1 COMPUTERS PLUS COMPUTERS PLUSusers.on.net/~montsalvat/TechnicalReport-IIT.pdf · environment to...

- 1 -

Student No: 3104960 Operating Systems, Processing & Technical Report

1

COMPUTERS PLUS COMPUTERS PLUS COMPUTERS PLUS COMPUTERS PLUS

TECHNICAL REPORT

09 May, 2005

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• ABSTRACT

• INTRODUCTION • MANAGEMENT SUMMARY

• HARDWARE/SOFTWARE

• UNIX/LINUX

• THE UNIX FILE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• CONCLUSION

• REFERENCES/FOOTNOTES

• GLOSSARY

- 2 -


2

ABSTRACT:

The ultimate objective of Computers Plus over the medium to long term is to

offer instruction, to both company staff and prospective students, in the

installation, configuration and administration of Unix/linux systems.

Additionally, Computers Plus plans to run Certificate Courses in Networking.

INTRODUCTION: The following report makes provision for the setup of an Information

Technology Training Room, consisting of twenty Workstations and one

dedicated firewall/server. All appropriate software will be installed on

each of the twenty Workstations, as per company requirements.

The objective is to provide Computers Plus with a fully functional I.T. training

environment to enable prospective students to become proficiently certified in

the use of MS Office applications, Photoshop and Unix/linux systems

administration.

Provision shall also be made for future expansion over the long term, to allow

Computers Plus to conduct training and certification in networking.

MANAGEMENT SUMMARY: The following summary is to take into account Computers Plus’s hardware,

software and training requirements.

HARDWARE:

I would recommend that Computers Plus acquire PC Workstations in lieu of

Mac Workstations for two reasons:

- 3 -


3

1. PCs are more widely used within the community, both at a corporate and

personal level; hence better support and software compatibility

2. PC hardware is more affordable in keeping within the bounds of the

Computers Plus’s pre-determined budget.

3.

Having said that, I am putting forth the following two options for Management’s

consideration.

OPTION 1:

Purchase 20 Workstations from Dell Australia with standard telephone technical

support and 3 years system hardware warranty and on-site labour. The cost per

Workstation would be $1,822.70 inc. GST.

OPTION 2:

Purchase 20 Workstations plus one dedicated firewall/server/router from

Smartshop with 3 years system hardware warranty, but without standard

telephone technical support and on-site labour. The cost per Workstation would

be $1,299.00 inc. GST plus $330 inc. GST for the dedicated firewall/server.

Based upon extensive research, my recommendation would be to acquire all

hardware and peripherals from Smartshop, thus saving $523.70 per Workstation

without impacting upon performance. I would also advocate the replacement of

all hardware after a period of three years, in order to keep abreast of the rapid

advancements in technology in relation to hardware and associated peripherals.

I would counsel AGAINST acquiring wireless hardware for the following

reasons:

1. Less reliable

2. Prone to interference e.g. portable phones

3. Increased possibility of security breaches

4. Requirement for a lot more housekeeping to prevent hacking

5. More expensive to purchase

- 4 -


4

SOFTWARE:

In response to the long term plan by Computers Plus to offer training to

prospective students regarding the installation, use and administration of

Unix/linux platforms, it is recommended to install VMware and an open source

operating system on each Windows Workstation. The installation of an

emulator, such as VMware, precludes the necessity to acquire 20 additional

Workstations in order to install a Unix/linux distribution, thus reducing the

cost of Computers Plus’s Unix/linux requirements.

Another distinct advantage with installing VMware on each of the twenty

Workstations is that students will not have to reboot when needing to change

from a windows platform to a Unix/linux platform and vice versa.

As it is not the intention of Computers Plus at this stage to do a wholesale

migration from Windows to linux, it is therefore necessary to incorporate two

stable operating systems – Windows XP Pro and Fedora Core 3 – on every

Workstation within the training environment.

There are too many points in favour of MS Windows XP Pro to consider

completely abandoning it at this point in time. In addition, each of the twenty

Workstations will be shipped with MS Windows XP Pro pre-installed as part of

the overall package. Additionally, there is not necessarily a cost saving in

moving from Windows to linux, because to purchase a commercial

distribution of linux, such as Red Hat Enterprise linux 4, will require pre-

machine licences.

These licences can prove to be quite expensive, comparable in fact to Windows

licences and in some cases more expensive.

Therefore, to minimise cost, I recommend the free acquisition and installation of

Fedora Core 3 in order to meet the company’s long-term plan regarding the use

of a Unix/linux platform to be used for training staff and prospective students.

- 5 -


5

The reasons for selecting the linux distribution, Fedora Core, are twofold:

Firstly, Fedora Core is arguably the most widely used open source distribution

at both a corporate and personal level, thus providing the greatest support

within the open source community. Additionally, the linux disk quota works

and the kernel shipped with Fedora Core is generally a later version compared

to most other linux and BSD distributions.

Secondly, the Fedora Core Project is an open source project sponsored by Red

Hat and supported by the Fedora community. Open Source refers to a program

in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or

modification from its original design “free of charge”.

Note: Fedora Core 3 and it’s subsequent new releases will be available free of charge i.e.

from the internode file mirror.

ClarkConnect Office Edition Version 3.0, featuring SMB Gateway Services will

be deployed to act as a firewall/server/router. “In line with Company

requirements, a Webserver and a VPN will be set up using ClarkConnect”,

enabling students to log in from home to access online tutorial support.

TRAINING:

A dedicated training room will be set up to provide Computers Plus staff and

prospective students with instruction in relation to the use of the following

software:

• Windows XP Pro

• MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint , Publisher and

Project)

• Photoshop

• VoIP (Optional)

• Unix/linux (Fedora Core 3 will be the preferred choice of linux distribution

for reasons previously stated)

- 6 -


6

INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER:

Based upon extensive research and past experiences, I would recommend either

Internode or Westnet to provide a broadband [ADSL] service to Computers

Plus. The primary reasons for choosing either Internode or Westnet are that both

Internet Service Providers have competitively priced plans, provide a reliable

service and support is both readily accessible and efficient. My first preference

would be Internode’s Business-1500-Premium plan.

