Getting Started with Linux Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux

							 Getting Started with Linux:
Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s
   Linux+ (Course 3060)
 The Historical Development of UNIX
• At the end of the 1960s, most operating systems
  were only designed for batch operations
   – Programs in punch cards or perforated strips
   – Debugging was inefficient
• First version of UNIX was written in Assembler
• UNIX was rewritten in 1971 in C
• Functionalities were very quickly added to UNIX
  and it reached a very high level of maturity




                                                    2
 The Historical Development of UNIX
             (continued)
• A series of commercial UNIX derivatives were
  developed
• BSD UNIX (Berkeley Software Distribution, 1978)
• In 1983, AT&T began marketing UNIX SystemV
  – They proclaimed SystemV as “the” UNIX standard
  – Licensing changed considerably
• Quarrels between UNIX vendors prevented a
  standardization of the UNIX family




                                                     3
        The Development of Linux
• Linux tries to combine the best of both worlds
• 1991: Linus Torvalds, a Finnish student, developed
  a rudimentary kernel that he passed on as a source
  text to others who were interested via the Internet
• Source code was made available with the GPL
  (General Public License) the freedom to change
  and share all versions of a program
• Linux rapidly developed into a project involving
  many people



                                                    4
The Development of Linux (continued)
• The development of the system’s core (Linux
  kernel) is still coordinated by Linus Torvalds
   – The functions of the kernel include I/O control,
     device control, process management, and file
     management



   • Other system components are maintained by other
     people or groups



                                                        5
The Development of Linux (continued)
• There are two current versions of development:
   – A stable version, identified by an even number after
     the first dot example 2.6.5
   – Developer versions, identified by an odd number
     after the first dot example 2.5.1
• Linux distributions are based on the even-
  numbered versions
   – They often provide current development kernels,
     which, under certain circumstances, are needed for
     the integration of new hardware components



                                                            6
The Development of Linux (continued)

• Because Linux is written in C, it is available for
  many different hardware platforms




                                                       7
Differences Between SUSE Linux and
    SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
• SLES is based on SUSE Linux Professional
   – The Professional distribution is intensely tested and
     security and stability is improved
• SLES contains some features that will be made
  available in future versions of SUSE Professional
• SLES 9 has fewer packages than the Professional
  distribution
• SLES has a guaranteed life cycle of 5 years
   – Only the SLES product is certified by independent
     hardware and software vendors

                                                             8
  Identify the Components of SLES 9
• SLES 9 has several new and improved features
  – Updated Core System with Latest Versions/Features
    of All Packages
  – New and Improved YaST Modules
  – Next Generation Linux Kernel 2.6.5
  – Improved High Availability Support




                                                    9
  Updated Core System with Latest
  Versions/Features of All Packages
• Updated core system features and versions:
  –   SUSE Linux kernel (version 2.6.5)
  –   Main C library (glibc 2.3.3)
  –   GNU compiler collection (GCC 3.3.3)
  –   XFree X11 graphical user interface (XFree 4.3.99)
  –   KDE Desktop Environment (3.2.1)
  –   GNOME Desktop Environment (2.4.2)
  –   File, print, and other services for Windows (Samba
      3.0.4)
  – Apache Web server version 2.x (Apache 2.0.49)
  – Domain name server (BIND 9.2.3)
                                                           10
   New and Improved YaST Modules

• YaST is the installation and administration tool for
  SLES 9
• Includes the following improvements:
   – New YaST license (GPL)
   – New and improved installation methods (NFS,
     HTTP, FTP, VNC, SSH, and SLP)
   – New and improved configuration modules (such as
     DNS)




                                                         11
  Next Generation Linux Kernel 2.6.5
            (continued)
• Improvements (continued):
  –   Support for more than 64 CPUs
  –   Support for thousands of devices and disks
  –   Improved block I/O layer
  –   Improved network stack: IPv6, IPSEC, Mobile IPv6
  –   Hotplug support (SCSI, USB, Firewire, PCI, and CPU)
  –   Persistent device names and unified device handling
  –   Class-based kernel resource management (CKRM)




