The Linux Tools guide provides resources and tips for implementing the most important tools for each category of the Linux operating system: application server administration, network, scripting, mozilla, security, management, and the desktop.
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Application server administer tools
Learn how to configure an application server, install MySQL, improve infrastructure security and monitor network performance with a few of these application server administrator tools.
Tip: Keys to successfully running Samba in a production environment
Learn best practices for configuration, backup, and support while running
Samba in a diverse production environment with Linux/Unix and Windows systems.
Tip: How to install CentOS 5.2 via a Preboot Execution Environment
Learn how to improve your OS installation experience by installing
CentOS 5.2 using a PXE server.
Tip: Installing the MySQL database server securely
The author of "Hardening Linux" gives step-by-step process to securing
your MySQL installation, focusing on infrastructure security.
Interview: Open source and mission critical: The Linux application server
landscape
In this Q&A, Michael Dortch discusses the cost benefits, weighs the pros
and cons of Linux application servers, and weighs the pros and cons of IBM WebSphere and
JBoss.com
Tip: Sybase vs. Oracle: 10 reasons to use Sybase on Linux
An expert lists why Sybase
running on Linux is a better choice than Oracle-on-Linux for enterprises today.
Tip: Linux sendfile and Apache servers: How an underused feature can offset overused
resources
Linux hacker and system administrator explains how
to improve Apache performance by taking advantage of the operating system's efficient data
transfer routines.
Tip: MySQL: Choosing the most important features
In this tip, learn about the benefits
and drawbacks of LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) with an emphasis on MySQL.
Tip: Try these useful BIND tools
BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain) is a server that implements Domain Name Service (DNS). Learn
these tools: hstcvt, dnswalk, nslint, host and dig.
Expert response: Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) drivers for Linux
Learn more
about ODBC, MySQL, and these tools: ksql, pgaccess and TkSQL.
Expert response: Monitor Linux performance with simple tools
Learn how to
monitor Linux system performance with vmstat and other "stat" commands.
Additional application server administer tools:
Dynamic Languages
Powered by GlassFish v3 Application Server
GlassFish v3 is an open source multilanguage application server with support for many Web
frameworks, including Grails, Rails, Merb, Sinatra, and Django.
Get
Nagios for your Ajax applications
Ajax applications must be monitored remotely over the networks. One program that can do this is
Nagios, an open source host, service, and network monitoring program.
Apache
Web server tools
A comprehensive list of Apache Web server resources and tools.
Ubuntu 8.04
(Hardy Heron) LAMP server setup
Installing a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) server on Ubuntu 8.04 can be done in 15
minutes.
JBoss application server Wiki
All things JBoss including hints for JBoss on Linux, an admin guide, and configuration
instructions.
Network tools
Network tools help improve network performance and reduce downtime, as well as configure routers, secure tunnels, and access network areas outside your local LAN.
Tip: Using OpenSSH for secure network tunnels on Linux
Learn about the basic
uses of SSH and how tunneling traffic through an SSH session works on Linux.
Tip: Managing events with Nagios Event Broker
Find out how Nagios
Event Broker (NEB) allows users to output and integrate events into a mix of tools including
MySQL databases, SNMP traps, and syslog messages.
Tip: Enterprise open source migrations: Dealing with file services
Learn about the file
services options in the open source world and how they work to combat problems when migrating
to Linux.
Chapter download: Testing Local Resources, chapter 7 of 'Nagios: System and Network
Monitoring'
In this book
excerpt, discover the dynamics of the different plug-ins needed to work with Nagios on
Linux.
Tip: Sharing files between Linux servers with NFS
Learn how
to establish communication between Linux servers using the Network File System (NFS).
Tip: Configure your RHEL4 network
Learn how
RHEL4 utilities and commands can solve problems accessing the network or areas outside your
local LAN.
Tip: Remedial network performance testing 101
Improve
Linux network performance with mii-tool, mii-diag and ethtool.
Interview: Linux routers, part 2: Router functionality lives in Linux kernel
An expert shareshis
thoughts on commercial routers, routing options available for Linux, and discusses the
fundamentals of the kernel.
Interview: Linux routers, part 3: Expert describes optimal Linux routing
setup
The final
installment of a three-part interview series reveals the best Linux networking environment is
one that is customized to meet the needs of the your individual environment.
More on network tools
9 Tips to diagnose
remote GNU/Linux server network connectivity issues
Try these tips and tools to diagnose problems when connecting Linux networks to remote or local
servers.
Bandwidth
monitoring tools for Linux | Ubuntu Geek
Learn about a number of different bandwith monitor tools for Linux, including Autofocus, EtherApe,
and vMstat, and find out which tool is right for you.
How
I used Linux network tools to solve real problems
Greg Schaffer presents real-life examples of utilizing the combination of the Linux distribution
Fedora Core with open-source packages libpcap, tcpdump, iptraf and MRTG to solve network
problems.
