Introduction                                       xxi
  Part I Hardware Tools                            1  (76)
    Optimizing System Architecture Usage           3  (26)
      Getting the Most from Your CPU               3  (6)
        Understanding and Choosing CPUs            3  (4)
        Improving Performance with Compile-Time    7  (1)
        Options
        Setting Kernel Options                     8  (1)
      Getting the Best Video Performance           9  (3)
        Important and Unimportant Video Card       10 (1)
        Features
        Supported and Unsupported Video Card       11 (1)
        Features
        Speeding Up X: Setting XFree86 Options     12 (1)
      Taming Hardware via Drivers                  12 (8)
        Identifying the Correct Drivers            13 (3)
        Brute Force: Building Drivers into the     16 (1)
        Kernel
        Subtle and Flexible: Loading Drivers as    17 (3)
        Modules
      Delivering Clear Sound                       20 (4)
        Diagnosing and Fixing Sound Problems       20 (1)
        When Standard Drivers Aren't Enough        21 (3)
      Demystifying the /proc Filesystem            24 (3)
        The /proc Directory Structure              24 (3)
        Learning About Your Hardware               27 (1)
        Modifying Hardware Settings                27 (1)
      Summary                                      27 (2)
    Improving Disk Performance                     29 (26)
      Understanding ATA and SCSI                   29 (3)
        Why Two Disk Standards?                    30 (1)
        When to Use Each Disk Type                 31 (1)
      Controllers and Host Adapters                32 (3)
        When to Add or Upgrade Hardware            32 (1)
        Picking the Correct Hardware               33 (2)
      Testing and Optimizing Disk Performance      35 (4)
        Identifying Poor Disk Performance          36 (1)
        Improving Disk Performance                 37 (2)
      Optimizing Disk Partitions                   39 (3)
        Why Does Partition Placement Matter?       39 (1)
        Tips for Placing Partitions for Best       40 (2)
        Performance
      Moving Data via Sneakernet: Removable        42 (6)
      Media
        Evaluating Your Removable Media Needs      42 (2)
        Picking Linux-Compatible Hardware          44 (1)
        Choosing a Filesystem for Removable        44 (2)
        Media
        Configuring Removable Media                46 (2)
      Burning CD-Rs                                48 (5)
        Linux CD-R Tools                           48 (2)
        A Linux CD-R Example                       50 (2)
        Creating Cross-Platform CD-Rs              52 (1)
      Summary                                      53 (2)
    Using External Peripherals                     55 (22)
      Configuring USB, RS-232 Serial, and          55 (7)
      Parallel Ports
        Recognizing USB Devices                    56 (2)
        Using setserial to Optimize RS-232         58 (2)
        Serial Performance
        Improving Printing with Interrupts         60 (2)
      Overcoming Keyboard Quirks                   62 (4)
        Understanding Keyboards in Linux           62 (1)
        Getting a Keyboard to Work in Text Mode    63 (1)
        Getting a Keyboard to Work in X            64 (1)
        USB Keyboard Quirks                        65 (1)
      Using a Mouse to the Fullest                 66 (2)
        Basic Mouse Configuration                  66 (1)
        Using a Two-Button Mouse                   66 (1)
        Configuring a Wheel Mouse                  67 (1)
        Configuring Extra Mouse Buttons            67 (1)
      Getting a Scanner to Work                    68 (7)
        Locating Scanner Support                   68 (1)
        Configuring Scanner Software               68 (2)
        Doing Basic Scans                          70 (2)
        Integrating a Scanner with Other           72 (1)
        Software
        Converting Graphics to Text: OCR           72 (1)
        Network Scanning                           73 (2)
      Summary                                      75 (2)
  Part II User Tools                               77 (104)
    Mastering Shells and Shell Scripting           79 (18)
      Selecting an Appropriate Shell               80 (1)
      Making Efficient Use of a Shell              81 (6)
        Time-Saving Shell Tricks                   81 (3)
        Customizing Your Shell                     84 (3)
      Saving Time with Shell Scripts               87 (9)
        Key Features of Shell Scripts              87 (1)
        Launching External Programs                88 (2)
        Using Variables                            90 (1)
        Using Conditional Expressions              90 (2)
        Using if and case                          92 (2)
        Using Loops                                94 (2)
      Summary                                      96 (1)
    Doing Real Work in Text Mode                   97 (16)
      Running Multiple Programs in Virtual         97 (1)
