Convert Your Old Computer to a Linux Server

By Jan Pascal

Linux is a very popular platform. Not just because it is free but also because it is reliable and supports anything you can imagine. A popular setup is a Linux server without any graphical user interface. It can be used for web hosting, as a file server, as a database server, or for anything you need. Most people comfortable with Windows operating system are afraid to start thinking in a different way. In fact, installing and using Linux is pretty simple.

Once you decide to go for it you have already made the first step. The next step is to get some basic information about installing Linux. There are many Linux distributions. One that is very popular is Ubuntu. Simply Google for “ubuntu server” and learn about what do you need to install Linux. In general, things are pretty simple. You can install Linux on almost any machine. Your old computer that was replaced some time ago is a perfect choice for Linux. You only need some space on the hard drive, a CD or DVD drive, a network card and a lot of patience.

The first step is to make a bootable CD with the latest Ubuntu server image. Download the image file and burn it on a CD. Then you boot your computer with this CD and start installing Linux. It is a good idea to do this installation next to your main computer with internet accesses. This way you will be able to browse for any problem you may encounter. The most important thing you should know is that for every question you may have, there is an answer on some web page waiting for you. You only have to find it.

The installation process is pretty straight-forward. If you don’t understand what the installer is asking you then simply select the default option. Of course, you can also ask Google for it and then choose appropriate option. You should understand that the Linux principle is very different from the Windows one. But once you become familiar with Linux shell and basic commands it will be very easy to work with Linux and to install and configure new software.

Having a Linux server is a great upgrade to your home network. This server will be your reliable storage for large peer-to-peer files, web server for website development or a computer to play with. And remember, sooner or later you will encounter a problem. Something will not work or you will not know how to change some setting. All you have to do is to search for the answer on the web. Web pages offer a giant encyclopedia on Linux.

The author is a big Linux fan and all his websites were developed on a home Linux server. One such project is http://hydronicfloorheating.org/ which offers some basic information on Hydronic Floor Heating.

What Is Ubuntu?

By Roharme D

Ubuntu is an easy version of Linux. It is not windows,but it is almost user friendly like windows. No all applications have graphical interface. Many applications force users to use commands to run them.Commands are mandatory to work with Linux and Ubuntu is not an exception.

Useful Commands:

* apt-get – Call Advanced Packaging Tool.

* clear – Clears terminal screen

* cat [filename] – Opens the file in terminal

* cat > [filename] – Createsa file with name mentioned

* chmod – Change the mode of a file to read, write, execute, extract etc.

* gedit – Opens gnome editor

* gksudo [program name] – Open graphic interface of an application with administrator

* install – Install a package or a component

* pon – Trigger a dsl-connection

* poff – Turn of a dsl-connection

* plog -PPPOE Log file.

* sudo -To become an administration for that particular transaction / terminal session alone.

* privileges.

* synaptic – Open package installer

* vi – Opens VI editor

Installing a software:

Ubuntu does not support direct executable files. You will either be provided with a compiled object that can be installed as such or the complete source code itself. In case of source code, it must be compiled first to proceed with the installation. There is no fixed way to compile the code. It depends upon the language in which the software has been written.

Fully compiled software will have standard extensions which Ubuntu understands by their extension.Some standard file type are

*.run – These files types must be executed with shell command as

* sh.run

*.deb – Deb is the abbreviated form of Debian packages. These packages can be installed right away by double clicking.It opens itself in package installer.

*.bin – These are standard binary files. They might be locked sometimes. They must be provided privileges before executing. The privileges can be changed by the command chmod with the switch +x.To install the software, use the command./[FILENAME].bin (note the dot in the beginning)

There are many other ways of installing a software.

Synaptic Manager:

This is a built-in Ubuntu installer. Ubuntu, keeps track of many useful and popular packages. They are indexed in the synaptic manager. You can install the software using the synaptic manager, if the software is listed in it.

To start synaptic manager, use the command sudo synaptic

Application Package Tool:

APT is one of the typical features of Ubuntu. There are plenty of software and utilities that can directly be installed in your system without having a downloaded soft copy. Just naming the package would suffice. Some famous package that can be installed with APT are

sudo apt-get install sun-java6-sdk sudo apt-get install xmms sudo apt-get install vlc sudo apt-get install mvn sudo apt-get install ant sudo apt-get install svn

Almost all applications can be opened using a command line. Command line version of software are faster than graphic interface as they occupy less memory.This could be a handy guide for beginners. But this is just a piece of Ubuntu. There are many things are there to be learnt to play with Ubuntu.