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

Distribution release notes


A great way to learn more about your Linux distribution is to look at the release notes for it. These usually contain information such as the following:

  • They keep a record of the changes that have been made since the last release. This is usually separated into sections for specific users such as system administrators, desktop users, developers, and others. Note that in some distributions, more information is available in the Technical Notes document.

  • They spell out the minimum hardware requirements/architecture needed to run the distro effectively. Special attention is given to memory, graphics, and video concerns.

  • They give installation instructions with emphasis on booting, and special or unusual setups.

  • They provide a list of the possible desktop environments that can be installed, often accompanied by the steps to do so. This is a very important section because using a poorly designed and/or buggy desktop will hinder your productivity.

  • They have an explanation of the new features, functions, and programs that have been added into the release. This is sometimes followed by the reasoning behind the addition, and what program(s) it replaces.

  • They consist of a list of the depreciated (removed) programs and features.

  • They have pointers on where to get additional help such as websites and chat rooms.

  • They contain a list of the known bugs and problems that still exist in the distro, along with information about possible workarounds. Always consult this list before filing a bug report.

  • They give instructions on how to provide feedback on both the distribution and release notes, as well as any features you would like to see added/changed.

The following is a screenshot of the release notes for Fedora 19 from http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/19/html/Release_Notes/index.html:

The following is the link to the release notes for Ubuntu 13.04 from https://wiki.ubuntu.com/RaringRingtail/ReleaseNotes:

The following screenshot is of Debian 7.0 (Wheezy) taken from http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/release-notes:

The release notes make for very good reading. I browse them before, during, and after installing a new distribution. This ensures I get the most out of my distribution, informs me of new features, and helps me avoid spending too much time and effort trying to solve a known bug or problem.