Monitoring network performance with
speedometer
Use Speedometer, a network performance tool, to view your network connection's history on a graph
at a glance and to monitor downloads individually.
Scripting tools
Administrators and users use shell scripting tools to improve backup runs, purge /tmp directories, monitor processes and create users, among many other tasks.
Chapter download: Debugging IPC with Shell commands from "The Linux Programmer's
Toolbox"
Author John Fusco recommends what open source tools are available for GNU/Linux and offers advice
about utilities for debugging communication between processes.
Tip: Managing high-volume CPU processes with Bash
Learn how to use
Bash script to check top-performing processes and lower the load of the CPU if it gets too
high.
Tips: Seven tips for optimizing shell script security
Simple tips to make
your shell scripts on Linux hosts as secure as possible.
Chapter download: Chapter 3 -- Databases with Perl -- of 'Beginning Perl Web
Development'
This chapter
download explains how users can utilize open source database MySQL with the Linux Web
application Perl and connect to relational databases.
Tip: Fighting spam with qpsmtpd
Learn how
to install qpsmtpd, a perl-based smtpd daemon, for spam protection on a Linux-based
distribution in the first part of this three-part tip.
Expert response: What is BPEL?
Learn how the business
process execution language for Web services can combine web services to implement business
processes.
Tip: End the end-of-line hassle
This tip explains how you use hex codes 0x0a, 0x0c and 0x0d to
help describe the ends of a lines in a file on Linux or Unix applications.
More resources on scripting tools
100 best JavaScript
resources
Review 100 of the best JavaScript techniques, plugins, and resources to use when working on Linux,
based on the major libraries jQuery, Prototype, Scriptaculous and more.
Scripting best practices Read best practice tips for scripting languages, with an emphasis on perl and bash.
Get to know
Linux: Bash scripting basics
Bash scripting is a necessity when using Linux. Learn the basics of bash scripting and find out how
to build upon this knowledge to create more and more complex bash scripts.
Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide
A guide for those wishing to start shell scripting. Starts at the beginning and quickly advances to
more complex scripting.
Linux and UNIX
How To: Scripting SSH and SFTP
There are times when it is helpful to script some action or series of actions for SSH servers
rather than performing them interactively. Python and paramiko are useful scripting tools to use in
this scenario.
Mozilla
Read tips on migrating from Internet Explorer to Firefox, discover how to detect against threats to your Firefox browser, and find out how to get the most out of your Mozilla Application Suite on Linux.
Tip: Firekeeper configuration: Hardening your Firefox browser
Learn about Firekeeper, a new
IDS engine tool that integrates with your Firefox browser available for Windows and Linux and
can detect and protect against online threats.
Tip: Firefox plug-ins: Download or tune out?
In this tip, users are directed where
to find safe Firefox add-ons and realize they are downloading plug-ins at their own risk.
Tip: How to switch an enterprise from IE to Firefox
This tip highlights important concerns enterprises must consider when switching
from Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) to Mozilla Firefox.
Tip: Where's the Firefox security button?
Learn the differences
between the Firefox security model and Internet Explorer's, the main point being Web security
within Mozilla tools is not something you customized individually.
Tip: Try these handy Mozilla tools on your Linux system
Discover how to get
more out of Mozilla Application Suite on enterprise Linux.
Q&A: Expert outlines Mozilla benefits, part 1
Learn how the Mozilla
platform can help IT shops with Windows-to-Linux migrations and interoperability.
Q&A: Expert outlines Mozilla benefits, part 2
Read about Mozilla
tools such as DOM Inspector and Debugger that can help IT shops debug tools and develop Web
applications.
Additional Mozilla tool tips and information
Debugging Mozilla on
Linux FAQ
In this FAQ, learn tricks you can use to debug Mozilla's components on Linux and how to work around
GDB memory usage problems during this process.
The Mozilla
toolkit
Learn about the important components of Mozilla, such as Gecko, XUL, XPCOM, and JavaScript.
Mozilla executives address
Firefox's challenges
In this article, Mozilla executives argue there is still room for Firefox among competitors such as
Apple and Microsoft.
Security tools
The resources, tips, and articles below highlight many popular and effective monitoring, intrusion detection, and other security tools available to make your Linux distribution as safe and secure as possible.
Tip: When to use SELinux: An introduction to security-enhanced Linux
Learn more
about security-enhanced Linux (SELinux), what it can do for you, how to deploy it, and
more.
Tip: Linux open source firewall software options
Examine some
of the open source firewalls and routers in a networked environment for Linux that influence
netfilter/iptables.
Tip: Security information management: OSSIM
Attain an
enterprise-wide view of Open Source Security Information Management, a monitoring package of
integrated open source tools, and the security it brings to security professionals.
Tip: Improving Snort performance with Barnyard
In this tip, find out how
to tune Snort, the intrusion detection application system (IDS), to work faster and more
proficiently with the third-party application Barnyard.
