Book Image

Linux Utilities Cookbook

By : James Kent Lewis
Book Image

Linux Utilities Cookbook

By: James Kent Lewis

Overview of this book

<p>Linux is a stable, reliable and extremely powerful operating system. It has been around for many years, however, most people still don't know what it can do and the ways it is superior to other operating systems. Many people want to get started with Linux for greater control and security, but getting started can be time consuming and complicated. <br /><br />A practical, hands-on guide that provides you with a number of clear step-by-step examples to help you solve many of the questions that crop up when using an operating system you may not be familiar with.</p> <p>Presenting solutions to the most common Linux problems in a clear and concise way, this helpful guide starts with spicing up the terminal sessions by command retrieval and line editing, and shell prompt variables. We will then get to know the different desktops (GUIs) available for Linux systems and which is the best fit for you. We will then explore the world of managing files and directories, connectivity, and what to do when it goes wrong. We will also learn a range of skills, from creating and managing user accounts to securing your system, managing and limiting processes, and letting information flow from one process to another using pipes. Later, we will master disk management, working with scripts and automating tasks quickly, and finally, understand the need for a custom kernel and tips on how to build one.</p> <p><br />Based on the author's extensive experience, there is a section on best practices that every Linux user should be familiar with.</p>
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
Linux Utilities Cookbook
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Introduction


The kernel is the main component, or the heart of an operating system. It controls all of the resources, timings, interrupts, memory allocation, process separation, error handling, and logging in the system. In a typical Linux computer, the kernel is modular, in that it has a core file (or files) and then loads the other device drivers as needed. In some cases, say an embedded device, the kernel may consist of one big image with all of the drivers it needs contained inside a file. This is known as a monolithic kernel.

Before deciding whether you need to build a custom kernel, you should first make sure you really do need one. Here are some of the pros and cons to running a custom kernel.

The following are the pros to running a custom kernel:

  • If you know what you are doing and have the time to research it, you can end up with a kernel that gets the most out of your hardware

  • You can take advantage of the features or devices that the stock kernel might not have

  • By going through all...