Special Edition Using Red Hat Linux

Alan Simpson has written 72 books over the last 15 years including Windows 95 Bible, The Official Netscape Composer Book, Mastering Microsoft Access, Mastering WordPerfect 8, which was voted the best WordPerfect book of 1998 by amazon.com, and Windows 98 Bible, which was voted one of the top ten computer books of 1998 by amazon.com. Before becoming a full-time author, Alan was a freelance programmer and consultant, and taught introductory and advanced computer courses at San Diego State University and the University of California Extension program. Alan also runs the popular Web site coolnerds.com.

Introduction.


About the Authors. Welcome. Who This Book Is For. How to Use This Book. In Closing.

I. GETTING TO KNOW LINUX

1. GETTING STARTED.


What Is Linux?Y Red Hat Linux System Requirements. Installing Red Hat Linux. Understanding Users. Starting Red Hat Linux. The Two Faces of Linux. Getting Around in GNOME. Closing Windows. Logging Out, Shutting Down. Rebooting and Dual-Booting. Shutting Down Linux. Troubleshooting.

2. Getting Around.


Moving and Sizing Windows. Using Scrollbars. Using Dialog Boxes. Using the Panel. Using the Pager. Using Desktop Shortcuts. Using Screensavers. The Character Cell Interface. Understanding Virtual Consoles. Project Page.

3. Understanding the Linux Filesystem.


Understanding Linux Files. Understanding Directories. Using Floppies and CD-ROMs. Exploring with the GNOME File Manager. Managing Files from the Shell Prompt. Case Study: Creating Screen Shots.

4. Running and Managing Programs.


Running Programs. Opening Files. Saving Documents. Customizing the Main Menu. Launching Apps from the Panel. Desktop Launchers for Apps. Using GNOME Session Management. Case Study: Adding StarOffice to Your Desktop.

5. Getting Help.


Expanding Your Resources. Using the Man Pages. Info Pages. HOW TOs and FAQs. The locate Command. Package Documentation. Support on the Web. Newsgroups and Mailing Lists. Project Page.

II. SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION

6. System Administration Basics.


What Is System Administration? Linux Configuration Basics. Case Study: Letting Users Mount Disks.

7. Managing Users and Permissions.


Why Create Groups and User Accounts? Creating and Managing Groups. Adding and Managing Users. Changing a User's Account or Password. Changing the Superuser's Password. Commands for Managing Users, Groups, and Permissions. Where User and Group Information Is Stored. Case Study: Recovering from Forgotten Passwords.

8. Configuring the X Window System.


Understanding X. Starting X. Configuring X for Your Hardware. Understanding Display Managers. Exploring the Window Managers. Choosing a Default Display Manager. Getting Back to GNOME. Troubleshooting X Startup Problems.

9. Configuring GNOME and Enlightenment.


Using the GNOME Control Center. Configuring Enlightenment. Upgrading GNOME. Case Study: Adding GNOME to a Server Class Installation.

10. Installing and Using KDE.


What Is KDE? Installing KDE. Running KDE. Managing Files in KDE. Mounting Disks in KDE. Configuring with the KDE Control Center. Getting Back to GNOME. Project: Becoming a KDE Guru.

11. Configuring Startup and Shutdown.


How the Boot Process Works. Preparing for the New Configuration. Configuring LILO. Understanding Linux Initialization. Configuring Startup and Shutdown with LinuxConf. Choosing Startup Services. Shutting Down. Project: Make Those Boot Disks!

12. Using DOS and Windows.


Accessing DOS/Windows Disks. Using DOS Commands in Linux. Using the DOS Emulator (DOSEMU). Running Windows Programs in Linux. Launching Linux from DOS (LOADLIN). Case Study: Saving Linux Files to Windows.

13. Managing Packages with RPM.


Understanding Packages. Using GnoRPM. Querying Packages in GnoRPM. Using the RPM Command. GnoRPM and RPM Resources.

14. Printing from Linux.


Identifying Linux-Compatible Printers. Linux Printing Concepts. Installing a Local Printer. How to Print. Managing Printers and Print Jobs. More Printing Documentation. Troubleshooting Printer Problems.

15. Using Your Sound Card.


Getting Information About Your Sound Card. Configuring Your Sound Card. Using Your Mixer. Playing Audio CDs. Playing with Sound Effects. Configuration Files and More Info. Project: Building Your Collection of Wave Files.

16. Archiving, Backing Up, and Restoring.


Understanding Archives. Using Archives in File Managers. Commands for Managing Archives. Backing Up Your Hard Disk. Backup and Restore Utilities. Project: Back Up Your Home Directory.

17. Advanced System Administration.


Managing Processes. Automating Tasks. Problem Solving with Logs. Monitoring Performance. Tips for Installing New Hardware. Password Encryption. Using SUID, GUID, and Sticky Bit Permissions. Troubleshooting: Speeding Up a Slow System.

