Protect Open Source Software

This is GOOD news for the Open Source Software community!
Read about it here:
http://ldn.linuxfoundation.org/blog-entry/protecting-linux-microsoft-yes-microsoft-got-caught
and a short one here about Microsoft Open Source!!! Oxymoron!!!
http://ldn.linuxfoundation.org/article/microsoft-launches-open-source-foundation-1

Linux Cheat Sheet Websites

I subscribe to several technical sites and I found these to be interesting.....
from Tech Source From Bohol By Jun Auza:
http://www.junauza.com/2009/08/10-essential-unixlinux-command-cheat.html
And from Scott at the Ultimate Linux-UNIX collection:
http://www.scottklarr.com/topic/115/linux-unix-cheat-sheets---the-ultimate-collection/
Also, from a blog called "a non-geek's Linux notes:
http://alinuxblog.wordpress.com/2008/08/23/10-must-have-linux-not-only-cheat-sheet/
Enjoy!

CIT 174 Week 14 Blog 13

Part 1

Identify the function of the Linux kernel and its associated features.

The Linux kernel is the core of the operating system. It allocates computer resources such as memory, and CPU time as well as controlling hardware running on the machine. The Linux kernel is dynamic; allowing the addition and removal of software modules while the kernel is running. The subsystems of the kernel include: system call interface, process management, virtual file systems, memory management, network stack, arch, and device drivers. According to the textbook author, Wells, there are thousands of Linux kernel options [p614].

Identify the appropriate steps and commands used to compile and install a new Linux kernel.

You have to execute a series of make commands that prepare the code files. According to Wells the typical command string is: #make dep; make bzImage; make modules; make modules_inatall. Substituting make bzdisk for bzImage allows you make a boot disk that contains the new Linux kernel. The bzImage makes a compressed kernel image that you can use to replace the original kernel file. The following commands will set up the new kernel: #cd /boot; #cp (the new image of your kernel); #ln –s vmlinuz vmlinuz-new.

What are the main tasks involved in managing kernel modules in Linux.

You can look at what the kernel is doing with the command: cat /proc/ (and the type of information you want to view). You can look at memory, battery info, DMA channels, ports, file systems, or disk partitions, only to name a few modules. The command lsmod, lists the modules, modinfo gives you detailed information about a module, modprobe allows you to add a module, and rmmod removes a module form the kernel.

Part 2

For pandora what do you suggest for the following? What would you backup?

I would backup the student files that are being changed.

How often would you backup?

I would back up just the student files and the history files every hour while school was in session. This backup would be automated with a cronjob. I would do a level "zero" back up three times a year at the beginning of every semester, January, May and September. I would do a level "one" back up once a month.

What tools would you use to backup? If it something other than out of the box Linux please describe in detail the product you are going to use.

I would use the rsync tool. It only copies what has been changed since the last time it preformed a sync. I think it is better not to compress the backups, so that if something goes wrong, it will be easier to restore the corrupted or missing file.

Where would you backup the data?

My personal preference would be a RAID 5 backup. However, due to budget cuts, I may only have enough money for a RAID 3. I could utilize an older box and put several hard drives in it for my yearly and monthly back ups of pandora. I think I would do the hourly backups on hard drive in pandora and write over them as long as there were no system errors in the last week. The backups could also be burned to dvd's and stored for a period of time to be sure no student work was lost.

Resources:

Anatomy of the Linux kernel by IBM – the history and architectural decomposition.

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-linux-kernel/

Wells, Nicholas, The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration (class text), 2005, Canada, Thomson.

Very cool diagram of the Linux kernel here:

http://fcgp.sourceforge.net/lgp/index.html

Additional Linux kernel "how to" information websites:

http://www.digitalhermit.com/linux/Kernel-Build-HOWTO.html#SECTION-INTRO

http://www.faqs.org/docs/Linux-HOWTO/Kernel-HOWTO.html#AEN307

http://kernelnewbies.org/KernelBuild

Party like it's 1234567890 !!

At 3:31 PST on Friday, February 13, 2009.............
Unix computer clocks will reach a time of 1234567890
Although no one else seemed to care!!
I thought it was a GREAT excuse to party!!

It's won't be the "epochalypse" of 2038, but it offers a moment notable enough for some Unix fans to raise a toast.
That's when Unix computer clocks will reach the time of 1234567890--1.2 billion seconds elapsed from January 1, 1970, the official beginning of the Unix epoch. The clock is used not just by Unix, but also by Linux, Java, JavaScript, Mac OS X, and various other technologies.

Various Web sites exist to help mark the occasion.
Cool Epoch Countdown, which actually counts up, is the first I saw.
1234567890 Day helpfully includes links to a few parties to honor the occasion.

There's nothing wrong with a good excuse for a party!
Just so long as those Unix sysadmins get back to work and patch things up so the computer world doesn't grind to a halt in 2038, when today's clocks would run out of positive 32-bit integers.

