Debian GNU/Linux Bible

677 Pages·2001·6.761 MB·English

by  Steve Hunger

4710-0 Cover 3/30/01 11:56 AM Page 1
If Debian GNU/Linux can do it, you can do it too . . . 100% 100% “Steve Hunger’s book is the most comprehensive and
up-to-date guide to Debian GNU/Linux in print.”
Whether you’re a Linux newcomer looking for foolproof installation tips or a Debian GNU/ veteran who wants
—Branden Robinson, Debian Developer
the scoop on the latest security enhancements, this authoritative guide delivers all the information you need C O M P R E H E N S I V E ONE HUNDRED PERCENT
COMPREHENSIVE
to make the most of the Debian GNU/ “potato” release. From customizing a desktop system to troubleshooting DD
AUTHORITATIVE
a network or setting up an e-commerce server, it’s the only reference you’ll ever need to become a Debian WHAT YOU NEED
GNU/Linux pro. ee ONE HUNDRED PERCENT
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Debian GNU/Linux 2.2r2 inside
Bible
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System Requirements: $49.99USA Reader Level: Shelving Category:
Intel 386 or better; 150MB+ hard drive space; $74.99Canada Beginning to Advanced Linux
16MB+ RAM; CD-ROM drive £39.99UK incl. VAT Debian GNU/
Linux 2.2r2
on CD-ROM
ISBN 0-7645-4710-0 BONUS
*85555-ACJDHi ,!7IA7G4-fehbac!:p;o;t;T;T CD-ROM
Debian GNU/Linux 2.2r2 Steve Hunger
Foreword by Ian Murdock, Founder of Debian
and now Cofounder of Progeny Linux Systems
4710-0 Cover 3/30/01 11:57 AM Page 2
If Debian GNU/Linux can do it, you can do it too . . . 100% 100% “Steve Hunger’s book is the most comprehensive and
up-to-date guide to Debian GNU/Linux in print.”
Whether you’re a Linux newcomer looking for foolproof installation tips or a Debian GNU/ veteran who wants
—Branden Robinson, Debian Developer
the scoop on the latest security enhancements, this authoritative guide delivers all the information you need to
COMPREHENSIVE
make the most of the Debian GNU/ “potato” release. From customizing a desktop system to troubleshooting a D
AUTHORITATIVE
network or setting up an e-commerce server, it’s the only reference you’ll ever need to become a Debian GNU/ WHAT YOU NEED
Linux pro. e
b
Inside, you’ll find
Master Linux system
i
complete coverage of
(cid:2) a administration
Debian GNU/Linux
n
Discover the power
• Get crystal-clear instructions for fast, painless
® of Debian’s package
installation G
management system
• Learn your way around the Linux shell, file
N Build a network and
system, and X Window System
set up Linux servers
• Discover how easy it is to set up a LAN (cid:2)
U
in Debian and connect to the Internet
/
• Make the most of Linux desktop applications,
L
games, and multimedia features
D
• Master Linux administration, from automating i ebian
n
system tasks to locking in security
u ®
• Find guidance on how to keep Debian current
and bug-free x
(cid:2)
• Get the scoop on configuring servers, from ®
GNU/Linux
Apache and FTP to NIS and Sendmail
HUNGER
®
Bible
w w w . h u n g r y m i n d s . c o m
Steve Hunger
Foreword by Ian Murdock, Founder of Debian
and now Cofounder of Progeny Linux Systems
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Debian GNU/Linux® Bible
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Debian GNU/Linux®
Bible
Steve Hunger
Hungry Minds, Inc.
Indianapolis, IN ✦ Cleveland, OH ✦ New York, NY
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Debian GNU/Linux®Bible Computer Publishing Corporation, Inc., for the
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LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR HAVE USED THEIR
BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS BOOK. THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR MAKE NO
REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE
CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
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Trademarks:All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks,
trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. All other trademarks are the property of
their respective owners. Hungry Minds, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this
book.
is a trademark of
Hungry Minds, Inc.
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About the Author
Steve Hunger has spent the last 10 years in the computer industry, the last four
supporting and integrating multiple platforms for a Fortune 500 Company. Having
been introduced to UNIX while attending Purdue University, he quickly latched onto
