LQWiki - User contributions [en]

Nethack

2004-05-05T16:49:02Z

Fennec: Add.

'''Nethack''' is a text-based [[roguelike]] dungeon exploration [[game]].
The purpose of the game is to retrieve the Amulet of Yendor and "ascend" with it to the status of demigod.

==External links==
*[http://www.nethack.org/ Nethack homepage]

''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]] !''

Nethack

2004-05-05T16:47:23Z

Fennec: Bullet

'''Nethack''' is a text-based [[roguelike]] dungeon exploration [[game]].

==External links==
*[http://www.nethack.org/ Nethack homepage]

''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]] !''

Nethack

2004-05-05T16:47:13Z

Fennec: Expand

'''Nethack''' is a text-based [[roguelike]] dungeon exploration [[game]].

==External links==
[http://www.nethack.org/ Nethack homepage]

''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]] !''

Sun JDS

2004-05-05T16:45:34Z

Fennec: tweak

The '''Sun Java Desktop System''' is a comprehensive, secure enterprise desktop solution that consists of a fully integrated client environment based on [[open source]] components and industry standards, including a [[Gnome]] desktop environment, [[StarOffice]] Office Productivity Suite, [[Mozilla]] browser, [[Evolution]] mail and calendar, Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE platform) and a [[Common_Questions_and_Misconceptions#Q:_What_is_Linux?|Linux]] [[operating system]].

Java here is used as a brand name and, although JDS comes with good [[Java]] support, it is mostly not built on Java technology.

== External Links ==
* [http://wwws.sun.com/software/javadesktopsystem/ Sun Java Desktop System] (official page)
* [http://www.sun.com/2004-0504/feature/ "The new desktop contender"] (press release)

Sun JDS

2004-05-05T16:45:07Z

Fennec: rm duplicate

The '''Sun Java Desktop System''' is a comprehensive, secure enterprise desktop solution that consists of a fully integrated client environment based on [[open source]] components and industry standards, including a [[Gnome]] desktop environment, [[StarOffice]] Office Productivity Suite, [[Mozilla]] browser, [[Evolution]] mail and calendar, Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE platform) and a [[Common_Questions_and_Misconceptions#Q:_What_is_Linux?|Linux]] [[operating system]].

Java here is used as a brand name and, although JDS comes with good [[Java]] support, it is mostly not built on Java technology.

== External Links ==
* [http://wwws.sun.com/software/javadesktopsystem/ Official page]
* [http://www.sun.com/2004-0504/feature/ "The new desktop contender"] (press release)

Sun JDS

2004-05-05T16:44:48Z

Fennec: Note external links

The '''Sun Java Desktop System''' is a comprehensive, secure enterprise desktop solution that consists of a fully integrated client environment based on [[open source]] components and industry standards, including a [[Gnome]] desktop environment, [[StarOffice]] Office Productivity Suite, [[Mozilla]] browser, [[Evolution]] mail and calendar, Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE platform) and a [[Common_Questions_and_Misconceptions#Q:_What_is_Linux?|Linux]] [[operating system]].

Java here is used as a brand name and, although JDS comes with good [[Java]] support, it is mostly not built on Java technology.

== External Links ==
* [http://wwws.sun.com/software/javadesktopsystem/ Official page]
* [http://www.sun.com/2004-0504/feature/ "The new desktop contender"] (press release)

==External links==
*[http://wwws.sun.com/software/javadesktopsystem/ Sun JDS homepage]

Setting up a Samba Server

2004-03-18T20:19:49Z

Fennec: Major typos in heading fixed.

This article deals with setting up [[Samba]] as a [[server]].

==Samba Server==
Be aware that Windows networking isn't a clean and simple system, and that [[Microsoft]] has modified the behaviour of Windows networking (known as [[SMB]] or [[CIFS]]) with each version of Windows and even between Service Packs. This has caused interoperability problems, but the main difficulty is that you may have to spend a bit of time learning how SMB works in order to resolve a problem. It is these issues that make Windows networking sometime appear to be quirky on Windows PCs. The Samba system is more consistent, but more exacting, so if you have difficulties when using a configuration tool, do not hesitate to check the smb.conf file against the documentation to ensure that the required settings are correct.

Several Linux distributions now supply their own tools for configuring Samba in a simple way, and these are mentioned below. Samba itself also includes a basic Web-based configuration system called SWAT, which is often provided in a separate package to the Samba server and client software. Once installed, it listens on port 901, so you can access it by typing the URI in your Web browser:

http://myservername.mydomain:901/

For more complex LAN configurations you can avoid most problems by reading the SAMBA-HOWTO, which is supplied with Samba, and is also available from the project Website:

http://www.samba.org/

As well as the main [[HOWTO]], the Samba documentation includes a large collection of notes, more specific HOWTOs and a [[HTML]] copy of the excellent (but now obsolete) Using Samba book from [[O'Reilly]]. If you have installed the Samba documentation package you will find these in /usr/share/doc/samba-doc-<version>.

For details on connecting to Windows servers, see the [[Samba]] page.

==Fedora Core 1==
coming soon! :)
(see the section on RedHat 9)

==Mandrake==

excecute (as root): 
<tt>
urpmi drakwizard 
drakwizard 
</tt>

select samba

Also, ksambaplugin is available in contribs for Mandrake from 9.1 onwards, and provides probably the best tool for configuring samba. For more information on configuring samba for Mandrake Linux, please see the [http://mandrake.vmlinuz.ca/bin/view/Main/SaMBa Mandrake Community Wiki]

==SuSE 9==
Run yast 
Choose Software -> Install and Remove Software -> Search 
Enter 'samba' 
You will see a number of packages, select them all. You don't need the client packages but they may come in useful later on... 
Click accept 
edit /etc/smb.conf using vi or your favourite editor 
important parts to edit include 'workgroup', 'encrypt passwords', wins*, 'security' 
Run

<tt>rcsmb restart</tt>

NB: If you set security=share then 'Everyone' can access files they have rights to _without_ any prompting whatsoever. If you set security=user the security is a lot better but everyone ('Everyone') will need to attempt to authenticate first even if a null account is valid.

There should be more details at /usr/share/doc/packages/samba/examples/smb.conf.SuSE

==RedHat Linux 9==
There are three ways to configure the samba daemon in RedHat Linux 9. "redhat-config-samba" is a graphical configuration client that is avalible (in [[Gnome]]) under hat|System Settings|Server Settings|Samba. SWAT, a browser based configuration utility can be installed. And lastly the /etc/samba/smb.conf can be edited by hand.

==Setting the Workgroup==
One of the most important things to change when editing the stock /etc/samba/smb.conf file by hand is to change the name of the workgroup. By default it's MYGROUP, But on most computers that use [[SMB]] or [[Samba]], it's set (by default) to WORKGROUP. The workgroup names must match in order for the systems to connect sucessfully. If the systems are actually part of an NT4 or Active Directory domain then use that name in the workgroup setting. Active Directory is more complex that previous Windows systems and other settings must also be configured in Samba for the Linux system to interact with it.