Interview: Platform and application security: Linux distributions, AppArmor and
more
Hardening Linux author and security expert discusses options
for the safest Linux distribution and compares security tool strength between AppArmor and
SELinux.
Tip: Bastille Linux: Introduction and installation
Learn how
automated security tool Bastille Linux works and why it is ideal for configuring heterogeneous
IT environments.
How to be a 'security warrior,' part 1
Learn about several useful
security tools you can use to outfit your secure Linux enterprise, including Nessus, Bastille,
and nmap.
Tip: Vulnerability scanning with Nessus
Learn how
the free security tool Nessus works.
Commentary: Addition of IPsec locks down 2.6 kernel
Find out how the
addition of IPsec and Netfiller built into 2.6 kernel is bringing Linux on par with Unix.
Administrator tip: Netstat: A small but powerful tool for administrators
Read more
about Netstat, a command already built into most Linux/Unix machines.
Check out additional security tool tips and resources
The Best Linux Security
Tools
Learn about ten of the best Linux security tools including Nmap and Nessus.
Getting started with the Linux Intrusion
Detection System
Find out more about LIDS, a patch to the Linux kernel that implements access control and goes
beyond file system settings.
Linux
security may be improved with hardening tool
Learn more about Security Blanket, a Linux hardening tool that is designed to be easy to use and
aid administrators with compliance issues.
In latest release, Nmap looks better than
ever
The 4.50 release of the Linux security tool Nmap includes Zenmap, a cross-platform GUI front end
that makes the tool easier to use.
SELinux Symposium
Learn basic concepts of this security tool and how they can be applied to create SELinux
policies.
Management and administration tools
Read below for useful tools, applications and commands to manage and/or administor your Linux server to the best of your ability.
Tip: Understanding Linux system performance management using top
An expert explains what
top performance results mean in order to help Linux server administrators determine how their
system is performing.
Tip: Linux regular expression tutorial
Learn how Linux
administrators can use regular expressions in grep to search for a specific text string within
files to narrow a command search.
Article: After delay, Fedora 10 finally available
Learn about the
Fedora 10 update that includes new remote server administration tools, cloud storage features,
security enhancements, and power-saving features useful for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and other
Linux distributions.
Tip: Is Nagios right for your data center?
Learn about Nagios' "simple build" philosophy to find out if this
open source tool is the best fit for your data center.
Tip: Virtual host management: How to use Puppet on Red Hat Enterprise Linux
5
Find out how
to install Puppet, a centralized configuration management tool, on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
in order to manage environments with hundreds of virtual hosts.
Tip: How to keep an eye on Linux performance
Take a look at simple built-in
Linux performance reporting commands.
Tip: Try integrated remote control
Read this short list
of remote management tools for Linux/Windows.
Interview: OpForce server-provisioning tool
The OpForce
server-provisioning tool adds support for SUuSE Linux. In this interview, Ranajit Nevatia talks
about using Linux for utility computing.
Interview: How Webmin can ease DNS management
The creator of Webmin, a program designed to simplify Unix or Linux management, explains how
Webmin can help handle DNS changes.
Desktop tools
Visit these different resources and Web sites to read about the benefits Linux desktop offers has over Windows and how to keep it this way with interoperability, desktop virutalization solutions, and other tools.
Tip: Virtualization options for enterprise Linux
An expert provides a summary of the
most important desktop virtualization solutions for Linux and offers circumstances where
different solutions are applicable.
Tip: Linux desktop interoperability: MS Office and OpenOffice
An expert weighs the benefits
and drawbacks of Linux interoperability as it relates to PC clients.
Tip: How to use GNOME to manage end users' desktops on SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop
10
Learn how
to set up a GNONE environment on SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 and use it to change desktop
settings and lock down the desktop.
Interview: The Linux desktop: Browser and distro security tips
The author of "Hardening Linux" explains why
the Linux desktop is more secure than Windows.
Tip: Linux business desktops: Open the pod bay doors, HAL
Two experts introduce the Linux
Hardware Abstraction Layer, a tool that helps desktop users get connected with hardware
devices.
Tip: How-to: MS-to-Linux desktops with Alacos' migration tool
Learn a step-by-step approach to installing
and using the Linux Migration Agent Network Server Edition, an Alacos' desktop migration
tool
Smart changes in latest OpenOffice upgrade
The most
recent OpenOffice upgrade offers the ability to send editable documents to others and a new way
to run your Impress presentations.
Additional desktop tool tips and resources
10 ways the Linux desktop improves
the user experience
Jack Wallen explains the advantages the Linux desktop has over Windows and Mac, such as efficient
and flexible design and superior update systems.
Make your Linux Desktop more
productive
Learn ways to make your Linux desktop more productive with OpenOffice.org.
Linux desktop search
Read about the Linux Beagle search utility, a tool that allows users to search right from the Linux
desktop without the command line.
This was first published in June 2009
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