Ubuntu Unleashed

Introduction

What Is Linux?

What Is Ubuntu?

Roots of Ubuntu

Licensing

Why Use Linux?

Who This Book Is For

What This Book Contains

Conventions Used in This Book

Part I Installation and Configuration

1 Introducing Ubuntu

What Is Ubuntu?

Inside Ubuntu

Features of the Ubuntu Install

Ubuntu File System Features

Ubuntu for Business

Ubuntu in Your Home

64-Bit Ubuntu

Ubuntu on the PPC Platform

Ubuntu on Dual-Core Machines

Getting the Most from Ubuntu and Linux Documentation

Ubuntu Developers and Documentation

Reference

2 Preparing to Install Ubuntu

Planning Your Ubuntu Deployment

Business Considerations

System Considerations

User Considerations

A Predeployment Planning Checklist

Planning the Installation

Hardware Requirements

Meeting the Minimum Ubuntu Hardware Requirements

Using Legacy Hardware

Planning for Hard Drive Storage for Your Ubuntu Installation Class

Checking Hardware Compatibility

Preparing for Potential Hardware Problems

Preparing and Using a Hardware Inventory

Preparing for the Install Process

Preparing to Install from a CD-ROM

Partitioning Before and During Installation

Choosing a Partitioning Scheme

Hosting Parts of the Linux File System on Separate Partitions

Using Ubuntu's kickstart Installation Method

Reference

3 Installing Ubuntu

Before You Begin the Installation

Research Your Hardware Specifications

Installation Options

Planning Partition Strategies

The Boot Loader

Installing from CD or DVD

Step-by-Step Installation

Starting the Install

First Update

Shutting Down

Reference

4 Post-Installation Configuration

Troubleshooting Post-Installation Configuration Problems

The sudo command

First Update

Configuring Software Repositories

Installing Graphics Drivers

Changing Ubuntu's Look and Feel

Changing the Desktop Background

Changing Colors

Modifying System Fonts

Preferred Behaviors

Preferred Applications

Removable Drives and Media

Input Devices

Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard Layout

Mouse

Detecting and Configuring a Modem

Configuring a Serial-Port Modem

Configuring WinModems for Laptops

Configuring Power Management in Ubuntu

Resetting the Date and Time

Using the date Command

Using the hwclock Command

Changing the Time and Date

Managing PCMCIA

Using PCMCIA

Controlling PCMCIA Service

Configuring and Using CD, DVD, and CD-RW Drives

Checking Drive Assignment

Configuring Wireless Networks

Configuring Firestarter

Reference

5 First Steps with Ubuntu

Working with the Linux File System

Viewing the Linux File System

Use Essential Commands from the /bin and /sbin Directories

Store the Booted Kernel and View Stored Devices in the /boot and /dev Directories