==Connecting to shares from Windows==
You can connect your Linux/Samba shares from [[Network Neighbourhood]] or map them to a drive from Windows Explorer.

===Mapping shares from commandline===
Here's an example how to connect to a user's home directory from Windows. This works with Windows XP, but it should work with other versions of Windows as well.
<CODE><PRE>
@echo off

echo ------------------[Starting up network connections...]------

net use /user:yourusername z: \\Linuxmachine\home yourpassword /PERSISTENT:no
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 (
echo ------------------[Homedir successful!]---------------------
) ELSE (
echo ------------------[Homedir unsuccessful!]-------------------
)
</PRE></CODE>

Paste this code to a ''.bat'' file and change ''Linuxmachine'' to what you have set up in you [[samba.conf]], and change the username and password. Now by doubleclicking on the ''.bat'' file, the user's home directory in your Linux box will be mapped to drive ''Z:'' The ''/PERSISTENT:no'' means that Windows won't try to recreate the connection when you restart your computer, so this script should be placed in you Startup folder.

==Tips for using Samba with Windows 98==

When using older versions of Samba (prior to version 4), configuring Windows to use plain text passwords removes many problems, and if run on a LAN it poses less of a security risk.
Reg file provided here
----
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\VNETSUP]
"EnablePlainTextPassword"=dword:00000001
----

==Tips for using Samba with Windows NT==

==Tips for using Samba with Windows 2000==

==Tips for using Samba with Windows XP==

:''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]]!''

Setting up a Samba Server

2004-03-18T20:19:26Z

Fennec: Added brief brief intro.

This article deals with setting up [[Samba]] as a [[server]].

==Samba Server==
Be aware that Windows networking isn't a clean and simple system, and that [[Microsoft]] has modified the behaviour of Windows networking (known as [[SMB]] or [[CIFS]]) with each version of Windows and even between Service Packs. This has caused interoperability problems, but the main difficulty is that you may have to spend a bit of time learning how SMB works in order to resolve a problem. It is these issues that make Windows networking sometime appear to be quirky on Windows PCs. The Samba system is more consistent, but more exacting, so if you have difficulties when using a configuration tool, do not hesitate to check the smb.conf file against the documentation to ensure that the required settings are correct.

Several Linux distributions now supply their own tools for configuring Samba in a simple way, and these are mentioned below. Samba itself also includes a basic Web-based configuration system called SWAT, which is often provided in a separate package to the Samba server and client software. Once installed, it listens on port 901, so you can access it by typing the URI in your Web browser:

http://myservername.mydomain:901/

For more complex LAN configurations you can avoid most problems by reading the SAMBA-HOWTO, which is supplied with Samba, and is also available from the project Website:

http://www.samba.org/

As well as the main [[HOWTO]], the Samba documentation includes a large collection of notes, more specific HOWTOs and a [[HTML]] copy of the excellent (but now obsolete) Using Samba book from [[O'Reilly]]. If you have installed the Samba documentation package you will find these in /usr/share/doc/samba-doc-<version>.

For details on connecting to Windows servers, see the [[Samba]] page.

==Fedora Core 1==
coming soon! :)
(see the section on RedHat 9)

==Mandrake==

excecute (as root): 
<tt>
urpmi drakwizard 
drakwizard 
</tt>

select samba

Also, ksambaplugin is available in contribs for Mandrake from 9.1 onwards, and provides probably the best tool for configuring samba. For more information on configuring samba for Mandrake Linux, please see the [http://mandrake.vmlinuz.ca/bin/view/Main/SaMBa Mandrake Community Wiki]

==SuSE 9==
Run yast 
Choose Software -> Install and Remove Software -> Search 
Enter 'samba' 
You will see a number of packages, select them all. You don't need the client packages but they may come in useful later on... 
Click accept 
edit /etc/smb.conf using vi or your favourite editor 
important parts to edit include 'workgroup', 'encrypt passwords', wins*, 'security' 
Run

<tt>rcsmb restart</tt>

NB: If you set security=share then 'Everyone' can access files they have rights to _without_ any prompting whatsoever. If you set security=user the security is a lot better but everyone ('Everyone') will need to attempt to authenticate first even if a null account is valid.

There should be more details at /usr/share/doc/packages/samba/examples/smb.conf.SuSE

==RedHat Linux 9==
There are three ways to configure the samba daemon in RedHat Linux 9. "redhat-config-samba" is a graphical configuration client that is avalible (in [[Gnome]]) under hat|System Settings|Server Settings|Samba. SWAT, a browser based configuration utility can be installed. And lastly the /etc/samba/smb.conf can be edited by hand.

==Setting the Workgroup==
One of the most important things to change when editing the stock /etc/samba/smb.conf file by hand is to change the name of the workgroup. By default it's MYGROUP, But on most computers that use [[SMB]] or [[Samba]], it's set (by default) to WORKGROUP. The workgroup names must match in order for the systems to connect sucessfully. If the systems are actually part of an NT4 or Active Directory domain then use that name in the workgroup setting. Active Directory is more complex that previous Windows systems and other settings must also be configured in Samba for the Linux system to interact with it.

==Connectiong your shares from WIndows==
You can connect your Linux/Samba shares from [[Network Neighbourhood]] or map them to a drive from Windows Explorer.

===Mapping shares from commandline===
Here's an example how to connect to a user's home directory from Windows. This works with Windows XP, but it should work with other versions of Windows as well.
<CODE><PRE>
@echo off

echo ------------------[Starting up network connections...]------

net use /user:yourusername z: \\Linuxmachine\home yourpassword /PERSISTENT:no
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 (
echo ------------------[Homedir successful!]---------------------
) ELSE (
echo ------------------[Homedir unsuccessful!]-------------------
)
</PRE></CODE>

Paste this code to a ''.bat'' file and change ''Linuxmachine'' to what you have set up in you [[samba.conf]], and change the username and password. Now by doubleclicking on the ''.bat'' file, the user's home directory in your Linux box will be mapped to drive ''Z:'' The ''/PERSISTENT:no'' means that Windows won't try to recreate the connection when you restart your computer, so this script should be placed in you Startup folder.

==Tips for using Samba with Windows 98==

When using older versions of Samba (prior to version 4), configuring Windows to use plain text passwords removes many problems, and if run on a LAN it poses less of a security risk.
Reg file provided here
----
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\VNETSUP]
"EnablePlainTextPassword"=dword:00000001
----

==Tips for using Samba with Windows NT==

==Tips for using Samba with Windows 2000==

==Tips for using Samba with Windows XP==

:''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]]!''

Assembly

2004-03-18T20:18:23Z

Fennec: This article still needs work. Added intro. Way too informal. :)

'''Assembly language''' is any low-level [[programming language]] which translates more or less directly to [[machine language]].