TECHNICAL REPORT, OPERATING SYSTEMS

AND PROCESSING:

1. Hardware/Software

The following is a list of recommended hardware, peripherals and software

required to set up twenty networked Workstations for the specific purpose of

training Computers Plus staff and future prospective students in a variety of

Information Technology skills.

All prices listed below include G.S.T.

• 20 Workstations:

Each Workstation pre-installed with MS Windows XP Pro,

MS Office 2003, MS Project 2003, MS Office Visio 2003:

$25,980.00

• A dedicated P3 Firewall/Server/Router box: $330.00

• ClarkConnect Officer Version 3 Software Package featuring

SMB Gateway Services: $618.75

- 7 -


7

• 20 x Vmware Workstations Version 5 software packages:

$4,725.00

• 1 x HP 1320N Laser Printer: $865.00

• 1 x Netgear 24 Port 10/100 FS 524: $320.00

• 1 x Bipac-7402 ADSL VPN Firewall Router VPN with 3 DES

accelerator, 4 port switch (Firmware upgradeable to ADSL 2/12

Mbs and ADSL 2+130Mbs: $220.00

• 1 x Splitter: $42.00

• 20 x Photoshop Educational new version CS2: $9,189.00

• 22 x 10m LAN cables $5.40

• 1 x UPS: $392.99

** TOTAL COST:

$42,668.14

** Note: all twenty Workstations will include the following components, as

well as MS Windows XP Pro, MS Office XP 2003, MS Office XP Publisher

2004 and MS Project Pro 2003.

• AMD Sempron 2.2 processor

• Gigabyte 7VM400M AMD motherboard

• 512 DDR memory

• 40 GB HDD 7200

• 1.44 Floppy Drive

• ATX Miditower case

• PS2 Keyboard and mouse

• 17” CRT monitor

• 52 speed CD ROM

• Integrated VGA/Sound

- 8 -


8

• 10/100 Ethernet Card

• MS Windows XP Pro oem

• MS Office XP 2003 oem

• MS Project Pro 2003 oem

• MS Office XP Publisher 2004 oem

• Fedora Core 3 (4 disks)

• Firefox browser

• Thunderbird email client

• Winzip

• WinSCP

• Putty

• gVim

• Xemacs

• Adobe Reader 6.0

• Skype

ADDITIONAL COSTS:

Internet Service Provider (Internode): - Business – 1500 – Premium Plan

• $220 per month

• 1500/256 kbps

• Pre-paid monthly data: 40GB

• Excess data: $50.00 per GB

• Monthly price cap: $999.00

• Upload data: free

• IP: Static

- 9 -


9

RHCE Certification for one Computers Plus employee:

• RHCE $6,084.00

Training in the use of MS Applications for One Computers Plus

employee:

• MS Windows XP Pro:

$1,060.00

• MS Office: $715.00

• MS Office Advanced: $715.00

• Photoshop: $250.00

• MS Project: $295.00

• MS Publisher: $330.00

• VoIP (Optional): $240.00

TOTAL: $3,605.00

ClarkConnect:

• Domain Registration (www.computersplus.com.au): $35.00 per year

• Domain Renewal: $35.00 per year

ClarkConnect is a powerful yet easy-to-use software package that transforms

off-the-shelf server hardware into a dedicated internet firewall, gateway or

server. The software is a great solution for schools, businesses, organisations

and home offices. Office Edition 3.0 has an end of life date, 01 July 2008.

The ClarkConnect solution is built on the stability and security of linux. Features

include:

• VPN and dynamic IP support

- 10 -


10

• Firewall and security, including 1-to-1 NAT Support and DMZ Support

• Bandwidth management

• Intrusion prevention and weekly update service

• Content filter and weekly update service

• Mail server and Mail/Mx backup service

• 24/7 resource and port monitoring

• Antispam

• Antivirus

• Apache Web Server

• Webmail

• MySQL Database

• Windows file server

• Print server

• Proxy server

• SMPT authentication

• SMPT Gateway

• SMPT Server

• Pop and IMAP Servers

• Banner and ad blocking

• DSL (including PPPoE)

• Internal DHCP Server

• Caching DNS Server

• FTP Server

• Printer sharing

• Apple Share File Server

• Secure/SSL Support

• Support for CGI and PHP

- 11 -


11

•

• Webmin Package

• Multi Processor Support

• Hardware and Software Raid

• Daily Security Audits

In order to meet the objectives of Computers Plus’s short-term plan in relation to

the installation of software and the use of applications, I highly recommend at

least one Computers Plus employee be trained in the use of the following

software applications. The cost of $ 3,605.00 will be borne by the company,

Computers Plus.

• Windows XP Pro – 3 days

• MS Office – 9 days

• MS Office Advanced – 12 days

• Photoshop – 4 days

• MS Project – 6 days

• MS Publisher – 2 days

• VoIP (Optional) - 4 days

• Total Duration – 40 days

In order to meet the objectives of Computers Plus’s long term plan, I highly

recommend at least one Computers Plus employee be trained and certified as an

RHCE by Red Hat, at a cost of $6,084.00, paid for by the Company. The RHCE

course includes the following:

• RH033 – Red Hat Linux Essentials – 4 days

• RH133 – Red Hat Linux System Administration – 4.5 days

• RH253 – Red Hat Linux Networking and Security Administration – 4 days

• RH302 – RHCE Certification Lab Exam – 1 day

• Total Duration – 13.5 days

- 12 -


12

2. UNIX/LINUX

Linux is the core, or kernel, of a free operating system first developed and

released to the world by Linus Benedict Torvalds in 1991. Fortuitously for all

linux users, Torvalds chose to distribute linux under a free software license

named the GNU General Public License (GPL).

