

2) An [[application]] or operating system that runs on top of hardware, and on top of which other software may run. [[Java]] can be defined as a platform. Software that runs on several operating systems ([[Mozilla]], for example) can be described as "[[cross-platform]]".

Python

2004-03-29T11:56:31Z

Dkaplowitz: Added some trivia

'''Python''' is an [[object-oriented]], interpreted language created by Guido van Rossum and named after the BBC's comedy "Monty Python's Flying Circus". Many people choose to liken it to [[Perl]], [[Tcl]] or [[Java]] for whatever reason - most probably because it has the huge capabilities of Perl, the graphical ease of Tcl and a clean object-oriented syntax like Java.
Although object-oriented in syntax, Python does not force you to use this idiom and thus you can program procedurally just as well. The language supports C/C++ extensions and even allows you to write such things in [[Java]] through [[Jython]].

==External links==
*[http://www.python.org Python Homepage]
* http://www.python.org/~guido/ -- Guido's personal homepage
*[http://www.python.org/pypi Python Package Index] (Python's answer to [[Perl]]'s [[CPAN]])
*[http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/moinmoin/ Python Wiki]

Talk:Ifconfig

2004-03-29T11:44:13Z

Dkaplowitz:

using ifconfig how do we set the hardware address ?
----
From the ifconfig man page on a Gentoo box: 
<tt>
hw class address
Set the hardware address of this interface, if the device
driver supports this operation. The keyword must be fol-
lowed by the name of the hardware class and the printable
ASCII equivalent of the hardware address. Hardware classes
currently supported include ether (Ethernet), ax25 (AMPR
AX.25), ARCnet and netrom (AMPR NET/ROM).</tt>
[[User:Dkaplowitz|Dkaplowitz]] 06:44, Mar 29, 2004 (EST)
----

A basic firewall configuration suitable for a gateway/nat

2004-03-29T11:38:51Z

Dkaplowitz: unterminated <tt>

== NAT Gateway ==

=== Introduction ===

The field of application of a [[NAT]] Gateway is in example a private [[LAN]] consisting of several [[PC]]s with an [[Internet]] connection with one public [[IP address]].
* The goal is to share the Internet connection among the LAN PCs.
* The problem is that there is only one public IP for outbound traffic.
* The solution is "''Network Address Translation''" (or NAT for short). 
The Gateway (GW) is equipped with two network interfaces. One gets assigned the public IP, the second a private IP (i.e. 192.168.0.1). Every other LAN PCs has it's own private IP (i.e. 192.168.0.2). If an outbound connection is requested the LAN PC talks to the gateway which masquerades the outbound traffic using the public IP. So every external connection looks like if it is coming from only one PC. 
 
The basic firewalling will prevent all connections from outside with the exception of [[SSH]] (port 22) which we leave open for service purposes (i.e.).

=== System preparation ===

The following assumes that the gateway has two network interfaces:
* eth0 will be the external and
* eth1 the internal interface. 
 
To use iptables you need to have at least the following kernel components compiled in or as modules
* <tt>ip_tables</tt>
* <tt>ip_conntrack</tt> and <tt>ip_conntrack_ftp</tt> 
 
IP forwarding needs to be active (<tt>echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward</userdefined</tt>). 
 
Setup the external interface using the necessary data from your provider (IP and standard gateway). The internal interface (eth1) needs to get a private IP address, like 192.168.0.1. The routing table of the gateway will be set up automatically during network initialization. 
 
Every LAN PC will use the NAT-Gateways internal IP (192.168.0.1 in our example) as standard gateway in its networking setup.

=== Firewall script ===

<tt>
<nowiki>#</nowiki>!/bin/sh

ipt=/sbin/iptables 
extip=YOUREXTERNALIP <nowiki>#</nowiki> replace with your EXTERNAL IP 
lan=192.168.0.0/24 <nowiki>#</nowiki> your LAN 

<nowiki>#</nowiki> start firewall 
start_firwall {
echo "Enabling IP forwarding."
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward

echo "Enabling iptables firewall."
<nowiki>#</nowiki> default policies
$ipt -P INPUT DROP
$ipt -P FORWARD DROP

<nowiki>#</nowiki> NAT
$ipt -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o eth0 -j SNAT --to-source $extip

<nowiki>#</nowiki> INPUT chain
$ipt -A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT
$ipt -A INPUT -i eth1 -s $lan -j ACCEPT
$ipt -A INPUT -i eth0 -m state --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT
$ipt -A INPUT -p tcp --destination-port 22 -j ACCEPT

<nowiki>#</nowiki> FORWARD chain
$ipt -A FORWARD -i eth1 -s $lan -j ACCEPT
$ipt -A FORWARD -i eth0 -m state --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT
}

<nowiki>#</nowiki> stop firewall 
stop_firwall {
$ipt -P INPUT DROP
$ipt -P OUTPUT DROP
$ipt -P FORWARD DROP
<nowiki>#</nowiki> allow internal traffic
$ipt -A INPUT -i eth1 -j ACCEPT
$ipt -A OUTPUT -o eth1 -j ACCEPT
}

<nowiki>#</nowiki> flushing, removing and zeroing tables 
reset_firwall {
chains=`cat /proc/net/ip_tables_names`
for i in $chains; do
$debug $ipt -t $i -F
$debug $ipt -t $i -X
$debug $ipt -t $i -Z
done
}

case "$1" in
start|restart|reload)
reset_firewall
start_firewall
;;
stop)
reset_firewall
stop_firewall
;;
*)
echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart|reload}"
exit 1
;;
esac
exit 0
</tt>

=== Explanation ===

<tt>echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward</tt> 
This option enables forwarding of packets between network interfaces. 
 