FROM:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-10163129-235.html

CIT 174 – Blog 12 – Week13

Networking and Printing with Linux,
Case Project --

Three offices, of varying staff size centrally located, are planning to upgrade their information technology infrastructure.
1. a) Would you consider relying on an /etc/host file instead of a DNS server for the firm?
Probably not, I think the firm is too large and it needs a DNS server to resolve addresses that are not internal.
b) Would you consider relying on an /etc/host file for just one office?
I think a good course of action would be to have all the local hosts in the host file and have the nonlocal requests resolved by a DNS server. A law firm that size with government clients do not need to save money using a host file. They can afford their own DNS server, or they can link to the DNS server at their ISP.
c) What are the costs of relying on an /etc/host file?
The main downfall of using the host file is that it has to be updated manually. A DNS server updates addresses dynamically, without the input of a person. According to the text book, dynamic routing is better and faster. Routers can exchange information and reroute traffic without much delay.
d) What are the benefits relying on an /etc/host file?
The host file can be faster for resolving local addresses. If you were to lose your Internet connection, the host file would allow you to work offline to connect to your own internetwork. Each workstation could be configured to resolve addresses in a certain way. If the researcher in the home office used nonlocal addresses more, that machine could be configured to check a DNS server first. However, if the accounting office accessed local addresses frequently, that machine could be configured to read the host file first, then a DNS server.
2. a) Would you consider using DHCP instead of assigning static IP addresses?
The only hosts that require static IP addresses are web, email, file, and ftp servers. If the company had any servers that needed to be accessed by most of the employees or people outside the business, those servers would also need static IP’s. Assigning IP addresses with a DHCP server is easier than manually configuring all the hosts in the company. It is easier to move computers, change users, and manage permissions when IP addresses are assigned dynamically.
b) Would you do this throughout the firm?
Yes, only the servers would have static IP’s.
c) If you used DHCP, would you have a server in every office?
No, I believe one server in the main office would be sufficient, it can run DNS and DHCP.
d) What are the trade-offs you must consider in deciding this?
I would have to consider how many computers there are to manage, how many employees there are who need network access, and the amount to traffic to the servers.
3. a) Find a color printer that has good Linux support. What features make you select one over another?
There are hundreds of Linux compatible printers on the market. The companies with the most printers are HP, Epson, Gestetner, Ricoh, Brother, Canon, Lexmark, Kyocera, Lanier, Infotech, and NRG just to name the top companies. Since I am doing a business case for a lawyer’s office, I till choose a high speed black and white by HP. Maybe the LaserJet P3005dn because it prints 35 pages a minute, has expandable ram, two-sided printing, and is network ready. HP seems to be the company who is taking Linux seriously and professes to be a business partner ready to support Linux all the way.
b) What level of Linux support can you find for high-end color printers? Hewlett Packard has been onboard with Linux drivers for several years that I know of. From the information I have gathered, it looks as if HP is still the industry leader in writing Linux drivers, and offering Linux printer support, black and white as well as color.


References:

DNS Software
http://www.dns.net/dnsrd/servers/

Hewlett Packard Open Source
http://h71028.www7.hp.com/enterprise/cache/309906-0-0-0-121.html

Hewlett Packard HPLIP Software (1686 HP printers supported on Linux!!)
http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/index.html

HP Linux Support Contact page
http://hp-linux.cern.ch/support/feedb.php3

Interactive List of Printers from Open Printing Foundation
http://www.openprinting.org/printer_list.cgi
http://www.openprinting.org/printer_list.cgi?make=Anyone

Linux Drivers.org – Extensive List of Drivers
http://www.linux-drivers.org/

Open Printing Foundation
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/OpenPrinting

SUSE on Linux Printer Support
http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Information_for_Printer_Manufacturers_Regarding_Linux_Support

CIT 174 – Week 12 -- Blog 11

CONSIDERING SECURITY

How is a network manager supposed to instruct and influence the users on their network about security risks, especially if they are young, college graduates, with little experience? This is a difficult position to be in, but since the company hired you, someone has confidence that you will do the job well. It helps if you are certified and have a degree. As you settle in to your new job, you need to document, document, document, everything. Find out what the current policies are, find out how to implement new policies, and back up your documentation with several valid sources. If you present a strong case with good arguments the management is more likely to take you seriously and support your new security policy ideas.

There are a plethora of security holes in any network, in almost any setting. If only network managers did not have to deal with users, the risks would be minor. Unfortunately, networks are set up for users to “use” and the more users, the more security risks there are. Risks come from many different areas, the Internet, instant messaging and email applications, wireless networks, and removable media.

There are resources, both online and in books, that will help a network administrator conduct a risk analysis; Cisco is one of these resources. Once the risks have been identified, the more obvious ones should be shared with the entire company, not just kept within the IT department. I believe a network manager should explain in relatively simple terms why people needed to protect the network, the users would be more willing to co-operate with security measures. Videos and animated presentations can help educate users, while quizzes and surveys can provide feedback to the IT department about knowledge and compliance. This information can be used to judge the success of the security training program.

Create usage policy statements so the users are aware of the IT department’s mission to keep the network secure and how they are going to implement those security measures. According to Cisco’s Best Practices White Paper On Network Security Policy, “[They] recommend a statement that outlines users' roles and responsibilities with regard to security”. I agree with Cisco that the users need to understand network, computer, and personal security risks. The actions of the user that could result in punitive or disciplinary action should be included in the employment package. These expectations should be reviewed yearly. If possible, the executives and leadership of the company should also be educated about the necessity of security to protect their information, computers, and employees. A network manager cannot expect security policies to be enforced unless the management is aware of the risks and benefits.

Using passwords is the most common way to manage user accounts, limit accessibility, and track user activity. Until we use biometric logons passwords is all network administrators have to work with. Depending on the sensitivity of the data or the service the user is accessing, the more important it is to have a secure password. The passwords need to be designed with “ease of remembrance” in mind. A password written on a post-it-note, on the monitor has defeated the purpose of a password. The best passwords are not “words” from the dictionary, but acronyms, such as “to be or not to be” can be “2BRnot2B”. Try using random words in a non-sense sentence. “I ate kiwis in 1987” can be “i8ki19wis87”. Passwords can be administrated in several different ways. If the operating system is UNIX/Linux, this can be done with PAM. This is a special file that has parameters for security settings. These include password strength, a password expiration date, and the ability to keep users from changing their password to something too simple to protect the network.

Always run your workstations with non-administrative users. This technique provides a sort of insurance by limiting any damage that could result from a security breach. If a person or program is attempting to gain access to a machine would have access to many of the files, but would probably not be able to install malware on the computer, nor would not be able to compromise the operating system or the network.

