Linux Server Hacks Volume 2

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

 Whether they help you recover lost data, collect information from distributed clients, or synchronize administrative environments, the solutions found in Linux Server Hacks, Volume Two will simplify your life as a system administrator.

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