      Terminals
      Mastering Important Linux Commands           98 (9)
        Accessing Media: Filesystem                98 (1)
        Manipulation Tools
        Accessing Files: File Manipulation Tools   99 (7)
        Using System Information Tools             106(1)
      Managing the Text-Mode Environment           107(4)
        Using an Appropriate termcap or terminfo   107(1)
        Modifying Console Fonts                    108(3)
        Using Color in Text Logins                 111(1)
      Summary                                      111(2)
    Getting the Most from a Desktop Environment    113(26)
      Selecting an Appropriate Desktop             114(2)
      Environment
      Mastering KDE                                116(8)
        An Overview of KDE Features                116(2)
        Managing Files with Konqueror              118(1)
        Changing KDE's MIME Type Mappings          118(2)
        Adding Programs to the Kicker              120(1)
        Setting a KDE Theme                        121(2)
        Adjusting the Mouse and Keyboard           123(1)
        Some Important KDE Applications            124(1)
      Mastering GNOME                              124(8)
        An Overview of GNOME Features              124(2)
        Managing Files with Nautilus               126(1)
        Changing GNOME's MIME Type Mappings        127(1)
        Adding Programs to GNOME's Panels          127(1)
        Setting a GNOME Theme                      128(1)
        Adjusting the Mouse and Keyboard           129(2)
        Some Important GNOME Applications          131(1)
      Distribution-Specific Quirks                 132(1)
      Creating a Desktop Environment That's        133(5)
      Just Right
        Selecting a Window Manager                 133(2)
        Selecting a File Manager                   135(2)
        Selecting Applications                     137(1)
      Summary                                      138(1)
    Using Linux for Office Productivity            139(16)
      Selecting Appropriate Office Tools           139(9)
        Using OpenOffice.org                       140(2)
        Using KOffice                              142(1)
        Using GNOME Office                         143(2)
        Using LaTeX                                145(2)
        Using Emulators                            147(1)
      Managing Fonts in Office Tools               148(4)
        Word Processor Font Issues                 149(1)
        Adding Fonts to Word Processors            150(1)
        Ghostscript Font Management                151(1)
      Managing Printers in Office Tools            152(2)
        Mapping Linux Printer Queues to Printer    153(1)
        Lists
        Selecting a Printer Model                  153(1)
      Summary                                      154(1)
    Miscellaneous User Tools                       155(26)
      Working with Sound Files                     155(5)
        Recording Sounds                           155(1)
        Using GUI Sound Editors                    156(1)
        Creating MP3 or Ogg Vorbis Files           157(2)
        Using a Multimedia Player                  159(1)
      Using Digital Camera Tools                   160(4)
        Picking a Digital Camera Package           160(1)
        Configuring gPhoto                         161(1)
        Retrieving and Saving Photos               162(1)
        Manipulating Photos                        163(1)
      Using the GIMP                               164(6)
        Launching the GIMP                         164(1)
        Loading Images                             165(1)
        Painting with the GIMP                     166(1)
        Working with Layers                        167(1)
        Applying Filters                           168(1)
        Saving Images                              169(1)
      Optimizing Linux Web Browsers                170(7)
        Choosing a Web Browser                     170(1)
        Improving Web Fonts                        171(1)
        Protecting Your Privacy and Security       172(5)
      Choosing and Using Linux E-Mail Clients      177(3)
        Picking an E-Mail Reader                   177(1)
        Configuring an E-Mail Client               178(1)
        Using and Abusing Attachments              179(1)
        Combining Many Mail Accounts: Fetchmail    180(1)
      Summary                                      180(1)
  Part III System Administration Tools             181(200)
    Bypassing Automatic Configurations to Gain     183(20)
    Control
      The Perils of Automatic Configurations       184(3)
        Incorrect Identification                   184(1)
        Incorrect Configuration                    185(1)
        Inflexible Options                         186(1)
        Overzealous Configuration Tools            186(1)
      Automatic Setup Mechanisms by Distribution   187(10)
        Common Configuration Files                 187(3)
        Debian                                     190(2)