Linux is free software. Combining the linux kernel with GNU software tools –

drivers, utilities, user interfaces, and other software such as the XFree86 Project

Inc.’s XFree86 Window System – creates a linux distribution. There are many

different linux distributions from different vendors, but many are derived from

or closely mimic Red Hat, Inc.’s distribution of linux, Red Hat Linux.

Linux is a project initiated to create a working verson of UNIX on Intel-based

machines, more commonly referred to as IBM PC-compatible computers that

most people are familiar with.

Linux is basically a UNIX clone, which means that with Linux you get many of

the advantages of UNIX. Linux multitasking is fully pre-emptive, meaning that

you can run multiple programs at the same time, and each program seems to

process continuously. Other systems, such as Microsoft Windows 3.1, allow

you to run multiple programs, but when you switch from one program to

another, the first program typically stops running. Microsoft’s Windows 98 and

Windows NT are more like Linux because they allow pre-emptive multitasking.

Linux allows you to start a file transfer, print a document, copy a floppy, use a

CD-ROM and play a game – all at the same time.

Linux is fully multi-user capable, which means that more than one person can

log in to and use the system at the same time. Although the multi-user feature

may not be very useful at home, it gives many people in a corporate or

university setting access to the same resources at the same time yet

eliminates the need to duplicate expensive machines.

You’ll want to use linux because it’s the only operating system today that’s freely

available to provide multitasking and multiprocessing capabilities for multiple

users on IBM PC-compatible hardware platforms. No other operating system

gives you these same feature s with the power that linux enjoys. Linux also

separates you from the marketing whims of the various commercial providers.

- 13 -


13

You aren’t locked into upgrading every few years and paying outrageous sums

to update all your applications. Many applications for linux are freely available

on the Internet, just as the source code to linux itself is available on the Internet.

Thus, you have access to the source code to modify and expand the operating

system to your needs – something you can’t do with commercial operating

systems such as Windows NT, Windows, 98, MS DOS, and O/S2.

PROS & CONS (UNIX/LINUX):

I am going to show some of what I consider to be the advantages and

disadvantages of running linux. In some cases, you may agree, and in others you

may disagree. This is really written to non-technical managers or others who are

just curious about what linux may have to offer them. Many of the things I am

going to say can also be applied to other open-source operating systems, such as

the BSD series of UNIX distributions. First, I'll list four advantages, then four

disadvantages, and present my conclusion.

Advantage #1 - Stability

If you have used other operating systems, once you have made the switch to

linux, you will notice that linux has an edge over Windows here. I can remember

rebooting Windows many times over the years, because an application crashed,

and I couldn't continue working. linux can crash also, but it is much harder to

do. If an application crashes in linux, it will usually not harm the kernel or other

processes.

Advantage #2 - Free Software

Most software can be obtained without cost for linux. For example, one thing

that has kept people from linux is the lack of office software. That has changed

with Open Office, and now you can edit documents and presentations from the

popular Microsoft software. The conversion isn't 100% perfect, but it has worked

remarkably well in allowing me to correspond and use documents that people

- 14 -


14

send me via e-mail or the web.

Advantage #3 - Runs on old hardware

If you have an old 386 or 486 laying around collecting dust, you can use this to

run linux. I remember running linux just fine on a Pentium 100 with a 1 GB disk

drive, and 16 MB of memory. One use of an old machine like that could be a file

server. Just go to your computer store, buy a large hard disk (as long as your old

stuff can support it), and you can make a great storage server. With all the digital

pictures and movies around today, this could be a great use for linux.

Look into using Samba, a server application for linux that allows you to make

your machine share the disk as a Windows share.

Advantage #4 - Security

Linux has the advantage of the code being in the public domain. This can be a

double-edged sword; while you can look at the code, and developers can fix

holes rapidly, it also means hackers can find bad code. I have been very

impressed with the security of linux, and the programs that run on it. I think

having the code out in the open, and the ability to fix things yourself if necessary

is a big plus. Who likes to work blind? With some distributions, on installation

the computer will ask you what levels of security you would like for your

system. You can be very trusting, or you can be paranoid. Linux gives you this

flexibility.

Disadvantage #1 - Learning curve

I won't lie to you; linux is going to take some time to learn. I know that our

society likes to be instantly gratified. Learning linux is definitely worth your

time, but to really master it, you will need to spend some good time in front of

your machine tinkering with things. Don't expect to be an expert after reading

something like “Linux for Dummies”. If you are contemplating this for your

company, you will need to budget some money for training and learning time.

Disadvantage #2 - Equivalent programs

While I gave the example before of an office suite of programs that is working

well, there are still applications that do not exist in linux. Thankfully, this list has

become much more narrow in recent months. You will want to think carefully

when you switch to Linux about what programs you currently use, and if they

have linux support for them. It may not make sense for you to switch if you are

- 15 -


15

going to spend tons of time converting databases and application data.

Disadvantage #3 - More technical ability needed

You will want to make sure that you train someone in linux really well.

Alternately, you could hire someone who has experience with linux. A good

linux administrator needs to be on hand as you start to migrate your systems

over. This is a disadvantage financially, at least in the beginning. You may find

over time, however, that you only need a temporary administrator to handle the

routine tasks.

Disadvantage #4 - Not all hardware compatible

Some of the latest and greatest hardware that is being produced is not

compatible with linux. At least, not yet. The people that contribute program code

and drivers to the linux kernel are great at including support fairly quickly. Until

that time, not everything you buy for hardware in your system may work.

I've had to rely on third-party drivers and other means to make hardware like a

new Ethernet card work. Eventually, the support will be built in. One thing you

can do is before your purchase, ask if the hardware vendor has support for

linux. Some manufacturers do write their own linux drivers and distribute them

with your purchase, making it very easy to integrate with your existing system.