Computers only understand machine language (that's ones and zeros).

Humans have a very hard time understanding machine language, so some brave soul, somewhere, long ago, once took the time to write a program in actual machine language: a program that converts simple commands (more easily readable and typable by humans) into machine language. This program was called an assembler because it assembed machine language from something else. That something else is called assembly language, or just "assembly" for short.

Programming languages such as [[C]] are even more high level than assembly- it's even easier for humans to understand than assembly. For a program written in C to run on a computer, it first has to get compiled into assembly, and then the assembly gets assembled into machine language (which the computer can then recognize and run as an [[executable]]).

Finally, yes, there are programming languages even more high level than C, and even easier for humans to write and understand (though, some might be harder, depending on who you ask. :) ).

Lua

2004-03-18T20:15:18Z

Fennec: Tweaked intro.

'''Lua''' promotes itself as "a powerful light-weight programming language designed for extending applications. Lua is also frequently used as a general-purpose, stand-alone language. Lua is free software."

'''See also''':
* http://www.lua.org/ - The official website
* http://lua-users.org/ - Hosts a Lua Wiki, mailing list archive, etc.

Browser

2004-03-18T20:14:29Z

Fennec:

#redirect [[web browser]]

Remote desktop connection

2004-03-18T20:14:04Z

Fennec: Added intro.

There are several techniques which can be used to establish a '''remote desktop connection''' between one computer and another.

[[ssh]] - SSH (secure shell) is one of the best remote login clients and servers, and is supplied with all Linux distributions. SSH can be used for a terminal or console session (a command prompt) like Telnet, but can also be configured to "tunnel" individual X-Windows applications as well. This would allow a user to, for example, log in to a remote system and launch a graphical application and have the application appear on the user's system. In such a scenario, the application would appear but NOT the full desktop.

[[XDMCP]] - XDMCP allows remote login and access to an entire [[GUI]] environment through an X display manager such as Gnome's GDM (so long as the option is enabled).

[[VNC]] - VNC is also designed to forward an entire GUI environment. It is less efficient than X-Windows but the traffic is compressed (for low bandwidth connections), and clients exist for every major [[OS]]. It has a degree of protection for passwords, but the data itself is sent without encryption. It can be made more secure by tunnelling the connection via ssh.

[[Telnet]] - Telnet was one of the earliest attempts at remote administration. It is now considered inherently insecure (it sends everything in clear text) and largely obsolete, but may have some niche uses on trusted networks. Telnet provides only a console session with no capability of forwarding X-Windows applications or GUI environments.

[[rlogin]] - rlogin allows remote logins using the [[BSD]] "r" [[protocol]]. The "r" suite of utilities has been rendered obsolete by SSH, and like Telnet, is considered too insecure for regular use.

[[rdesktop]] - RDesktop is a Linux client that can attach to a Windows Server running Terminal Services or to the built-in Remote Desktop capability of Windows XP Pro. It is ideal for many who prefer to work from a Linux system, but who have an occasional need to access a Windows machine. RDesktop replicates a full Windows desktop in a window within Linux.

Plotting

2004-03-18T20:12:16Z

Fennec: Use the term in the first sentence, if you care, sir.

'''Grace''' is a tool used for plotting/graphing numerical data. It is available from http://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/

Shutdown

2004-03-18T20:11:13Z

Fennec: Stupid apostrophe.

'''Shutdown''' is the [[Unix]] [[command]] to change the [[runlevel]] of a system, or to either reboot or halt the system.

To powerdown a GNU/Linux [[box]] immediately, run
shutdown -h now
with [[root]] [[permissions]].

Perl

2004-03-18T20:09:52Z

Fennec: Tweak headings.

'''Perl''' is the '''P'''ractical '''E'''xtraction and '''R'''eport language. It is a [[scripting language]] and a [[programming language]] which is [[interpreted]] rather than [[compiled]].

Detractors may refer to Perl as the ''Pathologically Eclectic Rubbish Lister''.

== perldoc's definition ==

'''Perl''' is a high-level programming language with an eclectic heritage written by Larry Wall and a cast of thousands. It derives from the ubiquitous [[C]] programming language and to a lesser extent from sed, awk, the Unix shell, and at least a dozen other tools and languages. Perl's process, file, and text manipulation facilities make it particularly well-suited for tasks involving quick prototyping, system utilities, software tools, system management tasks, database access, graphical programming, networking, and world wide web programming. These strengths make it especially popular with system administrators and CGI script authors, but mathematicians, geneticists, journalists, and even managers also use Perl. Maybe you should, too.

== Sample Perl Program ==
<code><pre>
#!/usr/bin/perl -w
print "Hello World!\n";
</pre></code>

The first line is the [[shebang]] line, it identifies the location of perl. If you don't know where perl is located, you can type 'which perl' and it should show you where it is. If perl is not in your path or installed on your system it will show you nothing. Most distributions come with perl already installed.

The print line displays the text and the \n is a special character indicating the new line.

== CPAN ==
One of the greatest resources for any perl programmer is http://www.cpan.org which is a collection of perl modules which you can use in your own programs to simplify many things.

== External Links ==
* http://www.perl.com
* http://www.perlmonks.org

----

==Perl and CGI scripting==
Perl is commonly used for writing [[CGI]] scripts (scripts that run on a web server). If a file is suitably declared, instead of its contents being displayed, it is executed and its ''output'' displayed. Data from forms can be passed to CGI scripts.

CGI scripts are usually placed in a directory called <tt>cgi-bin</tt>. Check your distribution's (or your ISP's) documentation to discover where this directory is. Make sure the script has its permissions set to 755.

===Simple CGI script===
<CODE><PRE>#!/usr/bin/perl
print "Content-type: text/html\n\n";
print "<HTML>\n";
print "<BODY>\n";
print "Hello, world!\n";
print "</BODY>\n";
print "</HTML>\n";
exit;</PRE></CODE>
Note the first line we print is a MIME type. If httpd were sending a regular file, it would determine what type of file it is from the first few bytes and send a MIME type automatically; but a CGI script is expected to send its own MIME type. (That sounds like a minus, but it also means that a script can easily send additional HTTP headers if necessary.) The second line is a blank line, to terminate the headers. The remainder is just a short, pointless HTML file.