A wireless environment should be properly secured, at home, at work, and on the road. Change any wireless router's default password and to use WPA encryption. Do not allow routers to be administered over the Internet and consider creating a closed network and limiting access by mac address. Keep logs to see who is trying to access the fire wall and watch out for rogue access points. NetStumbler can detect wireless access points and it supports the use of a GPS card, which allows it to create a map showing the locations of wireless access points. Wireless access to a network creates a huge security risk. If employees really want a wireless network, it is better to set one up for them with some security in place instead of allowing people to randomly connect to the network.

A SHORT LIST OF SECURITY SUGGESTIONS:
Keep all of your software updated
Run anti-virus and anti-malware software
Use permissions, preferences, and group policies to limit user’s ability to install software
Implement a good backup policy; consider storing periodic backup off site
Avoid unsafe behavior, such as, opening email attachments or file sharing.
Block unsigned ActiveX scripts
Do not allow remote access except by the IT department
Establish logs for user logons and logoffs, consider a centralized logging server for easy access to logs
Research the latest security risks, Phishing was an unheard of threat a few years ago, there seem to always be new threats
Use firewalls
Have a disaster recovery plan documented
 
Reference sites:

Apple Product Security
http://www.apple.com/support/security/

CERT® Coordination Center - The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)
Before You Connect a New Computer to the Internet
http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/before_you_plug_in.html

Cisco Systems, Inc.
Copyright © 2006−2007
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/126/secpol.pdf

Mandriva Security Advisories
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories

Microsoft TechNet Microsoft Windows XP Baseline Security Checklist
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/security/chklist/xpcl.mspx

RedHat Security and Errata
http://www.redhat.com/apps/support/errata/

Slackware Security Advisories
http://www.slackware.com/security/

SUSE Security (US/Canada)
http://www.novell.com/linux/security/securitysupport.html

Tech Republic
Stop rogue access points from showing up on your network
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5053779.html

Ubuntu Security notices
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/

University of Indiana Information Technology Services, Knowledge Base, Computer Security
Copyright 2005-2007, The Trustees of Indiana University
http://kb.iu.edu/data/hack.html

Happy Easter

CIT 174
Week 11 -- Chapter 10

Sorry for the missed post!
It was family week for me.

87.8 %

http://www.top500.org/stats/list/32/osfam/

According to top500.org the Linux kernel is being run on 439 of the top 500 supercomputers, that's a whopping 87.80 %

GO TUX !!!!!

CIT 174 --Week 10 -- Blog 9

Chapter 9 Review

1. Which of the following occurs first when a computer is booted? (d) The CPU starts executing commands found in the BIOS.
   
2. On newer computers, the BIOS can typically boot from which of the following devices? (a) Hard disks, CD-ROM drives, removable disks, a network connection, or USB device.
   
3. When using LILO rather than GRUB, you must do which of the following after making a configuration change in order for the change to be effective the next time you boot Linux? (b) Run the lilo command as root.
   
4. Assuming a standard configuration, the BIOS looks first in which of the following locations on a hard disk when trying to find a boot loader or operating system? (a) The MBR (the first sector of the first IDE disk).
   
5. In order to use chained boot loaders, you must be certain that: (c) The first boot loader can by found by the BIOS, and each operating system can be reached via one of the chained boot loaders.
   
6. The Linux kernel is a file having a name that starts with (a) wmlinuz and typically stored in the /boot subdirectory.
   
7. Which feature is part of GRUB but not LILO? (a) Including non-Linux operating systems in the list of bootable systems.
   
8. Describer the output of the uname command. This command displays information about the kernel, so that you know exactly which version you are using.
   
9. The GRUB boot manager can be reconfigured directly as you boot your system, but is also controlled by this configuration file. (d) /boot/grub/grub.conf.
   
10. Which of the following statements about boot parameters is accurate? (a) They are passed to the Linux kernel by the boot loader.
    
11. The scripts in /etc/rc.d/init.d are provided by: (c) the software package that installs the service that the script controls.
    
12. Explain the difference between the configuration data stored in files within the /etc/sysconfig directory and the service-specific configuration data stored in other subdirectories. The data in the /etc/sysconfig is used to start and configure a service to run on the computer. The data in the subdirectory is used by the service itself to determine its parameters.
    
13. The (c) dmesg utility displays kernel hardware configuration messages from the system book process.
    
14. The init program relies on the following configuration file (b) /etc/inittab.
    
15. Name the two run levels normally used to run a Linux-based computer, and describe the difference between those two run levels. The single-user mode is for system maintenance but does not provide networking capabilities. The regular multi-user networking mode is the standard text mode with no graphical interface typically used on network servers.
    
16. The files in /etc/rc.d/init.d can be used to (b) stop and restart most standard services in Linux.
    
17. Name three commands that can be used to begin a graceful shutdown of Linux. Reboot, shutdown, and halt.
    
18. A boot loader can be configured to boot multiple Linux kernels that use the same partition as their root file system. True.
    
19. The timeout= parameter in a GRUB configuration and the delay= parameter in a LILO configuration both refer to (d) how long the boot loader waits for user input before booting the default operating system.
    
20. The service command is used to (a) view or change the current status of a service via a script located in /etc/rc.d/init.d.
    
21. The chkconfig command is used to (b) change the boot-up status of a service that is controlled via a script located in /etc/rc.d/init.d.
    
22. Name the graphical configuration utility provided with Red Hat Linux and Fedora that can be used in place of the command-line utilities service and chkconfig. Service Configuration utility (or servicesonf at the command line).
    
23. If a journaling file system prevents partially written information from causing a corrupted file system in Linux, why is it still important to use graceful shutdown techniques rather than just turning off the system power? Because there are dozens of services running in the background and data in the memory, turning off the power can still cause data loss. All the journaling file system protects against is corrupted file systems.
    