        Mandrake                                   192(1)
        Red Hat                                    193(2)
        Slackware                                  195(1)
        SuSE                                       196(1)
      Implementing Manual Configurations           197(5)
        Scripts versus Configuration Files         197(1)
        Using Local Startup Scripts                198(1)
        Safely Changing Existing Configuration     199(1)
        Files
        Creating New Sys V Startup Scripts         199(2)
        Bypassing and Overriding Configuration     201(1)
        Files
        Creating User-Specific Configurations      201(1)
      Summary                                      202(1)
    Using Multiple OSs                             203(28)
      Installation Tricks and Traps                203(6)
        Designing an Appropriate Partition         204(2)
        Scheme
        Modifying Existing Partitions              206(2)
        Installing OSs in the Best Order           208(1)
      Picking an OS to Boot: Boot Loaders          209(6)
        Picking the Right Boot Loader              210(1)
        Configuring GRUB                           211(2)
        Configuring LILO                           213(2)
      Exchanging Data via Foreign Filesystems      215(5)
        Choosing a Filesystem for Shared Data      215(2)
        Reading Non-Linux Filesystems in Linux     217(2)
        Reading Linux Filesystems in Other OSs     219(1)
      Exchanging Files: File Format                220(3)
      Compatibility
        Cross-Platform File Formats                221(1)
        Proprietary File Formats                   222(1)
      Improving Your Productivity with Emulators   223(6)
        The Features and Limits of Emulation       223(1)
        Popular Emulators for Linux                224(5)
      Summary                                      229(2)
    Managing Packages                              231(18)
      Basic Package Management Features            231(1)
      Avoiding Tedium with RPMs                    232(7)
        Understanding the rpm Utility              232(2)
        Investigating a Package                    234(1)
        Installing, Upgrading, and Removing        235(2)
        Packages
        Verifying Package Integrity                237(1)
        Using GUI RPM Tools                        237(1)
        Rebuilding a Package                       238(1)
      Avoiding Tedium with Debian Packages         239(2)
        Understanding the dpkg Utility             239(1)
        Understanding the dselect Utility          240(1)
        Using GUI Debian Package Tools             241(1)
      Converting Package Formats                   241(3)
        Why Convert Package Formats?               242(1)
        Using alien                                242(2)
      Automating Upgrades                          244(3)
        Maintaining Debian with APT                244(2)
        Maintaining Red Hat with Update Agent      246(1)
        Maintaining SuSE with YaST                 247(1)
      Summary                                      247(2)
    Filesystems and Files                          249(20)
      Picking the Right Filesystem                 249(5)
        Maximizing Filesystem Portability          250(1)
        Reducing Disk Check Times                  250(2)
        Maximizing Disk Throughput                 252(1)
        Minimizing Space Consumption               252(1)
        Supporting the Maximum Number of Files     253(1)
        Securing a Filesystem with ACLs            253(1)
      Optimizing Filesystems                       254(8)
        Creating a Filesystem for Optimal          254(2)
        Performance
        Converting Ext2fs to Ext3fs                256(1)
        Defragmenting a Disk                       257(1)
        Resizing Filesystems                       257(5)
      Recovering from Filesystem Corruption        262(2)
        The Filesystem Check Process               262(1)
        Filesystem Check Options                   263(1)
      Recovering Deleted Files                     264(4)
        Trash Can Utilities                        265(1)
        File Recovery Tools                        266(1)
        Restoring Files from a Backup              266(2)
      Summary                                      268(1)
    Managing Printers                              269(16)
      Choosing the Best Linux Printing System      269(4)
        When to Pick BSD LPD                       270(1)
        When to Pick LPRng                         271(1)
        When to Pick CUPS                          272(1)
      Improving Ghostscript Output                 273(5)
        Changing the Driver                        274(2)
        Finding the Best Driver                    276(1)
        Accessing Printer Options via Multiple     277(1)
        Print Queues
      Sharing Printers on a Network                278(6)
        Authorizing Remote Access to Printers      278(4)
        Simplifying Network Printing with CUPS     282(1)
