Ubuntu Linux Toolbox: 1000+ Commands for Power Users

Christopher Negus

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781118183526
• eBook ISBN: 9781118240526
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Operating Systems
• Index: Computer Science

This updated bestseller from Linux guru Chris Negus is packed with an array of new and revised material

As a longstanding bestseller, Ubuntu Linux Toolbox has taught you how to get the most out Ubuntu, the world's most popular Linux distribution. With this anticipated new edition, Christopher Negus returns with a host of new and expanded coverage on tools for managing file systems, ways to connect to networks, techniques for securing Ubuntu systems, and a look at the latest Long Term Support (LTS) release of Ubuntu, all aimed at getting you up and running with Ubuntu Linux quickly.

• Covers installation, configuration, shell primer, the desktop, administrations, servers, and security
• Delves into coverage of popular applications for the web, productivity suites, and e-mail
• Highlights setting up a server (Apache, Samba, CUPS)
• Boasts a handy trim size so that you can take it with you on the go

Ubuntu Linux Toolbox, Second Edition prepares you with a host of updated tools for today's environment, as well as expanded coverage on everything you know to confidently start using Ubuntu today.

Chapter 1

Starting with Ubuntu Linux

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Introducing Ubuntu Linux
• Finding Ubuntu resources
• Learning quick and powerful commands
• Referencing useful utilities
• Working as Linux gurus do

Whether you make extensive use of Ubuntu Linux at work every day, or just putter around with it once in a while, a book that presents efficient and comprehensive ways to maintain, monitor, secure, and enhance Ubuntu can be an invaluable resource.

Ubuntu Linux Toolbox, Second Edition is that resource.

Ubuntu Linux Toolbox, Second Edition is aimed primarily at power users and systems administrators. To give you what you need, I will show you how to quickly find and install software for Ubuntu, as well as how to update, maintain, and monitor the health and security of your system. In short, I will show you the most efficient ways of using Ubuntu by working with some of the powerful tools that are at your fingertips.

The goal of this book is to pack as much useful information as possible into a small package that you can carry around with you. To that end, I describe:

• Commands—Tons of command line examples demonstrate clever and useful ways to navigate the often daunting command line.
• GUI tools—Quick tips for using graphical interface tools to administer and configure your Ubuntu system.
• Software repositories—Methods for downloading and installing the software, which is custom-made for your Ubuntu system.
• Online resources—Where to find useful and helpful information about Ubuntu, such as mailing lists that you can subscribe to, IRC channels, and other online resources.
• Local documentation—Tools for working with the man pages, the standard Linux and UNIX reference volumes, as well as specific documentation for the software you install.

Because this book is for people already familiar with Linux, there won’t be a lot of screenshots of icons and menus. What you get instead is the quickest path to using your Ubuntu system to its fullest extent. Primarily, that means unlocking the mysteries of the command line to do things you can only dream about doing from the desktop.

What you learn in this book will help you become more adept at working with your Ubuntu or Debian system, as well as Linux in general. If this sounds useful to you, please read on.

Ubuntu, Debian, and Linux

Ubuntu is an operating system based on Debian GNU/Linux (www.debian.org). Debian has been around since the early 1990s, and because of its maturity, is regarded as a leading Linux distribution in terms of stability and security. Debian is also known for its strict adherence to free software (www.debian.org/intro/free). It is on this foundation that Ubuntu has been formed.

Debian has given rise to not only Ubuntu, but many other Linux distributions (www.debian.org/misc/children-distros). Some are derived directly from Debian, while others are Ubuntu derivatives:

• Xubuntu—An Xfce-based desktop system based on Ubuntu
• Kubuntu—A KDE-based desktop system based on Ubuntu
• Edubuntu—An Ubuntu derivative focused on schools
• Linux Mint—An easy-to-use desktop system with both Ubuntu and Debian roots
• Knoppix—A KDE desktop-oriented live CD based on Debian
• Kanotix—A Debian-based live CD
• Damn Small Linux—A tiny (50MB) live CD based on Knoppix
• Mepis—A desktop live CD based on Ubuntu and Debian

Xubuntu, Kubuntu, and Edubuntu are the same Debian-based Ubuntu distribution under the hood. The only difference in these is the default desktop they run, or the collection of applications bundled with them. For example, Kubuntu features the KDE desktop and Adept package manager, which are not installed on Ubuntu by default. Edubuntu is geared toward educational applications, many of which are not installed by default on the other Ubuntu distros.