LICENSING:

Linux is not public domain software; various components of linux are

copyrighted by many people. Linus Torvalds holds the copyright to the basic

linux kernel. Red Hat, Inc. owns the rights to the Red Hat distribution version.

The Debian distribution is a creature of the Open Systems movements with

Richard Stallman’s group embracing it as the first of many kernels as part of the

GNU Hurd project, but single corporation controls Debian. Many linux utilities

are under the GNU General Public License (GPL). In fact Linux and most linux

contributors have also placed their work under the protection of the GNU GPL.

This license is sometimes referred to as the GNU Copyleft (a play on the word

- 16 -


16

copyright). This license covers all the software produced by GNU (itself a play on

words – GNU’s Not UNIX) and the Free Software Foundation. The license

allows programmers to create software for everyone. The basic premise behind

GNU is that software should be available to everyone, and that if someone wants

to modify the program to his or her own ends, that should be possible. The only

caveat is that the modified code can’t be restricted; others must also have the

right to the new code.

The GNU copyleft, or GPL, allows a program’s creators to keep their legal

copyright but allows others to take, modify, and sell the resulting new program.

However, in doing so, the original programmers can’t restrict any of these same

rights to modify the program from the people buying the software. If you sell

the program as is or in a modified form, you must provide the source code.

That’s why linux comes with the complete License source code.

TERMINOLOGY & CONCEPTS:

UNIX/linux has three important features:

• Kernel

• File system

• Shell

KERNEL: The linux kernel is the management part of the operating system that many

people call “Linux”. Although many think of the entire distribution as linux, the

only piece that can correctly be called linux is the kernel. Fedora Core linux, like

many linux distributions, includes a kernel packaged with add-on software that

interacts with the kernel so that the user can interface with the system in a

meaningful manner.

FILE SYSTEM: Fedora uses a file system, or layout of hierarchical directories, beginning with

root, which are similar to that used by other UNIX variants (such as Mac OS X).

Nearly all linux distributions use a similar directory structure, and linux

distribution vendors have generally agreed on the naming and location of critical

- 17 -


17

linux files and directories.

The Fedora Core Linux filesystem, like all UNIX filesystems, is used for storing

not only data, but also metadata (information about the fields, such as who the

file owner is, what permissions are associated with the file, and other file

attributes).

The standard system directories are as follows:

• The /bin directory: this directory contains the commands and utilities that

you use day to day. These are executable binary fields – hence the

directory name ‘bin’.

• The /dev directory: This directory contains special files used to represent

real physical devices such as printers and terminals. One of the files

represents a null (no-existent) device:

• The Null file: There is a special device known as /dev/null to which you

can redirect unwanted output. This is a null (non-existent) device

represented by the file null in the directory /dev.

• The /etc directory: This directory contains various commands and files

which are used for system administration. One of these files motd contains

a ‘message of the day’ which is displayed whenever you login to the

system.

It also contains a list of users authorised to use the system and their

passwords

• The /lib directory: This directory contains libraries that are used by

various programs and languages

• The /home directory: All users of the system have their own directory

located in the home directory. Often organised in alphabetical order or

numerical order

• The /tmp directory: Each Unix system has a directory/tmp which acts as a

“scratch area” which you can use to hold files and directories for short

periods of time.

• The /var directory: Any files that change frequently are stored in this

- 18 -


18

directory, an example may be the user mail, news and the audit directories

• The /usr directory: This directory contains other directories, amongst these

are games, additional directories for users and the source text for the on-

line manual pages

• The kernel file: For explanation of the kernel file see Page 14.

SHELL:

After logging into linux, you will be using an interactive command prompt

known as a shell in the linux text-based or console mode.

The shell is an interactive command prompt with many different features:

• Input and output redirection

• Background processing

• Job control

• History editing

• Built-in help

• Command-line completion

• Command-line editing

The shell interprets keyboard commands and is generally used to launch other

commands or programs using the shell’s interpreter language known as shell

scripts.

HOME DIRECTORY:

Any UNIX system can have many users on it at any one time. As a user you are

given a home directory in which you are placed whenever you log on to the

system.

User’s home directories are usually grouped together under the /usr system

directory. A large UNIX system may have several hundred users, with their

home directories grouped in subdirectories according to some scheme such as

their organisational department.

- 19 -


19

UNIX/LINUX COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER SOFTWARE

Linux has literally thousands of applications available today, including

programs for spreadsheets, databases, word processing, application

development in a variety of computer languages, and telecommunications

packages to get you

online. Linux also comes with a wide range of games, both text– and graphics–

based.

Fedora includes Internet programs such as Mozilla, the open source Web

browser, along with productivity applications such as Ximian’s Evolution, a

mail, contact, and calendaring client, and OpenOffice.org, a Microsoft-

compatible open source office suite.

For ease of transfer from a linux platform to a Windows platform, provision has

been made for the installation of Vmware, an emulator, on each Workstation.

This precludes the need to reboot when transferring from one platform to the

other.

3. THE UNIX FILE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The system that an operating system or program uses to organize and keep track

of files. For example, a hierarchical file system is one that uses directories to

organize files into a tree structure.

NAMING FILES:

Most of the non-alphanumeric characters on the keyboard have special uses in

Unix, so in general it is a good idea to name file using only

- 20 -


20

* letters (uppercase and lowercase)

* digits

* the characters ``.'' (period) and ``_'' (underscore)

Using any other characters in the name of a file or directory may have side

effects; a Unix command involving such a filename may be interpreted in

a wacky way if the Unix shell (command interpreter) sees the special characters

as part of the syntax of the command rather than merely part of a file name.

UNIX, UNLIKE DOS, is CASE SENSITIVE when you enter a command or

argument at the command line interface.