Every packet that will not be accepted by one of the rules in the INPUT or FORWARD chain will hit the default policy in the particular chain so we set every default policy to DROP. 
 
<tt>$ipt -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o eth0 -j SNAT --to-source $extip</tt> 
With only one external IP you need to masquerade every outgoing packet using the external IP. This is done in the Postrouting Chain, just before the packet leaves the gateway. This works only with a static IP. If the external IP is assigned dynamically you should use the following line (replace the interface as apropriate): 
<tt>iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o ppp0 -j MASQUERADE</tt> 
 
The iptables INPUT chain allows all traffic from the loopback (lo) and internal interface (eth1). Outside connections (eth0) are accepted if they are already established, related to another connection or if it is a [[SSH]] connection. 
 
New in comparison to the [[A_basic_firewall_configuration_suitable_for_a_workstation| workstation firewall]] is the FORWARD chain. This chain will handel all traffic that is destined for one of the LAN internal PCs. Like in the INPUT chain it allows all traffic from the internal interface (eth1) and only established or related connections from the outside interface (eth0).

=== Usage ===

The firewalling script must be executable (<tt>[[chmod]] +x fwscript</tt>). Now you can run it simply by typing: <tt>./fwscript [start|stop]</tt>. 
 
Starting the script during system initialization depends on your distribution. You should check the system init scripts (<tt>/etc/init.d</tt>, <tt>/etc/rc*.d</tt>).

====Debian====
Copy the <tt>fwscript</tt> file to <tt>/etc/init.d</tt>. Decide in which runlevels you want it to be started. Now in each runlevel's <tt>/etc/rc*.d</tt> directory, create an symlink called ''either'' <tt>S99fwscript</tt> if you want the firewall ''on'', or <tt>K99fwscript</tt> if you want it off, pointing to <tt>../init.d/fwscript</tt>.

e.g.
:<tt>ln -s /etc/init.d/fwscript /etc/rc2.d/K99fwscript</tt>
:<tt>ln -s /etc/init.d/fwscript /etc/rc3.d/S99fwscript</tt>

The <tt>start</tt> or <tt>stop</tt> parameter will be automagically added according to whether the symlink started with S (for start) or K (for kill), ''except in runlevels 0 and 6 where ''everything'' will be stopped''.

Alternatively, if you want your firewall active in '''all''' runlevels, put just one symlink in <tt>/etc/rcS.d</tt>.

====RedHat====
The RedHat iptables package already includes an iptables service. To use the configuration described in this document with this service, first run the script as per instructions above:
<pre>
./fwscript start
</pre>

Then execute
<pre>
/etc/rc.d/init.d/iptables save
</pre>

This will save the settings into <tt>/etc/sysconfig/iptables</tt>, so now you can enable the iptables service at boot by executing
<pre>
chkconfig --level 2345 iptables on
</pre>

You might also want to check that IP forwarding is enabled in <tt>/etc/sysctl.conf</tt> by executing
<pre>
sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1
</pre>

==External links==

* [http://www.netfilter.org/index.html Netfilter homepage]
* [http://www.netfilter.org/documentation/HOWTO/packet-filtering-HOWTO.html Packet Filtering HowTo]
* [http://www.netfilter.org/documentation/HOWTO/NAT-HOWTO.html NAT-HowTo]

/home

2004-03-28T16:49:18Z

Dkaplowitz: comma

A '''home directory''' (sometimes referred to simply as <tt>~</tt> or <tt>~/</tt> because the ~ is a shortcut to home in most shells) is where all of a user's personal files are kept. Usually it is the only directory an average (non-priveleged) user has full read and write access to. Most other users are barred from someone's home directory by default. Many programs also keep hidden configuration files there.

On most Linux systems the home directories are subdirectories of the "/home" top-level directory, for example a user named Fred would have his home directory under "/home/Fred". The exception to this is the [[root]] user, whose home directory is "/root". You will also see exceptions to this on rather large multi-user installations where the system administrator has come up with an alternate directory structure for users' home directories.

/home

2004-03-28T16:48:38Z

Dkaplowitz:

A '''home directory''' (sometimes referred to simply as <tt>~</tt> or <tt>~/</tt> because the ~ is a shortcut to home in most shells) is where all of a user's personal files are kept. Usually, it is the only directory an average (non-priveleged) user has full read and write access to. Most other users are barred from someone's home directory by default. Many programs also keep hidden configuration files there.

On most Linux systems the home directories are subdirectories of the "/home" top-level directory, for example a user named Fred would have his home directory under "/home/Fred". The exception to this is the [[root]] user, whose home directory is "/root". You will also see exceptions to this on rather large multi-user installations where the system administrator has come up with an alternate directory structure for users' home directories.

/home

2004-03-28T16:46:56Z

Dkaplowitz: typo

A '''home directory''' (sometimes referred to simply as <tt>~</tt> or <tt>~/</tt> because the ~ is a shortcut to home in most shells) is where all of a user's personal files are kept. Usually, it is the only directory the user has full read and write access to, and other users are barred from it by default. Many programs also keep hidden configuration files there.

On most Linux systems the home directories are subdirectories of the "/home" top-level directory, for example a user named Fred would have his home directory under "/home/Fred". The exception to this is the [[root]] user, whose home directory is "/root". You will also see exceptions to this on rather large multi-user installations where the system administrator has come up with an alternate directory structure for users' home directories.

