Squid is the most popular Web caching software in use today, and it works on a variety of platforms including Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows. Squid improves network performance by reducing the amount of bandwidth used when surfing the Web. It makes web pages load faster and can even reduce the load on your web server. By caching and reusing popular web content, Squid allows you to get by with smaller network connections. It also protects the host on your internal network by acting as a firewall and proxying your internal web traffic. You can use Squid to collect statistics about the traffic on your network, prevent users from visiting inappropriate web sites at work or school, ensure that only authorized users can surf the Internet, and enhance your privacy by filtering sensitive information from web requests. Companies, schools, libraries, and organizations that use web-caching proxies can look forward to a multitude of benefits. (more…)

This book puts you in charge of the most flexible and adaptable graphical interface in the computer industry. The X Window System underlies graphical desktops on Linux and Unix systems, and supports advanced features of modern graphics cards. This unique inside look at X gives you a lot of useful ways to harness the power of this system effectively.

This book puts you in charge of the most flexible and adaptable graphical interface in the computer industry. The X Window System underlies graphical desktops on Linux and Unix systems, and supports advanced features of modern graphics cards. More people use the X Window System than ever before, but there are few books about X in print. X Power Tools fills that hole with the most practical and up-to-date information available.

(more…)

For many users, working in the Unix environment means using vi, a full-screen text editor available on most Unix systems. Even those who know vi often make use of only a small number of its features. Learning the vi Editor is a complete guide to text editing with vi. Topics new to the sixth edition include multiscreen editing and coverage of four viclones: vim, elvis, nvi, and vile and their enhancements to vi, such as multi-window editing, GUI interfaces, extended regular expressions, and enhancements for programmers. A new appendix describes vi's place in the Unix and Internet cultures. Quickly learn the basics of editing, cursor movement, and global search and replacement. Then take advantage of the more subtle power of vi. Extend your editing skills by learning to use ex, a powerful line editor, from within vi. For easy reference, the sixth edition also includes a command summary at the end of each appropriate chapter. (more…)

The key to mastering any Unix system, especially Linux and Mac OS X, is a thorough knowledge of shell scripting. Scripting is a way to harness and customize the power of any Unix system, and it's an essential skill for any Unix users, including system administrators and professional OS X developers. But beneath this simple promise, lies a treacherous ocean of variations in Unix commands and standards. "bash Cookbook" teaches shell scripting the way Unix masters practice the craft. It presents a variety of recipes and tricks for all levels of shell programmers so that anyone can become a proficient user of the most common Unix shell - the bash shell - and cygwin or other popular Unix emulation packages. Packed full of useful scripts, along with examples that explain how to create better scripts, this new cookbook gives professionals and power users everything they need to automate routine tasks and enable them to truly manage their systems - rather than have their systems manage them.

(more…)

Recognized Linux expert John Terpstra and security evangelist and 25-year IT industry veteran, Roberta Bragg cut through the noise to show you how to bullet proof your system before you are hacked! No more "hack and patch!" Harden your Linux system before it is hacked. "Do this now, here's why, here's how and don't stop there!" Administrators and IT Pros have to do more with less. They don't want multiple choice/consequences. They want to know what to do now to protect their systems against malicious attacks. "Hacking Exposed Linux" shows how to test, hack, and find the security holes and fix them. "Hardening Linux" shows you how to secure your Linux system to work securely in the first place.

(more…)

Designed as an introduction to UNIX system crash dump analysis, this is the first book to discuss in detail UNIX system panics, crashes and hangs, their causes, what to do when they occur, how to collect information about them, how to analyze that information, and how to get the problem resolved. KEY TOPICS: Part One covers theory and tools. Part Two looks inside UNIX, from the header files to hardware tape drives. Part Three provides actual case studies of software, hardware, data, and system fault problems. For systems and network administrators and technical support engineers responsible for maintaining UNIX computer systems and networks. (more…)

GNU/Linux is an immensely popular operating system that is both extremely stable and reliable. But it can also induce minor headaches at the most inopportune times, if you're not fully up to speed with its capabilities.

A unique approach to running and administering Linux systems, Linux Annoyances for Geeks addresses the many poorly documented and under appreciated topics that make the difference between a system you struggle with and a system you really enjoy. This book is for power users and system administrators who want to clear away barriers to using Linux for themselves and for less trained users in their organizations.

This book meticulously tells you how to get a stubborn wireless card to work under Linux, and reveals little-known sources for wireless drivers and information. It tells you how to add extra security to your systems, such as boot passwords, and how to use tools such as rescue disks to overcome overly zealous security measures in a pinch. In every area of desktop and server use, the book is chock full of advice based on hard-earned experience.

(more…)

LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell, Second Edition is an invaluable resource for determining what you need to practice to pass the Linux Professional Institute exams. This book will help you determine when you're ready to take the exams, which are technically challenging and designed to reflect the skills that administrators need in real working environments.

As more corporations adopt Linux as the networking backbone for their IT systems, the demand for certified technicians will become even greater. Passing the LPI exams will broaden your career options because the LPIC is the most widely known and respected Linux certification program in the world. Linux Journal recognized the LPI as the best Training and Certification Program. The exams were developed by the Linux Professional Institute, an international, volunteer-driven organization with affiliates in a dozen countries.

(more…)

This book is the book you need to run your business with Red Hat. It provides comprehensive coverage on how to manage and network the Red Hat Linux OS and step-by-step instructions needed to maintain and/or add to the Red Hat Linux system.

This book features an entire part on security and problem solving that covers detecting intrusions/hacking, implementing local security, firewalls, and Internet security. Other topics include: RAID; TCP/IP networking; connecting to Microsoft networks; connecting to Apple networks; the Red Hat network; upgrading and customizing the kernel; using scripts; backing up and restoring the file system.

(more…)

This book is the result of an iterative process of consulting with experts in the field of computer and network security. The list of contributors includes staff at well-known organizations like the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the U.S. Census Bureau, so it is more than just the two main authors' expertise—it is a collaborative effort of 48 experts.

It is not simply a theoretical book on computer security. First, it details only one Linux distribution, Red Hat 6.0. Users of other distributions will be able to use the book as well, but they will need to fudge things according to the differences between their distribution and Red Hat 6.0. Users of Mandrake 6.x should have no problem; users of Slackware will have to adjust a lot of the information on system startup. Debian users will probably find themselves scrambling to map all the RPM package names to Debian package equivalents.

(more…)