===A form reader===
The following programme reads and displays data from HTML forms. It's useful for debugging purposes, or for using as the basis for a more complicated script,
<CODE><PRE>
#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;

my $input_buffer,
my (@post_names,@get_names);
my %parameters;
my ($name, $value);
my $referrer = $ENV{'HTTP_REFERER'};

foreach (split/&/, $ENV{'QUERY_STRING') {
tr/+/ /;
($name,$value) = split /=/, $_;
$name =~ s/%(..)/pack('c', hex($1))/eg;
$value =~ s/%(..)/pack('c', hex($1))/eg;
$parameters{$name} = $value;
push @get_names,$name;
};

foreach (split /&/, (read STDIN,$input_buffer,$ENV{"CONTENT_LENGTH"})) {
tr/+/ /;
($name,$value) = split (/=/, $_);
$name =~ s/%(..)/pack('c', hex($1))/eg;
$value =~ s/%(..)/pack('c', hex($1))/eg;
push @post_names,$name;
$parameters{$name} = $value;
};

print << "--STOP--";
Content-type: text/html

<HTML>
<HEAD><TITLE>General Purpose Form Reader</TITLE></HEAD>
<BODY>
<H1>General Purpose Form Reader</H1>
--STOP--

print "Referring page was \"$referrer\" \n";

if (@get_names) {
print " Items submitted by GET / query string (in order):\n";
foreach (@get_names) {
print " "$_" = "$parameters{$_}"\n";
};
};

if (@post_names) {
print " Items submitted by POST method (in order):\n";
foreach (@post_names) {
print " "$_" = "$parameters{$_}"\n";
};
};

if (!(@get_names) && !(@post_names)) {
print " Nothing was submitted!\n";
};

print "</BODY>\n</HTML>\n";</PRE></CODE>

The first section simply sets up some variables. The hash called <tt>ENV</tt> is already set up for you by the web server. The next section reads the value of the query string, which is stored in the environment variable QUERY_STRING; splits it into name/value pairs; and parses special characters in the names and values -- this needs to be done ''after'' the split, in case one of the special characters evaluates to an = sign. Yes, I made that mistake, and now I'm telling you about it so you don't have to. The names are stored in an array (which is only really necessary for the purposes of keeping the GET and POST variables separate; feel free to drop it in a "real life" script if you don't care how the variables got there), and an associative array is constructed, with the values indexed by name.

The next section reads the POST data, if any, and sotes it similarly: names into an array, vaules into the same associative array. This is passed through STDIN; an environment variable, CONTENT_LENGTH, is set to hold the length of the data. Again, the data consists of a set of name=value pairs, separated by & signs.

Finally, a web page is started, and the GET and POST values are printed in turn.

Perl

2004-03-18T20:09:21Z

Fennec: Tweaked intro, headings. The CGI section needs its own article.

'''Perl''' is the '''P'''ractical '''E'''xtraction and '''R'''eport language. It is a [[scripting language]] and a [[programming language]] which is [[interpreted]] rather than [[compiled]].

Detractors may refer to Perl as the ''Pathologically Eclectic Rubbish Lister''.

== perldoc's definition ==

'''Perl''' is a high-level programming language with an eclectic heritage written by Larry Wall and a cast of thousands. It derives from the ubiquitous [[C]] programming language and to a lesser extent from sed, awk, the Unix shell, and at least a dozen other tools and languages. Perl's process, file, and text manipulation facilities make it particularly well-suited for tasks involving quick prototyping, system utilities, software tools, system management tasks, database access, graphical programming, networking, and world wide web programming. These strengths make it especially popular with system administrators and CGI script authors, but mathematicians, geneticists, journalists, and even managers also use Perl. Maybe you should, too.

== Sample Perl Program ==
<code><pre>
#!/usr/bin/perl -w
print "Hello World!\n";
</pre></code>

The first line is the [[shebang]] line, it identifies the location of perl. If you don't know where perl is located, you can type 'which perl' and it should show you where it is. If perl is not in your path or installed on your system it will show you nothing. Most distributions come with perl already installed.

The print line displays the text and the \n is a special character indicating the new line.

== CPAN ==
One of the greatest resources for any perl programmer is http://www.cpan.org which is a collection of perl modules which you can use in your own programs to simplify many things.

== External Links ==
* http://www.perl.com
* http://www.perlmonks.org

----

==Perl and CGI scripting==
Perl is commonly used for writing [[CGI]] scripts (scripts that run on a web server). If a file is suitably declared, instead of its contents being displayed, it is executed and its ''output'' displayed. Data from forms can be passed to CGI scripts.

CGI scripts are usually placed in a directory called <tt>cgi-bin</tt>. Check your distribution's (or your ISP's) documentation to discover where this directory is. Make sure the script has its permissions set to 755.

==Simple CGI script==
<CODE><PRE>#!/usr/bin/perl
print "Content-type: text/html\n\n";
print "<HTML>\n";
print "<BODY>\n";
print "Hello, world!\n";
print "</BODY>\n";
print "</HTML>\n";
exit;</PRE></CODE>
Note the first line we print is a MIME type. If httpd were sending a regular file, it would determine what type of file it is from the first few bytes and send a MIME type automatically; but a CGI script is expected to send its own MIME type. (That sounds like a minus, but it also means that a script can easily send additional HTTP headers if necessary.) The second line is a blank line, to terminate the headers. The remainder is just a short, pointless HTML file.

==A form reader==
The following programme reads and displays data from HTML forms. It's useful for debugging purposes, or for using as the basis for a more complicated script,
<CODE><PRE>
#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;

my $input_buffer,
my (@post_names,@get_names);
my %parameters;
my ($name, $value);
my $referrer = $ENV{'HTTP_REFERER'};

foreach (split/&/, $ENV{'QUERY_STRING') {
tr/+/ /;
($name,$value) = split /=/, $_;
$name =~ s/%(..)/pack('c', hex($1))/eg;
$value =~ s/%(..)/pack('c', hex($1))/eg;
$parameters{$name} = $value;
push @get_names,$name;
};

foreach (split /&/, (read STDIN,$input_buffer,$ENV{"CONTENT_LENGTH"})) {
tr/+/ /;
($name,$value) = split (/=/, $_);
$name =~ s/%(..)/pack('c', hex($1))/eg;
$value =~ s/%(..)/pack('c', hex($1))/eg;
push @post_names,$name;
$parameters{$name} = $value;
};

print << "--STOP--";
Content-type: text/html

<HTML>
<HEAD><TITLE>General Purpose Form Reader</TITLE></HEAD>
<BODY>
<H1>General Purpose Form Reader</H1>
--STOP--

print "Referring page was \"$referrer\" \n";

if (@get_names) {
print " Items submitted by GET / query string (in order):\n";
foreach (@get_names) {
print " "$_" = "$parameters{$_}"\n";
};
};

if (@post_names) {
print " Items submitted by POST method (in order):\n";
foreach (@post_names) {
print " "$_" = "$parameters{$_}"\n";
};
};

if (!(@get_names) && !(@post_names)) {
print " Nothing was submitted!\n";
};

print "</BODY>\n</HTML>\n";</PRE></CODE>

The first section simply sets up some variables. The hash called <tt>ENV</tt> is already set up for you by the web server. The next section reads the value of the query string, which is stored in the environment variable QUERY_STRING; splits it into name/value pairs; and parses special characters in the names and values -- this needs to be done ''after'' the split, in case one of the special characters evaluates to an = sign. Yes, I made that mistake, and now I'm telling you about it so you don't have to. The names are stored in an array (which is only really necessary for the purposes of keeping the GET and POST variables separate; feel free to drop it in a "real life" script if you don't care how the variables got there), and an associative array is constructed, with the values indexed by name.