/home

2004-03-28T16:46:16Z

Dkaplowitz: formatt and minor enhancements

A '''home directory''' (sometimes referred to simply as <tt>~</tt> or <tt>~/</tt> because that's a shortcut to home in most shells) is where all of a user's personal files are kept. Usually, it is the only directory the user has full read and write access to, and other users are barred from it by default. Many programs also keep hidden configuration files there.

On most Linux systems the home directories are subdirectories of the "/home" top-level directory, for example a user named Fred would have his home directory under "/home/Fred". The exception to this is the [[root]] user, whose home directory is "/root". You will also see exceptions to this on rather large multi-user installations where the system administrator has come up with an alternate directory structure for users' home directories.

Text viewing and processing tools

2004-03-28T16:40:43Z

Dkaplowitz: Added Perl since it seemed apropos, and egrep.

*[[awk]] - A utility and scripting language
*[[cat]] - Con-cat-enate file(s) to stdout
*[[cut]] - Extract portions of lines
*[[diff]] - Compare differences of files
*[[ed]] - The editor. ED!
*[[egrep]] - See grep
*[[fold]] - Wrap each input line to fit in specified width
*[[grep]] - Global/regular expression/print (print lines matching an expression)
*[[head]] - View the top of a file
*[[less]] - A more powerful pager
*[[more]] - A less powerful pager
*[[nl]] - Number lines of files
*[[pg]] - Another pager
*[[Perl]] - A powerful text processing and reporting language
*[[sed]] - Stream editor (non-interactive programmatic editor)
*[[sort]] - Sort input
*[[tac]] - Cat files in reverse
*[[tail]] - View the bottom of a file
*[[tr]] - Transform/transliterate text
*[[uniq]] - Manipulate duplicate lines of a sorted file

Text processors in file utils' clothing
*[[basename]] - cut a line to the right from the last slash (works with any input)
*[[dirname]] - cut a line to the left from the last slash (works with any input)

Chroot

2004-03-28T16:10:46Z

Dkaplowitz: Added tips section and some subsection headers to get the ball rolling

''This article is a [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:stub_articles|stub]] and needs to be finished. [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:plunging_forward|Plunge forward]] and [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:How_to_edit_a_page|help it grow]]!''
----

'''chroot''' ('''ch'''ange '''root''') is a command which runs another command with a given directory redefined as the root directory. While useful for many purposes, it is most often referred to in its use as a security method whereby a service or a command is run from within a different '''new root''' directory than that command or service usually runs. The advantage of this technique is that the service is run in a '''chroot jail''' which is kept separate from important system files like the /etc directory, or from any other important files within the system. This technique is used in conjunction with running services or commands with user accounts with the minimum amount of privileges.

For instance, a chrooted [[named]] will run in /var/named/ as the local (minimally priveleged) user "named", rather than in the traditional /etc/named as user [[root]]. If the named server gets compromised by a cracker or a worm, the only files that are compromised are those within /var/named (named's "new root"), since the named service can't see outside this "chroot jail" and the named user doesn't have priveleges to any other system files.

Other services that are candidates to run chrooted are httpd and ftp.

==Tips==

===Chroot Apache===

===Chroot PHP===

===Chroot MySQL===

===Chroot Mail Server===

===Chroot BIND===

===Chroot FTP===

==See also==

*[[security]]

Talk:/etc

2004-03-28T03:30:35Z

Dkaplowitz:

Is grub.conf ever in /etc?
[[User:Dkaplowitz|Dkaplowitz]] 22:30, Mar 27, 2004 (EST)
----

Insmod

2004-03-27T19:12:11Z

Dkaplowitz: Hello world

'''Insmod''' is a simple program that inserts [[module]]s into the [[Linux]] [[kernel]].

Modprobe

2004-03-27T19:10:04Z

Dkaplowitz: added some related commands

'''modprobe''' is a [[command]] used to add or remove [[module]]s from the [[kernel]].

== See also: ==
* [[lsmod]]
* [[insmod]]
* [[commands]]
* [[functionality]]

Patch

2004-03-27T19:05:35Z

Dkaplowitz: re-org and format

A patch, noun, is an update applied to a software [[application]] or [[operating system]] for the purpose of fixing bugs or exploits or for adding features. It is also a program (see below).
----
To patch, verb, to use a patch to update a bug or an exploit or add a feature to a piece of software or an operating system.
----
'''Patch''' (the application) only has a small job, but it does it quickly and efficiently. It takes a sourcecode file (or any other file for that matter) and a [[diff]] file based on changes that have been made to another copy of the source. It then merges the two, applying the changes specified to the source file. This is particularly useful for allowing developers to collaborate through [[CVS]] repositories.

Originally written by [[Larry Wall]], also the author of [[Perl]].

[http://www.fsf.org/software/patch/patch.html#TOCintroduction Patch Homepage]

GID

2004-03-27T17:28:09Z

Dkaplowitz: Format

'''GID''' stands for '''G'''roup '''I'''dentification '''N'''umber

Debian-installer

2004-03-27T16:28:21Z

Dkaplowitz: Format bold instead of <tt>foo</tt>, and slight word shifts

'''Debian-installer''' is a new [[Debian]] install program that is currently under development. It will come standard with Debian when [[Debian:Sarge|Sarge]] becomes [[Debian:Stable|Stable]]. Among its many features, it provides optional automatic disk partitioning and hardware detection.

The old (and still used as standard with Debian [[Woody]]) installer is called <tt>[[boot-floppies]]</tt>.