ACCESS PERMISSIONS:

To display the access permissions of a file or directory use the the command:

ls -l filename (directory)

This displays a one line summary for each file or directory. For example:

-rwxr-xr-x 1 erpl08 staff 3649 Feb 22 15:51 my.html

This first item -rwxr-xr-x represents the access permissions on this file. The

following items represent the number of links to it; the username of the person

owning it; the name of the group which owns it; its size; the time and date it was

last changed, and finally, its name.

UNDERSTANDING ACCESS PERMISSIONS:

There are three types of permissions:

r read the file or directory

w write to the file or directory

x execute the file or search the directory

Each of these permissions can be set for any one of three types of user:

- 21 -


21

u the user who owns the file (usually you)

g members of the group to which the owner belongs

o all other users

The access permissions for all three types of user can be given as a string of nine

characters:

user group others

r w x r w x r w x

These permissions have different meanings for files and directories.

Permission File Directory

r read read a file list files in ...

w write write a file create file in ...

rename file in ...

delete file ...

x execute execute a read a file in ...

shell script write to a file in ...

execute a file in …

execute a shell script in …

DEFAULT ACCESS PERMISSIONS:

When you create a file or directory its access permissions are set to a default

value. These are usually:

rw------- gives you read and write permission for your files; no access

permissions for the group or others.

rwx------ gives you read write and execute permission for your directories; no

- 22 -


22

access permissions for the group or others.

Access permissions for your home directory are usually set to rwx--x--x or rwxr-

xr-x.

CHANGING GROUP OWNERSHIP OF FILES & PERMISSIONS:

Every user is a member of one or more groups. To find out which groups you

belong to use the command:

groups

To find out which groups another user belongs to use the command:

groups username

Your files and directories are owned by the group (or one of the groups) that you

belong to. This is known as their "group ownership".

To list the group ownership of your files:

ls –gl

You can change the group ownership of a file or directory with the command:

chgrp group_name file/directory_name

You must be a member of the group to which you are changing ownership to.

CHANGING ACCESS PERMISSIONS USING THE CHMOD COMMAND: The chmod command allows the owner of a file to change its mode. The access

permission is broken up into three fields, user, group and other. Each

letter/permission in a cluster also

corresponds to a binary number r=4, w=2 and x=1 e.g. to give rwx permission to

yourself and none to all others simply type:

- 23 -


23

Chmod 700 <filename>

EVERYDAY COMMANDS AND SWITCHES:

The following list of commands shows some of the switches available for each

command. All commands, filenames, directory names, usernames and

passwords are case sensitive under linux. Those commands requiring root access

(see the su command) to operate marked by *.

Navigation/file manipulation

[TAB] key Command completion, the golden key

[Up arrow] Command history, the silver key

ls List files for the current directory

ls –la List all files in long format for current directory

cd [directory] Change directory

mkdir [directory] Create new directory

cp [source[[target] Copy a file to another file or directory

cp –R [source][target] Recursively copy files and directories

mv [source][target] Move file, as with copy, but delete source

rm [filename] Delete a file

rm –rf [directory] Recursively and forcibly delete an entire directory

structure

cat [filename] View file contents

more [filename] View file contents incrementally

vi [filename] Quick text editor to view/edit file contents

locate [filename] Find all instances of a file

locate –u –e / mnt Update the locate database for Linux system *

ln –s [source][link] Create a symbolic link

man [command] View the manual page for a command

Process Management:

ps X Display current running processes

ps aux More information ps display

- 24 -


24

yop Automated process display

kill [process id] Kill specified process

kill –9 [process id] Kill stubborn process

& Append ‘&’ after a command to background the

process

Administration:

su [optional username] Login as specified user. Defaults to logging in as root

adduser [username] Create a new account *

passwd [usermname] Change password of specified user *

passwd Change password of current account

du Report disk usage of files and directories

df Report disk free space for all mounted devices

chmod [+-rwx[[filename] Change access permissions for a file

e2fsck [device] Run Ext2file system check on specified device *

rpm –ivh [RPM file] Install a new application from RPM file *

rpm –uvh [RPM file] Upgrade an existing application *

rpm –e[program] Uninstall an application *

rpm –qi [program] Query if an application is installed

tar –zxvf [.tar.gz archive] Untar and unzip a .tar.gz file

shutdown –r now Shutdown the linux system immediately

tar – jxvf [.tar.bz2 archive] Untar and unzip a .tar.bz2 file

mount –t iso9660 /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom Mounting a CD- ROM

mount -t vfat /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy Mounting a floppy

umount [device] To unmount a device

INTRODUCTION TO UNIX MAIL SYSTEMS

You can mail files in a number of ways. We will first create text files using a

common PC in Windows and then mail the file using mail and elm. The reason

- 25 -


25

for creating the mail this way is because you will need considerable practice to

become adept with the UNIX txt editor (VI). It is expected that you will soon be

able to create your text files in UNIX once you are adept at using VI in UNIX.

There are some benefits with using mail for the first time in this way however –

by going through this tutorial you will learn how to send Word documents and

interact between Unix and Windows. All files are stored on the common file

server which serves Windows and UNIX.

It is not important which mail utility you use but it is important to consider

reliability, usability, flexibility and last but not least your personal preference. It

is also important to become familiar with more than one mail utility as at times

you may need to use an alternative to your preferred mail system.

INTRODUCTION TO MAIL (Unix Mail, ELM, Mutt)

UNIX MAIL

Introduction:

Unix mail is simple to use and does not require knowledge of Vi although you

may invoke Vi if desired. Attachments of files can be made from the command

line for simplification. Therefore, it is a good starting point for novices however,

once you become more familiar with Unix you will find the power and flexibility

of other mailers exceed Unix mail.