        Accessing Non-Linux Printers               283(1)
      Summary                                      284(1)
    Programs and Processes                         285(16)
      Understanding Relationships: The Linux       285(2)
      Process Tree
        The Parent/Child Relationship              285(1)
        Dealing with Orphans and Zombies           286(1)
      All You Ever Wanted to Know about Your       287(7)
      Processes
        Important ps Options                       287(4)
        Using top                                  291(2)
        Obtaining Miscellaneous Information        293(1)
        GUI Process Management Tools               293(1)
      Improving Performance by Modifying           294(3)
      Process Priorities
        Starting Processes with nice               295(1)
        Using renice to Change Priorities          296(1)
      Killing Unwanted Processes                   297(3)
        Basic Use of kill                          297(2)
        Additional Process Termination Tools       299(1)
      Summary                                      300(1)
    Creating a Custom Kernel                       301(20)
      Obtaining a Kernel                           301(3)
      Kernel Configuration Tools                   304(3)
        The 2.4.x Kernel Configuration Tools       304(2)
        The 2.5.x/2.6.x Kernel Configuration       306(1)
        Tools
        Duplicating an Old Configuration           307(1)
      An Overview of Kernel Options                307(5)
      Optimizing Kernel Performance                312(4)
        Selecting a CPU and Related Options        312(2)
        Removing Unnecessary Drivers               314(1)
        Tuning Device Driver Options               315(1)
      Compiling and Installing a Kernel            316(4)
        Building a Kernel                          316(2)
        Building Kernel Modules                    318(1)
        Installing a Kernel                        318(1)
        Using a New Kernel                         319(1)
      Summary                                      320(1)
    Optimizing X Configuration                     321(24)
      The Structure of XF86Config                  322(3)
        Global Sections                            322(1)
        The Server Layout and Screen               323(1)
        Component Sections                         324(1)
      Improving the Appearance of Fonts            325(11)
        The Importance of Font Implementations     325(2)
        Obtaining Third-Party Fonts                327(1)
        Traditional X Font Configuration           328(2)
        Serving Fonts to Many Computers            330(1)
        Using Font Smoothing                       331(5)
      Using Card-Specific Optimizations            336(3)
        Using an X Configuration Tool              336(1)
        Using the Correct Video Driver             337(1)
        Using 3D Acceleration                      338(1)
      Creating a Custom Video Mode                 339(5)
        Why Create a Custom Video Mode?            340(1)
        Creating a Modeline                        341(2)
        Using a Custom Modeline                    343(1)
        Tweaking a Modeline                        344(1)
      Summary                                      344(1)
    Protecting Your System with Backups            345(16)
      Picking the Right Backup Medium              345(4)
        Pros and Cons of Tape                      346(1)
        Pros and Cons of Removable Disks           347(1)
        Pros and Cons of Optical Media             348(1)
      A Rundown of Backup Programs                 349(1)
      Using tar's Features                         350(2)
      Incremental Backups: Minimizing Backup       352(3)
      Resources
        Types of Incremental Backup                352(1)
        Creating a Backup Schedule                 353(1)
        Creating Incremental Backups with tar      354(1)
      Emergency Restore Procedures                 355(5)
        Types of Emergency Recovery System         356(3)
        Testing Emergency Recovery Systems         359(1)
      Summary                                      360(1)
    System Security                                361(20)
      Methods of Attack                            361(7)
        Social Engineering                         362(1)
        Exploiting Buggy Software                  363(1)
        Leveraging Break-Ins of Other Systems      364(1)
        Password Cracking                          364(1)
        Scanners and Sniffers                      365(1)
        Denial-of-Service                          366(1)
        Physical Access                            367(1)
      Choosing Good Passwords                      368(5)
        Selecting a Solid Base                     369(1)
        Modifying the Base                         370(1)
        Protecting Passwords from Abuse            371(2)
      Removing Unnecessary Servers                 373(5)
        Locating Unnecessary Servers               373(3)
        Hiding Servers from View                   376(1)