Because Debian and Ubuntu are open source systems with most parts built on the GNU General Public License (www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html), anyone is free to take the GPL-based source code, or any part of the GPL’d system, and modify, strip down, build upon, extend, embed, reverse-engineer, and freely distribute those changes or modifications. Generally, the only requirement is that you abide by the terms of the GPL, which basically states that any changes you make to existing GPL works must be made available for others to utilize in the same way (see www.debian.org/social_contract for other licenses Debian recognizes).

In the end, you have not only a superior system with a free, online, worldwide support base, but a product that is constantly evolving and that is driven by people with a passion for what they do. Many other Linux distributions offer these same advantages; however, Ubuntu has certainly pulled out in front in terms of popularity among desktop and first-time Linux users.

Understanding Ubuntu Releases

Every six months or so, a new release of Ubuntu comes out. You can choose which release you want to use from the Ubuntu Releases page (http://releases.ubuntu.com).

Short release cycles allow Ubuntu to always offer the latest open source software available. The downside of short release cycles, however, is that many businesses prefer stability over the latest bells and whistles. Traditionally, that is why business applications are more often run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, which has a much longer major release cycle.

To deal with that issue, Canonical began offering releases of Ubuntu that were specified as Long Term Support (LTS) releases. For LTS releases, Canonical makes extra efforts at stability and offers longer support cycles. See the Ubuntu Wiki LTS page (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LTS) for a description of the support cycles offered with long term releases.

To have the longest possible useful life, this book is focused on the Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Precise Pangolin) release. To use the same version of software used in this book, go to the Precise Pangolin download page (http://releases.ubuntu.com/precise/) and choose server install media that’s appropriate for your computer (x86 or 64-bit).

If you don’t have the exact same version of Ubuntu, don’t worry. Most of the commands in this book are ones you can rely on to not change much over time. They will form a foundation for your command line use that will help you to get up-to-speed quicker on new features as they are released.

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Note Ever wonder where Ubuntu (Edgy Eft) and Debian (Woody) get those odd naming conventions from? Find out at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DevelopmentCodeNames or www.debian.org/doc/manuals/project-history/ch-releases.en.html.

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Ubuntu Compared to Other Linux Distributions

If you log into the command line of both an Ubuntu system and a Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Fedora system, very little will look different. There are common directories and utilities between the two, and functionality is fundamentally the same. So what makes Ubuntu different from other Linux distributions? Consider the following:

• Ubuntu Unity desktop—Taking its own direction, Ubuntu features its own Unity desktop, rather than use GNOME, KDE, or other common Linux desktop interfaces. Though based on GNOME, Unity seeks to simplify the user interface to make it more useful on smaller screens, such as those used on netbook computers.

A major plan for Unity is to change the underlying display management system from the X Window system (used in most Linux and UNIX desktop systems) to the OpenGL-based Waylan project. With Waylan, Ubuntu seeks to improve the user experience with smoother graphics and effects. Popular X-based applications would then be run in compatibility mode.

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• Mobile and entertainment devices—While Ubuntu has made some inroads into the enterprise computing arena, a more natural transition for Ubuntu from the desktop has been to specialty devices. The Canonical Group (www.canonical.com), which runs the Ubuntu project, announced an Ubuntu phone (www.ubuntu.com/devices/phone). There is also an Ubuntu TV project (www.ubuntu.com/devices/tv).
• Simplified installation—The complexity of booting and installing Ubuntu has been narrowed down to a handful of mouse clicks, making many of the install decisions automatic based on assumptions as to what the average user may need and want. A simpler instal...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Starting with Ubuntu Linux
• Chapter 2: Installing Ubuntu and Adding Software
• Chapter 3: Using the Shell
• Chapter 4: Working with Files
• Chapter 5: Manipulating Text
• Chapter 6: Playing with Multimedia
• Chapter 7: Administering Filesystems
• Chapter 8: Backups and Removable Media
• Chapter 9: Checking and Managing Running Processes
• Chapter 10: Managing the System
• Chapter 11: Managing Network Connections
• Chapter 12: Accessing Network Resources
• Chapter 13: Doing Remote System Administration
• Chapter 14: Locking Down Security
• Chapter 15: Setting Up a Virtualization Host and Virtual Machines
• Appendix A: Using vi or Vim Editors
• Appendix B: Shell Special Characters and Variables
• Appendix C: Getting Information from /proc