LINUX and STUFF: January 2006

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Free Linux Manual and Documentation

When we start to learn linux, manual and documentation are important thing which is must often opened. And the great thing is we don't have spend our money to buy it because we can download from internet freely. With that free manual and documentation, our productivitas will increase to explore Linux. This article will explain about some pointer to access linux manual and documentation and application program.

The Linux Documentation Project (TLDP)

The Linux Documentation Project (TLDP) is project of making free linux manual and documentation. It has translate to many language. It is available in various format which can be downloaded ( PDF, HTML,etc). This project in http://www.tldp.org.
Interesting documentation in TLDP among others is :
1. HOWTO : short and practical manual in many theme. http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/categories.html
2. GUIDE GAZETTE : Complete manual in the form of book. http://www.tldp.org/guides.html
3. LINUX GAZETTE : interesting article about linux http://www.tldp.org/LDP/LG/

Mandrake Linux Manual

MandrakeSoft publishing special manual for Mandrake Linux. You can get it directly from : http://www.mandrakelinux.com/fdoc.php3 or in directory /usr/share/doc/mandrake/en on Mandrake linux that installed in your box. Manual that always update at the same time with this release Mandrake Linux version available in various format (HTML or PDF), among athers is :

Starter Guide
Reference Guide
DrakXTools User Manual

Debian Linux Manual

Debian Linux distro knows as one of the linux distro based on community. Done together by community so have many linux community support. Project of writing manual and its documentation also complete enough. Available in many format : http//www.debian.org/doc/use-manuals.en.html.

Interesting article in many site

http://www.linux-mag.com
http://www.linuxquestions.org
http:://www.konsultanlinux.com
http://www.linuxjournal.com

Playing MP3 in LINUX

The file music format which wide knows is MP3. It is very pleasant when doing a job in front of computer while listening and enjoying music.Many software which can be use to playing MP3 in linux.One of my favourite is XMMS. For windows user whom usually familiar with Winamp will have no difficult to operate this because the look or GUI is quite same.XMMS software have the license GPL, which mean it's free.

More about XMMS
Many linux distro now usually have figuring XMMS in its package. But the only problem is this package does'nt include MP3 decoder because the license problem. Because of that we have to download MP3 encoder so that we can play MP3 file. XMMS can play WAV file and CD media as good as Winamp. Beside that it can play file with format MOD, S3M, MED and Ogg Vorbis (look http://www.vorbis.com) which is free file music format, MP3 substitution alternative.
Like Winamp, XMMS has 3 main panel, control panel, equalizer panel and playlist panel. Beside skin from winamp, have made available also many free skin in internet which can be downloaded from http://www.xmms.org/skins.php.

Installation
Before this process start, make sure that your sound card have work properly. I assume that you have install linux in your box. The steps are :
1. Insert your CD-ROM Linux where XMMS file store.
2. Make sure RPM files from XMMS is in that CD-ROM. Usually file name begin with xmms word.
3.Open your console, and go to the directory where the XMMS files save. Operate this command as root :
# rpm -i xmms*
To playing audio file with MP3 format, do next steps:
1.Download xmms-mpg123-(version).i386.rpm (for Red Hat 9: http://www.havardk.xmms.org/dist/xmms-1.2.7-rh8-rh9-rpm/)
2. Running instalasi command in console as root :
# rpm -i xmms-mpg123-(version).i386.rpm

Changing Skin
1. Download your favourite skin from http://www.xmms.org/skins.php
2. Save that file in ~/.xmms/Skins/. Symbol ~ means your home directory ex: /home/yunan
3. Activate skin panel (Alt+s) and choose that skin.

Operate XMMS
To operate XMMS, we can select from menu in linux dekstop or running command in console :
$ xmms &

So now you can enjoying music while typing school or office duties . Happy wiggling !!!!

Monday, January 30, 2006

Use Window from Linux, Why Not ?

Example that company where you are work has use product from microsoft like Windows and Office.Database with SQL Server, MS Exchange and Outlook, and many business aplication work in Windows Server. But your boss want make cost-saving for IT. The boss doesn't want expense much fund for the license in the middle of crisis and emulation which progressively tighten.
On the other hand he want business that he had use and buy with high price still defended. And the company doesn't have much fund and time for buy or develop a new application. You have responsibility from boss to solve this problem.

But you don't have to worry because LINUX is the solution.

You can still access all of Windows application which walk in server . This is very interesting, because you don't have to develop or make new application, train user or data migration between database which often risk. You can economizing license fee because Linux client doesn't have to pay license. This scenario usually know as thin client.

