Slackware Linux for Dummies

A bonus CD-ROM brings you Slackware Linux 7, including Linux Kernel 2.2.13 for compatibility with the latest from Linux; GNOME and KDE desktop environments; and video display support with Xfree86 3.3.5.

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

How to Use This Book

Conventions used in this book

Gotchas

What You Don't Need to Read

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: Presenting Slackware Linux

Part II: Installing and Configuring Your System

Part III: Utilizing Slackware Basics

Part IV: Networking and the Web

Part V: Managing Your System

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Part VII: Appendixes

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go From Here

I: Presenting Slackware Linux

Chapter 1: Introducing Slackware Linux

Discovering Linux Basics

Slacking with Slackware

Understanding Open Source

Getting support for free software

Discovering Who's Using Slackware

Breaking the Seal on Slackware

Building an office with utilities

Playing with multimedia

Surfing the Internet and Web

Relaxing with games

Working with Slackware

Running as a workstation

Serving files or printouts

Organizing your data as a database

Increasing your Internet security

Finding other uses

Benefiting from Slackware

Considering the cost

Evaluating compatibility

Analyzing security

Finding stability

Making systems easy to use

Getting Slackware
Chapter 2: Identifying Your Hardware

Acquiring the Bare Minimum Hardware Standard

Collecting Hardware Information

Accessing your hardware details in DOS or Windows 3.1

Accessing your hardware details in Win9x

Backing Out
Chapter 3: Making Boot and Root Disks

Getting Ready with Boot and Root Disks

Making startup disks with DOS or Windows

Making disks with Linux

Chapter 4: Discovering the Joy of Partitioning

Preparing to Partition Your Hard Drive

Manipulating your free space

Rebooting with your Slackware boot disk

Calculating your partition space wisely

Partitioning Your Hard Drive for Slackware

Partitioning with cfdisk

Partitioning with fdisk

II: Installing and Configuring Your System

Chapter 5: Installing Slackware (Finally!)

Running Setup

Using the setup main menu

Setting up Slackware -- at last!