Linux as the primary platform for his startup Web hosting and development busi-
ness in 1996. He continues operating his Web business, consulting with local busi-
nesses, and freelance writing. When not conquering the world with Linux, he has
co-written and contributed to several books for Macmillan USA and Brady Games,
including work on the line of Mandrake Linux products. His latest work has been for
AOL Press called Powering Up the Internet.
In his spare time he enjoys relaxing with his wife, riding bicycles, and tinkering with
an R/C model that is evolving into something that looks amazing like a plane. He is
also on the Board of Directors for the Central Indiana Linux Users Group
(www.cinlug.org). Steve can be reached at [email protected].
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Credits
Acquisitions Editor Quality Control Technicians
Terri Varveris DavidFaust
Susan Moritz
Project Editor Marianne Santy
Gus A. Miklos Charles Spencer
Technical Editor Permissions Editor
Steve Schafer Laura Moss
Copy Editors Media Development Specialist
Victoria Lee O’Malley Travis Silvers
Luann Rouff
Media Development Coordinator
Project Coordinator Marisa Pearman
Dale White
Proofreading and Indexing
Graphics and Production Specialists York Production Services, Inc.
AmyAdrian
Sean Decker
Gabriele McCann
Kendra Span
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This book is dedicated to my beloved wife, Sandy. Without her love, support, and
encouragement to carry me on days I needed it, this book would not have been
possible. And to my father, who also saw me through this book.
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Foreword
I
n January 1993, while browsing USENET news one evening after work, I ran
across a thread with a subject line that read, simply, “LINUX.” I’m not sure what
it was about the word “LINUX” that made me hit Enter, but I did, and within a few
minutes, it was clear to me that I had to have it.
Unfortunately, that’s about where I hit a brick wall. I had just enough information
about Linux to whet my appetite, but there was precious little more of it to be
found. Over the course of the next few weeks, I hunted down and pieced together
the rest of what I needed to know: where to find it, how to download it, how to
install it, and what I could do with it once I had installed it.
It was a tedious process, because only scraps of information were available, and
those scraps were scattered about all over the place—a bit on a USENET group
here, a bit more on an FTP site there. And even when found and pieced together,
the scraps did not form a complete picture—I had to fill in large gaps for myself. All
in all, it was a tremendous learning experience, but it was also a tremendously frus-
trating and time-consuming experience, and if presented with the same obstacles
today, I likely would not have had the time or the inclination to overcome them.
Fortunately, becoming a Linux user is much easier today than it was in 1993. The
software itself has come a long way, and a wide range of books on the subject are
available, from installation and use to programming to administration and manage-
ment. These days, the local bookstore has all the information you need to get
started and become productive as a Linux user.
One subject that has not been covered as extensively as others, a subject near and
dear to my heart, is Debian, a project I founded not long after discovering Linux.
Debian has much to offer the Linux user—a huge selection of software, an open
development process that leads to rapid bug fixes and improvements, an unparal-
leled software management facility that allows software to be installed easily and
systems to be upgraded non-disruptively, and much more—but it has long
remained a daunting prospect to piece together the information you need to get
there.
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x
Debian GNU/Linux Bible
And, so, I am extremely pleased to see books such as my friend Steve Hunger’s
Debian GNU/Linux Bible. Debian GNU/Linux Biblecontains all the information you
need to know to get the most out of Debian, from installing it to using its powerful
package management system to install software and upgrade your system to setting
up a Web server and other advanced topics. With Debian GNU/Linux Bibleby your
side, you will be well prepared to join the large and growing group of users that call
Debian home. I hope this book serves you well.
Ian Murdock
Founder of Debian and Co-founder of Progeny Linux Systems, Inc.