Linux Server Hacks, Volume Two: Tips & Tools for Connecting, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting

Description

Today's system administrators deal with a vast number of situations, operating systems, software packages, and problems. Those who are in the know have kept their copy of Linux Server Hacks close at hand to ease their burden. And while this helps, it's not enough: any sys admin knows there are many more hacks, cool tips, and ways of solving problems than can fit in a single volume (one that mere mortals can lift, that is).

Which is why we created Linux Server Hacks, Volume Two, a second collection of incredibly useful tips and tricks for finding and using dozens of open source tools you can apply to solve your sys admin problems. The power and flexibility of Linux and Open Source means that there is an astounding amount of great software out there waiting to be applied to your sys admin problems -- if only you knew about it and had enough information to get started. Hence, Linux Server Hacks, Volume Two.

 

This handy reference offers 100 completely new server management tips and techniques designed to improve your productivity and sharpen your administrative skills. Each hack represents a clever way to accomplish a specific task, saving you countless hours of searching for the right answer. No more sifting through man pages, HOWTO websites, or source code comments -- the only resource you need is right here. And you don't have to be a system administrator with hundreds of boxen to get something useful from this book as many of the hacks apply equally well to a single system or a home network.

Compiled by experts, these hacks not only give you the step-by-step instructions necessary to implement the software, but they also provide the context to truly enable you to learn the technology. Topics include:

• Authentication
  
• Remote GUI connectivity
  
• Storage management
  
• File sharing and synchronizing resources
  
• Security/lockdown instruction
  
• Log files and monitoring
  
• Troubleshooting
  
• System rescue, recovery, and repair

Table of Contents

Credits  

Preface  

Chapter 1. Linux Authentication 

      1. Disable User Accounts Instantly  

      2. Edit Your Password File for Greater Access Control  

      3. Deny All Access in One Second or Less  

      4. Customize Authentication with PAMs  

      5. Authenticate Linux Users with a Windows Domain Controller  

      6. Centralize Logins with LDAP  

      7. Secure Your System with Kerberos  

      8. Authenticate NFS-Lovers with NIS  

      9. Sync LDAP Data with NIS  

Chapter 2. Remote GUI Connectivity 

      10. Access Systems Remotely with VNC  

      11. Access VNC Servers over the Web  

      12. Secure VNC via SSH  

      13. Autostart VNC Servers on Demand  

      14. Put Your Desktops on a Thin Client Diet  

      15. Run Windows over the Network  

      16. Secure, Lightweight X Connections with FreeNX  

      17. Secure VNC Connections with FreeNX  

      18. Secure Windows Terminal Connections with FreeNX  

      19. Remote Administration with Webmin  

Chapter 3. System Services 

      20. Quick and Easy DHCP Setup  

      21. Integrate DHCP and DNS with Dynamic DNS Updates  

      22. Synchronize Your Watches!  

      23. Centralize X Window System Font Resources  

      24. Create a CUPS Print Server  

      25. Configure Linux Connections to Remote CUPS Printers  

      26. Integrate Windows Printing with CUPS  

      27. Centralize Macintosh Printing with CUPS  

      28. Define a Secure CUPS Printer  

Chapter 4. Cool Sysadmin Tools and Tips 

      29. Execute Commands Simultaneously on Multiple Servers  

      30. Collaborate Safely with a Secured Wiki  

      31. Edit Your GRUB Configuration with grubby  

      32. Give Your Tab Key a Workout  

      33. Keep Processes Running After a Shell Exits  

      34. Disconnect Your Console Without Ending Your Session  

      35. Use script to Save Yourself Time and Train Others  

      36. Install Linux Simply by Booting  

      37. Turn Your Laptop into a Makeshift Console  

      38. Usable Documentation for the Inherently Lazy  

      39. Exploit the Power of Vim  

      40. Move Your PHP Web Scripting Skills to the Command Line  

      41. Enable Quick telnet/SSH Connections from the Desktop  

      42. Speed Up Compiles  

      43. Avoid Common Junior Mistakes  

      44. Get Linux Past the Gatekeeper  

      45. Prioritize Your Work  

Chapter 5. Storage Management and Backups 

      46. Create Flexible Storage with LVM  

      47. Combine LVM and Software RAID  

      48. Create a Copy-on-Write Snapshot of an LVM Volume  

      49. Clone Systems Quickly and Easily  

      50. Make Disk-to-Disk Backups for Large Drives  

      51. Free Up Disk Space Now  

      52. Share Files Using Linux Groups  

      53. Refine Permissions with ACLs  

      54. Make Files Easier to Find with Extended Attributes  

      55. Prevent Disk Hogs with Quotas  

Chapter 6. Standardizing, Sharing, and Synchronizing Resources 

      56. Centralize Resources Using NFS  

      57. Automount NFS Home Directories with autofs  

      58. Keep Filesystems Handy, but Out of Your Way  

      59. Synchronize root Environments with rsync  

      60. Share Files Across Platforms Using Samba  

      61. Quick and Dirty NAS  

      62. Share Files and Directories over the Web  

Chapter 7. Security 

      63. Increase Security by Disabling Unnecessary Services  

      64. Allow or Deny Access by IP Address  

      65. Detect Network Intruders with snort  

      66. Tame Tripwire  

      67. Verify Fileystem Integrity with Afick  

      68. Check for Rootkits and Other Attacks  

Chapter 8. Troubleshooting and Performance 

      69. Find Resource Hogs with Standard Commands  

      70. Reduce Restart Times with Journaling Filesystems  

      71. Grok and Optimize Your System with sysctl  

      72. Get the Big Picture with Multiple Displays  

      73. Maximize Resources with a Minimalist Window Manager  

      74. Profile Your Systems Using /proc  

      75. Kill Processes the Right Way  

      76. Use a Serial Console for Centralized Access to Your Systems  

      77. Clean Up NIS After Users Depart  

Chapter 9. Logfiles and Monitoring 

      78. Avoid Catastrophic Disk Failure  

      79. Monitor Network Traffic with MRTG  

      80. Keep a Constant Watch on Hosts  

      81. Remotely Monitor and Configure a Variety of Networked Equipment  

      82. Force Standalone Apps to Use syslog  

      83. Monitor Your Logfiles  

      84. Send Log Messages to Your Jabber Client  

      85. Monitor Service Availability with Zabbix  

      86. Fine-Tune the syslog Daemon  

      87. Centralize System Logs Securely  

      88. Keep Tabs on Systems and Services  

Chapter 10. System Rescue, Recovery, and Repair 

      89. Resolve Common Boot and Startup Problems  

      90. Rescue Me!  

      91. Bypass the Standard Init Sequence for Quick Repairs  

      92. Find Out Why You Can't Unmount a Partition  

      93. Recover Lost Partitions  

      94. Recover Data from Crashed Disks  

      95. Repair and Recover ReiserFS Filesystems  

      96. Piece Together Data from the lost+found  

      97. Recover Deleted Files  

      98. Permanently Delete Files  

      99. Permanently Erase Hard Disks  

      100. Recover Lost Files and Perform Forensic Analysis  

Index