                                                      12
                    Summary
• Linux is an advanced multiuser and multitasking
  operating system developed by Linus Torvalds
• The Linux source code is protected under GPL; it can
  be publicly developed and distributed
• One of the most prominent Linux distributions is
  SUSE Linux




                                                   13
14
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                                                     15
         Chapter 2 -- Introduction

• In Linux, the GUI is a normal application that you
  can choose whether or not to install
• You can configure most services in Linux by editing
  an ASCII text file, so you do not need a GUI if you
  want your computer to act only as a server
• Not installing a GUI has the following advantages:
   – Stability
   – Performance
   – Security


                                                   16
      Overview of the Linux Desktop

• The base of any GUI on Linux is the X Window
  System (simply called X or X11)
   – It allows you to control the input and output of several
     applications in different windows of a GUI
   – Created in 1984 at MIT
   – Initial goal: enable graphical applications across a
     network, independent of hardware
• Graphical applications run in their own windows
• Text-based applications are carried out in a terminal
  window
                                                           17
  Use the KDE Desktop Environment

• One of the most frequently used graphical desktop
  environments is KDE (installed by default)
• The following explains how to use KDE on SLES 9:
  –   How to Log In
  –   How to Log Out
  –   How to Shut Down and Reboot the Linux System
  –   How to Identify KDE Desktop Components
  –   How to Manage Icons in the KDE Environment
  –   How to Use the Konqueror File Manager


                                                     18
How to Log In




                19
How to Log In (continued)




                            20
How to Log In (continued)




                            21
                         How to Log Out

• At the bottom of the KDE menu, select Logout
• You can also right-click on the window background
  and select the same option from the popup menu
• A confirmation dialog box appears
• If you select Logout again, you are logged out and
  the login screen reappears, allowing you or another
  person to log in




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   22
            How to Log Out (continued)




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   23
  How to Shut Down and Reboot the
           Linux System
• If you are at the login screen, you can open the
  Menu menu and select from:
   – Session Type
   – Restart X Server
   – Shutdown Type (see Figure 2-6)
• Older computers have to be switched off manually
  when indicated to do so
   – If you switch the machine off too soon, this could
     possibly lead to loss of data
• Always shut down your computer before you turn it
  off
                                                          24
How to Shut Down and Reboot the
   Linux System (continued)




                          root password




                                    25
        How to Identify KDE Desktop
                Components
• After you log in, your system will by default start the
  KDE desktop environment; it is composed of:
   –   The Desktop
   –   The KDE Control Panel (Kicker)
   –   The KDE Menu
   –   Virtual Desktops
        • By default, two virtual desktops are configured




                                                            26
          How to Identify KDE Desktop
           Components (continued)
• The KDE menu consists of the following three
  sections:
    – Most Frequently Used Applications
    – All Applications
    – Actions
• A submenu in the KDE menu is marked by a small
  black arrow in the right-hand corner




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   27
          How to Identify KDE Desktop
           Components (continued)




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   28
              Use the GNOME Desktop
                    Environment
• Both GNOME and KDE are comfortable desktop
  environments
• Like KDE, GNOME supports drag and drop
• Numerous programs are specifically designed for
  GNOME
• To use the GNOME desktop environment, you
  need to know the following:
    –   How to Start GNOME
    –   How to Navigate in GNOME
    –   How to Manage Icons in GNOME
    –   How to Use the GNOME File Manager (Nautilus)
Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   29
                   How to Start GNOME

• At login screen, select Session Type > GNOME
  from the Menu drop-down list




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   30
      How to Start GNOME (continued)




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   31
           How to Navigate in GNOME
• Top panel
    –   Applications menu for launching applications
    –   Actions menu for basic actions (such as logging out)
    –   The Nautilus file manager (house icon)
    –   The terminal emulation window (monitor icon)
    –   A clock
    –   A speaker icon for volume
    –   A menu listing all open windows
• Bottom panel
    – An icon to close all open windows
    – A task manager
    – A pager for the four virtual desktops
Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   32
           How to Navigate in GNOME
                  (continued)
• Double-clicking an icon to start a program
• Set preferences for the desktop environment by
  selecting the Start Here icon
• To quit: Actions > Log Out in the GNOME panel