The next section reads the POST data, if any, and sotes it similarly: names into an array, vaules into the same associative array. This is passed through STDIN; an environment variable, CONTENT_LENGTH, is set to hold the length of the data. Again, the data consists of a set of name=value pairs, separated by & signs.

Finally, a web page is started, and the GET and POST values are printed in turn.

Network

2004-03-18T20:03:11Z

Fennec: to '''

A '''network''', as a noun, is composed of 2 or more systems that can communicate with each other using [[cable]]s or a communication [[protocol]] of some sort.

To '''network''', as a verb, is to get 2 or more computers to communicate with each other and form a network.

Tail

2004-03-18T20:01:40Z

Fennec: Tweaked intro

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

== 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'''

Mv

2004-03-18T19:53:06Z

Fennec: Tweak headings.

'''mv''' is a command which moves (renames) files.

==Syntax==
'''mv ''[OPTION] source dest'' ''' 
'''mv ''[OPTION] source directory'' ''' 
'''mv ''[OPTION]'' --target-directory=''directory source'' '''

Rename ''source'' to ''dest'', or move ''source(s)'' to ''directory''.

==Options==

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

* ''--backup[=CONTROL]'' - make a backup of each existing destination file
* ''-b'' - like --backup but does not accept an argument
* ''-f'', ''--force'' - do not prompt before overwriting equivalent to --reply=yes
* ''-i'', ''--interactive'' - prompt before overwrite equivalent to --reply=query
* ''--reply={yes,no,query}'' - specify how to handle the prompt about an existing destination file
* ''--strip-trailing-slashes'' - remove any trailing slashes from each ''SOURCE'' argument
* ''-S'', ''--suffix=SUFFIX'' - override the usual backup suffix
* ''--target-directory=DIRECTORY'' - move all ''SOURCE'' arguments into ''DIRECTORY''
* ''-u'', ''--update'' - move only when the ''SOURCE'' file is newer than the destination file or when the destination file is missing
* ''-v'', ''--verbose'' - explain what is being done
* ''--help'' - display this help and exit
* ''--version'' - output version information and exit

The backup suffix is `~', unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX. The version control method may be selected via the --backup option or through the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable. Here are the values:

* ''none, off'' - never make backups (even if --backup is given)
* ''numbered, t'' - make numbered backups
* ''existing, nil'' - numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise
* ''simple, never'' - always make simple backups

==Related commands==
* [[rm]] - Remove file
* [[cp]] - Copy files
* [[mkdir]] - Make directory

Samba

2004-03-18T19:52:03Z

Fennec: Tweaked headings.

'''Samba''' is a suite of programs supplied with all Linux distributions (and [[Mac OS X]]) that enables [[UNIX]] systems to both access shared resources on [[Windows]] PCs, and act as servers for them. Samba is functional enough to enable a Linux system to become a member of an Active Directory domain, or to act as a Primary Domain Controller for a network of Windows PCs itself; and Linux servers running Samba are used in preference to Windows servers on the largest networks.

However, Windows networking is not as straightforward as the graphical interfaces might suggest and [[Microsoft]] have changed the behaviour of their network protocols many times, which means that you may have to spend a little time tuning your configuration in order for it to work with the Windows PCs on your particular network.

For details on setting up a Linux system as a file/print/authentication [[SMB]] server, see the [[Samba Server]] page.

== How do you access a Windows share from Linux? ==

You need to mount it. Take a look at this example (which applies to root only):

'''mount -t smbfs //winbox/share /mnt/share -o rw,username=joe,password=bloggs'''

Make sure you have a directory called /mnt/share before you try the mount.

Also, note the uid, gid, fmask, and dmask options when mounting as a user other than the one who needs to access the files...

For a normal user, if your smbmount and smbumount are [[setuid]], you can instead do:

'''smbmount -o username=joe,password=bloggs //winbox/share /mnt/share'''

(this way, usually the default permissions are suitable for the user running smbmount)

and to unmount it:

'''smbumount /mnt/share'''

If your Windows server requires signing/sealing (i.e. Windows 2003), you need to use mount.cifs (available in samba-3.0.x and in some distributions with samba-2.2.x), which requires the cifs filesystem module (in 2.6 kernels and some distributions have it in their 2.4 kernels - such as Mandrake 9.2 and later).

It is a good idea to use the above syntax for the first time you connect to a new system, to ensure that everything works correctly. Remember to clear the history if others have access to the root account ! If you will be regularly using the same Windows account, then it is useful to store the details in a file rather than entering it in plain text each time. To do this create a text file in your home directory, e.g. winbox-credentials.txt, and put two lines in it:

on line 1: ''username=joe''

on line 2: ''password=bloggs''

Save it, and change the file permissions to restrict access to your own account ('''chmod 600 winbox-credentials.txt'''). You can then use the syntax:

'''smbmount -o credentials=/home/joe/winbox-credentials.txt //winbox/share /mnt/share'''

== Are there graphical clients? ==

Yes, but some work better than others; here are a few worth trying:

* [http://linux.imp.mx/xfsamba/] xfsamba
* [http://www.public.iastate.edu/~chadspen/xsmbrowser.html] xsmbrowser
* [http://www.bnro.de/~schmidjo/] LinNeighborhood
* [http://smb4k.berlios.de/] smb4k
* [http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnomba/] gnomba

:Also, some filemanagers have built-in browsers, for example typing smb:/ in Nautilus or Konqueror will access the network browser. [[XFCE]]'s filemanager is also a good one. Konqueror also allows you to browse all machines in your LAN via lan:// in the address bar (if [[Lisa]] is configured and running).

== How can I mount a share automatically at boot? ==

You need to place an entry in your /etc/fstab file. As above, make sure you have created the mount point before you boot. The fstab entry should look like:

//winbox/share /mnt/share smbfs rw,credentials=/home/joe/winbox-credentials.txt 0 0

== How can I mount a share as read only? ==
The above examples mount as readable and writable "rw", for read only change it to "ro".

Mmorpg

2004-03-18T19:50:19Z

Fennec: WIKI SYNTAX, YOU INSENSITIVE CLODS!!! :)

The term '''MMORPG''' stands for ''Massively [[Multiplayer]] [[Online]] [[Role Playing Game]]''.

Some MMORPGS include:
*[[Diablo]] (hosted by [[Battlenet]]; see [[Blizzard North]])
*[[Diablo 2]] (hosted by Battlenet)
*[[Ultima Online]]
*[[Ragnarok Online]]
*[[Final Fantasy XI]]

3D graphics acceleration

2004-03-18T19:48:55Z

Fennec: Adjusted intro text, headings.

'''3D graphics acceleration''' (sometimes '''3D acceleration''' or ''Hardware 3d acceleration'') refers to software which does 3D [[rendering]] using special functions of a [[video card]] to accelerate the rendering. Most recent videocards support some form of this acceleration.

