Obviously, I cannot forget to thank those individuals whose comments, flames, and
downright blunt remarks made me wonder why I wrote this book in the first place!
No, really, your comments helped us nail some problems with previous editions. Hopefully,
we were able to incorporate all the readers' comments into this edition. I am sure
that you folks will find more things to add, edit, delete, and tweak. Send us e-mail,
and we'll see what we can do.
As usual, my wife, Uzma, has been a tremendous help and has provided support and time for this book. With twins to look after and a job of her own, she has given up a lot to see this book come to completion. I must also thank my mom, Saleha Husain, who got me started in this endeavor and kept me going to finish this book.
Special thanks are due to Grace Buechlein, Brian Proffitt, Dean Miller, and the tech review staff for managing and editing all the revisions required in getting this book out in such a short time. Also, the Sams development staff deserves much praise for their patience and hard work in producing this text.
Finally, many thanks go to Tim, with whom working on this book was a pleasure indeed!
Thank you, everyone, for your help and support.
--Kamran Husain
This third edition of Linux Unleashed is the result of the demand for Linux, and for our books, for which we are grateful. Along with our Red Hat Linux Unleashed and my Linux System Administrator's Survival Guide, we have managed to cover most aspects of the Linux market with books aimed squarely at the reader.
As with the first two editions, we have had a lot of help from the fine editors at Sams, and from technical reviewers from the Linux community. Thanks to Grace Buechlein for her fine efforts to get this edition in on time and into production. Thanks to Dean Miller and the rest of the editorial and production staff at Sams for whipping it into shape. The result of all this effort is hopefully a book even better than the previous edition, with more information aimed at you, our reader.
Personally, my thanks to Kamran for once again working well with me to produce another book. If all my collaborations were as friendly and easy as this, I'd be a happy writer indeed. To my parents, thanks for understanding the need to stay in front of the computer and not make the trips to visit as often as I would have liked. Thanks to Bill, Phyllis, Roy, Mark, and Guy for providing welcome diversions, companionship, and support through the many long nights spent at the console. And finally, thanks to Yvonne, who knows writing is important to me and lets me get on with the job.
--Tim Parker About the Authors
Kamran Husain is a consultant with experience in Windows NT and UNIX programming. He has dabbled in all sorts of software for real-time systems, telecommunications, and seismic applications. Kamran offers consulting services and training classes through MPS Inc., in Texas. You can reach Kamran through Sams Publishing, on the Web at http://www.ikra.com, or via e-mail at khusain@ikra.com.
Tim Parker is a consultant and technical writer based in Ottawa, Canada. He is a technical editor for SCO World Magazine, and contributing editor for UNIX Review, Advanced Systems Magazine, and Canadian Computer Reseller. He has written more than 800 feature articles and two dozen books. When not writing, Tim is a private pilot, scuba diver, white-water kayaker, and general adrenaline junkie.
Uzma Husain is an alumna of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where she received her master's degree in computer science. Her work experience is in the financial software and MIS arena.
Peter MacKinnon is a software developer in Boston. He has a degree in mathematics from Dalhousie University and a computer science degree from the Technical University of Nova Scotia.
Rick McMullin is a computer consultant with BitHeads in Ottawa, Canada. He specializes in object-oriented systems development and computer security. Rick has been teaching UNIX courses for several years and has been a strong enthusiast and supporter of Linux since its early releases.
David Till is a technical writer working in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He holds a master's degree in computer science from the University of Waterloo; programming languages were his major field of study. He has also worked in compiler development and on version-control software. He lists his hobbies as "writing, comedy, walking, duplicate bridge, and fanatical support of the Toronto Blue Jays." He can be reached via e-mail at am671@freenet.toronto.on.ca or davet@interlog.com, or on the Web at http://www.interlog.com/~davet/.
Ed Treijs is a technical writer and consultant based in Toronto, Canada. When not writing technical manuals, Ed tinkers with his Firebirds and Trans Ams.
Rob Pfister is a software engineer specializing in very large database applications. He holds a degree in computer science from the University of Maine. Rob has been a Linux enthusiast since he installed version 0.96 in early 1992.
As a reader, you are the most important critic and commentator of our books. We value your opinion and want to know what we're doing right, what we could do better, what areas you'd like to see us publish in, and any other words of wisdom you're willing to pass our way. You can help us make strong books that meet your needs and give you the computer guidance you require.
Do you have access to CompuServe or the World Wide Web? Then check out our CompuServe forum by typing GO SAMS at any prompt. If you prefer the World Wide Web, check out our site at http://www.mcp.com.
As the publishing manager of the group that created this book, I welcome your comments. You can fax, e-mail, or write me directly to let me know what you did or didn't like about this book--as well as what we can do to make our books stronger. Here's the information:
Fax: 317/581-4669
E-mail: opsys_mgr@sams.mcp.com
Mail: Dean Miller Sams Publishing
201 W. 103rd Street Indianapolis, IN 46290
Introduction We never expected Linux Unleashed to make it to three editions so quickly (four, if you count Red Hat Linux Unleashed). The popularity of Linux is both amazing and gratifying: amazing that so many people want to see what an interesting operating system Linux is, and gratifying because we always knew its strengths. The world of UNIX has been opened to so many new users because of Linux, and that's always a good thing.
This edition, Slackware Linux Unleashed, Third Edition, is accompanied by the latest version of Slackware Linux, still the most widely used version available. The content of the book itself has been modified too. Several chapters on newly available software for Linux have been added, and the book has been reorganized for better clarity. As always, we welcome your feedback on our efforts and suggestions for the next edition. We are already planning the next edition, so get your suggestions to us! The e-mail addresses for the principle authors are khusain@ikra.com (Kamran Husain) and tparker@tpci.com (Tim Parker).
If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, UNIX should be proud indeed. The Linux project began several years ago as a public-domain version of the popular UNIX operating system--the most widely used operating system in the world. Linux made it possible for everybody to obtain a full-featured version of UNIX for his or her own pleasure and education, with a minimum of monetary outlay. (With commercial versions of UNIX costing many hundreds of dollars, this was a very important aspect of Linux's popularity.)
Although begun by a single programmer, Linux quickly blossomed into a project organized by people around the world, each contributing ideas, code, and effort for the good of the project, and with no recompense. The environment, in many ways, recalled the excitement and dedication the nascent personal computer industry experienced years ago.
This book was an interesting project from the start. It combined the expertise of several veteran UNIX and Linux users with a complete Slackware distribution version of Linux supplied on CD-ROM. This is, essentially, one-stop shopping for a Linux system. The CD-ROM, coupled with the installation chapters of this book, helps you install the complete Linux system software on your PC. Then you can read through the subjects that interest you in the book, working through the book's examples on your machine.
For those who have never used Linux (or UNIX) before, you will find the operating system both engrossing and confusing. UNIX has a long and involved history, leading inevitably to some idiosyncrasies with the operating system. On the other hand, UNIX and Linux are a powerful multitasking operating system that can take your PC far beyond the limitations of the DOS operating system.
The following typographic conventions are used in this book:
We sincerely hope that you enjoy reading this book and that you find the information useful, educational, and beneficial. The book covers many aspects of Linux, not all of which you will care about. However, we set out to create the most complete introduction to Linux that we could, and we think we've accomplished that task. Enjoy!