Red Hat Fedora Linux 3 For Dummies (For Dummies Series)

Fedora Core "X" is the latest release of the leading Linux distribution, which boasts approximately 70 percent of the Linux market in the United States and serves as a low-cost alternative to more expensive operating systems Written in the trademark friendly, humorous, easy-to-understand For Dummies style, this updated edition shows Linux newbies how to install and use Fedora Core Includes new coverage of the SELinux infrastructure (an important new security feature), Linux and GNOME applications, how to fine-tune the GNOME desktop, and the new GStreamer multimedia tool Companion DVD includes the full Fedora Core "X" distribution-all the tools and source code on the multi-CD version Red Hat Fedora Linux 3 For Dummies 5 About the Authors 7 Dedication 9 Authors’ Acknowledgments 9 Contents at a Glance 11 Table of Contents 13 Introduction 21 About This Book 22 Foolish Assumptions 23 Conventions Used in This Book 23 How This Book Is Organized 25 What You’re Not to Read 27 Icons in This Book 28 Where to Go from Here 28 Part I: Installing Fedora Core 29 Chapter 1: And in the Opposite Corner . . . a Penguin? 31 History of the World, er, Linux: Part II 31 Knowing What You Can Do with Fedora Core 33 Boosting Your Personal Workstation 34 Using Linux Network Tools and Services 35 Chapter 2: Paving the Way for Fedora Core 37 Preparing Your Windows Computer for Fedora Core 38 “Am I FAT or Just NTFS?” 39 Defragmenting Your Hard Drive 39 We’re Moving on up, to the Linux Side 41 Chapter 3: Ready, Set, Install! 49 Choosing an Installation Type 50 Installation Stage 1: Beginning the Journey 51 Installation Stage 2: Slicing and Dicing the Pie 53 Installation Stage 3: Configuring Your Network 57 Installation Stage 4: Configuring Your Options 60 Installation Stage 5: The Point of No Return 62 Post-Installation: Using the Setup Agent 63 Chapter 4: Getting to Know Fedora Core 67 Booting Your Fedora Core Computer 67 Logging In to Your Fedora Core Computer 68 Using Graphical and Text-Based Applications and Utilities 69 Configuring Your Monitor and Video Card 71 Introducing the Linux File System Tree 75 Creating User Accounts 76 Ending Your First Session 80 Part II: Got Net? 81 Chapter 5: Dull Dial-Up Modems Still Get the Job Done 83 Desperately Seeking ISP 84 Configuring Your Internet Connection 86 Firing Up Your Internet Connection 89 Chapter 6: Broadband Rocks! 91 DSL and Cable Connections: The Difference Is the Wiring 92 The Cable-Modem Option 93 The DSL Option 98 Chapter 7: Connect Locally, Communicate Globally: Connecting to a LAN 105 Introducing Local-Area Networks 106 Configuring Your NIC with the Fedora Core Network Utility 107 Manually Starting and Stopping Your Network 116 Chapter 8: Only You Can Prevent Bad Firewalls 119 Understanding Why You Need a Firewall in the First Place 120 Building an Effective Firewall 121 Setting Up a Firewall 122 Displaying Your Firewall Rules 125 Firing Up Your Firewall 126 Part III: Linux, Huh! What Is It Good For? Absolutely Everything! 129 Chapter 9: Gnowing GNOME 131 Introducing the X Window System 132 Introducing the GNOME Graphical Environment 133 Introducing the GNOME Desktop 134 Using GNOME Windows 138 Making GNOME Desktop Icons 139 Introducing the GNOME Panel 140 Adding and Deleting Panels 141 Introducing GNOME Menus 142 Configuring GNOME MIME Types 144 Goodnight GNOME 144 Chapter 10: Gnowing More Applications 147 Navigating with Nautilus File and Internet Integration Manager 147 Introducing Fedora Core/GNOME Applications 151 Chapter 11: Surfin’ the Net and Using E-Mail 157 Making the World Wide Web Possible 157 Surfin’ the Net with Mozilla 158 Come the Evolution Revolution 165 Chapter 12: Using Audio and Video Applications 171 Groovin’ to Tunes with CD Player 172 Ripping CD Music Files 174 Burning CDs 175 Using Rhythmbox 177 Introducing the Mighty MPlayer 178 Installing the MPlayer Plugin 182 Installing and Using RealPlayer 10 183 Chapter 13: Going to the OpenOffice 185 Opening Your Office 185 Getting to Know OpenOffice 189 Chapter 14: The Days of Wine and Windows Applications 195 Introducing Wine 195 Using Wine 198 Part IV: Revenge of the Nerds 211 Chapter 15: Building Your Own Private Network 213 Designing and Building Your Private Network 214 Building an Internet Gateway 220 Chapter 16: Creating Basic Linux Network Services 231 Preparing a Network Server 231 Building an Apache Web Server 232 Building a DNS Server 236 Building a Samba Server 243 Building a Print Server 247 Chapter 17: Securing Your Future 257 Thinking Security 257 An Ounce of Protection: Preventing Intruders 258 Introducing SELinux 278 Understanding the Security Process 281 Chapter 18: Bringing In the Fedora Core Repairman 283 The Fix Is In: Troubleshooting Your Network 284 Introducing Fault Trees 284 Ticking Through Your Linux Networking Checklist 286 Chapter 19: Building a Streaming Audio Server 297 Introducing Ices2 and Icecast2 297 Creating a Music Source 298 Installing Ices2 and Icecast2 300 Putting It All Together: Streaming Music to Your Private Network 307 Streaming on Your Private Network 307 Part V: The Part of Tens 311 Chapter 20: Ten Problem Areas and Solutions 313 “Help! I Need Some Help!” 313 Fixing Common Problems 316 Chapter 21: Ten Security Vulnerabilities and Their Fixes 323 How Many Daemons Can Dance on the Head of the Linux Process Table? 324 Hide Your Communications with OpenSSH 325 Aha! No Firewall — Oh Boy! 325 Keeping Up with the Software Joneses 326 “Backups? I Don’t Need No Stinking Backups!” 326 My Buffer Overfloweth 327 Social Engineering 1010101010 330 Bad Passwords 330 Scan Me 331 I Know Where You Logged In Last Summer 332 Part VI: Appendixes 333 Appendix A: Fedora Core Administration Utilities 335 System Settings 335 Server Settings 336 System Tools 337 Appendix B: Discovering Your Hardware’s True Identity 339 Breaking Down Your Computer 339 Understanding Hard-Drive Controllers 341 A Bit About Memory Bytes 342 Discovering Your Windows 9x or Windows Me Hardware 343 Discovering Your Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP Hardware 344 Appendix C: Filing Your Life Away 345 Getting Linux File Facts Straight 345 Moving Around the File System 348 Manipulating Files and Directories 352 Changing File Ownership and Granting Permissions 355 Making Your Own Rules 357 Appendix D: Becoming a Suit: Managing the Linux File System 359 Mounting and Unmounting a File System 359 Adding a Disk Drive 361 Appendix E: Revving Up with RPM and YUM 363 Introducing the Red Hat Package Manager 364 Using the Red Hat Package Manager 365 Manual Shifting with RPM 368 Introducing YUM 370 Appendix F: About the DVD 375 System Requirements 375 What You Find 376 If You Have Problems with Your DVD 377 Index 379