Computing Tech

The Basics of Active Directory

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:20:00 PST

When you break it down, Active Directory is a type of database, but one built as a “directory.” The difference between a relational database and a directory is that the former is optimized for updating, while the latter is optimized for reading. In this manner, Active Directory was developed with the understanding that the objects contained within the directory would not be changing often, but would be used for users, computers and administrators to control, manage, and discover the organization’s resources.

One of Active Directory's most basic functions is that it provides a centralized repository for user account information. When an administrator creates a user account, the account information is held on a domain controller within the domain in which the user resides. All of the domain controllers within the domain will receive an identical copy of the user account so that the user is able to authenticate using any domain controller in the domain.

Any changes to the user account are made on one of the domain controllers and then sent to every other domain controller within the domain. This transfer of data is called replication. Replication of information can be a burden on the network, especially in environments with several thousand users, groups, computers, and other objects. To alleviate the replication burden on the network, Active Directory replicates only the attributes that have been changed, and not the entire object.

To get a good understanding of how Active Directory works, you must first understand what the schema is and the role it plays in the directory service. The following section will outline the major roles of the schema.

Schema
The schema (i.e., a structured framework or plan) acts as the building blocks of Active Directory, much like DNA molecules are the building blocks for our bodies. Just as our DNA holds all of the information necessary to build our leg, ears, hair, ear hair, etc., the schema holds all of the information needed to create users, groups, computers, and so on within Active Directory. The schema defines how each attribute can be used and the properties associated with the attribute. Take, for instance, a child’s toy that we have grown up with: LEGOs. When you first take a look at LEGO bricks, you see hundreds of tiny pieces that really don’t seem to represent anything. Some are short, some are long, and some are special shapes. These are the individual pieces, or building blocks, that will go into creating the buildings, cars, airplanes, and dioramas.

The Active Directory schema is pretty much the same thing. If you look within the Active Directory Schema snap-in you will see hundreds of entries that are used when creating objects within Active Directory. As you expand the Active Directory Schema section of the tool, you will see the window that contains classes and attributes. The entries known as attributes allow you to create new objects or modify existing objects within your directory. To add the Active Directory Schema snap-in to a Microsoft Management Console (MMC), you will first need to register the dynamic link library. To do so, open the Run line or use a command prompt on the domain controller and type in regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll.

Attributes
To standardize Active Directory, the schema defines the attributes that can be used when creating objects. Unlike our LEGO bricks, however, these attributes are defined only once and can be used for any object. Defining the attribute once and using it for multiple objects allows for a standardized approach of defining objects, especially when searching for the attribute. Take the name attribute, for example; whenever an object uses the Name attribute you know that the name has to be at least one character in length and cannot exceed 255 characters. You would know this because of the syntax and rules that are applied to the attribute. There is a lot of information within this page, but right now we are interested only in the Syntax and Range area. Notice that the attribute is a Unicode string that has to be at least one character in length and cannot exceed 255 characters. Each attribute within the schema is defined in such a manner, although the syntax for each of the attributes could be different.

The properties for Bad-Pwd-Count are another attribute that makes up a user object. Notice that the X.500 Object Identifier (OID) is different from that of the name attribute.
Each attribute within the schema has to have a unique OID. These are registered and maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). Once assigned, the OID should not be used by any other attribute. Within Active Directory, the default attributes are already assigned OIDs, and those OIDs are protected in a way that will not allow another application to overwrite them. New attributes will need to be assigned an OID. If you are adding an attribute for use in an object, you should register it with the IANA to safeguard the attribute and to make sure that it does not step on any other attributes. Registration is free, and as long as your OID is unique, you should be issued an OID for your attribute. The attributes that Microsoft uses are all within their own OID range, which starts with 1.2.840.113556. For a complete list of the registered OIDs, visit
http://asn1.elibel.tm.fr/oid/index.htm and perform a search on the OID. If you have registered an OID, it will appear in this database once the entry is added.

Within an attribute’s properties, you will find several check boxes that you can select. Each of them is described in the following list:

Attribute Is Active
You can deactivate attributes that you no longer need within Active Directory. Note that the default attributes cannot be deactivated, nor can attributes that are still in use within an object.

Index This Attribute
If this is an attribute on which you are going to allow searches, you may want to index the attribute to increase the search responsiveness.