Equipment you need.
First you need minimum server Pentium III class with RAM 512 MB. That specification has enough for serve 20 user. The general prinsip is you have add 10 MB RAM for every user that connect to server. While for operate Windows NT or Windows 2000 need 256 MB RAM. You have to expense Windows license fee on server side. Because we need Windows Terminal Services and various its application. Terminal services is a service which operate in Windows 2000 Server so it can use as application server in this scenario.
Second, hardware for client. Client computer use Linux OS so you can still work with various application on client side. And if you want to use Windows application then use rdesktop to connect to Windows server.
Third, download the software from http://www.rdekstop.org. In many distribution now, it has pack into the cd installation.

Installation Step

In server side, you have to activate Terminal service from menu Control Panel> Add/Remove Program > Add/Remove Windows Component. After that you just install every application that will run in server for client. Terminal Service Windows 2000 have to install in Application Server Mode condition so that can serve many client.

Next is installation on client side. I assume that you have install Linux in your box. The downloaded file have to install first. Use this command :
$ tar -zxvf rdekstop-1.1.0.tar.gztar
Attention please that rdekstop-1.1.0.tar.gztar is just example, you have to change the name according to the file that you have download. Then you have to change to the folder where the result extract file was save. Next step is execute this command one by one :
$ ./configure
$ make
$ make install
Installation finish, and you can test rdekstop to execute application in Windows server.

And it's time for enjoying
Ex. that your Windows server name is "central" and you connecting to that server with user "abc" with password "linux" then use this command :
$ rdekstop -u abc -p linux central
Wait for a moment and Windows 2000 dekstop will appear in your linux screen. Remember user "abc" and password "linux" have to make first in server "central". Look picture below.

Make presentation and report for your Boss, and ready to have praise, or even bonus ? Who knows .....

Source from www.ilmukomputer.com

Installation OpenSource Packet on Linux

Differ from Windows which software installation process just click next and next then the installation finish, in Linux we will have to get acquainted with package manager . One of the popular package manager is Redhat Package Manager ( RPM). Although carry the name of Redhat, but this application is used by many distro for the managerial of package in distro which is is pertinent., some among distro which is use RPM for the management of package is Mandrake, Trustix, Suse.

What is Package Manager?

Package Manager represent a tool assist to handle application in some distro. This is of course differ from software manager which GUI bases in linux. . Analogy for the software manager is utilty like Add/Remove Program which there are in Windows Control Panel while for installing program which we get from internet, we can use Package Manager. In general software packages in internet has the extension tar.bz2, tar.gz,rpm,deb(for Debian distro).

Installation with RedHat Package Manager

The sintax is:
rpm -i package-name.rpm
Another additional option for installation (-i) is
-h, to see installation output.
-v, to see installation progress.

Uninstal/Remove
Sintax :
rpm-e package-name
Ex: #rpm -e ymessenger

Upgrade Package
Sintax :
rpm -Uvh package-name.rpm or rpm -Fvh package-name.rpm

To see installed package
Sintax : rpm -qa
If the output we get to many we can combine with | (pipe) and more : #rpm -qa | more
To see a package with contain a certain words we can use command :
#rpm -qa | grep python (ex.)

To see files contained in a package
Sintaks :
rpm -ql package-name.rpm
Ex: #rpm -ql ymessenger-1.0.4-1.i386.rpm

Package installation with src.rpm extension

Src.rpm package is source package from a RPM package. The contain of src.rpm package is program source. How is the installation of this package? First we need to rebuild the package with sintax : rpm --rebuild package-name.src.rpm. After the rebuild we will have package with *.rpm extension. It's mean that installation process use ordinary sintax : rpm -ivh package-name.rpm

Package installation with tar.bz2 and tar.gz extension

For installation with tar.bz2 and tar.gz extension, you have install C compiler on your system which is have (don't you ?) Next the steps is :
1. Download the package from internet. Recommended site is www.sourforge.net and www.freshmeat.com.
2. Extract that package.
- for tar.gz and tgz use command # tar -zxvf file-name.tar.gz
- for tar.bz2 use command tar -xjvf file-name.tar.bz2
3. After that you have to go to the folder where the package was extracted. For the next three step you must login as root.
4. We have configure that software with sintax :
# ./config or # make config
5. Then compile source program
# make or # make all
6. Last after we've compiled it, we have to install that object.
# make install

ps : all step above not work for all package/software. so before you do that, it's good to read first manual file installation in extract directory, usually the name is INSTALL, README OR MANUAL.