==External links==
* [http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/ Installer page]
* [http://www.thiesen.org/d-i/index.html A short review]

Alsa

2004-03-27T16:25:46Z

Dkaplowitz: Format, bold instead of == foo ==

'''Alsa''' stands for '''A'''dvanced '''L'''inux '''S'''ound '''A'''rchitecture

Member Of: [[Functionality]] : [[Sound]]
----
''This article is a [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:stub_articles|stub]] and needs to be finished. [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:plunging_forward|Plunge forward]] and [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:How_to_edit_a_page|help it grow]]!''

Kontact

2004-03-27T16:23:19Z

Dkaplowitz: reminders

'''Kontact''' is the [[KDE]] PIM (Personal Information Management) suite. It provides features such as:

*E-mail client
*Task list
*Calendaring
*Contact Management
*Meeting scheduling
*Reminders

==External link==

* [http://www.kontact.org/ Official Kontact website]

Tr

2004-03-27T16:22:10Z

Dkaplowitz: created Tips section

'''tr''' is a command for translating or deleting characters. It takes a stream of input on STDIN and outputs the translated stream on STDOUT.

==Tips==
TR can be used to remove characters from a stream using the <TT>-d</TT> option.
Here's a quick way to convert a file with DOS end of lines (CR\LF) to UNIX end of lines:

<TT>tr -d '\015' < $FILE.dos > $FILE.unix</TT>

Another handy trick is using TR to squeeze multiple characters into one, which is sometimes handy if you want to use [[cut]] to chop things up:

<TT>ls -l | tr -s ' '</TT>

(this turns multiple spaces into one. see the [[cut]] page for a reason why this is useful)

Tr

2004-03-27T16:21:29Z

Dkaplowitz: bold

'''tr''' is a command for translating or deleting characters. It takes a stream of input on STDIN and outputs the translated stream on STDOUT.

TR can be used to remove characters from a stream using the <TT>-d</TT> option. Here's a quick way to convert a file with DOS end of lines (CR\LF) to UNIX end of lines:

<TT>tr -d '\015' < $FILE.dos > $FILE.unix</TT>

Another handy trick is using TR to squeeze multiple characters into one, which is sometimes handy if you want to use [[cut]] to chop things up:

<TT>ls -l | tr -s ' '</TT>

(this turns multiple spaces into one. see the [[cut]] page for a reason why this is useful)

Tr

2004-03-27T16:20:30Z

Dkaplowitz: format and changed to LC

<tt>'''tr'''</tt> is a command for translating or deleting characters. It takes a stream of input on STDIN and outputs the translated stream on STDOUT.

TR can be used to remove characters from a stream using the <TT>-d</TT> option. Here's a quick way to convert a file with DOS end of lines (CR\LF) to UNIX end of lines:

<TT>tr -d '\015' < $FILE.dos > $FILE.unix</TT>

Another handy trick is using TR to squeeze multiple characters into one, which is sometimes handy if you want to use [[cut]] to chop things up:

<TT>ls -l | tr -s ' '</TT>

(this turns multiple spaces into one. see the [[cut]] page for a reason why this is useful)

Configuring mice (Serial, PS/2, USB)

2004-03-27T16:17:24Z

Dkaplowitz: Added "Synaptics Touchpad" - (am working on configuring one now, will post more details when I get a clue)

=Basics=
There are several different mice protocols.
* PS/2 (mostly old two button mice)
* IMPS (extended PS/2 for scrollweel mice and USB mice)
* Serial mice
* [[Synaptics Touchpad]]

=Kernel 2.6=
Since [[Kernel|kernel]] 2.6 these are handled by the kernel and all input is directed to /dev/input/mice.

=Mouse device files=
Where to look for each diffrent mouse type:

* /dev/input/mice - Kernel 2.6 and USB configuration
* /dev/psaux - PS/2 mice
* /dev/ttyS?? - Serial mice (COM 1 = ttyS0, COM 2 = ttyS1 etc)
* /dev/sunmouse - serial mouse on sparc systems
* /dev/mouse - usually a link to one of the above

=XFree86 configuration=
here is a relevent section of XF86Config

<pre>
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "<type>"
Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5" #used with imps/2 protocol
EndSection
</pre>

Where <type> can be one of
* ps/2
* imps/2
* serial
* <add more here>

Newer XFree86 can auto detect most things. a basic setup may be like:
<pre>
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
EndSection
</pre>

and this will be sufficent to get a mouse working on many newer linux distributions and/or combinations of XFree86 4.x.x and Kernel 2.4 and 2.6. This is also the default output of X -config when using X to auto create an <code>XF86Config</code> file.

Netinst

2004-03-27T16:15:33Z

Dkaplowitz: format/re-org

'''Netinst''' is the process of installing [[Debian]] with only a minimal install CD -- and [[apt-get]]ting the rest of what you need over the network.

==External links==
* [http://www.debian.org/CD/netinst/ Official Link]

Firefox

2004-03-27T16:11:00Z

Dkaplowitz: Mentioned google toolbar

'''Mozilla Firefox''' (once known as "Firebird") is a [[cross-platform]], [[open source]], free [[web browser]] available for [[Windows]], [[Mac OS X]], [[Linux]] and a few other systems. Unlike the [[Mozilla]] Suite, which also possesses a [[chat]] client, [[mail]] functions, and web page editor, Firefox is just a browser. It is faster than the full Mozilla suite and is a good choice if you already have, or do not need, a chat client and mail application.