Ambiguous Name Resolution (ANR)
When you select this option, you allow a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)–based client to resolve a request when only partial data is available.

Replicate This Attribute to the Global Catalog
Not every attribute needs to reside within the global catalog. The rule of thumb is, if you need to locate an object based on an attribute or if the object’s attribute is needed within another domain, you should add it. Otherwise, to reduce the total size of the domain partition you should not add in any superfluous attributes.

Attribute Is Copied When Duplicating a User
When you copy a user account, several attributes are copied from the original account to the new account. If you want the attribute to copy, select the box. Do note that many attributes are unique to a user, so select this option with care.

Index This Attribute for Containerized Searches
If you select this option, the attribute can be indexed for searches within containers, such as organizational units (OUs), in Active Directory.

Object Classes
An object class is a defined grouping of attributes that make up a unique resource type. One of the most common object classes is the user class. Use the user object class as the template for a user account. When you create a user account, the attributes that are defined for the user object class are used to define the new account. Information that you populate within the Add User wizard or enter within the command line become the properties within the attributes. If we go back for a minute to the LEGO metaphor, you can use some of the brown blocks available to create a roof on a house, some red bricks to make the walls, and tan bricks to make a door.

The clear pieces can be used as windows and the white pieces form the porch. Each of these individual items (the bricks, the color of the bricks, the shape of the bricks, and the placement of the bricks) is considered an attribute. Putting these attributes together forms the object class “house.” When you build your first house, you have built your first object. Subsequent houses will have the same attributes, but you may build the porch with tan pieces instead of white ones. So, when I create a user account for Maria, that user account will have unique values stored within the attributes for her user account. Bob’s user account will be created using identical attributes, but will not have the same values within each attribute. Maria’s phone number may be 555.1234, and Bob’s 555.9876.

Not all of the attributes that make up an object class are shown within the administrative tools. Many of them hide behind the scenes and will rarely, if ever, need to be changed. One such attribute is the user’s Security Identifier or SID. The user’s SID will change when a user is moved from one domain to another, but will not change while the user remains within a domain. The Active Directory Users and Computers management tool does not have the ability to change this attribute. A default set of attribute fields appears within the utilities, and if you decide to make an attribute available for updating, you may need to programmatically add the fields to the utilities.

Attributes are defined as mandatory or optional. Mandatory attributes have to be populated, or the object will not be created. One such attribute is a computer’s name. Optional attributes do not necessarily need to have values. Attributes such as Manager within a user object does not need to be populated, but it is always nice to include that information. The more complete the information, the more useful Active Directory becomes.

The Two Sides of AD
Active Directory has both a logical side and a physical side, and each one plays a very important role. The physical side is made up of the domain controllers and physical locations where the domain controllers reside. When you promote a system to domain controller status, you will usually place that domain controller close to the user population that will use it for authentication and access. Domain controllers need to communicate with one another to share the information they have. The logical side is a little more nebulous; as well as containing the objects that define how the resources are organized and accessed, the logical side contains objects within Active Directory that define how the domain controllers will communicate with one another. Active Directory sites and site links define which domain controllers will replicate directly with each other and which ones will have to communicate indirectly through other domain controllers.
Domains dictate the replication scope. When you create a domain, the domain partition is replicated only to domain controllers from the same domain. The domain partition is not copied to domain controllers outside of the domain. This allows you to partition your directory service and reduce the size of the database file that holds all of the forest’s objects.

Organizational units are used to organize objects for easy administration and to manage those objects easily using group policies. To have efficient administration of resources, you should design your Active Directory with administration in mind. If you are in the process of rolling out Active Directory, be sure to develop a detailed plan for the rollout. Without a good design, Active Directory may not work efficiently for your environment. If your design does not meet the needs of your organization, you may be faced with either suffering through working with an inadequate design or rebuilding your Active Directory infrastructure from the ground up. Neither of these options will sit well with your user base or the management of the company.

Source of Information : Sybex Mastering Active Directory for Windows Server 2008

Do I Need Active Directory?

