Linux Engine Howard Mann's Eclectic Compendium James Andrews
Thursday, August 26, 1999 11:33:55 AM
Howard Mann's Ecletic Compendium
Some amazing articles on setting up and using Linux, focusing on
Redhat 5.2. We simply cannot praise this site enough. Here is how Howard himself describes his articles.
EASY BACKUPS
It is easy to backup files using the copy (cp) and tar
commands within an executable script. With a script,
you will be able to accomplish this by typing one word
at the command prompt.
THE DOT FILES
As a user, you will be able to customize many aspects of
your working environment by editing certain files that you
will place in your personal directory in the Unix directory
hierarchy. These files determine, among many other things,
the appearance of your desktop and the items found thereon.
ETHERNET
I describe how to configure an Ethernet interface and how
to establish support for your Network Interface Card. You
will need to accomplish this if you establish a home Local
Area Network or if you connect to the Internet with Cable
Modem or DSL.
FINDING HELP ON THE 'NET
In this section, I emphasize the importance of getting
information from FAQ's available online and from
archives of newsgroup postings by doing a Power Search
on dejanews.com.
INFORMATION ABOUT LINUX AVAILABLE
ON THE INTERNET
I provide many selected links to websites that concern
Linux - news, journals, discussion groups, FAQ's,
HOW TO's, program repositories and more. Because of the
vast number of Linux-related websites on the internet,
this selection is necessarily limited to those I consider
most informative and useful. I also describe how to use
the Internet to find information and help concerning any
particular problem you may be trying to solve.
INSTALLATION
If you are contemplating an installation of Linux, peruse
this section. I describe how I partitioned my hard disc and
configured a dual-boot setup with Windows\xae 95. I describe
why I recommend a Linux distribution that uses Red Hat's
(RPM) program package management system. I provide links
to web pages that will help you obtain the appropriate
X-server for your video card and necessary specifications
for your monitor.
CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET
I describe how to configure a PPP interface by using
the Network Configuration tool that comes with Red Hat
Linux. This interface permits one to use a conventional
modem to connect to an Internet Service Provider.
BASICS OF RPM AND FTP
Here I describe how to obtain and install RPM (Red
Hat Package Manager) versions of programs using FTP.
Great graphical utilities are available to make these
tasks very easy.
UNIX FOR LINUX
Linux is essentially a Unix-based operating system which
was developed by Linus Torvalds. In order to use Linux,
you will need to understand the foundational principles
underlying the operating system, and learn to perform
certain tasks by issuing commands to the heart of the
operating system - the kernel. I will provide links to
tutorials that will enble you to master the requisites.
VIDEOCARD CHIPSET AND XFREE86
I devote this page to helping you find information about
your videcard chipset and finding a X-server (driver) for
the card. I describe how to update your XFree86 X - window
server to the latest version and provide a link to a page
where I describe how to get and install files when you do
not yet have a connection to the 'net from your Linux box.
I directed this section primarily at the home user.
XWOES
In this section I suggest an approach to solving problems
related to configuring the XFree86 X window-server. It
will help you understand the XF86Config file, and how
to relate it to the hardware on your system. Discordance
between this file and the hardware you have is a common
source of problems in this area.
Here I explain how modelines in XFree86 are constructed. I describe a method you may use to construct a modeline for a particular screen resolution using the best screen refresh rate your monitor is capable of providing. This section may also be considered a supplement to the Xwoes page.
GETTING FILES TO YOUR LINUX BOX
If you need to get files to your Linux box but do not yet have a connection to the 'net, peruse this page. I describe several methods of accomplishing this.