Source from www.ilmukomputer.com

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

10 reasons why linux is the best operating system

1. Inside linux distribution have many softwares worthing million dollar which is free to use.

2. A complete opeating system :
a. Stable - crash application doesn't make operating system down
b. Reliable- Linux server has long life in period hundreds of day compared to Windows which is need to reboot periodicly
c. Extremely very usefull

3. Completed with tens of aplication development enviroment include C, C++, Fortran, some scripting language like Perl, Python, Awk, and sed. The price C compiler in windows more than 1000 US dollar.

4. Special network facility, enabling to share CPU.

5. The ideal environment to operate server like Web server, FTP server, Authentication server,etc

6. There is commercial software too, if requirement not fulfilled with free software

7. The easiest operating system to upgrade.

8. Support many processor

9. The real Multi tasking, enabling to operate more than one application on the same time

10. A special GUI system called X, equivalen with Windows but very easy to customize.

Friday, January 20, 2006

Choosing a Linux Distribution

If you ever watch the IT press, you will have probably heard of company names such as Red Hat, SUSe (pronounced Soozah), Debian and possibly Caldera OpenLinux.These are all companies that have created their own 'distributions' of Linux.

In any distribution, the fundamentals stay the same:

The Kernel is the original Linus Torvalds Linux Kernel*

The default GNU software*

General software to be expected of a Linux distribution

*: May differ in version.

What differs from distribution to distribution is usually:
Installation Software (good, bad, none at all!)

Extra software: (Office Apps, Prog. Languages, Games, Web Software etc)

Documentation and Manuals (Quality of, Lack of, Quantity of)

Quality of software (buggy or not buggy software, latest versions of software)

Up to date

Offers SupportEase of Use

So, as you can see, whatever distribution you choose. You get Linux, whatever you buy, but you may get a better range of options with distribution X over distribution Y. The choice is for you to decide, and because of Linux's excellent Copying/Licensing properties, you can try it out before you commit to anything.Of course, you don't have to buy Linux at all. You can take a copy from your friends, or from a magazine or book and use it quite happily, but you usually get lots more goodies (extra cds,manuals, free support, etc) when you buy the product. I purchased Red Hat Linux 7.0 for only £29.99 (pounds sterling), and it has a great deal more software with it (5 CDs!) than the 1 CD publishers version costs.

What Linux Distribution should I choose?

Choosing a Linux distribution is a personal thing. It greatly depends on what you want to do with it all.If you are a complete newbie and you are looking for an easy introduction to Linux, then I would probably choose Mandrake Linux.. Have a look at this rough guide to get an idea of which Linux distribution is right for you. Note: If a distribution is at release 7.0 (ie: Red Hat), but another distribution is only at 2.2 (ie: Debian), this does not mean that Debian is an old version of Linux. The release numbers are only an indicator of how many releases that particular vendor has made. It is quite likely that Debian 2.2 and Red Hat 7.0 share the same kernel version (2.2.16).

For a really nice representation on all of the ups and downs of each distribution, I recommend visiting Ladislav Bodnar's Comparison of Linux Distributions Web Page

What Is Linux?

Linus Tosvald was, in 1991, a student in Finland studying Computer programming at university. Obviously using a UNIX system (probably BSD). He went home, as millions did, to their PC, and wondered why it didn't do the same things as the big computers at uni did.He got bored of MS-DOS after 10 minutes, and decided to start his own kernel, which is the code at the heart of every operating system, that addresses the hardware directly. He wanted it to be free to distribute. He finished the first Linux kernel in mid 1991. He had the 32 bit kernel, in which programs could be run under, but he didn't have any software to run on it. Luckily, an ex-student in the USA, by the name of Richard Stallman had created a team of programmers devoted to free software, he called this the Free Software Foundation, who believed in making software free to distribute, and free to obtain the source code along with it.

The GNU GPL (General Public License) that the Free Software Foundation (or FSF) made also stated that the authors of the software could charge for the software, as long as they are willing for it to be freely distributed. This is the way that the GNU (stand's for GNU's Not Unix) and all software under the GNU GPL would create (hopefully) a profit.Stallman had been busy making a whole suite of software, for example: an editor called emacs, which is very popular today, and the bash (Bourne Again Shell), a command line interface based upon the original Bourne Shell, that comes with the BSD variant of UNIX. the FSF's software was entirely based upon the UNIX software suite, and essentially improved on it. The FSF were missing by 1991, only one really vital piece of software, to make it a fully fledged operating system: The Kernel Linus and Stallman got together, put their code together, and Linux, or GNU/Linux (as it's properly named) was made.