SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop

Administration Guide

12/15/2010

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Contents

About This Guide
1. Available Documentation
2. Feedback
3. Documentation Conventions
I. Support and Common Tasks
1. YaST Online Update
1.1. Installing Patches Manually Using the Qt Interface
1.2. Installing Patches Manually Using the GTK Interface
1.3. Automatic Online Update
2. Gathering System Information for Support
2.1. Novell Support Link Overview
2.2. Using Supportconfig
2.3. Submitting Information to Novell
2.4. For More Information
3. YaST in Text Mode
3.1. Navigation in Modules
3.2. Restriction of Key Combinations
3.3. YaST Command Line Options
4. GNOME Configuration for Administrators
4.1. The GConf System
4.2. Customizing Main Menu, Panel, and Application Browser
4.3. Starting Applications Automatically
4.4. Automounting and Managing Media Devices
4.5. Changing Preferred Applications
4.6. Managing Profiles Using Sabayon
4.7. Adding Document Templates
4.8. Desktop Lock Down Features
4.9. For More Information
5. Managing Software with Command Line Tools
5.1. Using Zypper
5.2. RPM—the Package Manager
6. Bash and Bash Scripts
6.1. What is The Shell?
6.2. Writing Shell Scripts
6.3. Redirecting Command Events
6.4. Using Aliases
6.5. Using Variables in Bash
6.6. Grouping And Combining Commands
6.7. Working with Common Flow Constructs
6.8. For More Information
II. System
7. 32-Bit and 64-Bit Applications in a 64-Bit System Environment
7.1. Runtime Support
7.2. Software Development
7.3. Software Compilation on Biarch Platforms
7.4. Kernel Specifications
8. Booting and Configuring a Linux System
8.1. The Linux Boot Process
8.2. The init Process
8.3. System Configuration via /etc/sysconfig
9. The Boot Loader GRUB
9.1. Booting with GRUB
9.2. Configuring the Boot Loader with YaST
9.3. Uninstalling the Linux Boot Loader
9.4. Creating Boot CDs
9.5. The Graphical SUSE Screen
9.6. Troubleshooting
9.7. For More Information
10. Special System Features
10.1. Information about Special Software Packages
10.2. Virtual Consoles
10.3. Keyboard Mapping
10.4. Language and Country-Specific Settings
11. Printer Operation
11.1. The Workflow of the Printing System
11.2. Methods and Protocols for Connecting Printers
11.3. Installing the Software
11.4. Network Printers
11.5. Printing from the Command Line
11.6. Special Features in SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop
11.7. Troubleshooting
12. Dynamic Kernel Device Management with udev
12.1. The /dev Directory
12.2. Kernel uevents and udev
12.3. Drivers, Kernel Modules and Devices
12.4. Booting and Initial Device Setup
12.5. Monitoring the Running udev Daemon
12.6. Influencing Kernel Device Event Handling with udev Rules
12.7. Persistent Device Naming
12.8. Files used by udev
12.9. For More Information
13. The X Window System
13.1. Manually Configuring the X Window System
13.2. Installing and Configuring Fonts
13.3. For More Information
14. Accessing File Systems with FUSE
14.1. Configuring FUSE
14.2. Available FUSE Plug-ins
14.3. For More Information
III. Mobile Computers
15. Mobile Computing with Linux
15.1. Laptops
15.2. Mobile Hardware
15.3. Cellular Phones and PDAs
15.4. For More Information
16. Wireless LAN
16.1. WLAN Standards
16.2. Operating Modes
16.3. Authentication
16.4. Encryption
16.5. Configuration with YaST
16.6. Utilities
16.7. Tips and Tricks for Setting Up a WLAN
16.8. Troubleshooting
16.9. For More Information
17. Power Management
17.1. Power Saving Functions
17.2. ACPI
17.3. Rest for the Hard Disk
17.4. Managing Radio Frequency Transmitters with rfkill
17.5. Troubleshooting
17.6. For More Information
18. Using Tablet PCs
18.1. Installing Tablet PC Packages
18.2. Configuring Your Tablet Device
18.3. Using the Virtual Keyboard
18.4. Rotating Your Display
18.5. Using Gesture Recognition
18.6. Taking Notes and Sketching with the Pen
18.7. Troubleshooting
18.8. For More Information
IV. Services
19. Basic Networking
19.1. IP Addresses and Routing
19.2. IPv6—The Next Generation Internet
19.3. Name Resolution
19.4. Configuring a Network Connection with YaST
19.5. NetworkManager
19.6. Configuring a Network Connection Manually
19.7. smpppd as Dial-up Assistant
20. SLP Services in the Network
20.1. Installation
20.2. Activating SLP
20.3. SLP Front-Ends in SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop
20.4. Providing Services via SLP
20.5. For More Information
21. Time Synchronization with NTP
21.1. Configuring an NTP Client with YaST
21.2. Manually Configuring ntp in the Network
21.3. Dynamic Time Synchronization at Runtime
21.4. Setting Up a Local Reference Clock
22. Using NetworkManager
22.1. Use Cases for NetworkManager
22.2. Enabling NetworkManager
22.3. Configuring Network Connections
22.4. Using KNetworkManager
22.5. Using GNOME NetworkManager Applet
22.6. NetworkManager and VPN
22.7. NetworkManager and Security
22.8. Frequently Asked Questions
22.9. Troubleshooting
22.10. For More Information
23. Samba
23.1. Terminology
23.2. Configuring a Samba Server
23.3. Configuring Clients
23.4. Samba as Login Server
23.5. For More Information
24. Sharing File Systems with NFS
24.1. Installing the Required Software
24.2. Importing File Systems with YaST
24.3. Importing File Systems Manually
24.4. NFS with Kerberos
24.5. For More Information
25. File Synchronization
25.1. Available Data Synchronization Software
25.2. Determining Factors for Selecting a Program
25.3. Introduction to CVS
25.4. Introduction to rsync
25.5. For More Information
V. Troubleshooting
26. Help and Documentation
26.1. Documentation Directory
26.2. Man Pages
26.3. Info Pages
27. Common Problems and Their Solutions
27.1. Finding and Gathering Information
27.2. Installation Problems
27.3. Boot Problems
27.4. Login Problems
27.5. Network Problems
27.6. Data Problems