Despite its pre-release state, Firefox is a viable alternative or replacement for Microsoft's browser, [[Internet Explorer]]. With features such as pop-up blocking, tabbed browsing, and perhaps best of all, the Google Toolbar, it allows for increased control over one's web surfing environment.

==History==
Firefox is currently at [[version]] 0.8. Firefox was originally known as Phoenix but was later renamed to first to Firebird and then, in February 2004, to Firefox, because of confusion with [[FireBirdSQL]].

==Distribution specific information==

===Debian===
[[Debian]] users: Firefox 0.8 .deb's for sarge (maybe others, haven't tried) are available via [[apt-get]]. Here's the line to add to /etc/apt/sources.list: 
*<tt>deb <nowiki>http://people.debian.org/~eric/debian/i386/</nowiki> ./</tt>

===Gentoo===
[[Gentoo]] users can install firefox using [[portage]] by typing: 
* <tt>emerge mozilla-firefox</tt>

== External links ==

* [http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Official FireFox homepage]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/themes/ Firefox Themes]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/extensions/ FireFox extensions]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/support.html FireFox support]
* [http://kb.mozillazine.org/index.phtml?title=Mozilla_Firefox The Mozilla Knowledge Base Wiki page on Firefox]

Firefox

2004-03-27T16:08:52Z

Dkaplowitz: Added history section, mentioned Firebird in beginning

'''Mozilla Firefox''' (once known as "Firebird") is a [[cross-platform]], [[open source]], free [[web browser]] available for [[Windows]], [[Mac OS X]], [[Linux]] and a few other systems. Unlike the [[Mozilla]] Suite, which also possesses a [[chat]] client, [[mail]] functions, and web page editor, Firefox is just a browser. It is faster than the full Mozilla suite and is a good choice if you already have, or do not need, a chat client and mail application.

Despite its pre-release state, Firefox is a viable alternative or replacement for Microsoft's browser, [[Internet Explorer]]. With features such as pop-up blocking and tabbed browsing, it allows for increased control over one's web surfing environment.

==History==
Firefox is currently at [[version]] 0.8. Firefox was originally known as Phoenix but was later renamed to first to Firebird and then, in February 2004, to Firefox, because of confusion with [[FireBirdSQL]].

==Distribution specific information==

===Debian===
[[Debian]] users: Firefox 0.8 .deb's for sarge (maybe others, haven't tried) are available via [[apt-get]]. Here's the line to add to /etc/apt/sources.list: 
*<tt>deb <nowiki>http://people.debian.org/~eric/debian/i386/</nowiki> ./</tt>

===Gentoo===
[[Gentoo]] users can install firefox using [[portage]] by typing: 
* <tt>emerge mozilla-firefox</tt>

== External links ==

* [http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Official FireFox homepage]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/themes/ Firefox Themes]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/extensions/ FireFox extensions]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/support.html FireFox support]
* [http://kb.mozillazine.org/index.phtml?title=Mozilla_Firefox The Mozilla Knowledge Base Wiki page on Firefox]

Firefox

2004-03-27T16:07:30Z

Dkaplowitz: Everybody loves themes.

'''Mozilla Firefox''' is a [[cross-platform]], [[open source]], free [[web browser]] available for [[Windows]], [[Mac OS X]], [[Linux]] and a few other systems. Unlike the [[Mozilla]] Suite, which also possesses a [[chat]] client, [[mail]] functions, and web page editor, Firefox is just a browser. It is faster than the full Mozilla suite and is a good choice if you already have, or do not need, a chat client and mail application.

Despite its pre-release state, Firefox is a viable alternative or replacement for Microsoft's browser, [[Internet Explorer]]. With features such as pop-up blocking and tabbed browsing, it allows for increased control over one's web surfing environment.

Firefox is currently at [[version]] 0.8. Firefox was originally known as Phoenix but was later renamed to first to Firebird and then, in February 2004, to Firefox, because of confusion with [[FireBirdSQL]].

==Distribution specific information==

===Debian===
[[Debian]] users: Firefox 0.8 .deb's for sarge (maybe others, haven't tried) are available via [[apt-get]]. Here's the line to add to /etc/apt/sources.list: 
*<tt>deb <nowiki>http://people.debian.org/~eric/debian/i386/</nowiki> ./</tt>

===Gentoo===
[[Gentoo]] users can install firefox using [[portage]] by typing: 
* <tt>emerge mozilla-firefox</tt>

== External links ==

* [http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Official FireFox homepage]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/themes/ Firefox Themes]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/extensions/ FireFox extensions]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/support.html FireFox support]
* [http://kb.mozillazine.org/index.phtml?title=Mozilla_Firefox The Mozilla Knowledge Base Wiki page on Firefox]

Firefox

2004-03-27T16:01:51Z

Dkaplowitz: slight format adjust.

'''Mozilla Firefox''' is a [[cross-platform]], [[open source]], free [[web browser]] available for [[Windows]], [[Mac OS X]], [[Linux]] and a few other systems. Unlike the [[Mozilla]] Suite, which also possesses a [[chat]] client, [[mail]] functions, and web page editor, Firefox is just a browser. It is faster than the full Mozilla suite and is a good choice if you already have, or do not need, a chat client and mail application.

Despite its pre-release state, Firefox is a viable alternative or replacement for Microsoft's browser, [[Internet Explorer]]. With features such as pop-up blocking and tabbed browsing, it allows for increased control over one's web surfing environment.

Firefox is currently at [[version]] 0.8. Firefox was originally known as Phoenix but was later renamed to first to Firebird and then, in February 2004, to Firefox, because of confusion with [[FireBirdSQL]].