Some basic Mail commands:

Invoke mail

Create mail <user_id>

Read highlighted mail Enter/Return

Read specific mail 1,2 (mail number)

Evoke vi within an email ~e/~v

Attach < <Filename>

Exit saving message in mailbox x

Save message as a file s <filename>

Send ^d (on new line)

Reply with original content in reply R

- 26 -


26

Reply without original content in reply r

Help man mail

ELM

INTRODUCTION:

The Electronic mail utility provides a flexible, effective method of creating,

sending mails and attachments, saving and managing your email. Knowledge of

Vi is important when using elm. It also provides extensive documentation for

users and has advanced features for experts. Once again it is important to

familiarise yourself with elm and then decide if it is your preferred mail utility.

Some basic elm commands:

Invoke elm elm

Read highlighted mail Enter/Return

Create m

Reply r

Edit e

Forward f

Save s

Send y

Quit q

Delete d

Undelete u

Help ?

STAGE 1:

Mail a message using elm

enter < elm >

enter the address

enter the subject (if any)

within VI create your message

ESC (ensures that you are in command mode)

- 27 -


27

:wq (saves the text to a temporary buffer)

^d (mails the message)

MUTT:

INTRODUCTION:

Mutt is a Unix mail client that has similarities with Elm, such as key mappings,

but also incorporates various features from other mail clients. Mutt was

originally created by Michael Elkins.

Mutt is another powerful mail utility with numerous customising features and

the support of an active development community. Attractive features include

mail attachments from the command line, multiple message tagging/saving,

ability to forward multiple messages at one time and postpone outgoing

messages indefinitely. Mutt supports message threading, macros and

also allows the user a great deal of control over customisation.

Mutt is known as “the mongrel of email clients” in that it attempts to combine

the best features of several other clients such as Elm and Pine. Mutt is not as

easy to use as Pine however it is more secure than Pine.

Familiarise yourself with the mail utility: decide if it is your preferred mail

utility.

Some basic commands:

Navigation keys in the mutt index:

j Go to next message (arrow keys can also be

used)

k Go to previous message (arrow keys can also

be used)

z or page down Move down one page

Z or Page Up Move up one page

100 Move to message 100 (any number can be

used)

- 28 -


28

* Navigate to last message

= Navigate to the first message

/ search pattern Search forwards for a particular message

ESC/ search pattern Search backwards for a particular message

Message Commands:

ENTER Open a message

f Forward a message

r Reply to a message

d Delete a message

v View an attachment

c View available mailboxes

m Compose a new message

a Create an alias

EVOLUTION: The default graphical email client provided by Fedora Core is Ximian’s Evolution.

If you have experience with Microsoft’s Outlook mail client, you will see the

resemblance. Like MS Outlook, Evolution provides integrated functions: calendar,

scheduling and the ability to receive news and information from internet sites.

Start Evolution from the Internet menu; it is listed only as “email”. The first time

you start Evolution, the Evolution Setup Assistant presents you with a brief and

simple configuration dialogue.

You must also choose between SMTP or Ssendmail for sending your mail; enter

your mail address and choose a timezone (very important for your calendar).

Finally, you will see the opening Evolution summary window.

Each icon in the left-hand pane of the Evolution summary window opens a

different window when selected. Each view has options that can be configured to

suit your needs; just click on the Evolution summary windows’ tools menu item,

for example, to open the tool screens.

- 29 -


29

BALSA: Balsa is an email client that was designed to work with GNOME. Configuring

Balsa is similar to configuring Evolution, although most of the configuration is

done from the preferences menu item and the basic functionality is similar.

MOZILLA MAIL:

Mozilla is more than a browser; it is an internet relay chat client (IRC client) and a

mail and newsgroup reader. The mail and news setup wizard and preferences can

be found under the edit menu item. When you select mail and news group account

setup and then click on New Account, the wizard dialog will appear.

Configuration via the wizard is easy; Mozilla prompts you for the necessary

information. The mail interface is familiar to many users.

If you use mozilla for web browsing, using it for email is a natural extension.

Mozilla is, after all, the default browser for Fedora Core and Mozilla Mail is a

good choice for those who do not need all the features offered in the Evolution

mail client.

PINE:

The venerable Pine email client is no longer provided by Fedora Core, not

because it is not a good application; it just uses a licence that is incompatible

with distribution by Fedora Core and Red Hat.

As a command-line mail client, personally I prefer to use Mutt for two reasons:

Mutt has numerous customising features and is more secure than most other

command-line mail clients.

As a GUI mail client, my preference is to use Evolution because it is an

extremely easy mail client to set up for use and like MS Outlook, Evolution

- 30 -


30

provides many integrated functions.

INTRODUCTION TO UNIX EDITORS: VI:

WORKING WITH VI

The editor found on nearly every UNIX and linux system is, without a doubt, the

vi editor, originally written by Bill Joy. This simple to use but incredibly capable

editor features a somewhat cryptic command set, but you can put it to use with

only a few commands. Although older, more experienced UNIX and linux users

continue to use vi extensively during computing sessions, many newer users

might prefer learning an easier to use text editor such as pico or GNU nano. Die-

hard GNU fans and programmers definitely use emacs.

That said, learning how to use vi is a good idea. You might need to someday

edit files on a linux system with a minimal install, or a remote server without a

more extensive offering of installed text editors. Chances are better than good

that vi will be available.

You can start an editing session by using the vi command like this:

$ vi file.txt

The vi command works by using an insert, or editing mode, and a viewing (or

command) mode.

When you first start editing, you’ll be in the viewing mode. You can use your

cursor or other navigation keys (as shown later) to scroll through the text. To

start editing, type the i key to insert text, or the a key to append text. When

finished, use the Esc key to toggle out of the insert or append modes and into the

viewing (or command) mode. To enter a command, type a colon (:), followed by

the command, such as w to write the file, and press Enter.