List of Figures

1.1. YaST Online Update
1.2. YaST Online Update
3.1. Main Window of YaST in Text Mode
3.2. The Software Installation Module
4.1. Sabayon: User Profile Editor
4.2. Sabayon: New Xnest Window
4.3. Sabayon: Selecting Users
8.1. System Services (Runlevel)
8.2. System Configuration Using the sysconfig Editor
9.1. Boot Loader Settings
15.1. Integrating a Mobile Computer in an Existing Environment
16.1. YaST: Configuring the Wireless Network Card
18.1. xvkbd Virtual Keyboard
18.2. Gesture Recognition with CellWriter
18.3. Annotating a PDF with Xournal
18.4. Editing Texts with Dasher
19.1. Simplified Layer Model for TCP/IP
19.2. TCP/IP Ethernet Packet
19.3. Configuring Network Settings
19.4. Modem Configuration
19.5. ISDN Configuration
19.6. ISDN Interface Configuration
19.7. DSL Configuration
21.1. Advanced NTP Configuration: Security Settings
22.1. GNOME Network Configuration Dialog
22.2. KDE Network Configuration Dialog
22.3. KNetworkManager—Configured and Available Connections
24.1. NFS Client Configuration with YaST
27.1. Checking Media
27.2. Displaying Hardware Information
27.3. US Keyboard Layout
27.4. Automatic Repair Mode

List of Tables

5.1. The Most Important RPM Query Options
5.2. RPM Verify Options
6.1. Bash Configuration Files for Login Shells
6.2. Bash Configuration Files for Non-Login Shells
6.3. Special Files for Bash
6.4. Overview of a Standard Directory Tree
6.5. Useful Environment Variables
8.1. Available Runlevels
8.2. Possible init Script Options
9.1. Screen Resolution and Color Depth Reference
10.1. ulimit: Setting Resources for the User
13.1. Sections in /etc/X11/xorg.conf
13.2. Parameters of fc-list
14.1. Available FUSE Plug-ins
15.1. Use Cases for NetworkManager
16.1. Overview of Various WLAN Standards
19.1. Several Protocols in the TCP/IP Protocol Family
19.2. Specific Addresses
19.3. Private IP Address Domains
19.4. Various IPv6 Prefixes
19.5. Manual Network Configuration Scripts
19.6. Parameters for /etc/host.conf
19.7. Databases Available via /etc/nsswitch.conf
19.8. Configuration Options for NSS Databases
19.9. Some Start-Up Scripts for Network Programs
25.1. Features of the File Synchronization Tools: -- = very poor, - = poor or not available, o = medium, + = good, ++ = excellent, x = available
26.1. Man Pages—Categories and Descriptions
27.1. Log Files
27.2. System Information With the /proc File System
27.3. System Information With the /sys File System

List of Examples

5.1. rpm -q -i wget
5.2. Script to Search for Packages
6.1. A Shell Script Printing a Text
8.1. A Minimal INIT INFO Block
10.1. Entry in /etc/crontab
10.2. /etc/crontab: Remove Time Stamp Files
10.3. Example for /etc/logrotate.conf
10.4. ulimit: Settings in ~/.bashrc
11.1. /etc/modprobe.conf: Interrupt Mode for the First Parallel Port
11.2. Error Message from lpd
11.3. Broadcast from the CUPS Network Server
12.1. Example udev Rules
13.1. Screen Section of the File /etc/X11/xorg.conf
19.1. Writing IP Addresses
19.2. Linking IP Addresses to the Netmask
19.3. Sample IPv6 Address
19.4. IPv6 Address Specifying the Prefix Length
19.5. /etc/resolv.conf
19.6. /etc/hosts
19.7. /etc/networks
19.8. /etc/host.conf
19.9. /etc/nsswitch.conf
19.10. Output of the Command ping
19.11. Output of the ifconfig Command
19.12. Output of the route -n Command
23.1. Global Section in smb.conf