24. Which command is typically executed when the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination is pressed, and where is that command configured? Immediate restart. In the /etc/inittab file.
    
25. What is the command you use to cause the init program to reread its configuration file after you have made changes to it. "telinit q"
    

Linux file manager review

http://www.linux.com/articles/113952

CIT 174 – Blog 8 – Week 9

The "One Laptop Per Child" or OLPC idea began in 2004.

OLPC home page: http://laptop.org/en/

The ugly, slow computer, which looked like a pop-top VW Vanagon camper, was supposed to sell for $100. Many of the larger companies rejected the feasibility of the idea. But three and a half years later the vision produced the XO, a real laptop co-developed and manufactured by the world's largest notebook maker, Quanta. Whether or not this program is successful depends on your opinion of success. The computer currently sells for a $199 donation. There are approximately three quarters of a million laptops in the hands of deserving children. The president of the company hopes to double that sometime this year. It is said that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, if that is the case; the company has been successful in stimulating a world wide interest in "low cost" laptops.
Source:
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/08/secret_origin_of_the_olpc_genius_hubris_and_the_birth_of_the_netbook-2.html
Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/05/one.laptop.per.child/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

For a few years, from PC Magazine to Fox News, the OLPC and its competitors have been making news headlines. More than 25 low-cost notebooks based on Intel's upcoming Atom processor are in the works, including models from multinational PC vendors, according to the chip maker's top executive in Asia. There are lists of low cost laptops, there are reviews of low cost laptop companies, and there are companies vying for the global market. I think the vision has strayed from the non-profit ideas of Nicholas Negroponte, OLPC's founder. The OLPC project was designed to bring educational computing to children in the developing world. Although OLPC operated a Give One Get One scheme for two weeks at the end of 2007, the XO is not currently available for the general public to buy.
Source:
http://www.cio.com/article/194200/Atom_Based_Notebooks_to_Cost_Between_US_and_

Interesting Technical Details:
The picture above is how they depict the network the computer is on.

The XO is based on the AMD Geode LX700 processor, an embedded x86 device running at 433MHz, with 1GB of flash memory and 256MB of RAM. This supports a heavily customized version of Red Hat Fedora Core 6 Linux and a custom icon-based front end called Sugar, written in Python. A suite of educational applications including graphics, music making, word processing, simple programming concepts, chat and audio/video sharing is included; all of this is open source and defiantly kid-friendly.

The screen is the stand-out technology in the XO. An ingenious mix of reflective and transmissive LCD design, it is both high resolution and high density -- 1200 by 900 pixels at 200 dots per inch (dpi) in greyscale (reflective) mode, 800 by 600 pixels at 134dpi in colour (transmissive) mode. The latter activates when you turn the backlight on and mix primary colours behind the main LCD matrix.
Source:
http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/hardware/laptops/soa/OLPC-XO/0,2000065761,339286725,00.htm?omnRef=1337

To add insult to injury the co-designer of the original OLPC, who left the company, now has plans for its chief competitor. Her goal is for the Pixel Qi to be as technologically and aesthetically compelling as an iPod Touch. The $75 laptops now under development by what Jepsen calls a "spinout" of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project won't be "Dells on a diet," and they will definitely run Linux. But the Pixel Qi is looking at Microsoft Windows and other operating systems, too.
Source:
http://www.betanews.com/article/Former-OLPC-CTO-75-laptop-will-run-Linux-and-maybe-Windows/1200087717

Last year ASUS marketed the Eee PC as a cost-effective but well built sub-notebook (or now known as a "netbook"). The original Eee PC 700 series had shipped with Intel Celeron hardware, a solid-state drive, and a Xandros-based Linux distribution. The newer models now use Intel Diamondville-based Atom CPUs. The cost of these is around $500, much more than the OLPC computers.
Source:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=asus_eee_901&num=2

Pictures from:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,309204,00.html

Instant Chat

Information about Pidgin:
http://pidgin.im/about/
The new update released this month:
http://planet.pidgin.im/

I Love Yum !!!!

http://yum.baseurl.org/




My Linux teacher responded to this post with:
"Real women use rpm and tar and make and config.........yum is too easy!"
I know, professor, but I still love YUM !!
:-)

Beginners Bash

http://tldp.org/LDP/Bash-Beginners-Guide/html/index.html

http://linux.die.net/man/1/top

CIT 174

Week 7
Chapter 7 Review Questions

1.) Name three types of remote connectivity supported by Linux and explain why one is preferred over the other two. The three programs listed are Telnet, r-utilities, and SSH. SSH is the preferred way to connect because the transferred data is encrypted.

2.) One advantage of Telnet is that (c) it can be used on many different platforms, including Linux and Windows.

3.) Name three utilities that are part of the r-utilities suite and explain what each does. The first is rsh that allows you to execute a program, rcp that allows you to copy files, and rwho that lists the users that are logged on to the remote computer.

4.) The rcp program is able to copy files between (d) any two computers that are configure to use the r-utilities programs.

5.) Name the three types of authentication that SSH can use to connect to a remote system. Which is preferred as the most secure? SSH can use r-utilities, user passwords, or public key encrypting, the later is the preferred method.

6.) Which utility is used to prepare a set of keys needed to use public key encryption within SSH? (b) ssh-keygen.

7.) Why might you need to use the -l option with the ssh command? If you have a user account on the server this option only prompts you for your password.

8.) If you use the ssh command without first creating and storing a key pair on the remote host (a) you are prompted for a password to aid authentication.

9.) If you have installed and configured r-utilities, then including a host and user name in your .rhosts file allows a person using the rcp command on another host to (a) copy files to or from your home directory without entering a password.

10.) SSH is commonly used in place of Telnet because (a) SSH provides a secure communications channel that is much more immune to security attacks.