Use and Edit Files in the /etc Directory

Protect the Contents of User Directories-/home

Use the Contents of the /proc Directory to Interact with the Kernel

Work with Shared Data in the /usr Directory

Temporary File Storage in the /tmp Directory

Access Variable Data Files in the /var Directory

Logging In to and Working with Linux

Text-based Console Login

Working with Virtual Consoles

Using Simple Keyboard and Mouse Techniques in a Linux Console Session

Logging Out

Logging In and Out from a Remote Computer

Changing Your User Information

Reading Documentation

Using man Pages

Finding and Reading Software Packages Documentation

Using the Shell

Using Environment Variables

Navigating and Searching with the Shell

Managing Files with the Shell

Compressing and Decompressing Files Through the Shell

Using the Text Editors

Working with vi

Working with emacs

Working with Permissions

Assigning Permissions

Directory Permissions

Understanding Set User ID and Set Group ID Permissions

Working As Root

Creating Users

Deleting Users

Shutting Down the System

Rebooting the System

Reference

6 The X Window System

Basic X Concepts

Using X11R7

Elements of the xorg.conf File

Configuring X

Starting X

Using a Display Manager

Starting X from the Console by Using startx

Selecting and Using Window Managers

The GNOME and KDE Desktop Environments

GNOME: The GNU Network Object Model Environment

KDE: The K Desktop Environment

Xfce: The Lightweight Alternative

Reference

7 Managing Software

Using Add/Remove Applications for Software Management

Using Synaptic for Software Management

Staying Up-to-Date

Working on the Command Line

Day-to-Day Usage

Finding Software

Compiling Software from Source

Reference

8 On the Internet: Surfing the Web, Writing Email, and Reading the News

Choosing a Web Browser

Mozilla Firefox

The Mozilla Suite

Epiphany

Konqueror

Choosing an Email Client

Evolution

Mozilla Thunderbird

Balsa

KMail

Mozilla Mail

The mail Application

mutt

Other Mail Clients

An Overview of Network News

Newsgroups

Selecting a Newsreader

The slrn News Client

The Pan News Client

The Mozilla News Client

The Thunderbird News Client

Internet Relay Chat

Internet Messaging with GAIM

Videoconferencing with Ekiga

Reference

9 Productivity Applications

Office Suites for Ubuntu

Working with OpenOffice.org

Working with OpenOffice.org Writer

Working with OpenOffice.org Calc

Working with GNOME Office

Working with KOffice

Productivity Applications Written for Microsoft Windows

Reference

10 Multimedia Applications

Burning CDs and DVDs in Ubuntu

Creating CDs from the Command Line

Creating DVDs from the Command Line

Creating CDs and DVDs with Ubuntu's Graphical Clients

Sound and Music

Sound Cards

Recording Sound

Sound Formats

Ripping Music

Music Players

Streaming Audio

Viewing TV and Video

TV and Video Hardware

Video Formats

Viewing Video in Linux

Viewing Television with Linux

Personal Video Recorders

DVD and Video Players

Reference

11 Graphics Manipulation

The GNU Image Manipulation Program

Using Digital Cameras with Ubuntu

Webcams

Handheld Digital Cameras

Using F-Spot

Using Scanners in Ubuntu

Working with Graphics Formats

Capturing Screen Images

Reference

12 Printing with Ubuntu

Overview of Ubuntu Printing

Configuring and Managing Print Services

GUI-Based Printer Configuration Quickstart

Managing Printing Services

Creating and Configuring Local Printers

Creating the Print Queue

Editing Printer Settings

Reference

13 Games

Linux Gaming

Installing Proprietary Video Drivers

Installing DOOM 3

Installing Unreal Tournament 2004

Installing Quake 4

Installing Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory

Installing Battle for Wesnoth

Playing Windows Games with Cedega

Reference

Part II System Administration

14 Managing Users

User Accounts

User IDs and Group IDs

File Permissions

Managing Groups

Group Management Tools

Managing Users

User Management Tools

Adding New Users

Monitoring User Activity on the System

Managing Passwords

System Password Policy

The Password File

Shadow Passwords

Managing Password Security for Users

Changing Passwords in a Batch

Granting System Administrator Privileges to Regular Users

Temporarily Changing User Identity with the su Command

Granting Root Privileges on Occasion-The sudo Command

Control via Restricted Shells

The User Login Process

Disk Quotas

Implementing Quotas

Manually Configuring Quotas

Reference

15 Automating Tasks

Running Services at Bootup

Beginning the Boot Loading Process

Loading the Linux Kernel

System Services and Runlevels

Runlevel Definitions

Booting into the Default Runlevel

Booting to a Non-Default Runlevel with GRUB

Understanding init Scripts and the Final Stage of Initialization

Controlling Services at Boot with Administrative Tools

Changing Runlevels

Troubleshooting Runlevel Problems

Starting and Stopping Services Manually

Scheduling Tasks

Using at and batch to Schedule Tasks for Later

Using cron to Run Jobs Repeatedly

Basic Shell Control

The Shell Command Line

Shell Pattern-Matching Support

Redirecting Input and Output

Piping Data

Background Processing

Writing and Executing a Shell Script

Running the New Shell Program

Storing Shell Scripts for Systemwide Access

Interpreting Shell Scripts Through Specific Shells

Using Variables in Shell Scripts

Assigning a Value to a Variable

Accessing Variable Values

Positional Parameters

A Simple Example of a Positional Parameter

Using Positional Parameters to Access and Retrieve Variables from the Command Line

Using a Simple Script to Automate Tasks

Built-in Variables

Special Characters

Use Double Quotes to Resolve Variables in Strings with Embedded Spaces

Using Single Quotes to Maintain Unexpanded Variables

Using the Backslash As an Escape Character

Using the Backtick to Replace a String with Output

Comparison of Expressions in pdksh and bash

Comparing Expressions with tcsh

The for Statement

The while Statement

The until Statement

The repeat Statement (tcsh)

The select Statement (pdksh)