==Distribution specific information==

===Debian===
[[Debian]] users: Firefox 0.8 .deb's for sarge (maybe others, haven't tried) are available via [[apt-get]]. Here's the line to add to /etc/apt/sources.list: 
*<tt>deb <nowiki>http://people.debian.org/~eric/debian/i386/</nowiki> ./</tt>

===Gentoo===
[[Gentoo]] users can install firefox using [[portage]] by typing: 
* <tt>emerge mozilla-firefox</tt>

== External links ==

* [http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Official FireFox homepage]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/extensions/ FireFox extensions]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/support.html FireFox support]
* [http://kb.mozillazine.org/index.phtml?title=Mozilla_Firefox The Mozilla Knowledge Base Wiki page on Firefox]

Firefox

2004-03-27T16:01:28Z

Dkaplowitz: modded deb tip a bit, removed link in example.

'''Mozilla Firefox''' is a [[cross-platform]], [[open source]], free [[web browser]] available for [[Windows]], [[Mac OS X]], [[Linux]] and a few other systems. Unlike the [[Mozilla]] Suite, which also possesses a [[chat]] client, [[mail]] functions, and web page editor, Firefox is just a browser. It is faster than the full Mozilla suite and is a good choice if you already have, or do not need, a chat client and mail application.

Despite its pre-release state, Firefox is a viable alternative or replacement for Microsoft's browser, [[Internet Explorer]]. With features such as pop-up blocking and tabbed browsing, it allows for increased control over one's web surfing environment.

Firefox is currently at [[version]] 0.8. Firefox was originally known as Phoenix but was later renamed to first to Firebird and then, in February 2004, to Firefox, because of confusion with [[FireBirdSQL]].

==Distribution specific information==

===Debian===
[[Debian]] users: Firefox 0.8 .deb's for sarge (maybe others, haven't tried) are available via [[apt-get]]. Here's the line to add to /etc/apt/sources.list: 
*<tt>deb <nowiki>http://people.debian.org/~eric/debian/i386/</nowiki> ./</tt>

===Gentoo===
[[Gentoo]] users can install firefox using [[portage]] by typing: 
<tt>emerge mozilla-firefox</tt>

== External links ==

* [http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Official FireFox homepage]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/extensions/ FireFox extensions]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/support.html FireFox support]
* [http://kb.mozillazine.org/index.phtml?title=Mozilla_Firefox The Mozilla Knowledge Base Wiki page on Firefox]

Firefox

2004-03-27T15:59:24Z

Dkaplowitz: Changed distro-specific around a bit. Added Gentoo and "emerge mozilla-firefox"

'''Mozilla Firefox''' is a [[cross-platform]], [[open source]], free [[web browser]] available for [[Windows]], [[Mac OS X]], [[Linux]] and a few other systems. Unlike the [[Mozilla]] Suite, which also possesses a [[chat]] client, [[mail]] functions, and web page editor, Firefox is just a browser. It is faster than the full Mozilla suite and is a good choice if you already have, or do not need, a chat client and mail application.

Despite its pre-release state, Firefox is a viable alternative or replacement for Microsoft's browser, [[Internet Explorer]]. With features such as pop-up blocking and tabbed browsing, it allows for increased control over one's web surfing environment.

Firefox is currently at [[version]] 0.8. Firefox was originally known as Phoenix but was later renamed to first to Firebird and then, in February 2004, to Firefox, because of confusion with [[FireBirdSQL]].

==Distribution specific information==

===Debian===
[[Debian]] users: Firefox 0.8 .deb's for sarge (maybe others, haven't tried) are available via [[apt-get]]. Here's the line to add to /etc/apt/sources.list:
:: deb http://people.debian.org/~eric/debian/i386/ ./
===Gentoo===
[[Gentoo]] users can install firefox using [[portage]] by typing: 
<tt>emerge mozilla-firefox</tt>

== External links ==

* [http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Official FireFox homepage]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/extensions/ FireFox extensions]
* [http://texturizer.net/firefox/support.html FireFox support]
* [http://kb.mozillazine.org/index.phtml?title=Mozilla_Firefox The Mozilla Knowledge Base Wiki page on Firefox]

Lynx

2004-03-27T15:48:26Z

Dkaplowitz: removed link in example

'''Lynx''' is the classic text based [[web browser]]. You run it right from the [[CLI]] -- no [[X Window System]] required. For a more modernized and somewhat slicker version, check out [[Links]].

It is a good idea to have lynx installed on a system so you can access web pages when no graphical environmnent is available or when you are ssh'ed in. Lynx is not typically for daily use, though it is quite useful when troubleshooting an [[X]] configuration that won't load. The main commands are up and down (arrow keys) to move through a page, left and right to follow links, 'g' to go to an arbitrary webpage, and 'q' to quit.

==Tips==
* Start up Lynx with the default home page: 
**<tt>$ lynx</tt>

* Open file.html in Lynx: 
**<tt>$ lynx file.html</tt>

* Open an external URL in Lynx: 
**<tt>$ lynx <nowiki>http://www.google.com</nowiki></tt>

Lynx

2004-03-27T15:47:21Z

Dkaplowitz: format

Lynx

2004-03-27T15:46:14Z

Dkaplowitz: slight re-wording and some extra content

'''Lynx''' is the classic text based [[web browser]]. You run it right from the [[CLI]] -- no [[X Window System]] required. For a more modernized and somewhat slicker version, check out [[Links]].

