Re: newbie here - system administration question
On Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:02:37 +0200 Per olof Ljungmark [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi debianites, I am a complete beginner with Debian and need a little help to get going. Specifically, I wonder how you configure the system (not installed software), things like the network, users, logging etc. Coming from BSD where a lot of things are in .conf files under /etc I have a problem understanding where Linux puts stuff. Hi and welcome, I think you should know that it is more complex that that. You need to be aware that different Linux distros place stuff as you call it in different places. Perhaps someone else on the list knows a website that lists the differences? Although I can't be more specific as I am a permanent newbie myself, I thought if you were made aware of this fact you would bear it in mind when you find online help referring to say RedHat, which has slight differences to the Debian file structure. HTH del For instance: When I installed the system the installer choose DHCP configuration without asking - I need a fixed IP. Looking in /etc, I see /etc/network/iface, is it here I fix that? Or is there some central utility that writes out conf files? What is the syntax for this file? man iface man network gives me nothing. This is Linux debian 2.6.18-4-686 #1 SMP, command line only (server enviroment). Thanks a lot! Per olof -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- D. M. Byram|| www d0t garmonsway d0t org/ /\ ASCII Ribbon Debian GNU/Linux || www.debian.org/ \ / Campaign Undo the obfuscation to gain my web address ...XAgainst HTML MICROSOFT FIREWALL STILL ABLAZE - BROKEN NEWS. BBC TV / \Mail -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
Wayne Topa wrote: --snip-- It would have been better if I had not had a type there. :-( No problem, I had one too - Welcome to the Debian Community. Thank you. I'm sure it will work out well, especially considering all the helpful hands that are here! Per olof -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
Per olof Ljungmark wrote: Hi debianites, I am a complete beginner with Debian and need a little help to get going. Specifically, I wonder how you configure the system (not installed software), things like the network, users, logging etc. [...] You may find answers to some of your problems on the website of the NewbieDOC project [1]. The great thing is that you can contribute your experiences back to the project because the website is a wiki. There is an example of a /etc/network/interfaces file in section 3 of the article on setting up a wireless network card [2]. (The ethernet card - eth0 - section has been commented out in this article.) You may need to add nameservers to /etc/resolv.conf. You can restart the network with the new configuration, as user root, with the commands # /etc/init.d/networking stop # /etc/init.d/networking start If you want to dig deeper, have a look at some man pages with these commands $ man ifconfig $ man ifup There is also an article on managing users and groups [3]. Logs are kept in /var/log/. Eg to view the last few entries in the system log (as root) # tail /var/log/syslog To follow the system log in real time # tail -f /var/log/syslog Other ways to read the logs: # more /var/log/syslog # cat /var/log/syslog # less /var/log/syslog # grep -i fail /var/log/boot (Check the man pages for these commands.) You might find the Debian Reference [4] useful too. [1] http://newbiedoc.berlios.de [2] http://newbiedoc.berlios.de/wiki/How_to_set_up_a_wireless_network_card_using_drivers_from_Debian_packages#Permanent_setup_once_everything_is_working [3] http://newbiedoc.berlios.de/wiki/Manage_users_and_groups [4] http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/reference/ -- Chris. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
s. keeling wrote: Per olof Ljungmark [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Where except on the local machine can I find Debian man pages? http://manpages.debian.net/ is not very informative I'm afraid... FWIW, I've always considered a *nix box which doesn't have manpages installed, a clumsily installed *nix box. So do I, always have them installed, even in this case. However, when I can and especially when working with new stuff, I try to use a good web interface if available in parallel to terminal sessions. And, if the online manpages does not work, why link to them? Just my $0.02. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
Per olof Ljungmark [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Where except on the local machine can I find Debian man pages? http://manpages.debian.net/ is not very informative I'm afraid... FWIW, I've always considered a *nix box which doesn't have manpages installed, a clumsily installed *nix box. Newbie: How do I do $foo?!? HELP!!! You: RTFM! Newbie: *WHAT* FM?!? However, allowances can be made for embeddeds. You can often find manpages in google, btw. -- Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. (*)http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html Linux Counter #80292 - -http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1855.htmlPlease, don't Cc: me. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