Although vi supports many complex editing operations and numerous

- 31 -


31

commands, you can accomplish work by using a few basic commands.

These basic vi commands are:

• Cursor movement – h,j,k,l, (left, down, up and right)

• Delete character – x

• Delete line – dd

• Mode toggle – ESC, Insert (or i)

• Quite – :q

• Quit without saving – :q!

• Run a shell command – :sh (use ‘exit’ to return)

• Save file – :w

• Text search – /

EMACS:

GNU emcs editor, like vi, is included with linux and nearly every other linux

distribution. Unlike other UNIX and linux text editors, emacs is much more than

a simple text editor – it is an editing environment and can be used to compile

and build programs, act as an electronic diary, appointment book and calendar,

compose and send electronic mail, reas Usenet news, and even play games. The

reason for this capability is the emacs contains a built-in language interpretor

that uses the Elisp (emacs LISP) programming language.

The GNU version of this editor requires more than 30MB of hard drive space.

However, there are versions with less resource requirements, and at least one

other text editor included with linux, named joe, can b used as a emacs clone

(albeit with fewer features).

You can start an emacs editing session like this:

$ emacs file.txt

If you start emacs when using X11, the editor will launch in its own floating

window. To force emacs to display inside a terminal window instead of its own

window (which can be useful if the window is a login at a remote computer), use

the –nw command-line option like this: emacs –nw file.text.

The emacs editor uses an extensive set of keystroke and named commands, but

- 32 -


32

you can work with it using a basic command subset. Many of these basic

commands require you to hold down the Ctrl key, or to first press a meta key

(generally mapped to the Alt key). The basic commands are listed below.

Abort Ctrl+g

Cursor left Ctrl+b

Cursor down Ctrl+n

Cursor right Ctrl+f

Cursor up Ctrl+p

Delete character Ctrl+d

Delete line Ctrl+k

Go to start of line Ctrl+a

Go to end of line Ctrl+e

Help Ctrl+h

Quit Ctrl+x, Ctrl+c

Save As Ctrl+x, Ctrl+w

Save file Ctrl+x, Ctrl+s

Search backward Ctrl+r

Search forward Ctrl+s

Start tutorial Ctrl+h, t

Undo Ctrl+x, u

One of the best reasons to learn how to use emacs is that you can use nearly all

the same keystrokes to edit commands on the bash shell command line. Another

reason is that like vi, emacs is universally available on nearly every UNIX and

linux system, including Apple’s Mac OS X.

Note: If you must use a text editor with a GUI then please consider using emacs. DO

NOT USE WINDOWS NOTEPAD to edit files or write code etc., not only is it a terrible

text editor but it wastes valuable computing resources. In fact, if you edit the file in

Windows and then run it on a UNIX machine there is a good chance that the file will not

behave exactly as you would hope.

When using a UNIX text editor, my strong preference is to use GNU emacs. As

previously stated, emacs is much more than a simple text editor. It is an editing

- 33 -


33

environment and can be used to compile and build programs, act as an electronic

diary, appointment book and calendar, compose and send electronic mail, read

Usenet news and even play games.

MS WINDOWS XP PRO: Pros

Lots of new features; Smooth feel; Compatible to run an extensive range of

software applications

Cons

Possible hardware compatibility issues; Continuous upgrading (Updates, Service

Packs); Cost; Security – a prime target for crackers and script kiddies!

The Bottom Line

If you want to take advantage of the latest features and gadgets Microsoft has to

offer, think about an upgrade. Just like most PC owners, you may have been very

comfortable with your older version of Windows. For many of you, Windows 3.1,

95, 98, NT, ME and 2000 may have gotten the job done so far. No headache! As of

this month, XP is the new Window upgrade on the market. So far, it's been touted

as the best thing to come out of the Microsoft upgrade machine since Windows 95.

As you are making up your mind about whether to jump on the upgrade

bandwagon or just stay put with the version you are currently using, all you need

to think about is how deep your pockets are right now. Think about whether or

not a $100.00 upgrade won't affect you. Before you reach your final decision,

you may want to think about some of the reasons why the Microsoft people

including boat captain Bill Gates wants you to go crazy about spending on the

new features that form XP.

Ask yourself this question: "What's in XP for Me"?

If you are using Windows 3.1 and Windows 95, you are out of luck. You are not

even eligible for an upgrade. This means that you will either have to purchase a

brand new computer or stay with what you are currently using. In a sense, that's

kind some bad news for Microsoft if you consider the number of users who find

- 34 -


34

themselves in this category.

Many of them will probably want to wait until they can justify buying a new

computer. By the way, within a few months, Windows XP will be the standard

features on all new PCs. By then, they will also be affordable. So there is no need

to worry unless you want the latest features Windows has to offer. Well, I am not

talking to computer geeks who have to have the most recent toy and gadgets

that come on the market.

What else should you know?

To use Windows XP, Microsoft says that computer users/owners must have a

CD-ROM or DVD and a chip with 300-megahertz clock speed. They are talking

about the likes of Intel Pentium Processor. At least, you must have 1.5 gigabytes

of available hard drive. That's a lot of juicy space on your computer to afford this

upgrade. It is not all of the requirements. Microsoft recommends having 128

megabytes of random access memory or RAM. If you did not do some

upgrading before or over the years, can you find yourself here? Think again

about why you are being singled out here. Are you hearing some message

asking you to forget all about the hassles with upgrading and just buy a new

computer? Well, there is no doubt that this thought would be good for the

economy. The only handicap is that nobody, not even Bill Gates, could predict

that the economy would be so slowed during all the years this product has been

perfected. Most buyers somewhat don't find themselves in a hurry to purchase

new things unless they see good value. Keep in mind that with XP Microsoft is

hoping to recreate the same hunger for computers that happened when

Windows 95 came out in 1995. There is no doubt that XP is the best product to

come out of this company since Windows 95. But, it comes out at a time when

the economy has slowed down. Buyers are somewhat skittish about spending.