The shift Statement

The if Statement

The case Statement

The break and exit Statements

Using Functions in Shell Scripts

Reference

16 System Resources

System-Monitoring Tools

Console-Based Monitoring

Using the kill Command to Control Processes

Using Priority Scheduling and Control

Displaying Free and Used Memory with free

Disk Quotas

Graphical Process and System Management Tools

KDE Process- and System-Monitoring Tools

Reference

17 Backing Up, Restoring, and Recovery

Choosing a Backup Strategy

Why Data Loss Occurs

Assessing Your Backup Needs and Resources

Evaluating Backup Strategies

Making the Choice

Choosing Backup Hardware and Media

Removable Storage Media

Network Storage

Tape Drive Backup

Using Backup Software

tar: The Most Basic Backup Tool

The GNOME File Roller

The KDE Archiving Tools (KDE ark and kdat)

Using the dd Command for Archiving

Using the Amanda Backup Application

Alternative Backup Software

Copying Files

Copying Files Using tar

Compressing, Encrypting, and Sending tar Streams

Copying Files Using cp

Copying Files Using mc

Copying Files Using scp

Copying Files Using rsync

Undeleting Files

Reformatting with the -S Option When Experiencing Unrecoverable File System Errors

Undeleting Files Using mc

System Rescue

The Ubuntu Rescue Disc

Backing Up and Restoring the Master Boot Record

Booting the System from a Generic Boot Floppy

Using a GRUB Boot Floppy

Using the Recovery Facility

Reference

18 Network Connectivity

Laying the Foundation: The localhost Interface

Checking for the Availability of the Loopback Interface

Configuring the Loopback Interface Manually

Networking with TCP/IP

TCP/IP Addressing

Using IP Masquerading in Ubuntu

Ports

Network Organization

Subnetting

Subnet Masks

Broadcast, Unicast, and Multicast Addressing

Hardware Devices for Networking

Network Interface Cards

Network Cable

Hubs and Switches

Routers and Bridges

Initializing New Network Hardware

Using Network Configuration Tools

Command-Line Network Interface Configuration

Network Configuration Files

Using Graphical Configuration Tools

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

How DHCP Works

Activating DHCP at Installation and Boot Time

DHCP Software Installation and Configuration

Using DHCP to Configure Network Hosts

Other Uses for DHCP

Wireless Networking

Support for Wireless Networking in Ubuntu

Advantages of Wireless Networking

Choosing from Among Available Wireless Protocols

Beyond the Network and onto the Internet

Common Configuration Information

Configuring Digital Subscriber Line Access

Understanding Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet

Configuring a PPPoE Connection Manually

Configuring Dial-Up Internet Access

Configuring a Dial-Up Connection Manually

Troubleshooting Connection Problems

Using Patches/Upgrades to Keep Your Network Secure

Reference

General

DHCP

Wireless

Books

19 Remote Access with SSH and Telnet

Setting Up a Telnet Server

Telnet Versus SSH

Setting Up an SSH Server

The SSH Tools

Using scp to Copy Individual Files Between Machines

Using sftp to Copy Many Files Between Machines

Using ssh-keygen to Enable Key-based Logins

Remote X

XDMCP

VNC

Reference

Part III Ubuntu as a Server

20 Apache Web Server Management

About the Apache Web Server

Installing the Apache Server

Installing with APT

Building the Source Yourself

Starting and Stopping Apache

Starting the Apache Server Manually

Using /etc/init.d/apache2

Runtime Server Configuration Settings

Runtime Configuration Directives

Editing httpd.conf

Apache Multiprocessing Modules

Using .htaccess Configuration Files

File System Authentication and Access Control

Restricting Access with allow and deny

Authentication

Final Words on Access Control

Apache Modules

mod_access

mod_alias

mod_asis

mod_auth

mod_auth_anon

mod_auth_dbm

mod_auth_digest

mod_autoindex

mod_cgi

mod_dir and mod_env

mod_expires

mod_headers

mod_include

mod_info and mod_log_config

mod_mime and mod_mime_magic

