Linux Hub

Welcome to the Linux Hub.

From this point we can explore Linux issues and howtos.

===Linux Top Ten===

There are over 16000 packages available on an average Linux Distro. What are the top ten (or maybe 20) packages or area you would counsel a beginner in Linux to fully master.

For example, I would counsel a beginner to fully understand apt-get and aptitude, because I am an Ubuntu user, and yum, because I manage a few Centos installations. I would probably also suggest they get a handle on the sheer quantity of distributions by going to someplace like http://Distrowatch.com. I might even try to get them to see the difference between FLOSS and proprietary software work.

Here is a short list of useful commands:

• ./ #to run executables (like 'configure')
• () # head $(ls | grep foto)
• {} # mv fotowall.{pro,pro2}
• /usr/bin/bash # to run scripts
• alien # to change rpm packages to debian ones so I can use dpkg -i to install them.
• apt-cache # search through application packages
• apt-get (remove, install, -f, autoremove )
• aptitude # to download application packages from a repo, too. Aptitude does a better job than apt-get solving dependency problems, AND has an ncurses graphical control panel that is useful when you are in a CLI-only situation.
• awk
• cat
• cd # changing directories
• chmod # change permissions on files
• cp
• dpkg -i # to install downloaded debian packages.
• echo # to write something to display
• exit
• find
• gcc
• grep
• head # to view the top lines in a file
• history | awk '{print $2}' | awk 'BEGIN {FS="|"} {print $1}'|sort|uniq -c | sort -n | *tail | sort -nr
• Hit tab repeatedly, to find out what files are in a particular directory. Tab completion is the greatest thing ever.
• install - Alias for 'sudo apt-get install
• locate # to find files anywhere in the whole filesystem
• ls # for directory reading
• make
• man
• mkdir # to make directories
• mv
• mtr # Combines the function of both ping and traceroute
• nano # For command-line text editing
• perl # to run perlscripts
• ping # to check if an IP or domain name is live (or at least accepting ICMP Packets) I know it's old-fashioned, but ping is more useful that a browser message "page cannot be found."
• python for running python scripts
• reboot # to reboot the machine
• rm -R # to remove non-empty directories (this is one of the dangerous commands)
• sed # to replace text in a file
• shutdown now (-r now)
• ssh # to connect to non-local servers securely.
• startx # to open a GUI session from TTY1 Terminal-only mode.
• sudo # to act as root (or a sudoer)
• sudo dpkg --configure -a # to fix broken packages.
• tail # to view the last lines in a file - so useful for logs!
• top # to watch the processes occasionally as well
• touch # to make files and update the "last accessed" point
• uname -a # to check on what kernel I am running, so I can tell the forum support my details (if something were to go wrong.
• valgrind # to run debugging traces on unhappy applications.
• vi # text editing (it is ugly, but it is available on all unmodified unices that I have ever seen)
• vim instead of `vi`
• watch # to view the periodically updated contents of a file
• which # to see 'which' application is the default. You could have several copies of an application on the machine, but there is one that is used by default.

There are a few others I have been seeing a need for as well, like

• gpg
• lsmod
• sort
• tr

There are lots to look at

Linux Course Outline

Based upon the feedback from members of the Linux Community, I have developed a tentative Linux course outline. Please take a look and let me know if I have missed anything vital. - Thanks, Wolf

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