Bill Gates is telling them to go out and spend because in the end, it will be good

for everybody. Also, everyone hopes that Microsoft will take some time before

releasing the next product that will make XP obsolete in jus t a few months.

Saturating the market with its

products may turn out to be like shooting itself in the heels. Business owners,

home users and Windows lovers are asking for time to love and appreciate the

releases!

Is there anything wrong with Windows 98 and NT? The Advantages and

disadvantages of XP

- 35 -


35

Well, ever since I can remember having used Windows, I have always hated the

sudden crashes inherent on Windows 95, 98 and Me. Whether it's on my home

PC or company system, I have had my share of crashes. XP is supposed to be

less crash-prone. It's also supposed to be easier to use with all the features it's

packed with. Now, that's something any user wants on his/her system.

a. XP comes with two web browsers. It has the latest versions of Internet

Explorer and MSN Explorer. Now, it will be easier for you to get to

Microsoft sites and products. It will be a good marketing tool for the

company. You may wonder why Yahoo! is trying to get a share of this huge

market by coming up with Yahoo! Essentials which allows you to have a

different browser altogether.

b. Configure your system for multiple users. XP allows home users to get the

configuration of their choice. What's more interesting is that each user can

customize their own menu. Each member of the family can have their own

interface, login and password etc.

c. XP is easy on the eyes. It is making use of Microsoft's Clear Type

technology. This means that on-screen prints are easier to read.

d. Search is improved. You can narrow the search down to files, folders,

people, printers etc.

e. Transferring settings becomes easier with XP. Think about your favourites

for example.

f. You can arrange your file and folder icon by type of application now with

XP. This is great for those who like to organize their stuff.

g. Networking becomes easier.

h. Movie maker allows users to get video, edit and add things such as

narration and music. With advanced compression, you will be able to

squeeze video into a smaller digital space. That's one major feature that

will benefit many established movie makers and amateurs out there.

- 36 -


36

Windows Fact Sheet

a. Windows XP Home Edition full package $199, upgrade $99 (That's if you

have Windows 98 or ME)

b. Windows XP Professional full package $299, upgrade $199 (that's if you

have Windows 98, ME, NT 4 or 2000 Pro) Academic price: $99

Summary of important info

*~ Minimum processor speed 233 MHz; 300 MHz or faster system. Faster is

better!

*~ Minimum RAM: 64 MB; 128 MB is the recommended minimum; For better

performance, up to 256 MB or more.

*~ Available Hard Disk Space: 1.5 GB

*~ Windows XP Upgrade advisor is a Microsoft software tool that evaluates

your hardware. Find it on the Microsoft site.

Hardware compatibility can be a possible issue, however there are no known

compatibility issues with other software applications.

There are 3 types of licences allocated – retail, volume and academic, the latter

available for students at a significantly reduced price.

In relation to the quote for the purchase of 20 Workstations by Computers Plus,

the cost relates to a volume licence i.e. 20 licences and 1 media will be

purchased, thus reducing the cost compared to the usual retail price.

Additionally, no activation is required which reduces installation time.

CONCLUSION:

After extensive research and careful consideration, the most practical and

affordable option will be to install Windows XP Pro and Fedora Core 3 on each

Workstations whilst using Vmware as an emulator.

- 37 -


37

ClarkConnect Office Version 3.0 is the preferred means of installing a functional

firewall/server/router. ADSL is preferred to CABLE for the delivery of

broadband, because Internode is arguably the industry leader for providing a

reliable and competitively affordable internet service.

I have also taken into account an upgrade to ADSL2 in the not too distant future,

hence the choice of modem, a Bipac 7402 ADSL VPN Firewall Router with 3DES

Accelerator.

REFERENCES/FOOTNOTES:

http://www.clarkconnect.com/

http://www.redhat.com/training/skills_bundle.html

http://www.vmware.com/

http://www.internode.on.net/

http://www.whirlpool.net.au/

http://www.bhtafe.edu.au/ShortCourses/ComputerApplicationsIndex.htm

http://www.smartshop.com.au/

http://www.dell.com.au/

http://www.fedora.redhat.com/

http://www.westnet.com.au/

http://www.skype.com/

http://www..mozilla.org/products/firefox/

www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/

- 38 -


38

http://winscp.net/eng/index.php

http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/

http://www.vim.org/download.php

http://www.xemacs.org/

www.winzip.com/

www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

www.billion.com.au/

“SAMS Red Hat Linux and Fedora Unleashed” – Bill Ball and Hoyt Duff

Special Edition “Using Linux” Fifth Edition – Tackett, Jr. & Burkett

RMIT University – School of Computer Science and Information Technology

Unix Reference

GLOSSARY:

GUI Graphical User Interface

VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol

ADS:L Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line

LAN Local Area Network

VPN Virtual Private Network

DES Data Encryption Standard

SMB Samba

RHCE Red Hat Certified Engineer

DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

DNS Domain Name Server

PPPoE Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet

- 39 -


39

SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol

IMAP Internet Message Access Protocol

Secure/SSL Secure Sockets Layer

CGI Common Gateway Interface

PHP Hypertext Preprocessor

GPL General Public Licence

GNU GNU's not UNIX

kbps kilobits per second

MB Megabyte

Mb Megabit

GB Gigabyte

- 40 -


40

OPERATING SYSTEMS, PROCESSING & TECHNICAL REPORT

Prepared by

Paul Emerson – 2005 – Student No. 3104960

9th May, 2005

1 COMPUTERS PLUS COMPUTERS PLUSusers.on.net/~montsalvat/TechnicalReport-IIT.pdf · environment to...

Documents

Transcript of 1 COMPUTERS PLUS COMPUTERS PLUSusers.on.net/~montsalvat/TechnicalReport-IIT.pdf · environment to...