Linux All-in-One Desk Reference

About This Book

Linux All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies gives you eight different quick-reference guides in a single book. Taken together, these eight minibooks provide detailed information on installing, configuring, and using Linux.

What you’ll like most about this book is that you don’t have to read it sequentially chapter by chapter, or, for that matter, even the sections in a chapter. You can pretty much turn to the topic you want and quickly get the answer to your pressing questions about Linux, be it about using the OpenOffice.org word processor or setting up the Apache Web server.

Here are some of the things you can do with this book:

*. Install and configure Linux — Debian, Fedora Core, Knoppix, SUSE, or Xandros — from the DVD-ROM included with the book.

*.Connect the Linux PC to the Internet through a DSL or cable modem.

*. Set up dialup networking with PPP.

*. Add a wireless Ethernet to your existing network.

*.Get tips, techniques, and shortcuts for specific uses of Linux, such as

*. Setting up and using Internet services such as Web, Mail, News, FTP, NFS, and DNS.

*.Setting up a Windows server using Samba.

*.Using Linux commands.

*.Using Perl, shell, and C programming on Linux.

*.Using the OpenOffice.org office suite and other applications that come with Linux.

*.Understand the basics of system and network security.

*. Perform system administration tasks.

How This Book Is Organized

Linux All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies has eight minibooks, each of which focuses on a small set of related topics. If you are looking for informa-tion on a specific topic, check the minibook names on the spine or consult the Table of Contents.

This desk reference starts with a minibook that explains the basics of Linux and guides you through the installation process (a very useful aspect of this book because you typically do not purchase a PC with Linux preinstalled). The second minibook serves as a user’s guide to Linux — it focuses on exploring various aspects of a Linux workstation, including the GNOME and KDE GUIs and many of the applications that come bundled with Linux. The third minibook covers networking and the fourth minibook goes into using the Internet. The fifth minibook introduces system administration. The sixth minibook turns to the important subject of securing a Linux system and its associated network. The seventh minibook shows you how to run a variety of Internet servers from mail to a Web server. The eighth and final minibook introduces you to programming.

Here’s a quick overview of the eight books and what they contain:

Book I: Linux Basics: What is Linux? Understanding what’s new in the Linux 2.6 kernel. Installing, configuring, and troubleshooting different Linux distri-butions (Debian, Fedora Core, Knoppix, SUSE, and Xandros). Taking Linux for a test drive.

Book II: Linux Desktops: Exploring GNOME and KDE. Using the shell (what’s a shell anyway?). Navigating the Linux file system. Exploring the applications such as multimedia software as well as the text editors (vi and emacs).

Book III: Networking: Connecting the Linux PC to the Internet through a dialup connection or a high-speed always-on connection such as DSL or cable modem. Configuring and managing TCP/IP networks, including wire-less networks.

Book IV: Internet: Using various Internet services such as e-mail, Web surf-ing, and reading newsgroups. Transferring files with FTP.

Book V: Administration: Performing basic system administration. Managing user accounts and the file system. Installing applications. Working with devices and printers. Using USB devices. Upgrading and customizing the Linux kernel.

Book VI: Security: Understanding network and host security. Securing the host and the network. Performing security audits.

Book VII: Internet Servers: Managing the Internet services. Configuring the Apache Web server. Setting up the FTP server. Configuring the mail and news servers. Providing DNS. File sharing with NFS. Using Samba to set up a Windows server.

Book VIII: Programming: Finding out the basics of programming. Exploring the software development tools in Linux. Writing shell scripts. Learning C and Perl programming.
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