Fedora Unleashed, 2008 Edition Covering Fedora 7 and Fedora 8

by Hudson, Andrew; Hudson, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780672329777
• ISBN10: 0672329778
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-02-04
• Publisher: Sams Publishing

Summary

Fedora Unleashed, 2008 Editionpresents comprehensive coverage of Fedora 8, the popular Linux distribution developed by the Red Hat-sponsored Fedora Project. This book provides detailed information on installing, using, and administering Fedora. Yours"ll learn how to set up a desktop workstation or a high-powered server, and yours"ll find complete details on Yum, Fedorars"s easy-to-use desktop and productivity software. Fedora Unleashed, 2008 Editioncovers a wide range of topics, from using the software you need every day for work, such as the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and the Firefox web browser, to configuring your Linux desktop to run smoothly using multiple printers, shell scripts, and more. Install and configure the Fedora 8 Linux distribution Manage Linux services and users Run a printer server with CUPS Connect to a local network and the Internet Set up and administer a web server with Apache Secure your machine and your network from intruders Rebuild and install a new Linux kernel Learn shell scripting Run other operating systems on Fedora with Xen Share files with Windows users using Samba Get productive with OpenOffice.org Play games on Linux Use Linux multimedia programs Use a database with Fedora Set up a firewall Set up a DNS server Work with the X Window system Learn Linux programming (including Mono) Fedora 8 on DVD:DVD includes the Fedora 8 binary distribution with all the base Fedora packages plus hundreds of additional programs and utilities. Free Upgrade!Purchase this book anytime in 2008 and receive a free Fedora 9 Upgrade Kit by mail (U.S. or Canada only) after Fedora 9 is released. See inside back cover for details.

Author Biography

Andrew Hudson is a regular freelance contributor to Linux Format magazine, the UK’s largest Linux magazine. His particular area of expertise is Fedora and the Red Hat Enterprise Linux platform.

 

Paul Hudson is Editor of Linux Format magazine, a professional developer, and full-time journalist for Future Publishing. His articles have appeared in Mac Format, PC Answers, PC Format, PC Plus, and Linux Format.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Installation and Configuration
Installing Fedora	p. 9
Fedora Quick Start	p. 41
Working with GNOME	p. 53
Command-Line Quick Start	p. 77
Desktop Fedora
On the Internet	p. 105
Productivity Applications	p. 125
Multimedia	p. 147
Printing with Fedora	p. 177
Games	p. 191
System Administration
Managing Users	p. 203
Automating Tasks	p. 231
System-Monitoring Tools	p. 259
Backing Up	p. 271
Networking	p. 297
Remote Access with SSH	p. 335
Xen	p. 345
Fedora As a Server
Apache Web Server Management	p. 353
Administering Database Services	p. 389
File and Print	p. 415
Remote File Serving with FTP	p. 445
Handling Electronic Mail	p. 479
Setting Up a Proxy Server	p. 501
Managing DNS	p. 511
LDAP	p. 551
Programming Linux
Using Perl	p. 563
Working with Python	p. 579
Writing PHP Scripts	p. 599
C/C++ Programming Tools for Fedora	p. 629
Mono	p. 641
Fedora Housekeeping
Securing Your Machines	p. 655
Performance Tuning	p. 669
Command-Line Master Class	p. 683
Writing and Executing a Shell Script	p. 711
Advanced Software Management	p. 737
Managing the File System	p. 757
Kernel and Module Management	p. 787
Appendices
The History of Red Hat and Fedora	p. 813
Installation Resources	p. 821
Fedora and Linux Internet Resources	p. 847
Index	p. 859
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Introduction IntroductionWelcome toFedora Unleashed, 2008 Edition! This book covers the free Linux distribution named Fedora and includes a fully functional and complete operating system produced by the Fedora Project, sponsored by Red Hat.Fedora is directly descended from one of the most popular Linux distributions ever: Red Hat Linux. Those of you who know nothing about Linux might have heard of Red Hat; it is enough to know that it is the largest Linux vendor in North America. Fedora benefits directly from many Red Hat engineers as well as the wider contributions from free software developers across the world.If you are new to Linux, you have made a great decision by choosing this book. Sams Publishing'sUnleashedbooks offer an in-depth look at their subjects, taking in both beginner and advanced users and moving them to a new level in knowledge and expertise.Fedora is a fast-changing distribution that can be updated at least twice a year. We have tracked the development of Fedora from very early on to make sure that the information contained in this book mirrors closely the development of the distribution. A full copy of Fedora is included on the DVD, making it possible for you to install Linux in less than an hour!This book provides all the information that you need to get up and running with Fedora. It even tells you how to keep Fedora running in top shape, as well as how to adapt Fedora to changes in your needs and requirements. Fedora can be used at home, in the workplace, or, with permission, at your school and college. In fact, you might want to poke around your school's computer rooms: You will probably find that someone has already beaten you to the punch--Linux is commonly found in academic institutions. Feel free to make as many copies of the software as you want. No copyright lawyers are going to pound on your door, because Fedora is freely distributable all over the world.After this brief introduction, you will get straight into the distribution, learning how to install and configure Fedora and find your way around the Gnome graphical interface and learning about the command line. We also take you through installing software, managing users, and other common administrative tasks. For the more technically minded, we cover some starting steps in programming across several languages--why not pick one and give it a go? Through the book, you will also find information on multimedia applications, digital graphics, and even gaming for after hours when you are finished tinkering. After you make it through the book, you will be well equipped with the knowledge needed to use Linux successfully. We do assume that you are at least familiar with an operating system already (even if it is not with Linux) and have some basic computer knowledge. We round off the book by giving you some reference points for you to access via the web, and we also explore the origins of Fedora and Linux. Changes from Previous EditionsReaders who may already own previous editions ofFedora Unleashedmight wonder what work has gone into this edition. Well, we've overhauled the entire structure of the book, making it far faster for you to get stuck into Fedora.We have also substantially rewritten several chapters and introduced new ones, such as Chapter 4, "Command-Line Quick Start," and others. This book also looks at the three main ways in which you can obtain Fedora: by using the DVD, Live CD, and KDE Live CD media. There are many changes to this book, and it's taken a long time to come to fruition. LicensingAn important thing to consider, given Linux's unique place in the market, is the licensing situation surrounding Fedora. Believe it or not, the software that you are about to install is 100% free in every sense of the word. You may ha