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   33
           How to Navigate in GNOME
                  (continued)




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   34
      How to Manage Icons in GNOME

• You can find icons in the following three areas on
  your desktop:
    – Desktop
    – Panel
    – Application Menu




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   35
     How to Manage Icons in GNOME:
                Desktop
• There are several ways to create a new icon on
  your desktop
• To create an icon for an application on your
  desktop, select the item in your Applications menu,
  drag it to a free space on your desktop, release the
  mouse button; then select Copy Here




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   36
     How to Manage Icons in GNOME:
                 Panel
• You can add new programs to the control panel by
  right-clicking a free area of the panel and then
  selecting Add to Panel
    – From the submenus displayed, select the application
      you want to add
• You can remove a program from the control panel
  by right-clicking its icon in the control panel and
  then selecting Remove from Panel
• You can move icons in the panel by holding down
  the right mouse button and selecting Move from
  the context menu
Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   37
     How to Manage Icons in GNOME:
            Application Menu
• To add an entry to a menu, do the following:
    1. Double-click the Start Here icon on the desktop; the
       Start Here location appears
    2. In the file manager window, double-click the icon
       that represents the menu (Applications or Menu
       SuSE) to which you want to add the launcher
    3. Select File > Create Launcher; a Create Launcher
       dialog box is displayed
    4. Enter the properties of the launcher in the Create
       Launcher dialog box; then select OK


Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   38
How to Use the GNOME File Manager
             (Nautilus)




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   39
How to Use the GNOME File Manager
        (Nautilus, continued)




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   40
   Exercise 2-2 Explore Your GNOME
                Desktop
• Whether you use KDE or GNOME is entirely a
  matter of personal preference
• The purpose of this exercise is to familiarize you
  with the GNOME desktop




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   41
  Access the Command-Line Interface
           from the Desktop
• Virtual terminals were created in Linux to allow a
  user to run tasks in parallel
• With virtual terminals, you can work in Linux as if
  you had several classic terminals available at the
  same time
• By default, you have six virtual terminals (F1–F6)
  running on your computer
    – Press Ctrl + Alt + Fx to switch between individual
      terminals
    – Press Ctrl + Alt + F7 to switch back to your GUI

Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   42
  Access the Command-Line Interface
     from the Desktop (continued)
• You can determine the terminal currently being
  used from the tty (teletype) number (tty1–tty6)
• When you switch to a virtual terminal, a login
  prompt appears:
    Welcome to SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 (i586)
      - Kernel 2.6.4-27-
    default (tty1).
    da10 login:
• To log out enter exit



Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   43
  Access the Command-Line Interface
     from the Desktop (continued)
• Besides using the virtual terminals, you can start a
  terminal emulation (called Konsole) from your KDE
  desktop Kicker by selecting the icon shown below




• The terminal opens inside a window with options
  you can select to modify the display of the terminal
Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   44
    Exercise 2-3 Access the Command
              Line Interface
• SLES 9 does not need a GUI for its administration
• Even with a graphical desktop environment
  running, you can switch to the text consoles any
  time if you like to
• This exercise shows you how




Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   45
                                Summary
• You can interact with a Linux system using a
  graphical user interface (GUI) or command-line
  interface
• The Linux GUI is provided by the X Window System,
  which consists of an X server, window manager, and
  client applications
• A desktop environment such as KDE or GNOME can
  be used to standardize the X Window System
• The KDE Control Panel at the bottom of the KDE
  desktop may be used to start applications, switch
  virtual desktops, or open the KDE menu
Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   46
                   Summary (continued)

• The top panel in the GNOME desktop may be used
  to start applications, whereas the bottom panel may
  be used to switch virtual desktops or control
  applications
• You can obtain a command-line interface in SLES by
  interacting with one of six virtual terminals
• To switch from a command-line interface to a GUI
  interface, you can use the Ctrl + Alt + F7 key
  combination


Getting Started with Linux: Novell’s Guide to CompTIA’s Linux+ (Course 3060)   47