III. LINUX AND THE INTERNET.

18. Connecting To The Internet.


Getting Online. Installing a Modem. Choosing an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Setting Up, Getting Connected.

19. Browsing the World Wide Web.


Surfing the Web. Searching the Web. Keeping Track of Favorite Pages. Personalizing Netscape. Case Study: Creating a Library of Links.

20. Working with Email and Newsgroups.


Setting Up Your Accounts. Creating Your Signature File. Doing Internet Email. Participating in Usenet Newsgroups.

21. Using FTP, Update Agent, and Telnet.


Using the Update Agent. What Is FTP? Doing FTP the Easy Way. Using Telnet.

IV. LINUX NETWORK ADMINISTATION.

22. Creating A Local Area Network.


TCP/IP Crash Course. Assigning IP Addresses in a LAN. The LAN Hardware. Configuring the LAN. Testing the LAN. Troubleshooting a LAN.

23. Sharing Files with NFS.


Sharing Resources on a LAN. Awakening the NFS Server. Sharing a Directory (Server Side). Accessing a Shared Directory. Case Study: Sharing a “Hidden” Windows Drive.

24. Sharing Windows/Linux Resources with Samba.


Sharing Windows Resources. Understanding Samba. Installing the Samba Client Software. Accessing Windows Resources from a Linux Computer. Installing Samba to Share Linux Resources. Accessing a Shared Linux Printer from Windows. Accessing a Shared Linux Printer from Linux. Sharing Directories with Samba. Case Study: Sharing a Windows CD-ROM Drive.

25. Gateways, Routers, Switches, and Other TCP/IP Mysteries Explained.


Understanding Networks. Understanding TCP/IP. The Hardware Behind Network Traffic. Getting Information to Its Destination. Project: Perusing Your Options.

26. Setting Up Network Information Services (NIS).


Introduction to NIS. Setting Up an NIS Server. Setting Up an NIS Client. Case Study: Setting Up an NIS Slave Server.

27. Beefing Up Network Security.


Security Problems. Monitoring Your Network. Limiting Services. Limiting Incoming Access. Limiting by User. Case Study: Stopping Access with TCP Wrappers.

V. SERVING THE INTERNET WITH LINUX.

28. Building an Internet Server.


What Is a Server? Do I Need a Server? Network Connectivity. Hardware Considerations. Software Considerations. Case Study: Managing a Server Remotely.

29. Setting Up Domain Name Services (DNS).


Introduction to DNS. Registering a Domain Name. Setting Up Your Own DNS Using BIND. Case Study: Using LinuxConf to Set Up a Primary Master Server.

30. Using Apache to Serve the Web.


Why Use Linux and Apache to Serve the Web? Installing the Apache HTTP Web Server. Configuring Apache. Starting and Stopping Apache. Serving Content. A Quick Look at How Web Servers Work. Installing Apache the Old-Fashioned Way. Project: Finding More Information.

31. Setting Up Email Services.


Introduction to Email Servers. Types of Servers. Setting Up sendmail. Setting Up POP and IMAP Servers. Case Study: Web Access to Email.

32. Setting Up Telnet and FTP Services.


Introduction to Telnet, rlogin, ssh, and FTP. Setting Up Telnet and rlogin. Setting Up ssh. Setting Up FTP.

33. Setting Up Additional Servers.


Adding Value to Your Server. Using the INN Usenet Server. Running the Leafnode NNTP Server. Using the PostgreSQL Server.

VI. PROGRAMMING LINUX.

34. Shell Programming and Scripting.


What Is Shell Scripting? Introduction to Programming Basics. Bash Scripting Syntax. Case Study: A Sample Script.

35. CGI and Perl Programming.


CGIs and Perl. A Quick and Dirty Perl Reference. Useful Perl CGI Code. Case Study: A Sample CGI.

36. Programming with C, C++, and Java.


Uses for C, C++, and Java. Using the C/C++ Compiler. Using Makefiles. Using the GDB Debugger. Project: Using the Java Compiler and Interpreter.

37. Configuring the Kernel.


What Is the Kernel? Configuring Compile-Time Options. Compiling and Installing a New Kernel.

VII. APPENDIXES.

Appendix A: Dual Booting Windows and Linux.


Why Dual Boot? Backing Up Your Hard Disk. Deciding on Partition Sizes. Creating a Windows Startup Disk. Repartitioning Your Hard Drive. Reinstalling Windows. Testing Your Windows Installation.

Appendix B: Installing Red Hat Linux.


Gathering Information About Your Computer. Checking the Hardware Compatibility List. Installing Linux from a CD-ROM. Getting Your GUI Working. Using Disk Druid. Alternatives to CD-ROM Installation. Still More on Installation.

Appendix C: X-Compatible Video Cards.


X-Compatible Video Cards.

Appendix D: Linux-Compatible Ethernet Cards.


Linux-Compatible Ethernet Cards.