It is a good idea to have lynx installed on a system so you can access web pages when no graphical environmnent is available or when you are ssh'ed in. Lynx is not typically for daily use, though it is quite useful when troubleshooting an [[X]] configuration that won't load. The main commands are up and down (arrow keys) to move through a page, left and right to follow links, 'g' to go to an arbitrary webpage, and 'q' to quit.

==Tips==
* Start up Lynx with the default home page: 
<tt>$ lynx</tt>

* Open file.html in Lynx: 
<tt>$ lynx file.html</tt>

* Open an external URL in Lynx: 
<tt>$ lynx http://www.google.com</tt>

Root-tail

2004-03-27T15:29:31Z

Dkaplowitz: Hello world

'''root-tail''' is a graphical version of the [[UNIX]] [[tail]] command. What it does is sends a [[real-time]] tail output (of any file you choose) to your desktop. Your desktop will show the last few lines and any new entries that are added to the file you specify as they are added.

==Tips==

If you'd like to monitor your /var/log/messages file in real-time (with a nice, ugly green color ;) and left-justified), you can install root-tail, and run the command: 
<tt>root-tail -color green -g 80x50+0+100 -shade /var/log/messages &</tt> 

Here's another, from <tt>root-tail --help</tt>:

<tt>root-tail -g 80x25+100+50 -font fixed /var/log/messages,green /var/log/secure,red,'ALERT'</tt>

==Screenshots==

*[http://www.kaplowitz.net/images/pc/rtss.jpeg root-tail -color green -g 80x50+0+100 -shade /var/log/messages &]

Screenshot

2004-03-27T15:05:33Z

Dkaplowitz: subject/verb agreement

The term '''Screenshot''' usually describes an image taken of a user's graphical environment, or desktop. A screenshot can be either of the entire desktop with everything on it, or it can be of just a single window open. It is also possible to get "screenshots" of non-graphical output, such things as a computer's [[POST]] messages and/or [[BIOS]] interface can be grabbed.

==Tips==

There are many ways to take a screenshot. Some IDEs make it very easy.

Even if there are no pre-established mechanisms, it's quite simple with the 'import' utility that is part of the ImageMagick collection that ships on most or all distros.

A simple command:

<tt>import -window root picname.ext</tt>

will suffice -- where you supply the <tt>ext</tt> filename extension. The choice of extension determines which format the image is saved in. "<tt>.png</tt>" is a good choice. To just grab a single client window, something like

<tt>import -frame picname.ext</tt>

will do. To use the mouse to choose which window to capture, use the command:

<tt>import picname.ext</tt>.

The cursor will change to a '+'. You can then click on the window which has the image you want to capture.

There are many options -- see the import manual for full details. One particularly helpful one is "<tt>-pause n</tt>".

[[GNOME]] 2.4 and above has a new dialog to allow you to create screenshots extremely easily. Just press the 'Print Scrn' button on your keyboard and a nice dialog will pop up asking you where to save and which file format you'd like it in.

For something a little more convenient, you can write a little scriptlet that will be portable across window managers, timestamp the file, save it to a particular directory, and display it for your inspection.

Screenshot

2004-03-27T15:04:23Z

Dkaplowitz: Some minor changes to intro (format) and added a Tips section

The term '''Screenshot''' usually describes images taken of a user's graphical environment, or desktop. They can be either of the entire desktop with everything on it, or they can be of just a single window open. It is also possible to get "screenshots" of non-graphical output, such things as a computer's [[POST]] messages and/or [[BIOS]] interface can be grabbed.

==Tips==

There are many ways to take a screenshot. Some IDEs make it very easy.

Even if there are no pre-established mechanisms, it's quite simple with the 'import' utility that is part of the ImageMagick collection that ships on most or all distros.

A simple command:

<tt>import -window root picname.ext</tt>

will suffice -- where you supply the <tt>ext</tt> filename extension. The choice of extension determines which format the image is saved in. "<tt>.png</tt>" is a good choice. To just grab a single client window, something like

<tt>import -frame picname.ext</tt>

will do. To use the mouse to choose which window to capture, use the command:

<tt>import picname.ext</tt>.

The cursor will change to a '+'. You can then click on the window which has the image you want to capture.

There are many options -- see the import manual for full details. One particularly helpful one is "<tt>-pause n</tt>".

[[GNOME]] 2.4 and above has a new dialog to allow you to create screenshots extremely easily. Just press the 'Print Scrn' button on your keyboard and a nice dialog will pop up asking you where to save and which file format you'd like it in.

For something a little more convenient, you can write a little scriptlet that will be portable across window managers, timestamp the file, save it to a particular directory, and display it for your inspection.

Screenshot

2004-03-27T15:03:36Z

Dkaplowitz:

'''Screenshots''' usually describes images taken of a user's graphical environment, or desktop. They can be either of the entire desktop with everything on it, or they can be of just a single window open. It is also possible to get "screenshots" of non-graphical output, such things as a computer's [[POST]] messages and/or [[BIOS]] interface can be grabbed.

==Tips==

There are many ways to take a screenshot. Some IDEs make it very easy.

Even if there are no pre-established mechanisms, it's quite simple with the 'import' utility that is part of the ImageMagick collection that ships on most or all distros.

A simple command:

<tt>import -window root picname.ext</tt>

will suffice -- where you supply the <tt>ext</tt> filename extension. The choice of extension determines which format the image is saved in. "<tt>.png</tt>" is a good choice. To just grab a single client window, something like

<tt>import -frame picname.ext</tt>

will do. To use the mouse to choose which window to capture, use the command:

<tt>import picname.ext</tt>.

