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


When installing a machine, you can take the defaults or set up your disk(s) practically any way you want. Here is a brief review of partitions and filesystems. A typical Linux system usually has at least three separate partitions. They are labelled /, /boot, and swap. The / (pronounced root) is the parent of the directory structure. /boot is where the system kernel and map files reside. The swap partition is used when parts of memory need to be moved to the hard drive because of over-commitment. This is called being swapped out to disk.

The following are usually on separate partitions:

  • /: It is the parent directory

  • /boot: The boot and map files are located in here

  • (swap): It signifies the swap space

The following are traditionally on a separate partition, but do not have to be:

  • /home

  • /tmp

  • /etc

  • /var

Here is a partial list of the filesystems and directories and their general use, that are normally present on a Linux system. This is taken from Fedora 17 64-bit:

  • /: It is the parent directory...