mod_negotiation

mod_proxy

mod_rewrite

mod_setenvif

mod_speling

mod_status

mod_ssl

mod_unique_id

mod_userdir

mod_usertrack

mod_vhost_alias

Virtual Hosting

Address-Based Virtual Hosts

Name-Based Virtual Hosts

Logging

Dynamic Content

CGI

SSI

Basic SSI Directives

Flow Control

Other Web Servers for Use with Ubuntu

Sun ONE Web Server

Zope

Zeus Web Server

Reference

21 Administering Database Services

A Brief Review of Database Basics

How Relational Databases Work

Understanding SQL Basics

Creating Tables

Inserting Data into Tables

Retrieving Data from a Database

Choosing a Database: MySQL Versus PostgreSQL

Speed

Data Locking

ACID Compliance in Transaction Processing to Protect Data Integrity

SQL Subqueries

Procedural Languages and Triggers

Configuring MySQL

Setting a Password for the MySQL Root User

Creating a Database in MySQL

Granting and Revoking Privileges in MySQL

Configuring PostgreSQL

Initializing the Data Directory in PostgreSQL

Creating a Database in PostgreSQL

Creating Database Users in PostgreSQL

Deleting Database Users in PostgreSQL

Granting and Revoking Privileges in PostgreSQL

Database Clients

SSH Access to a Database

Local GUI Client Access to a Database

Web Access to a Database

The MySQL Command-Line Client

The PostgreSQL Command-Line Client

Graphical Clients

Reference

22 File and Print

Using the Network File System

Installing and Starting or Stopping NFS

NFS Server Configuration

NFS Client Configuration

Putting Samba to Work

Manually Configuring Samba with /etc/samba/smb.conf

Testing Samba with the testparm Command

Starting the smbd Daemon

Mounting Samba Shares

Configuring Samba Using SWAT

Network and Remote Printing with Ubuntu

Creating Network Printers

Enabling Network Printing on a LAN

Session Message Block Printing

Using the Common UNIX Printing System GUI

Creating a CUPS Printer Entry

Avoiding Printer Support Problems

All-in-One (Print/Fax/Scan) Devices

Using USB and Legacy Printers

Reference

23 Remote File Serving with FTP

Using FTP Clients

The FTP Client Interface

Using the Text-Based FTP Client Interface

Using Graphical FTP Clients

FTP Servers

Choosing an Authenticated or Anonymous Server

Ubuntu FTP Server Packages

Other FTP Servers

Installing FTP Software

The FTP User

inetd Configuration for wu-ftpd

Starting the Very Secure FTP Server (vsftpd) Package

Configuring the Very Secure FTP Server

Controlling Anonymous Access

Other vsftpd Server Configuration Files

Configuring the Wu-FTPd Server

Using Commands in the ftpaccess File to Configure wu-ftpd

Configure Access Control

Configure User Information

Configure System Logging

Configure Permission Control

Configure Commands Directed Toward the cdpath

Structure of the shutdown File

Configure FTP Server File-Conversion Actions

Strip Prefix

Strip Postfix

Add-On Prefix

Add-On Postfix

External Command

Types

Options

Description

An Example of Conversions in Action

Using Commands in the ftphosts File to Allow or Deny FTP Server Connection

Server Administration

Display Information About Connected Users

Count the Number of Connections

Use /usr/sbin/ftpshut to Schedule FTP Server Downtime

Use /var/log/xferlog to View a Log of Server Transactions

Reference

24 Handling Electronic Mail

How Email Is Sent and Received

The Mail Transport Agent

Choosing an MTA

The Mail Delivery Agent

The Mail User Agent

Basic Postfix Configuration and Operation

Configuring Masquerading

Using Smart Hosts

Setting Message Delivery Intervals

Mail Relaying

Forwarding Email with Aliases

Using Fetchmail to Retrieve Mail

Installing Fetchmail

Configuring Fetchmail

Choosing a Mail Delivery Agent

Procmail

Spamassassin

Squirrelmail

Virus Scanners

Mail Daemons

Alternatives to Microsoft Exchange Server

Microsoft Exchange Server/Outlook Client

CommuniGate Pro

Oracle Collaboration Suite

Bynari

Open-Xchange

phpgroupware

PHProjekt

Horde

Reference

Web Resources

Books

25 Proxying and Reverse Proxying

What Is a Proxy Server?