The cursor will change to a '+'. You can then click on the window which has the image you want to capture.

There are many options -- see the import manual for full details. One particularly helpful one is "<tt>-pause n</tt>".

[[GNOME]] 2.4 and above has a new dialog to allow you to create screenshots extremely easily. Just press the 'Print Scrn' button on your keyboard and a nice dialog will pop up asking you where to save and which file format you'd like it in.

For something a little more convenient, you can write a little scriptlet that will be portable across window managers, timestamp the file, save it to a particular directory, and display it for your inspection.

Tail

2004-03-27T14:58:26Z

Dkaplowitz: remove bold link

'''tail''' is a tool used to view the last few lines of a [[file]]. 

For a cool graphical version, see [[root-tail]].

== Examples ==

I frequently want to see only the last 20 lines of a log file (which would have the most recent 20 entries). If there's something that just went wrong with my computer, i probably only want to see the most recent entries in the error log, instead of scrolling through the whole thing.

''See only the last 20 lines of the file <TT>/var/log/messages</TT> 
'''tail -20 /var/log/messages'''

''See the last 10 lines of the same file, but also keep waiting for new lines to get added (so i can wait for an error message to happen)'' 
'''tail -f /var/log/messages'''

Tail

2004-03-27T14:58:05Z

Dkaplowitz: Added root-tail

'''tail''' is a tool used to view the last few lines of a [[file]]. 

For a cool graphical version, see '''[[root-tail]]'''.

== Examples ==

I frequently want to see only the last 20 lines of a log file (which would have the most recent 20 entries). If there's something that just went wrong with my computer, i probably only want to see the most recent entries in the error log, instead of scrolling through the whole thing.

''See only the last 20 lines of the file <TT>/var/log/messages</TT> 
'''tail -20 /var/log/messages'''

''See the last 10 lines of the same file, but also keep waiting for new lines to get added (so i can wait for an error message to happen)'' 
'''tail -f /var/log/messages'''

Hard disk

2004-03-27T14:52:32Z

Dkaplowitz: minor enhancements

'''Hard disk'''s are made of (usually several) inflexible "platters" and builtin read/write heads. Thus they are "hard" disks and a "fixed" disks, in that they are not intended to be portable like floppies or optical disks. In exchange for this, they have the largest capacities and highest speeds of the several varieties of disk storage. The first hard drive for the PC had a capacity of something like 10MB while drives up to 300GB are becoming increasingly common today. Hard disks also come in several flavors such as [[IDE]], [[SCSI]] and [[SATA]], as do optical drives.

''This article is a [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:stub_articles|stub]] and needs to be finished. [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:plunging_forward|Plunge forward]] and [[LinuxQuestions.org_Wiki:How_to_edit_a_page|help it grow]]!''

Useful Sites

2004-03-27T03:50:33Z

Dkaplowitz: typo

This page lists a few websites that are a valuable for obtaining [[open source]] [[software]].
----
*[http://www.sourceforge.net Sourceforge.net] - First port of call, provides a large collection of open source software for many platforms. Plus provides free hosting for open source developers.
*[http://freshmeat.net Freshmeat] - freshmeat maintains the Web's largest index of Unix and cross-platform software. Thousands of applications, which are preferably released under an open source license, are meticulously catalogued in the freshmeat database, and links to new applications are added daily. 
*[http://www.rpmfind.com rpmfind] - Provides software packaged in RPMs for a variety of distros. FTP based though HTML search is an invaluable tool.
*[http://www.rpmseek.com RPMseek] - Another source for rpm and Debian packages. The documentation section is also useful with a variety of manuals and HOWTO pages.
*[http://www.linuxpackages.net/ LinuxPackages] - A source for community-built Slackware packages with many other resources.
*[http://www.apt-get.org Apt-Get.org] - A great source for unofficial, backported, and other Debian packages.
*[http://www.linuxiso.org LinuxISO.org] - An excellent source for [[ISO]]s for your favorite distro.
*[http://www.linuxhelp.ca/isos/ Linux Help - ISOs] - Another good source of mirrored ISO images of popular Linux distributions.

Useful Sites

2004-03-27T03:49:21Z

Dkaplowitz: Added some Linux ISO resources

This page lists a few websites that are a valuable for obtaining [[open source]] [[software]].
----
*[http://www.sourceforge.net Sourceforge.net] - First port of call, provides a large collection of open source software for many platforms. Plus provides free hosting for open source developers.
*[http://freshmeat.net Freshmeat] - freshmeat maintains the Web's largest index of Unix and cross-platform software. Thousands of applications, which are preferably released under an open source license, are meticulously catalogued in the freshmeat database, and links to new applications are added daily. 
*[http://www.rpmfind.com rpmfind] - Provides software packaged in RPMs for a variety of distros. FTP based though HTML search is an invaluable tool.
*[http://www.rpmseek.com RPMseek] - Another source for rpm and Debian packages. The documentation section is also useful with a variety of manuals and HOWTO pages.
*[http://www.linuxpackages.net/ LinuxPackages] - A source for community-built Slackware packages with many other resources.
*[http://www.apt-get.org Apt-Get.org] - A great source for unofficial, backported, and other Debian packages.
*[http://www.linuxiso.org] - An excellent source for [[ISO]]s for your favorite distro.
*[http://www.linuxhelp.ca/isos/ Linux Help - ISOs] - Another good source of mirrored ISO images of popular Linux distributions.