Normally applications don't directly use these features of the videocard. They normally use a 3D graphical language [[API]], such as [[OpenGL]], [[Glide]] or [[DirectX]]. The libraries that implement this then deal with hardware acceleration transparently to the applications, meaning they fallback on a software method if the driver of the videocard doesn't support some feature.

In Linux this can be done by the [[DRI|Direct Rendering Infrastructure]]. [[DRI]] was orginally created as an extension to [[XFree86]], but can also be used without it (see fbdev/DRI drivers from the [[mesa3d]] project as an example of this). The most used 3D API in linux that supports hardware acceleration is [[OpenGL]], see that page for more info on enabling it.

See also [[2D graphics acceleration]].

Cinelerra

2004-03-18T19:45:30Z

Fennec: Cleaned up a bad, bad, bad, CamelCase wiki import thingy.

'''Cinelerra''' is a sophisticated [[audio]]/[[video]] Non Linear Editor that runs on Linux. It is capable of:
* Editing ("cutting") video and sound
* Adding audio and video transitions, such as cross-fading, between cuts.
* Adding audio and video effects to selected parts of the timeline.
* Dubbing and mixing many audio channels.
* Compositing several "tracks" of video.
* Use keyframes to control effects and levels over time.
* Edit and render high resolution video.
* Use a rendering farm.

Cinelerra is both an editor and a compositor. It allows both cutting and layering/mixing at the same time. This means the timeline is rather packed with features. Some of those features are not visible or obvious; for example, the keyframe. Compositing is more relevant to the professional or the advanced amateur.

Cinelerra is a Non Linear Editor. In contrast to linear editing where film is actually cut and pasted in a "linear" manner to compose a film, a non-linear editing system is a video or audio editing system that can read media materials in any order, then allowing for one to create a "editing lists" telling the system wich segments get played independantly of the order of the original material. An important feature of modern NLE's is that the original material is not modified in any way; it can also be called a Non-Destructive Editing system.

More information about cinelerra can be found at :
* The [http://sourceforge.net/projects/heroines/ official site]
* The [http://www.ftconsult.com/twiki/bin/view/Cinelerra/CinelerraManualTOC Wiki manual], which contains an illustrated manual
* IRC #cinelerra ( [http://www.skolelinux.no/~baver/cinelerra/logs/ Logs] )
* the [https://init.linpro.no/mailman/skolelinux.no/listinfo/cinelerra Unofficial CVS mailing list]
* [http://www.skolelinux.no/~herman/cinelerra/ Cinelerra Community Center] ( http://www.cinelerra.org )
* The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_editing Film editing] article on Wikipedia discusses NLEs.

Permissions

2004-03-18T19:40:21Z

Fennec: Tweaked text.

'''Permissions''' are a set of rules dealing with which may users are allowed to access certain files, commands, or devices.

==File permissions==
In linux, all [[file]]s have permissions that define which [[user]]s and [[group]]s can access the file. Each file is associated with both an [[owner]] and a [[group]].

'''See also:''' [[Basic Linux file system attributes]]

===Changing permissions and ownerships===
* To change [[file]]-permissions, use the [[chmod]] command.
* To change the owner and the group of a [[file]] or [[directory]], use the [[chown]] command.

== Command permissions ==
Command permissions are related to file permissions. A command's permissions identify which user and group is responsible for the a running [[process]]. Used ith file permissions, they determines whether the user or group is allowed to access a certain file or command.

Permissions

2004-03-18T19:39:10Z

Fennec: Heading tweak.

'''Permissions''' are a set of rules dealing with which may users are allowed to access certain files, commands, or devices.

==File permissions==
In linux, all [[file]]s have permissions that define which [[user]]s and [[group]]s can access the file. Each file is associated with both an [[owner]] and a [[group]].

'''See also:''' [[Basic Linux file system attributes]]

===Changing permissions and ownerships===
* To change [[file]]-permissions, use the [[chmod]] command.
* To change the owner and the group of a [[file]] or [[directory]], use the [[chown]] command.

== Command permissions ==
Command permissions are related to file permissions. They identify which user and group is responsible for the a running [[process]], and thus whether the user or group is allowed to access a certain file or command.

File permissions

2004-03-18T19:38:16Z

Fennec: moved to "Permissions"

#REDIRECT [[Permissions]]

Fuser

2004-03-18T19:35:07Z

Fennec: Cleanup, wikify better.

'''fuser''' lists which processes are using a file, port or a filesystem, and can optionally automatically kill them. It is particularly useful when attempting to [[unmount]] a [[partition]], [[attach]] to a [[port]] or [[play sound]] but the device or file is already in use.

The following will list the [[pids]] using ''file'':
fuser ''file''

To make fuser work on an entire filesystem use -m option. Almost all the options can be combined with -m.
fuser -m ''directory''
lists all the pids using the filesystem mounted in that directory.

One of the more overlooked parts of fuser is the fact that aside from acting with files and filesystems it also performs the same actions on ports.
fuser -n ''[udp|tcp] (port #)''

To make fuser more verbose, show who owns the processes, the process name among other things, use the -v option.
fuser -v ''file''

Testing if something is used is also useful, especially for [[shell scripts]].
fuser -s ''file''

Finally, one of the more useful parts of fuser is the ability to kill every process using a certain file (or filesystem for a quick [[umount]])
fuser -k ''file''

Apt-cache

2004-03-18T19:30:36Z

Fennec: Isn't space-to-teletype syntax great? =b

'''apt-cache''' is a part of the [[apt]] suite of tools used to manage packages in the [[Debian]] distribution. apt-cache is a tool for sifting through package information that resides on your computer after doing <code>[[apt-get]] update</code>

== Examples ==
'''Search for a package using a keyword''':
apt-cache search mp3
This will search for [[packages]] that have "mp3" in the name or description.

'''Show package details''':
apt-cache show mpg123'''
This shows package information about a package named "mpg123". It will display things such as the [[package dependancies]], the long description, the version, the installed size, etc.

Apt-cache

2004-03-18T19:28:58Z

Fennec: Adjusted overivew.

'''apt-cache''' is a part of the [[apt]] suite of tools used to manage packages in the [[Debian]] distribution. apt-cache is a tool for sifting through package information that resides on your computer after doing <code>[[apt-get]] update</code>

== Examples ==

Search for a package using a keyword: 
<TT>'''apt-cache search mp3'''</TT> 
''explanation'': This will search for [[packages]] that have "mp3" in the name or description.

Show package details: 
<TT>'''apt-cache show mpg123'''</TT> 
''explanation'': This shows package information about a package named "mpg123". It will display things such as the [[package dependancies]], the long description, the version, the installed size, etc.

Securing the BIOS

2004-03-18T19:27:52Z

Fennec: Add intro text.

The following steps will make a system's [[BIOS]] more secure from unauthorized modification.