Installing Squid

Configuring Clients

Access Control Lists

Specifying Client IP Addresses

Example Configurations

Reference

26 LDAP

Configuring the Server

Populating Your Directory

Configuring Clients

Evolution

Thunderbird

Administration

Reference

Part IV Programming Linux

27 Using Perl

Using Perl with Linux

Perl Versions

A Simple Perl Program

Perl Variables and Data Structures

Perl Variable Types

Special Variables

Operators

Comparison Operators

Compound Operators

Arithmetic Operators

Other Operators

Special String Constants

Conditional Statements: if/else and unless

if

unless

Looping

for

foreach

while

until

last and next

do ... while and do ... until

Regular Expressions

Access to the Shell

Modules and CPAN

Code Examples

Sending Mail

Purging Logs

Posting to Usenet

One-Liners

Command-Line Processing

Reference

Books

Usenet

WWW

Other

28 Working with Python

Python on Linux

Getting Interactive

The Basics of Python

Numbers

More on Strings

Lists

Dictionaries

Conditionals and Looping

Functions

Object Orientation

Class and Object Variables

Constructors and Destructors

Class Inheritance

Multiple Inheritance

The Standard Library and the Vaults of Parnassus

Reference

29 Writing PHP Scripts

Introduction to PHP

Entering and Exiting PHP Mode

Variables

Arrays

Constants

References

Comments

Escape Sequences

Variable Substitution

Operators

Conditional Statements

Special Operators

Switching

Loops

Including Other Files

Basic Functions

Strings

Arrays

Files

Miscellaneous

Handling HTML Forms

Databases

Introduction to PEAR::DB

Reference

30 C/C++ Programming Tools for Ubuntu

Programming in C with Linux

Programming in C++

Getting Started with Linux C/C++ Programming

The Process of Programming

Elements of the C/C++ Language

Using the C Programming Project Management Tools Provided with Ubuntu

Building Programs with make

Using the autoconf Utility to Configure Code

Managing Software Projects with RCS and CVS

Debugging Tools

Using the GNU C Compiler

A Simple C Program

Graphical Development Tools

Using the KDevelop Client

Trolltech's Qt Designer

The Glade Client for Developing in GNOME

Reference

Part V Ubuntu Housekeeping

31 Securing Your Machines

Understanding Computer Attacks

Assessing Your Vulnerability

Protecting Your Machine

Securing a Wireless Network

Passwords and Physical Security

Configuring and Using Tripwire

Devices

Viruses

Configuring Your Firewall

Forming a Disaster Recovery Plan

Keeping Up-to-Date on Linux Security Issues

Reference

32 Performance Tuning

Hard Disk

Using the BIOS and Kernel to Tune the Disk Drives

The hdparm Command

File System Tuning

The tune2fs Command

The e2fsck Command

The badblocks Command

Disabling File Access Time

Kernel

Apache

MySQL

Measuring Key Buffer Usage

Using the Query Cache

Miscellaneous Tweaks

Query Optimization

Reference

33 Command Line Masterclass

Why Use the Shell?

Basic Commands

Printing the Contents of a File with cat

Changing Directories with cd

Changing File Access Permissions with chmod

Copying Files with cp

Printing Disk Usage with du

Finding Files by Searching with find

Searches for a String in Input with grep

Paging Through Output with less

Creating Links Between Files with ln

Finding Files from an Index with locate

Listing Files in the Current Directory with ls

Reading Manual Pages with man

Making Directories with mkdir

Moving Files with mv

Listing Processes with ps

Deleting Files and Directories with rm

Printing the Last Lines of a File with tail

Printing Resource Usage with top

Printing the Location of a Command with which

Combining Commands Together

Multiple Terminals

Reference

Books

34 Advanced APT

Using Aptitude

The dpkg Back-End

Configuring APT

Reference

35 Kernel and Module Management

The Linux Kernel

The Linux Source Tree

Types of Kernels

Managing Modules

When to Recompile

Kernel Versions

Obtaining the Kernel Sources

Patching the Kernel

Compiling the Kernel

Using xconfig to Configure the Kernel

Creating an Initial RAM Disk Image

When Something Goes Wrong

Errors During Compile

Runtime Errors, Boot Loader Problems, and Kernel Oops

Reference

Part VI Appendix

A Ubuntu and Linux Internet Resources

Websites and Search Engines

Web Search Tips

Google Is Your Friend

Ubuntu Package Listings

Certification

Commercial Support

Documentation

Linux Guides

The Ubuntu Project

Mini-CD Linux Distributions

Floppy-Based Linux Distributions

Various Intel-Based Linux Distributions

PowerPC-Based Linux Distributions

Linux on Laptops and PDAs

The X Window System

Usenet Newsgroups

Mailing Lists

Ubuntu Project Mailing Lists

Internet Relay Chat

0672329093, TOC, 8/8/2006