TheDebian System Concepts andTechniques pot

™ ™ www.nostarch.com “I lay flat.” This book uses RepKover—a durable binding that won’t snap shut. W H E R E C O N T E N T A N D Q U A L I T Y M ATT E R ™ The DVD contains volume 1 of the Official Debian 3.1r0a (Sarge) release for i386, equivalent to 7 CDs! I N C L U D E S D V D - R O M The M a r t i n F. K r a f f t DEBIAN SYSTEM DEBIAN SYSTEM C O N C E P T S A N D T E C H N I Q U E S Despite its reputation as an operating system exclusively for professionals and hardcore computer hobbyists, Debian’s open development cycle and strict quality control have helped it gain popularity. With an installed base that’s growing annually by an estimated 25 percent, Debian clearly has its fair share of fans (not to mention the news-making Debian-based Linux distributions such as Knoppix, Ubuntu, and Xandros). Unlike other popular Linux distributions, the Debian GNU/Linux operating system favors text-based configuration over graphical user interfaces (GUIs). In The Debian System, author Martin Krafft, an experienced Debian developer, introduces the concepts that underlie the Debian operating system. He also explains how to use Debian’s various tools and techniques as well as the pitfalls and the thinking behind each. Debian may appear simplistic, but it is actually quite robust, scalable, and secure. After reading The Debian System, you’ll see that strict adherence to standards, highly experienced developers, a clear vision and goals, and a certain degree of academic perfection make Debian the exceptional system that it is today. This is a fascinating, must-have volume that Linux and Unix administrators will find complements the standard Linux references. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Martin F. Krafft has been a faithful supporter of Debian since 1997, working as a developer and a PR person, and fielding user questions on mailing lists. He has administered mid-sized networks and is responsible for numerous university servers and a 40-node cluster of Debian machines. Krafft is currently working on his Ph.D. at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the University of Zurich. SHELVE IN: LINUX/OPERATING SYSTEMS $44.95 ($60.95 CAN) K R A F F T ™ DEBI A N SYS TEM DEBI A N SYS TEM The HOW THE DEBIAN GNU/LINUX OPERATING SYSTEM WORKS HOW THE DEBIAN GNU/LINUX OPERATING SYSTEM WORKS WE DONATE $1 TO THE DEBIAN FOUNDATION FOR EVERY BOOK SOLD [...]... philosophy behind the operating system to be able to understand the choice of priorities When it is referred to as “the universal operating system (which is Debian’s slogan), this universality is available to those who use it, not to those better served by other operating systems In particular, “the universal operating system allows an administrator to maintain equivalent systems across a great variety... this book The sophistication of the Debian system keeps a system running with minimal effort, and the maintenance of a single-user workstation does not require in-depth knowledge of the advanced concepts and intricacies of Debian GNU/Linux Nevertheless, sooner or later new requirements are likely to surface, and this means the Debian user learning more about the system and enhancing it to handle new tasks,... the Debian project and everything related to Debian that is not part of the operating system If you are anxious to get down to the bones of the Debian system, skip this chapter However, the Debian system and the Debian project are inseparable; this will become more and more obvious as you learn more about the Debian system If you decide to skip this chapter for now, please make sure you read it some... world “Applied functionalism” primarily refers to the system development process: the tools and concepts that make up the Debian system were not conceived ad hoc and put to use Instead, they have emerged out of the practical needs of Debian’s users Administrators often struggle to keep their custom solutions synchronised with the rest of the Debian system To attack this problem at the root, experienced... Unix operating system as well as the Portable Operating System for Unix (POSIX) standards Second, you will have practical experience of multiuser system administration You will have developed an understanding of the scope of daily administration tasks and ideally written many scripts to facilitate the numerous aspects of your job While it does not hurt to know the do’s and dont’s of system administration,... and patches 267 6 Debian system administration 6.1 271 Fundamentals 272 6.1.1 6.1.2 Overriding permissions 274 6.1.3 Overriding files 275 6.1.4 The alternatives system 276 6.1.5 6.2 Using directories instead of configuration files 272 The Debian menu system 278 Users and authentication... production systems over long periods of time You will find in this book an enticing introduction to the Debian Way of system administration and management It offers a comprehensive and objective overview of the strengths and weaknesses of Debian and serves as a basis for migrating from another Linux distribution to Debian GNU 1.2.2 The Unix administrator If you are an administrator of another Unix operating system, ... Users and authentication 281 6.2.1 6.2.2 User and group management 284 6.2.3 6.3 System users and groups 281 PAM — Pluggable Authentication Modules 290 System initialisation and automatic processes 291 6.3.1 The system initialisation process 292 6.3.2 Regular maintenance processes 305 6.4 Backups... old tasks The need may arise to give out accounts to family and friends to let them experience the freedom of a Linux system Or you may at one point consider turning your knowledge and enthusiasm for the system into money by entering the commercial world, assisted by the operating system Lastly, you may discover that you simply like playing around with Debian and get a kick from its elegant methods,... researching the depths of the Debian system opened up whole new perspectives to me, some of which have since revolutionised the way I work with the Debian system If your involvement with Debian is anything more than chance, this book is for you 4I have always been like that 21 1 Introduction 1.2.4 The Linux apprentice This book assumes a good knowledge of the Linux operating system Consequently, users new . 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