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:57:00 PST

Active Directory is the database (think of a directory as a collection of information, like a phone book), whereas a domain controller is a single computer or server that controls Active Directory. There are typically multiple domain controllers that host Active Directory. How do you know if you need Active Directory? There are factors that you should address to determine whether you should defer installation of a domain controller. Following are some of the questions you should ask:

Do I want to centrally manage access to resources such as printers, users, and groups?
Do I want to control user accounts from one location?
Do I have applications that rely on Active Directory?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you undoubtedly will want to take advantage of the features that Active Directory provides. Taking each one of the questions into account, you will find that your life as an administrator will be much easier if you use Active Directory over using no directory service whatsoever. The tools that become available when you implement Active Directory will ease your administrative load, although there is an inherent learning curve associated with any new technology.

If you answered “yes” to the last of the three questions just posed, you have no choice but to implement Active Directory. Most of the Active Directory–enabled applications on the market rely on the installation of a full version of Active Directory within your network. There are some Active Directory–enabled applications that can take advantage of using Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) –based systems.

The first two questions relate to something for which administrators have strived over the years. Having one central location to manage users and resources makes an administrator’s life easier. If you have to continually move from server to server to administer the resources contained on them, you will spend more time tracking down the resources than you would performing your job. If you have to maintain user accounts on several systems, you must make sure you have an efficient method of cataloging the accounts so that you know where they reside.

With Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, and now Windows Server 2008, you can use Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) as the central repository for user, group, and computer accounts as well as for shared folders and printers. Having the ability to manage these resources from any domain controller within your domain allows you to greatly reduce your administrative overhead.

Source of Information : Sybex Mastering Active Directory for Windows Server 2008

Active Directory Fundamentals

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:17:00 PST

Since the inception of network operating systems, the men and women who are responsible for administering and managing them have wanted an easy way to do so. Networks have gone through a natural evolution from peer-to-peer networks to directory-based networks. Directory-based networks have become the preferred type of network because they can ease an administrator’s workload. To address the needs of organizations, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) developed a set of recommendations that defined how a directory service should address the needs of administrators and efficiently allow management of network resources. These recommendations, known as the X.500 recommendations, were originally envisioned to include a large centralized directory that would encompass the entire world, divided by geopolitical boundaries. Even though X.500 was written to handle a very large amount of data, designers reviewing the drafts of these recommendations saw merit in the directory and soon the recommendations were adopted by several companies, including the two best known, Novell and Microsoft.

Active Directory is Microsoft’s version of the X.500 recommendations. Battles rage between directory services camps, each one touting its directory service as the most efficient one. Because some of the directory services, such as Novell Directory Services (NDS) and eDirectory, have been around longer than Active Directory, those that are familiar with NDS will attack Active Directory. Their attacks are usually focused on the idea that Active Directory does not perform functions the same way that NDS does.

When it is all said and done, companies that develop X.500-based directory services can interpret the recommendations and implement them to fit their design needs. Microsoft interpreted and employed the X.500 recommendations to effectively manage a Windows-based network. Novell did the same for a Novell-based network, and the two for years have been at odds over which is more efficient. All that notwithstanding, Microsoft has enjoyed great success with Active Directory. It has been adopted by thousands of organizations and will more than likely continue to be used for many years to come.

Source of Information : Sybex Mastering Active Directory for Windows Server 2008

Advantages of Google Docs

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:45:00 PST

Using online apps has many advantages. First, you’re never bound to your PC. Google gives access to your docs anytime you need them from any computer in the world through any Internet connection. Second, Google Docs is platform independent, which means you can work on a PC or Mac with equal ease. Third, there’s no software to install because Google Docs works inside a Web browser. Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari provide the support necessary to use Google Docs.

Here’s a list of six additional advantages that we detail in the pages that follow:

• Docs are easy to launch, easy to use, and secure your files in Google’s massive data centers.

• Innovative search and folder naming schemes in the Docs Home ensures that you’ll never misplace a doc, spreadsheet, or presentation again.

• A single-document approach (that is, singledocumindedness) empowers superb sharing, team collaboration, and revision control.

• Online publishing to Sites and blogs makes docs a key part of your communications strategy.

• Seamless conversion and support for other file types throws docs into the mainstream.

• The ability to work offline presents you with powerful new ways to work.