        Shutting Down Servers                      377(1)
        Uninstalling Servers                       378(1)
      Keeping Software Up-to-Date                  378(2)
      Summary                                      380(1)
  Part IV Networking Tools                         381(64)
    Basic Network Configuration                    383(24)
      Getting the Most from a Network Card         383(3)
        Picking an Appropriate Network Card        384(1)
        Telling Linux to Recognize Your Card       385(1)
        Checking Network Card Speed                385(1)
      TCP/IP Basics                                386(2)
      DHCP: Promises and Perils                    388(3)
        How DHCP Should Work                       388(1)
        How DHCP Really Works                      389(1)
        Tweaking DHCP Clients                      390(1)
        Changing DHCP Clients                      391(1)
      Using a Static IP Address                    391(4)
        Files for Setting Network Options          392(1)
        Configuring Multiple NICs                  393(2)
      Testing Network Performance                  395(7)
        Testing Throughput                         396(2)
        Checking Latencies                         398(1)
        Locating Flaky Routers                     399(2)
        Diagnosing DNS Problems                    401(1)
      Optimizing Network Performance               402(4)
        Setting the MTU Size                       403(1)
        Setting the Send and Receive Window        403(2)
        Sizes
        Running Servers Locally                    405(1)
      Summary                                      406(1)
    Controlling Network Access                     407(22)
      Methods of Keeping Out the Bad Guys          407(3)
        Running Only Necessary Servers             407(1)
        Keeping Servers Up-to-Date                 408(1)
        Using Passwords on Servers                 408(1)
        Limiting Outside Access to the Server      409(1)
        Limiting Server Access to the System       410(1)
      Blocking IP Addresses with a Firewall        410(9)
        Linux Firewall Tools                       411(1)
        Basics of iptables                         412(1)
        Restricting Access with iptables           413(6)
      Blocking IP Addresses with TCP Wrappers      419(3)
        Basics of TCP Wrappers                     419(1)
        Restricting Access with TCP Wrappers       420(2)
      Enhanced xinetd Access Restrictions          422(2)
        xinetd in a Nutshell                       422(1)
        Restricting Access with xinetd             423(1)
      Containing Access in a Jail                  424(4)
        What Is a chroot Jail?                     424(1)
        Setting Up a Jail Directory                425(2)
        Running Programs in the Jail               427(1)
      Summary                                      428(1)
    Detecting Intruders                            429(16)
      Noticing Suspicious Events                   429(3)
        Odd System Behavior                        429(2)
        Unusual Files or File Contents             431(1)
        User Complaints                            432(1)
      Monitoring for Intrusion with Tripwire       432(9)
        Tripwire: Detecting Modified Files         432(1)
        Configuring Tripwire                       433(4)
        Verifying System Integrity with Tripwire   437(2)
        Modifying the Tripwire Configuration       439(2)
      Looking for Root Kits with chkrootkit        441(1)
      What to Do in the Event of a Breach          441(2)
      Summary                                      443(2)
  Part V Server Tools                              445(150)
    Running Servers                                447(18)
      Demystifying SysV Startup Scripts            447(8)
        SysV Startup Script Locations and Names    447(2)
        Starting and Stopping Servers              449(2)
        Using Distribution-Specific Tools          451(4)
      Running Small Servers Optimally with         455(6)
      Super Servers
        Why Use a Super Server?                    456(1)
        Using inetd                                457(2)
        Using xinetd                               459(2)
      When All Else Fails: Local Startup Scripts   461(1)
      Deciding Which Method to Use                 462(1)
      Summary                                      463(2)
    Getting More from a Web Server                 465(22)
      Web Server Choices for Performance and       465(2)
      Security
      Apache Configuration File Basics             467(1)
      Common Apache Configuration Tweaks           468(5)
        Setting the Apache User and Group          468(1)
        Changing Web Page Locations                469(2)
        Serving Virtual Domains                    471(2)
      Serving Dynamic Content with CGI Scripts     473(4)
        Types of Dynamic Content                   474(1)
        Telling Apache to Serve CGI Scripts        474(2)