11.) When using Telnet you might refer to VT100 because it is (c) the most commonly used terminal emulation standard.

12.) Telnet is considered dangerous because (b) It transmits data--including passwords--without encrypting them, so anyone on the network can see them by using special software.

13.) When using the wget command, you should include the http:// designation to download a Web page so that (a) the program knows which protocol to use when accessing the server.

14.) Suppose you want to mirror a Web site to your local computer in order to study the information it contains. You intend to update the mirror once each month to view changes in the Web pages on the site. You are concerned that the Web site administrator will block access if he realizes you are mirroring the entire site instead of using a regular browser to access it. In order to reduce the chance that the wget program creates suspicion, you can (c) use the --random-wait option with wget.

15.) The rsync program is best suited for (a) synchronizing collections of files such as software development files.

16.) On a publicly available anonymous FTP server, the first level subdirectory that you should go to when locating files to download is virtually always (d) /pub.

17.) A graphical FTP client can be more convenient than a text-mode FTP client such as ncftp because (b) the graphical program lets you see lists of files locally and remotely and drag and drop multiple files between systems.

18.) The ncftp package includes a utility that is similar in functionality to wget. This utility is called (a) ncftpget.

19.) If an IP address is not assigned explicitly when networking is configured, one must be obtained automatically from a server on the network using (a) DHCP.

20.) The process of resolving a domain name (b) determines the IP address associated with that domain name by contacting a DNS server.

21.) ping is used to test networking connections by (a) trying to contact systems that are progressively further from your host to see if any networking problems occur.

22.) traceroute is a useful troubleshooting tool because (c) it reports each router that a packet passes through to a remote computer, along with the time needed to reach that router.

23.) If you cannot ping a host on your local network using that system's IP address, you probably wouldn't bother checking (a) whether you could ping a host on the Internet.

24.) Which of the following is not included in the output of the traceroute command? (d) The size of the test packet sent by traceroute.

25.) A DHCP server can provide what information to a host on the network in response to a DHCP client request? (b) an IP address, a network mask, a gateway address, a DNS server address, and a host name, among other things.

CIT 174

Week 6
Chapter 6 Review Questions
1. The command ps –A xo comm displays the following information (d) all processes running on the system, including those with no controlling terminal, with the command-line field displayed for each one.
2. The (a) TIME field in the ps command output defines how much cumulative CPU time a process has used since it was started.
3. The CMDLINE files of the ps command output displays (b) the command line used to start the process shown on each line.
4. Which of the following commands is invalid if run by a regular user? (a) renice -10 1035.
5. Which of these programs does not allow you to change the nice level of a running process? (b) free.
6. To update the process data displayed by the top command, you press which key? (b) spacebar.
7. Dynamically linked applications are preferred for their better memory usage unless (c) the necessary libraries to run the application are not installed on the Linux system.
8. Thrashing occurs when (a) an excessive amount of information is moved to and from the swap partition in a short time.
9. The command “vmstat 4” does which of the following? (c) displays continuous updates of the virtual memory status on a new line every four seconds.
10. How can you switch between multiple virtual consoles in text and graphical
environments? By using the Ctrl+Alt+F2 key combination.F2 to F6 are available for virtual consoles. While the graphical interface (X) runs on F7.
11. Describe at least four fields of information provided by the command “ps auxf”. The PID is the process ID, the command field tells what command began the process, the %CPU tells how much time and memory are being used by the process, and the state of the process.
12. By starting multiple jobs form one shell, you can (c) manage those jobs with the jobs, bg and fg commands.
13. Briefly explain the difference in time specification formats for the “at” and “crontab” commands. The “at” command allows you do execute a command in the future. The “crontab” command allows you to execute commands repeatedly in the future at regular intervals.
14. The background processes that manage commands submitted using at and cron are (c) atd and crond.
15. When using the at command interactively to enter commands scheduled for future execution, you indicate that you have finished entering commands by pressing (a) Clrt+d.
16. The batch command is used to schedule jobs so that (c) the system will not be overloaded with scheduled tasks.
17. A simple method for root to schedule recurring systems administrations tasks is to (b) add a script to a directory shuch as /etc/cron.daily or /etc/cron.weekly.
18. The output of a “cron” job is normally sent via email to the user who submitted the “cron” job or to the user defined by the MAILTO variable within the file containing the “cron” job.
19. Name, in order form left to right, the fields of the “crontab” time specifications, giving the range of valid numeric values for each one. Minute of the hour (0-59), Hour of the day (0-23), Day of the month (0-32), Month of the year (0-12), Day of the week (0-7).
20. Output from a command executed as part of a new “cron” job cannot be redirected to a file using standard redirection operators because the environment in which the “cron” job was created is likely to exist when the job is executed. False.
21. The /etc/cron.deny file can include a user name in order to deny that user access to the “crontab” command.
22. Name the two separate commands that can be used instead of at –l and at –d. The alternate commands for list are atq (or at –l)and for delete atrm (or at –d).
23. All processes in Linux, except the init process (PID1) are created (b) when another process forks.
24. A zombie process is one that (d) is no longer in existence, though the Linux kernel still maintains information as if it were.
25. Describe why you should try SIGTERM before using SIGKILL. SIGTERM is better because the process shuts down and saves the work in progress. Unlike SIGKILL which simply pulls the plug on the process.