* Disable wake on LAN.
* Disable booting from external peripherals.
* Disable booting from CD/DVD.
* Disable booting from floppy.
* Use BIOS password.
* Research availability/existence of BIOS master password as a potential vulnerability.
* If possible, lock the machine's case, as most BIOSes will allow someone to reset them using a jumper combination or by removing the battery for a period of time.

'''See also''': [[physical security]]

In the beginning was the command line

2004-03-18T19:26:07Z

Fennec: Tweaked title, text, removed minor nonsense.

'''''In the Beginning was the Command Line''''' has been perceived by many as an excellent essay about the history of computing. Written in 1999 by [[hacker]] novelist Neal Stephenson, it's still seen as relevant today, and many would say it should be read by everyone with an interest or involvement in computers.

===External links:===

*[http://www.cryptonomicon.com/beginning.html Full text of "In the beginning was the command line"]

===See also:===

* [[command line]], [[history]], [[linux books]]

MSN Messenger

2004-03-18T19:24:57Z

Fennec: Tweak.

'''MSN Messenger'' is Microsoft's [[Instant Messaging]] service, and is a part of [[MSN]].

'''See also''': [[MSN]]

Client-server

2004-03-18T19:24:02Z

Fennec: Yeah, I changed stuff. =b

'''Client-server''' communication models involve a [[client]] or clients accessing resources from a [[server]]. Compare with [[peer to peer]].

See also [[dumb terminal]], [[thin client]]

Objective-C

2004-03-18T19:20:30Z

Fennec: '''first use''' of title object in article, eh?

'''Objective-C''' (sometimes written obj-c) is a superset of [[C]] that has additions to the language to support [[object-oriented]] programming. It's fairly simple to learn for those who already know C.

[[GNUstep]] uses objective-c.

Web browser

2004-03-18T19:18:10Z

Fennec: Tweaked text.

A '''web browser''' is essentially an engine that converts markup (primarily [[HTML]]) into a representation according to the rules of the markup. However, browsers must also handle an array of other demands from an increasingly complex [[web]], which is often done with the help of [[plugins]] such as [[Flash Player(s)]].

For some hints on setting up web browsers, look at [[Browsing tasks]].

==Specific Applications==
The following is a list of web browsers available for Linux:
* [[Epiphany]]
* [[Galeon]] : a web browser for [[Gnome]] based on the [[Gecko]] renderer.
* [[Konqueror]] : a web browser for [[KDE]].
* [[Lynx]] : a text-only web browser, suitable for use in a [[terminal]]
* [[Mozilla]] and the related web browsers:
** [[Firefox]] : A particularly popular, technologically advanced browser, planned to become the successor to Mozilla
** [[Netscape]] : The commercially developed predecessor to Mozilla, whose later versions are based on Mozilla itself
* [[Opera]] : A popular, ad-supported web browser, whose adherents often claim is the fastest browser available
[[Emacs]], although most commonly known as a text editor, also possesses web browser plugins.

''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]] !''

Web browser

2004-03-18T19:17:51Z

Fennec: Add intro text.

A '''web browser''' is essentially an engine that converts markup (primarily [[HTML]]) into a representation according to the rules of the markup. However, browsers must also handle an array of other demands from an increasingly complex [[web]], which is often done with the help of [[plugins]] such as [[Flash Player(s)]].

For some hints on setting up web browsers, look at [[Browsing tasks]].

==Specific Applications==
The following is an alphabetical list of web browsers available for Linux:
* [[Epiphany]]
* [[Galeon]] : a web browser for [[Gnome]] based on the [[Gecko]] renderer.
* [[Konqueror]] : a web browser for [[KDE]].
* [[Lynx]] : a text-only web browser, suitable for use in a [[terminal]]
* [[Mozilla]] and the related web browsers:
** [[Firefox]] : A particularly popular, technologically advanced browser, planned to become the successor to Mozilla
** [[Netscape]] : The commercially developed predecessor to Mozilla, whose later versions are based on Mozilla itself
* [[Opera]] : A popular, ad-supported web browser, whose adherents often claim is the fastest browser available
[[Emacs]], although most commonly known as a text editor, also possesses web browser plugins.

''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]] !''

Web browser

2004-03-18T19:16:43Z

Fennec: Reorganize. Remove minor nonsense.

A '''web browser''' is essentially an engine that converts markup (primarily [[HTML]]) into a representation according to the rules of the markup. However, browsers must also handle an array of other demands from an increasingly complex [[web]], which is often done with the help of [[plugins]] such as [[Flash Player(s)]].

For some hints on setting up web browsers, look at [[Browsing tasks]].

==Specific Applications==
* [[Epiphany]]
* [[Galeon]] : a web browser for [[Gnome]] based on the [[Gecko]] renderer.
* [[Konqueror]] : a web browser for [[KDE]].
* [[Lynx]] : a text-only web browser, suitable for use in a [[terminal]]
* [[Mozilla]] and the related web browsers:
** [[Firefox]] : A particularly popular, technologically advanced browser, planned to become the successor to Mozilla
** [[Netscape]] : The commercially developed predecessor to Mozilla, whose later versions are based on Mozilla itself
* [[Opera]] : A popular, ad-supported web browser, whose adherents often claim is the fastest browser available
[[Emacs]], although most commonly known as a text editor, also possesses web browser plugins.

''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]] !''

Surf the web

2004-03-18T19:09:59Z

Fennec: Cleanup. Removed absurdities.

There are numerous [[web browser]]s already included with almost every [[Linux]] [[distribution]].

* [[Konqueror]] - on [[KDE]] only
* [[Galeon]] - on [[GNOME]] only
* [[Mozilla]] - platform-independent; includes more than just a browser
* [[FireFox]] - based on Mozilla; only a browser
* [[Opera]] - commercial offering (has to be downloaded separately)
* [[Lynx]] - text-interface

You may wish to perform some of the following tasks before using your web browser, or when you are first using your web browser:
* Check the cookie settings
** In general, it is safe to allow all cookies as session cookies only.
* Enable popup blocking, if it is supported.
* Install popular plugins for your browser.

Some popular plugins include:
* Shockwave/Flash [http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/alternates/] - install manually
* Plugger [http://fredrik.hubbe.net/plugger.html] - usually included as a package in Linux distributions
* Java [http://java.sun.com] - install manually
* Quicktime [http://www.openquicktime.org/] - for experts only
* MPlayerPlug-In [http://mplayerplug-in.sf.net/] - requires MPlayer, which supports a wide variety of file formats. Only available for Konqueror, Mozilla, and Firefox.
Additionally, if you are using Mozilla or FireFox, visit Mozilla's [http://extensionroom.mozdev.org/ Extension Room] for useful add-ons such as soft scrolling and mouse gesture navigation.

Uncompressing files

2004-03-18T19:05:10Z

Fennec: Reformat lists.

This page is a list of various [[command line]] tools for '''uncompressing files''' in Linux, and provides example invocations.

