Welcome, and thank you for using Mandrake Linux! This book is aimed at people wishing to dive into the depths of their GNU/Linux system, and exploiting its huge capabilities. This book is made up of three parts:
Introduction to Linux: an introduction to the command line, its various uses, and to text-editing basics, which are essential under GNU/Linux.
The first chapter introduces you to the UNIX and, more specifically, GNU/Linux worlds. It is mandatory to fully understand the concepts presented in this chapter before going on to the next one, which is dedicated to the command line. The latter exposes the standard utilities for manipulating files as well as some useful features provided by the shell.
Next, we cover text editing. As most UNIX configuration files are text files, you will eventually want to edit them in a text editor. You will learn how to use two of the most famous text editors in the UNIX and GNU/Linux worlds: the mighty Emacs and the modern (!) Vi.
You should now be able to perform basic maintenance on your system. The following two chapters present practical uses of the command line, and process control in general.
Linux in Depth: we discuss details about the Linux kernel and filesystem architecture.
The first chapter explores the organization of the file tree. UNIX systems tend to grow very large, but every file has its place in a specific directory. After reading this chapter, you will know where to look for files depending on their role in the system.
Then, we cover the topics of filesystems and mount points. We define both these terms. We also explain them with practical examples.
The next chapter is dedicated to GNU/Linux filesystems. After presenting the available filesystems, we discuss file types and some additional concepts that may be new to you ( . Another chapter will introduce the special GNU/Linux filesystem, that is the /proc filesystem.
Following is the Mandrake Linux boot-up procedure, and how to use it efficiently.
Advanced Uses: we close out with topics for advanced users, including a very useful troubleshooting chapter.
We begin by two practical chapters dedicated to printing and printer management.
We continue concerning security levels available on a Mandrake Linux system. It is followed by two chapters for geek apprentices: how to compile and install a new kernel and free software.
We close out our guide with troubleshooting; if you start experiencing problems with your system, this is a good starting point.
Enjoy!