Linux News

The freelance marketplace Odesk recently found that
Linux related jobs surged from 128 in 2006
to 2014 jobs listed in its service in 2009.

http://events.linuxfoundation.org/training

CIT 174

Week 5
Chapter 5 Review Questions
1. A regular expression is used to (c) define a potentially complex pattern of characters or digits.
2. The regular expression [cC]hapter0[12345]* does not match which of the following files? (c) Chapter1.doc .
3. Which of the following regular expressions matches the text "Reunion-2004"? (c) [Rr]eunion[0-9]{4}.
4. The grep command is not useful for which of the following? (b) determining which directories are currently in use.
5. Searching documents created by word-processing programs is not an appropriate use of the grep command because (d) word-processing documents contain non-readable codes (non-text information).
6. If you execute a grep command without providing the name of one or more files to search, you should (a) provide input using a pipe from another utility.
7. You need to track the output of a text file in real time as lines are added to that file by another program. Which command would you use? (b) tail -f.
8. Several commands are available in Linux that let you compare two or more files to determine how they differ. One of these programs in particular is widely used by programmers and system administrations and is a tool commonly used for assisting with modified source code on Linux systems. It is called (a) diff. (“cmp”-are files identical and “comm.”-are sorted files the same)
9. Which of the following features is not supported by default in ispell? (/) ispell supports all theses options and I don’t see one of these answers in the book.
10. The wc command displays (a) the number of lines, words, and characters in a file.
11. Name five programs that can be used to filter text files in Linux. (command line programs)
a. sort
b. uniq
c. sed
d. awk
e. vi, pico, or emacs.
12. The command ls | sort causes which of the following to occur (a) the output of the ls command is sent to the sort command and the results are printed to the screen.
13. When you run a program called gather_data, it normally reads text as a user enters it at the keyboard. If you use the command gather_data < input_text to run the program, which of the following occurs? (b) the input that the gather_data program normally reads form the keyboard is taken form the input_text file instead.
14. Which independent Linux command replaces tabs in a text file with a fixed number of spaces? (c) expand.
15. The name of a script file can be provided to sed or awk on the command line using which command-line option? (a) file
16. Using a ! (bang) along with a standard write command in vi causes the editor to (a) attempt to write the file despite a file permission that does not by itself permit writing the file, thought this can only be done if the person editing the file is the owner of that file OR is working as root.
17. Which of the following creates a mark at the current line within vi so that you can quickly jump to that line in the file? (b) ‘a.
18. The vi editor checks for an environment variable and for a hidden initialization file in the directory in which a file being edited is stored. These are called, respectively (b) EXINIT, .exrc.
19.Describe the meaning of 1, $ as a range operator at the beginning of a search and replace command within vi. The range 1, $ means from the first line to the last line of the file.
20. Describe the difference between the following four search commands in vi:
/ --looks for a pattern from the current position FORWARD.
? – looks for a pattern from the current position BACKWARD.
N – jumps to the NEXT occurrence of the most recent search pattern ( / or ? )
N jumps to the PREVIOUS occurrence of the most recent search pattern ( / or ? )

CIT 174

Week 4
Chapter 4 Review Questions
1. Describe the effect of including a hyphen when executing the su command. Using a hyphen after su allows you to assume the rights of another user.
2. A user’s primary group can be a User Private Group. True or False? Explain. True, for security reasons every new user has a private group with only one user. This is to prevent another user from accidently accessing someone else’s files.
3. The /etc/passwd file does not contain which of the following fields? (b) the file privileges for the user.
4. Explain the meaning of this line in the /etc/group file: “webmasters:x:710:rthomas,cyang”. Webmasters is the name of the group, x means the password is stored somewhere else, 710 is the group id (GID), and the two names are the members of the group.
5. To create or change a password on any user account, the following is used (c) the passwd command.
6. What does the fourth field in /etc/passwd contain? The group id or (GID) of the primary group for the user.
7. Why should you not use a standard text editor to add users to /etc/passwd? Because two people could be working on the file at the same time. In addition, a small typing error could make user accounts inaccessible.
8. If you enter a new password for a user that can be easily guessed, the message BAD PASSWORD appears and the password is (b) updated unless you are root. (I don’t like any of the choices!)
9. A mounted file system is one that (c) allows any user to run programs located on it.
10. The Shadow Password Suite enhances Linux security by (b) hiding encrypted passwords in a file that only root can read.
11. The df utility provides information about which one of the following (c) file system capacity, device name, and percentage used status.
12. If you attempt to unmount a mounted file system and receive an error message the most likely cause is (d) one or more users are working in a directory of the file system.
13. Describe the difference between an alias and a symbolic link. An alias causes the shell to substitute a different string than the one the user entered. Whereas a symbolic link causes the system to request a file from another place in the file structure.
14. Which command is used to create symbolic link? (b) ln.
15. The command chmod 744 report.doc grants (a) the user (the file’s owner) execute permission to the report.doc file.
16. The owner and group assigned to a file are shown by which of the following commands? (a) chown.
17. Execute permission on a file is required to(a) start that file as a program.
18. The tar command creates archive files that are most often compressed by the (d) gzip command.
19. The tar utility differs from the cpio utility in that (a) cpio always reads and writes to STDIN and STDOUT and tar uses command-line parameters.
20. Describe why the find command is often used with tar or cpio for backups. Because find can create a list of all the files that have been modified in the last day, which makes it easier to know what files to archive.
21. The (b) x option causes the tar command to extract the files from an archive file or device.
22. Describe how the newgrp command relates to the second field of each record in the /etc/group file. This is a rarely used command that allows a person who knows the group’s password to temporarily assume the group’s rights.
23. The output of the id command includes (a) the effective UID, the effective GID, and a list of groups of which the effective UID user is a member.
24. If the far left column in the output of the ls –l command shows the character “s” you would know that the object on that line was a (d) socket.
25. Which utility typically provides the highest compression ratio (makes the smallest compressed file from a given data file)? (b) bzip2.