        Creating CGI Scripts                       476(1)
        CGI Scripting Perils                       476(1)
      Serving Secure Content                       477(4)
        Why Serve Secure Content?                  477(2)
        Installing Secure Apache                   479(1)
        Obtaining or Creating a Certificate        479(1)
        Changing the Apache Configuration          480(1)
      Designing Web Pages                          481(4)
        Using an HTML Editor                       481(2)
        Creating HTML by Hand                      483(1)
        Testing Web Pages                          484(1)
      Summary                                      485(2)
    Serving Files                                  487(22)
      FTP: Delivering Files to Any Client OS       488(4)
        Choosing the Right FTP Server              488(1)
        ProFTPd Configuration                      489(2)
        vsftpd Configuration                       491(1)
      NFS: Sharing with Linux or Unix              492(5)
        NFS Kernel and Package Options             493(1)
        Setting Up Exports                         494(2)
        Mounting NFS Exports                       496(1)
      Samba: Sharing with Windows                  497(9)
        Installing Samba Packages                  498(2)
        Setting Global Samba Options               500(3)
        Creating File Shares                       503(2)
        Creating Printer Shares                    505(1)
      File Serving Security Concerns               506(1)
      Summary                                      507(2)
    Delivering E-Mail                              509(36)
      Understanding Mail Protocols                 510(1)
      Configuring a Domain to Accept Mail          510(1)
      Picking the Right Mail Server                511(2)
      Running Sendmail                             513(5)
        Sendmail Configuration Files               513(1)
        Configuring the Hostname                   514(1)
        Accepting Incoming Mail                    515(1)
        Sendmail Relay Configuration Options       516(2)
      Running Postfix                              518(4)
        Configuring the Hostname                   518(2)
        Accepting Incoming Mail                    520(1)
        Postfix Relay Configuration Options        520(2)
      Running Exim                                 522(2)
        Configuring the Hostname                   522(1)
        Accepting Incoming Mail                    522(1)
        Exim Relay Configuration Options           523(1)
      Delivering Mail to Clients with POP or       524(5)
      IMAP
        Choosing the Right POP or IMAP Server      524(3)
        Installing UW IMAP                         527(2)
      Stopping the Junk Mail                       529(8)
        Stopping Incoming Spam                     529(6)
        Stopping Outgoing Spam                     535(2)
      Using Fetchmail                              537(6)
        Setting Global Fetchmail Options           538(1)
        Configuring an Account                     539(1)
        Creating a Complete Configuration File     540(2)
        Running Fetchmail Automatically            542(1)
      Summary                                      543(2)
    Providing Remote Login Access                  545(26)
      Providing Text-Mode Remote Access            545(7)
        Using SSH                                  546(5)
        Using Telnet                               551(1)
      Providing GUI Remote Access                  552(17)
        Basic X Remote Logins                      553(2)
        Using X via an XDMCP Server                555(6)
        Basic VNC Logins                           561(4)
        Linking VNC to XDMCP                       565(2)
        Tunneling GUI Logins through SSH           567(2)
      Preventing Remote-Access Security Problems   569(1)
      Summary                                      570(1)
    Miscellaneous Servers                          571(24)
      Configuring a Network's IP Addresses with    571(9)
      DHCP
        When to Use DHCP                           572(1)
        Basic DHCP Installation                    573(1)
        Setting Network-Wide Options               574(2)
        Configuring Delivery of Dynamic            576(1)
        Addresses
        Configuring Delivery of Fixed Addresses    577(3)
      Providing Hostnames with a DNS Server        580(8)
        Basic BIND Installation                    580(1)
        Configuring a Forwarding-Only Server       581(1)
        Adding a Local Domain                      582(6)
      Keeping Clocks Synchronized with a Time      588(6)
      Server
        Installing a Time Server                   589(1)
        Pointing to an External Time Source        589(4)
        Setting Up NTP Clients                     593(1)
      Summary                                      594(1)
Glossary                                           595(18)
Index                                              613