HowToForge.com is a website dedicated to providing step by step walk-throughs on many different Linux topics, from beginner to advanced. This includes anti-spam, security, networking, and virtualization just to name a few.
BackTrack is a free, live Linux operating system with over 300 of the best security penetration testing tools built in. It is neatly organized by category to quickly locate any tool and covers an extremely wide array of applications.
Download available at:
When working in Linux it is occasionally necessary to open a terminal window in a specific directory. The easiest way to do this is with the “nautilus-open-terminal” extension. After installing this it creates an additional option after right-clicking on a directory that says “Open in Terminal”. This will open up a new terminal window at the selected directory. This is only Linux operating systems that use the Gnome window manager such as Ubuntu.
Installation:
sudo apt-get install nautilus-open-terminal
Xubuntu is a smaller, lighter version of the Ubuntu linux operating system that uses the Xcfe window manager instead of Gnome. Xubuntu works especially well with older computers such as those with triple-digit megahertz processors. The user interface is simplified to make the most commonly used applications as easily accessible as possible.
After the initial installation of Xubuntu 7.10 and applying the latest updates on my test computer it only used 1.5 GB of hard drive space and 83.7 MB of memory when fully loaded.
If you are installing Xubuntu it is recommended to have the computer plugged in to the Internet so it can get the latest system updates. When I installed Xubuntu the computer was not plugged in to the Internet so it was not able to get the latest updates until I manually updated the settings. This can be done by going to Applications –> System –> Software Sources. Under the Ubuntu Software tab check the following:
Under the Updates tab check the following:
Xubuntu can be booted as a live CD so that the operating system can be demoed before installation. Xubuntu can be downloaded at:
Librenix is a web site dedicated to information about Linux systems administration. It contains many links to various project walk-throughs, tutorials, and other interesting things you can do with Linux. Some of the recently covered topics include how to set up a remote calendar server, a DNS server, and an email server.
KSnapshot is a screen capture utility for Linux that is easy to use and gives all the necessary screen capture options: full screen, the window under the cursor, a specific region, and a section of a window. It can be installed by typing:
sudo apt-get install ksnapshot
K3b is a free, open source, extremely flexible CD and DVD burning software for Linux that is easy to use. It has options to burn any type of CD or DVD. It can be installed by typing:
sudo apt-get install k3b
In Ubuntu it creates an icon in the Applications menu underneath Sound & Video.
A good forum for all things Ubuntu: sharing opinions, troubleshooting, and asking and answering questions.
Ubuntu is a fast, secure, and functional operating system based on Debian Linux. It is free and can be downloaded directly from the company’s web page. The desktop version is a live CD so the operating system can be loaded and tested without affecting any of the data or current operating system loaded on the hard drive.
The standard desktop version installation offers the option to automatically partition the hard drive so multiple operating systems can be on the computer at once. When the computer boots it will ask if you want to load into Ubuntu or the other operating system.
For extra security, if Ubuntu is going to be installed then the alternate version is recommended. This version is available by checking the alternate version box at the bottom of the download page. The alternate version offers the option for whole disk encryption during the install process. Whole disk encryption protects all the data and the entire operating system from unauthorized access if the computer is stolen or lost.