Configuring Slackware for the First Time

Installing the kernel

Creating backup bootdisks

Setting up your modem port

Establishing your screen font

Installing LILO

Configuring network basics

Getting your mouse set up

Finalizing miscellaneous configurations

Chapter 6: Giving Slackware the Boot

Rebooting with Flags

Booting Slackware for the First Time

Confronting the Power of Root

Understanding roles

Abiding by the rules

Managing Accounts

Creating a new account

Changing passwords

Understanding Virtual Consoles

Getting Out of the System
Chapter 7: Reconfiguring Your System

Installing and Removing Programs with pkgtool

Installing packages from the current directory

Installing packages from another location

Installing packages from a floppy disk

Removing installed packages

Viewing software package contents

Piecing Together pkgtool

Installing, removing, and upgrading software packages

Converting .rpm to .tgz

Exploring Other Configuration Tools

Changing fonts on your system

Reinstalling your boot program

Networking configuration

Setting Up Your Printer

III: Utilizing Slackware Basics

Chapter 8: Shells as Interpreters

Becoming Familiar with csh

Using the command prompt

Commanding the basics

Working with Metacharacters

Typing Repeated Commands

Searching your command history

Changing previous commands

Using Command Completion

Creating a Shell Script
Chapter 9: Directing Files and Filing Directories

Getting to Know Files and Directories

Typecasting files

Nesting in the directory tree

Organizing Your Files and Directories

Listing directory contents

Changing directories

Creating and removing directories

Creating files

Removing and renaming files

Looking at the contents of a file

Organizing the File System

Rooting around in /

Leading the charge -- /usr

Processing it all -- /proc

Packing Files by Using Compression

tarring and feathering

gzipping around the system

gzipping the tar out of it

Chapter 10: Editing Away

Introducing Editors

Vi-ing, not vying

Operating modes of vi

Navigating vi

Deleting text

Replacing and substituting text

Cutting, pasting, and copying text

Searching your file for text

Joining lines and repeating commands

Saving and exiting

Playing with pico

Getting around in pico

Cutting and pasting chunks of text

Taking Time with emacs

Running emacs

Managing meta-commands

Other emacs functions

Chapter 11: Running X Ragged

Uncovering Your Hardware

Running SuperProbe

Walking Through Your Configuration

Running away with XF86Setup

Walking around with xf86config

Running X Windows

Changing colors

Other useful programs

Controlling the Desktop
Chapter 12: Launching KDE and GNOME

Starting With KDE

Playing with Kapplications

Controlling KDE

Going with GNOME

Discovering Other GNOME-ish Utilities

Controlling GNOME

IV: Networking and the Web

Chapter 13: Setting Up Your Internet Connection

Investigating Internet Service Providers

Configuring Your Modem

Typecasting your modem

Recognizing your modem

Configuring Communications Software

Making the Connection to Your ISP

Disconnecting from Your ISP
Chapter 14: Web Browsing and E-Mail

Setting Up Netscape Communicator

Navigating with Navigator

Web Surfing for the X Windows-Impaired

Sending and Receiving E-Mail

Checking for e-mail

Sending e-mail

Avoiding spam

V: Managing Your System

Chapter 15: Working with the File System

Journeying into Free Space

Working with Hard Drives

Mounting and unmounting

Configuring

fscking

Handling Removable Disks

Floppy and Zip disks

CD-ROMs

Backing Up Your Data in Slackware
Chapter 16: Controlling and Directing Data

Issuing Permissions

The basics of permissions

Changing permissions

Changing owners

Changing groups

Putting owners and groups together

Redirecting with Links

Controlling Jobs and Processes

Backgrounding and foregrounding

Listing processes

Killing processes without a gun

Chapter 17: Tuning Your System

Regulating RAM

Using tune2fs

Optimizing Hardware Configuration

Evaluating System Performance

Tuning Processes
Chapter 18: Calling 911! In Case of Emergency

Using Emergency Disks

Fixing a Crashed File System

Fixing the root Password

Salvaging Lost Files

VI: The Part of Tens

Chapter 19: Ten Common Installation Problems

My CD-ROM Doesn't Work

I Don't Know the Password

After Installation, My CD-ROM Disappeared

The Device Is Full

LILO Prints Just LI and Hangs

I Get No Directory Errors When I Log In

I Never Get to Type Anything at the boot: Prompt

My Drives Keep fsck-ing When I Boot

I Can't Find a Program

I Accidentally Typed rm *
Chapter 20: Ten Common Problems with X Windows

I Get a Gray Screen

My Mouse Won't Move

My Screen Blinks, Then Nothing

I Want X Windows to Run When I Boot

When I Move the Mouse, the Screen Scrolls

The Mouse Stays in a Corner

I Have Fuzzy Edges

I Need More Color

xterms are Soooo Sloooow

emacs Doesn't Work in X
Chapter 21: Ten Questions About Packages

Why .tgz?

Can I Check My Package Before Installing It?

Can I Check My Package Before Removing It?

Do I Have to Remove My Package Before Installing a New Version?

Can I Make My Own Package?

What if I Need to See What's Inside a Package?

Can I Use .rpm Packages?

Can I Use .deb Packages?

Where Do I Get Packages From?

Can I Send Packages Via E-mail?

I Found a Bug -- Is There a Patch?
Chapter 22: Ten Sources of Help

The Slackware Forum

The Linux Documentation Project

Manual Pages (man pages)

XFree86

Freshmeat

Other Books

Consultants

Linux User Groups

Trade Magazines

VII: Appendixes

Appendix A: Common Hardware Compatibility List

Central Processing Units (CPUs)

Memory

Video Cards

Hard Drive Controllers

Joysticks and Other I/O Controllers

Network Interface Cards (NICs)

Sound Cards

CD-ROMs

Mice

Printers/Plotters

Scanners

Other Hardware
Appendix B: About the CD-ROMs

System Requirements

Using the CDs

What You'll Find

If You Have Problems (Of the CD Kind)

Index

Book Registration Information