Subscription Manager

http://www.greatcircle.com/majordomo/

CIT 174

Week 3
Chapter 3 Review Questions
1. The default shell used by Linux is (b) The Bourne Again Shell (bash).
2. When logged in as root, the shell prompt normally changes to display (b) #.
3. The main function of a shell is to (d) start programs.
4. Name four different shells and briefly describe the differences between them.
a. Sh is the original UNIX shell.
b. Bash an enhanced version of the Bourne shell. It has history and tab completion.
c. Csh, or c shell, is a newer shell with easy to use interactive features. But it has a more complex syntax than Bourne shells. It is based on the c programming language.
d. Tcsh is the tenex/tops c shell. It is an enhancement of the c shell and is commonly used on Linux systems.
e. Ksh is the Korn shell and it is a combination of the Bourne shell and the interactive features of the c shell.
5. Tab completion is useful when you need to (c) enter long file names or directory names at the shell prompt.
6. The history command is used to (a) display a list of previously entered commands.
7. Entering the command !fr would do the following in the bash shell (b) re-execute the most currently executed command that began for "fr".
8. To have a command executed each time any user logs in to the Linux system, you place the command in which one of these files? (a) /etc/profile.
9. If a directory contains the file names micron and microscope, and you enter micro and press Tab once, what happens? (a) The shell prints all matching names, micron and microscope.
10. Which of the following is a correctly formed alias for executing the mv command? (d) alias ren=”mv –I”.
11. The command echo $HOME displays (c) the value of the HOME environment variable.
12. Describe the contents of the PATH environment variable. It is a list of the directories that the shell looks in when it is asked to execute a command.
13. When the export command is used, an environment variable (a) is available to other programs running in the same shell where export was executed.
14. Name at least three non-graphical text editors that may be included with a Linux distribution. Vi, pico, and emacs.
15. Knowledge of the vi editor is considered an essential skill because (b) the vi editor is virtually always available to complete system administrations tasks.
16. Suppose you entered the command vi my_file and then press the following keys: itestyyp:wq. Describe the result. Vi creates “my_file”, “i” starts insert mode, test is typed, yyp copies test, then :wq writes and closes the file.
17. When you run a program called gather_data, it normally reads lines entered at the keyboard. If you use the command gather_data < input_text to run the program, which of the following occurs? (b) The input that the gather_data program would normally read from the keyboard is taken from the input_text file instead.
18. A pipe is a method of connecting (b) the output channel of one program with the input channel of another program.
19. The command ls | sort causes which of the following to occur? (a) the output of the ls command is sent to the sort command. The results are printed to the screen.
20. Using the lpoptions command, you can (b) associate a set of lpr printing options with a name (called an instance) so that those options can be used more conveniently in the future.
21. Which of these commands displays the current value of the USER environment variable? (a) echo "You are currently logged in as $USER."
22. How is the following text executed on a command line "echo 'This script has detected an error; please check your data.'; date; "Thank you." (a) as two commands, followed by an error message.
23. How is the following text executed on a command line "echo “This script has detected an error\; please check your data.”; date; "Thank you." (a) as two commands, followed by an error message.
24. How is the following text executed on a command line echo This script has detected an error. Please check your data.$’\n’ ‘date’$’ ‘\n’ Thank you. (c) as three lines of text.
25. Does the following text generate a shell error? Does it print the current date? echo 'This script has detected an error. Please check your data.$’\n’’date’$’\n’Thank you.’ (c) It does not cause an error, nor does it print the date.

Linux Shell (repost)

What is a shell and what does it do?
Research the internet for different shells and give a brief description of two that we have not worked with yet.

The shell is a program which takes your commands that you type on the keyboard and gives them to the operating system to execute. The shell interprets your commands (keystrokes) and runs the utilities or programs that you requested. The most common Linux shells are bash, sh, csh, and ksh. Linux is a multitasking operating system, so more than one shell can be running at a time. Each shell keeps its work isolated from the other shells that are running.

It appears that anyone with the knowledge can write a new shell. There are some compatibility issues to contend with. The main one seems to be POSIX which statnds for "Portable Operating System Interface". This is the open operating interface standard accepted world-wide. It is produced by IEEE and recognized by ISO and ANSI. POSIX support assures code portability between systems and is increasingly mandated for commercial applications and government contracts. ISO is the International Organization for Standardization and ANSI is the American National Standards Institute.

Two of the most interesting shells that we have not used yet are "resh" and "sash". The resh shell is a restricted version of the sh shell and is equivalent to sh -r. This allows users to copy files without having access to a shell on the server. There are many security risks when users are allowed access to another system, this is an attempt to secure ftp servers. The sash is a stand alone shell that was designed for recovering from a system failure. It is designed to be simple and robust, for people who need to do emergency repair work on a system.

Want another shell? (repost)

My textbook wanted us to experiment with different shells.
I went to http://www.tcsh.org/MostRecentRelease
downloaded the most resent version of tcsh and
typed "yum install tcsh" in my terminal
and it did it all by itself.
It took me a while to research all the
different ways to install a second shell.
This one is short and sweet!!

Shells for UNIX/Linux (repost)

If chart is too small, try clicking on it,
it should open into it's own window.
There you can adjust the size of the jpg.
Thanks!

Open Source Window Aps

http://www.opensourcewindows.org/

I use several of these and they work GREAT!
7zip is my favorite unzipper!
I only use Pidgin and Meebo for my Instant Messaging.
And of course FireFox rocks!!