*[[bunzip2]] (.bz2)- Decompresses the specified filename
::<code>bunzip2 <filename.bz2></code>
*[[gunzip]] (.gz)- This utility can decompress files created with the following utilities: [[compress]], [[gzip]] and [[zip]]
::<code> gunzip <filename.gz></code>
*[[unarj]] (.arj)- Decompresses or lists the content of the specified ARJ archive.
*[[uncompress]]- Decompresses the [[compress]] compressed file.
::<code>uncompress -d <filename></code>
*[[unzip]] (.zip)- Decompresses and extracts files created by the Linux [[zip]] utility, PKZIP(MS-DOS) or WinZip(Microsoft Windows).
::<code>unzip <filename.zip></code>

*[[tar]] (.tar) - This command is what is typically used to compress and decompress files in linux. It is typically called in one of the following forms:
::<code>tar -xvf <filename.tar></code>
::<code>tar -xvzf <filename.tar.gz></code>
::<code>tar -xvjf <filename.tar.bz2></code>

*[[unace]] (.ace)- Decompresses ace files
::<code>unace x <filename.ace></code>
*[[unrar]] (.rar)- Decompresses rar files
::<code>unrar x <filename.rar></code>
*[[cabextract]] (.cab)- Extracts files from Microsoft cabinet archives
::<code>cabextract <filename.cab></code>

*[[lha]] (.lha) - LZH un-archiver
::<code>lha x <filename.lha></code>

Useful Sites

2004-03-18T18:58:37Z

Fennec: Lists Do Not Have Spaces Between Lines.

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.

Man page

2004-03-18T18:56:35Z

Fennec: Tweaks!

'''Man pages''', or '''manual pages''', are manuals for various commands accessed by using the [[man]] command.

Man pages are also referred to as the Unix Online Documentation (though they are not "online" in the modern sense). They contain information about proper syntax and options, and are the Unix equivalent of ''help files''. They are included on almost all Unix systems. There is a page for almost every [[command]], and for a number of [[Configuration File|configuration files]] as well.

To browse a hierarchical listing of man pages using a [[GUI]], try the <code>xman</code> command.

Content and quality vary between applications, but typically tend towards:

* being very thorough
* being succinct
* being more a reference rather than a tutorial

This means that you will frequently come across information in man pages that you do not yet understand. Don't worry about it; becoming a Linux guru is a gradual process. If you don't need the excess information right now, ignore it. Otherwise read it again, slowly. If it still makes no sense, look here in the LinuxQuestions.org wiki for an explanation. If it still makes no sense, go to an [[Getting_help_from_IRC|IRC]] chat or a web forum and explain you're having trouble understanding the man page. You will be treated more sympathetically if you've tried to [[RTFM]].

See also

* [[man man]], [[RTFM]], [[documentation]]

System Information

2004-03-18T18:54:12Z

Fennec: moved to "System_information"

#REDIRECT [[System_information]]

Man

2004-03-18T18:53:36Z

Fennec: Tweaked intro

'''man''' is a command to access the [[man page]] for a given command, function, or sile.

Usage:
:<code>$ man locate</code>

Provided your man pages are working correctly, this will bring up detailed information about the [[locate]] program. Read <code>man [[updatedb]]</code> while you're about it.

Man pages are sometimes split into sections. On most systems the sections are numbered 1 to 8, representing these categories:

#General commands
#Low-level system calls
#C library functions
#Special files (usually devices, those found in /dev)
#File formats and conventions
#Games
#Miscellanea
#System administration and associated commands

To view a specific section, you type the appropriate number before the name of the page you wish to view. For example, section 1 (general commands) of the command [[ls]] would be referred to as:

:<code>$ man 1 ls</code>

===See also:===
*[[documentation]]
*[[man man]]
*[[TLDP]]

Manpage

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Fennec: Redirect man page

#redirect [[man page]]

System information

2004-03-18T18:50:51Z

Fennec: Compact list. Wiki links.

There are several ways to gather ''system information''. Here are some ways to gather information about your GNU/Linux system. Run these commands and check out their [[manpage]]s for more infromation:

*<tt>cat /proc/cpuinfo</tt> -- information about your cpu.
*<tt>[[lspci]]</tt> -- list devices on the pci bus.
*<tt>[[uname]] -a</tt> -- brief OS and kernel information.
*<tt>[[dmesg]]</tt> -- kernel messages given during booting.
*<tt>cat /etc/mtab</tt> -- show currently mounted file systems.
*<tt>cat /etc/fstab</tt> -- show configuration file for file system mounting.

'''''The following commands must be run as [[root]]''''':
*<tt>[[fdisk]] -l /dev/hda</tt> (or whatever disk you want information on) -- show partition table for <tt>/dev/hda</tt>
*<tt>[[lsmod]]</tt> -- list kernel modules currently loaded.
*<tt>[[route]] -n</tt> -- show routing table.

Kernel Commands

2004-03-18T18:46:10Z

Fennec: moved to "Kernel_commands"

#REDIRECT [[Kernel_commands]]

Kernel command

2004-03-18T18:45:42Z

Fennec: #redirect Kernel commands

#redirect [[Kernel commands]]

Modprobe

2004-03-18T18:45:21Z

Fennec: Reorganize.

'''modprobe''' is a [[kernel command]] used to control [[kernel module]]s.

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

User talk:Fennec

2004-03-18T18:43:12Z

Fennec: Tweak refactor.

== Where the community info pages are ==
* Probably what you want is the [http://lists.linuxquestions.org/mailman/listinfo/lqwiki-list mailing list]. - [[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 22:31, Mar 5, 2004 (EST)
** Nobody uses it yet... - [[User:EvilSporkMan|EvilSporkMan]] 22:34, Mar 5, 2004 (EST)
*** And if everybody says that, nobody ever will. ;) But I've posted up something and I think Linuxlala did. We aren't nobody. - [[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 23:11, Mar 5, 2004 (EST)
* Fennec, we're still polishing things up a bit, but if you have any suggestions please send them to the list. Thanks. - [[User:Jeremy|Jeremy]] 00:30, Mar 7, 2004 (EST)

User talk:Fennec

2004-03-18T18:42:44Z

Fennec: Refactor.

== Where the community info pages are ==
Probably what you want is the [http://lists.linuxquestions.org/mailman/listinfo/lqwiki-list mailing list]. - [[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 22:31, Mar 5, 2004 (EST)
:Nobody uses it yet... - [[User:EvilSporkMan|EvilSporkMan]] 22:34, Mar 5, 2004 (EST)
:: And if everybody says that, nobody ever will. ;) But I've posted up something and I think Linuxlala did. We aren't nobody. - [[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 23:11, Mar 5, 2004 (EST)
: Fennec, we're still polishing things up a bit, but if you have any suggestions please send them to the list. Thanks. - [[User:Jeremy|Jeremy]] 00:30, Mar 7, 2004 (EST)