Per olof Ljungmark [EMAIL PROTECTED]: s. keeling wrote: Per olof Ljungmark [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Where except on the local machine can I find Debian man pages? http://manpages.debian.net/ is not very informative I'm afraid... [snip] And, if the online manpages does not work, why link to them? Well, do remember that Debian's an (almost?) all volunteer effort, and things do break. Just my $0.02. Heard about reportbug yet? Check it out and consider reporting the breakage on the package 'www.debian.org'. You probably want to check the BTS at bugs.debian.org first to see if it's already been reported. Perhaps there's a good reason why it's broken. -- Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. (*)http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html Linux Counter #80292 - -http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1855.htmlPlease, don't Cc: me. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
newbie here - system administration question
Hi debianites, I am a complete beginner with Debian and need a little help to get going. Specifically, I wonder how you configure the system (not installed software), things like the network, users, logging etc. Coming from BSD where a lot of things are in .conf files under /etc I have a problem understanding where Linux puts stuff. For instance: When I installed the system the installer choose DHCP configuration without asking - I need a fixed IP. Looking in /etc, I see /etc/network/iface, is it here I fix that? Or is there some central utility that writes out conf files? What is the syntax for this file? man iface man network gives me nothing. This is Linux debian 2.6.18-4-686 #1 SMP, command line only (server enviroment). Thanks a lot! Per olof -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
On Thu, 9 Aug 2007, Per olof Ljungmark wrote: Hi debianites, I am a complete beginner with Debian and need a little help to get going. Specifically, I wonder how you configure the system (not installed software), things like the network, users, logging etc. Coming from BSD where a lot of things are in .conf files under /etc I have a problem understanding where Linux puts stuff. For instance: When I installed the system the installer choose DHCP configuration without asking - I need a fixed IP. Looking in /etc, I see /etc/network/iface, is it here I fix that? Or is there some central utility that writes out conf files? What is the syntax for this file? man iface man network gives me nothing. This is Linux debian 2.6.18-4-686 #1 SMP, command line only (server enviroment). Thanks a lot! Per olof -- man interfaces should give you more info. Interface information is usually kept in /etc/network/interfaces though, so, I'm a little confused as to the iface, so hopefully that manpage will be there. -+- 8 out of 10 Owners who Expressed a Preference said Their Cats Preferred Techno. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
Jeff D wrote: On Thu, 9 Aug 2007, Per olof Ljungmark wrote: Hi debianites, I am a complete beginner with Debian and need a little help to get going. Specifically, I wonder how you configure the system (not installed software), things like the network, users, logging etc. Coming from BSD where a lot of things are in .conf files under /etc I have a problem understanding where Linux puts stuff. For instance: When I installed the system the installer choose DHCP configuration without asking - I need a fixed IP. Looking in /etc, I see /etc/network/iface, is it here I fix that? Or is there some central utility that writes out conf files? What is the syntax for this file? man iface man network gives me nothing. This is Linux debian 2.6.18-4-686 #1 SMP, command line only (server enviroment). Thanks a lot! Per olof -- man interfaces should give you more info. Interface information is usually kept in /etc/network/interfaces though, so, I'm a little confused as to the iface, so hopefully that manpage will be there. Sorry, my error, it was *interfaces*. Where except on the local machine can I find Debian man pages? http://manpages.debian.net/ is not very informative I'm afraid... -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
On Thu, 9 Aug 2007, Per olof Ljungmark wrote: Jeff D wrote: On Thu, 9 Aug 2007, Per olof Ljungmark wrote: Hi debianites, I am a complete beginner with Debian and need a little help to get going. Specifically, I wonder how you configure the system (not installed software), things like the network, users, logging etc. Coming from BSD where a lot of things are in .conf files under /etc I have a problem understanding where Linux puts stuff. For instance: When I installed the system the installer choose DHCP configuration without asking - I need a fixed IP. Looking in /etc, I see /etc/network/iface, is it here I fix that? Or is there some central utility that writes out conf files? What is the syntax for this file? man iface man network gives me nothing. This is Linux debian 2.6.18-4-686 #1 SMP, command line only (server enviroment). Thanks a lot! Per olof -- man interfaces should give you more info. Interface information is usually kept in /etc/network/interfaces though, so, I'm a little confused as to the iface, so hopefully that manpage will be there. Sorry, my error, it was *interfaces*. Where except on the local machine can I find Debian man pages? http://manpages.debian.net/ is not very informative I'm afraid... Hm, I dunno where to find man pages online for debian, I alway have them on my machines. Here is some good reference material though: http://wiki.debian.org/NetworkConfiguration but basically the syntax is this: auto eth0 iface eth0 inet static address x.x.x.167 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast x.x.x.255 gateway x.x.x.1 -+- 8 out of 10 Owners who Expressed a Preference said Their Cats Preferred Techno. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