CIT 174

Week 2
Chapter 2 Review Questions
1. The historical beginnings of the X Window System originated with .a. Project Athena.
2. Why might a person choose to purchase a commercial X server instead of using XFree86, which comes free with each copy of Linux? If they liked the functions, speed, ease of use, or the look of a commercial product.
3. Describe the function of an X server within the X Window System. It communicates with the video care, keyboard, and mouse to create a graphical environment. It also interacts with applications to control the screen display.
4. An .b. X client is another name for any graphical application running in the X Windows System.
5. Name four windows managers that can be used with the X Window System on Linux. The book mentions twm, fvwm, mwn, and olwm.
6. A window manager is best described as .a. a special purpose X client that provides core graphical functionality for other X clients.
7. Name the two graphical libraries used by the two major desktop environments of Linux. The Qt and the GTK+ libraries.
8. A graphical library is best described as .b. a collection of functions that any graphical program can use to create a common look and feel. (I was unhappy with ALL the choices in the book. GTK+ libraries are described here: http://library.gnome.org/devel/gtk/unstable/gtk.html)
9. Choosing not to run X .b. can cause configuration problems on server-based systems. (this is another question I was unhappy with all the answer choices—you can choose to use only a text interface and start X when needed. And you have to use X to set up your video card.)
10. The .b. startx command is normally used to start the X Window system if you are not using a graphical login.
11. To minimize an active window in a GNOME desktop using default settings you could either .a. press Alt+F9 or select minimize from the window control menu.
12. Describe the purpose of clicking and dragging to highlight text in one graphical window and selecting another window and clicking both mouse buttons at the same time. This procedure is to copy and paste in X even if the application does not have the capability.
13. The Workspace Switcher in GNOME lets you .d. move between four desktop backgrounds, each of which can have different windows on it.
14. To enable the feature that saves your desktop setup each time you log out of GNOME, you would explore which item on the Preferences menu? .c. Sessions.
15. Describe the default action of the Alt+Tab and the Alt+F1 key combinations in GNOME. Alt+Tab rotates focus between open windows and Alt+F1 displays the main menu.
16. The Desktop Switcher utility lets you .a. switch your desktop between GNOME and KDE.
17. Selecting a desktop theme lets you control .a. the look and feel of most aspects of your desktop interface.
18. Define an emblem as used in the Nautilus file manager. Emblems are little graphic symbols you can add to a folder as part of your file manager.
19. When you select a text editor in the Preferred Application window of GNOME .c. you select the text editor that GNOME or Nautilus starts whenever you want to view a text file.
20. OpenOffice.org consists of the following .d. a word processor, a spreadsheet, a drawing program, presentation software, and database tools. (Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw and Base)
21. For which platform is OpenOffice.org available? As of 2009 Open Office supports Mac, Windows, and UINX/Linux.
22. Evolution is .a. a program that includes e-mail, calendar, task list, and contact management features similar to Microsoft Outlook.
23. When setting up a POP e-mail account, Evolution and Mozilla differ in that .c. one lets you enter passwords as part of the setup procedure, the other does not, but prompts you for passwords as needed.
24. List four features that Evolution provides via its Summary window or the standard icons on the left side of the Summary window. Summary, Inbox, Calendar, Tasks, and Contacts.
25. Within Nautilus file manager, the side pane is used to .b . display basic information about an object that has been selected in the left part of the window, including, for example, a thumbnail image of a graphic file, if so configured in the Preview tab of the File Management Preferences window.

CIT 174

Week Two
Chapter 1 Review Questions
1. An operating system does not provide .d. word-processing features for users.
2. Four possible Linux career paths are software development, business consultant, network administrator, and teaching or training.
3. Linus Torvalda began to create Linux because .b. he wanted a powerful operating system but could not afford one.
4. The Free software Foundation is dedicated to the idea that .b. the real value of software is in customization, not in selling mass-produced copies.
5. The GNU Project is important to Linux because .a. it provides the majority of the system utilities used by Linux.
6. The GPL includes all of the following facets except: .c. software that runs on a GPL operating system must be given away.
7. In general usage, the name “open source software” refers to .c. software that has source code included and follows a set of general principles espoused by the OpenSource consortium. (I am not real sure this is the correct answer)
8. In the Linux kernel version 2.6.10 the second digit, 6, indicates .b. a minor kernel release number for a stable kernel.
9. Version numbers for Linux distributions don’t track Linux kernel version numbers because .a. distributions include many components, so the vendor assigns a version number to the collection of software as a whole.
10. HOWTO documents discuss a variety of specific subjects. They are written for .c. anyone new to the subject being discussed.
11. The .a. / directory is the beginning of the Linux directory structure—the top of the inverted tree.
12. The pwd command is used to .c. display the current working directory on the screen.
13. The command Ls –l in invalid because .b. Linux commands are case sensitive.
14. Which task is not likely to be assigned to you as a system administrator? .a. Develop a new cash register system using C programming.
15. Linux file names can include .d. letters, digits, punctuation, and many special characters (but no spaces)
16. The rm command is used in Linux to .b. delete files from a hard disk. (use caution)
17. A trash can facility on a Linux graphical desktop differs from the rm command in that .a. files placed in the trash can are not deleted until the trash can is empties, but files deleted by rm are deleted immediately.
18. Each answer contains several paths separated by semicolons. Which answer contains only absolute paths? .c. /var/named; /etc/samba; /home/abutler.
19. Within the Nautilus file manager, you can view the properties of a selected file or directory by .d. right-clicking the file or directory and selecting the Properties item for the context menu.
20. Within the Nautilux file manager, pressing Shift+Ctrl+N is analogous to which command? .a. mkdir
21. Which of the following commands is most likely to produce the following output on the screen? /home/abutler. .c. pwd
22. You see in the output of ls –l an unrecognized file. You wonder what it contains. Your first step should be to use which command? .b. cat
23. If the slocate command fails to function as expected, it is likely because .b. the index of file and directory names has not been created using updateb.
24. In Red Hat Linux, documentation files dedicated to each installed software package are stored .a. in the /usr/share/doc directory.
25. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux product line includes several versions such as .b. WS, ES, and Fedora.

CIT 174

Spring 2009 I am starting a new class at TMCC
CIT 174 Linux System Administrator
I am looking forward to learning more about Linux!

Happy New Year to All

I have been hired as a student assistant for
the computer technology department at TMCC!!
I am so excited!
I hope I can help people with their computer questions!
And maybe help someone learn one or two things
about computers!!