Per olof Ljungmark([EMAIL PROTECTED]) is reported to have said: Hi debianites, I am a complete beginner with Debian and need a little help to get going. Specifically, I wonder how you configure the system (not installed software), things like the network, users, logging etc. Coming from BSD where a lot of things are in .conf files under /etc I have a problem understanding where Linux puts stuff. For instance: When I installed the system the installer choose DHCP configuration without asking - I need a fixed IP. Looking in /etc, I see /etc/network/iface, is it here I fix that? Or is there some central utility that writes out conf files? What is the syntax for this file? man iface man network gives me nothing. This is Linux debian 2.6.18-4-686 #1 SMP, command line only (server enviroment). Rather then try to give you things to do, and as you are a beginner, install the debian-reference package. Most, if not all, of your questions are answered there. apr-cache search debian-reference(pick your language) Wayne -- Crashing is the only thing windows does quickly. ___ -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
Wayne Topa wrote: Per olof Ljungmark([EMAIL PROTECTED]) is reported to have said: Hi debianites, I am a complete beginner with Debian and need a little help to get going. Specifically, I wonder how you configure the system (not installed software), things like the network, users, logging etc. Coming from BSD where a lot of things are in .conf files under /etc I have a problem understanding where Linux puts stuff. For instance: When I installed the system the installer choose DHCP configuration without asking - I need a fixed IP. Looking in /etc, I see /etc/network/iface, is it here I fix that? Or is there some central utility that writes out conf files? What is the syntax for this file? man iface man network gives me nothing. This is Linux debian 2.6.18-4-686 #1 SMP, command line only (server enviroment). Rather then try to give you things to do, and as you are a beginner, install the debian-reference package. Most, if not all, of your questions are answered there. apr-cache search debian-reference(pick your language) Sounds like a good idea, I'll probably figure out what/where apr-cache is as well... I'm not demanding answers that tells me exactly how to do things but I'm also interested how you, already Debian users, do it. Jeff D pointing me to the Wiki was helpful also, I had not managed to get there yet. As always, it takes a while to get used to a new enviroment. bash: apr-cache: command not found -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
On Thu, Aug 09, 2007 at 10:49:15PM +0200, Per olof Ljungmark wrote: Rather then try to give you things to do, and as you are a beginner, install the debian-reference package. Most, if not all, of your questions are answered there. apr-cache search debian-reference(pick your language) Sounds like a good idea, I'll probably figure out what/where apr-cache is as well... I'm not demanding answers that tells me exactly how to do things but I'm also interested how you, already Debian users, do it. Jeff D pointing me to the Wiki was helpful also, I had not managed to get there yet. As always, it takes a while to get used to a new enviroment. bash: apr-cache: command not found That was a typo. Try apt-cache search debian-reference or start aptitude and use / to search. Regards, Andrei -- If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. (Albert Einstein) signature.asc Description: Digital signature
Re: newbie here - system administration question
On 22:49 Thu 09 Aug , Per olof Ljungmark wrote: Wayne Topa wrote: Per olof Ljungmark([EMAIL PROTECTED]) is reported to have said: bash: apr-cache: command not found ^^^ Typo - should be apt-cache. Probably worth reading up on Debian basics, maybe run apt-get install apt-howto debian-reference and settle down to some bedtime reading. Regards, John -- War is God's way of teaching Americans geography Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914) -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
John K Masters wrote: On 22:49 Thu 09 Aug , Per olof Ljungmark wrote: Wayne Topa wrote: Per olof Ljungmark([EMAIL PROTECTED]) is reported to have said: bash: apr-cache: command not found ^^^ Typo - should be apt-cache. Probably worth reading up on Debian basics, maybe run apt-get install apt-howto debian-reference and settle down to some bedtime reading. Sounds lika a good advice, done, thanks. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
Looking in /etc, I see /etc/network/iface, is it here I fix that? I don't see any such file. There is /etc/network/interfaces however. man iface man network try man interfaces ;-) Stefan -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
Per olof Ljungmark([EMAIL PROTECTED]) is reported to have said: Wayne Topa wrote: Per olof Ljungmark([EMAIL PROTECTED]) is reported to have said: Hi debianites, --snip-- This is Linux debian 2.6.18-4-686 #1 SMP, command line only (server enviroment). Rather then try to give you things to do, and as you are a beginner, install the debian-reference package. Most, if not all, of your questions are answered there. apr-cache search debian-reference(pick your language) Sounds like a good idea, I'll probably figure out what/where apr-cache is as well... I'm not demanding answers that tells me exactly how to do things but I'm also interested how you, already Debian users, do it. Jeff D pointing me to the Wiki was helpful also, I had not managed to get there yet. It would have been better if I had not had a type there. :-( apt-cache is yet another package that will assist you in finding packages you might want to install. For instance apt-cache show debian-reference Description: metapackage to install (all) translations of Debian Reference This Debian Reference (http://qref.sourceforge.net/) covers many aspects of system administration through shell-command examples. Basic tutorials, tips, and other information are provided for topics including fundamental concepts of the Debian system, system installation hints, Debian package management, the Linux kernel under Debian, system tuning, building a gateway, text editors, CVS, programming, and GnuPG for non-developers. For help with emergency system maintenance, proceed to Section 6.3, `Debian survival commands', immediately. The latest official version is http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/reference/ and the latest development version is http://qref.sourceforge.net/quick/. The project is hosted at http://qref.sourceforge.net/. As always, it takes a while to get used to a new enviroment. Yes it does, but once you get the hang of it you will be not be sorry. bash: apr-cache: command not found The typo again. To see if you have apt-cache installed do dpkg -l apt-cache (This IS spelled correctly) :-) You install packages using either aptitude or apt-get. For information on how to use a program do man program-name so to see how to use apt-cache man apt-cache Read the debian-reference. Many things will become clear. Being subscribed to this list was a good step upwards in your learning curve. Keep it up and read, read, read. We are here to help. Welcome to the Debian Community. Wayne -- It works! Now if only I could remember what I did... ___ -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
On Thu, 2007-08-09 at 17:26 -0400, Stefan Monnier wrote: Looking in /etc, I see /etc/network/iface, is it here I fix that? I don't see any such file. There is /etc/network/interfaces however. man iface man network try man interfaces ;-) Stefan I prefer the 'info' command. I provides more in-depth coverage, and if no info documents exist, it just displays the man page anyway. Become familiar with apt (apt-get, apt-cache) since it is used to install software in Debian. This is one of the many beauties of Debian since apt retrieves packages and their dependencies and makes installing software a snap. Aptitude is a front-end to apt and even provides more functionality. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: newbie here - system administration question
On Thursday 09 August 2007 14:02, Per olof Ljungmark wrote: Hi debianites, I am a complete beginner with Debian and need a little help to get going. Specifically, I wonder how you configure the system (not installed software), things like the network, users, logging etc. Coming from BSD where a lot of things are in .conf files under /etc I have a problem understanding where Linux puts stuff. For instance: When I installed the system the installer choose DHCP configuration without asking - I need a fixed IP. Looking in /etc, I see /etc/network/iface, is it here I fix that? Or is there some central utility that writes out conf files? What is the syntax for this file? man iface man network gives me nothing. This is Linux debian 2.6.18-4-686 #1 SMP, command line only (server enviroment). Thanks a lot! Per olof - Some advice; In a command line only environment that is used for a server, the most useful tool to managing the system is an application called mc Midnight Commander it will make your efforts much more productive. It is a real good file management application with a huge array of features. I manage a small network of 5 servers and it is about all I use. I also use the older 'dselect' more frequently than 'aptitude' Since Debian is so huge the strongest feature of the entire system is the package management system. I also use dwww with apache2 for both documentation viewing and as my web server. With these tools you can easily find. and edit by hand the required files. /etc/network/ x /etc/resolv.conf /etc/networks /etc/hosts and maybe : /etc/mailname these should get you up and running with a static ip address. Welcome aboard! -- John W. Foster -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