You can launch Docs Home in several ways:
• Enter a Web address: You can start your Google Docs directly from the Web by clicking the address bar and entering docs followed by your partnered domain name.
• Google Account users: Enter http://docs.google.com and log into your Google account.
• Team, Standard, Preferred, and Education Edition Users: Enter http://docs.google.com/a/yourdomain.com or http://docs.yourdomain.com. For example, http://docs.google.com/a/ardsleybooks.com or http://docs.ardsleybooks.com. Log into your Docs account.

• Use a Start Page gadget: You can launch Docs conveniently from a gadget on your Start Page. To add a gadget, follow these steps:
1. Click the Add Stuff link near the top left of the Start Page.
2. Click the Add It Now button below the Google Docs option. (While you’re here, you may as well add a gadget for your Gmail and Calendar apps!)
3. To return to your Start page, click the Back to Homepage link on the top left of the Add Stuff screen. After you add your gadget, click the Google Docs link at the top of the gadget. This takes you directly to the Docs Home screen. The gadget gives you one-click access to a half dozen of your most-recently opened files in a short list. There’s also a link to create new docs. Look closely and you notice there’s even a search box. If the document you need does not appear in the list, click the All Docs link and go directly to the Docs Home.

• Click the Documents link from other open Google Apps. Regardless of which Google App you’re using, if you peer at the upper-left corner, you can see a series of links. Click the Documents link to go straight to your Google Docs Home.

Your Docs account is protected by your login and password, just as they are on any other network. You can use the same login and password for all of your online Google Apps: Gmail, Sites, Calendar, Picasa, you name it. Click the Sign In link and input your secret password.

If your computer crashes and your hard drive dies, your files are still safe online. As long as you have access to the Internet, you can access your files. You can even access your Google Docs from your smartphone browser as long as your phone account supports a higher-speed connection to the Internet.

If you can’t use your computer, you can use any other computer that happens to be lying around and log into your private Google account online. Even if you login to your account from someone else’s computer, you won’t sacrifice your security if you sign out properly at the end of your session. However, you should beware of one thing when using a computer other than your own; never click the Remember Me on This Computer check box. Save this convenience for your personal computer.

Google is constantly making improvements to Docs. The software is constantly being updated, but for the most part, you hardly notice. Because Google Docs is Web based, the most recent version of the software loads instantly. There’s nothing for you to install. In fact, Docs is in a constant state of improvement.

Source of Information : Google Sites and Chrome FOR DUMMIES

Staying secure online with Chrome

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:31:00 PST

Good Internet security is very important, especially if you do your banking and shopping online. Secure sites encrypt your personal information so that other people who may be watching your Internet activity can’t make sense of it. Using the right security settings can help protect you while you surf and keep your information safe. To access security settings, open the Google Chrome Options window, click the Under the Hood tab, and scroll to the Security section. Here’s what the options do:

• Enable Phishing and Malware Protection: Phishing sites imitate legitimate sites and try to trick you into giving your personal information, such as bank account numbers and PINs. Malware sites try to install viruses or other evil software that tracks your computer habits and keystrokes. Google keeps an updated list of known phishing and malware sites and checks to make sure that you’re not visiting one of them. With this option checked, Chrome blocks access to bad sites. Even though the phishing and malware filter work well, it’s still a good idea to keep your information safe. Don’t share any personal information, such as your Social Security Number or bank account information, on a site linked from your e-mail. When in doubt, visit the company’s main page (type the www.company.com address) and call a customer service representative.

• Manage Certificates: Click this button to access your computer’s certificates. Certificates are used to verify a site’s identity. Browse through the Certificates window that appears and remove any certificates you don’t want to keep.

• Use SSL 2.0: SSL 2.0 is an older security protocol that is less secure. Most sites use SSL 3.0 or newer, so you don’t need this option normally. If you come across a site that only works with SSL 2.0, you can enable it here. However, we recommend you leave it unchecked.

• Check for Server Certificate Revocation: Certificates normally expire at a certain point, but some sites’ certificates can be revoked before the expiration date. This option checks to make sure that your certificate is still valid before you access the site. If it is not valid, Chrome blocks access to that site.

• Mixed Content on Secure (SSL) Pages: Some secure pages show information found on insecure servers, such as images or text. Although it’s usually fine to allow all content to load, you can protect yourself from sending information to insecure sites by only allowing images or blocking insecure content completely.

• Cookie Settings: Cookies are little files that store bits of information from Web sites, such as your login or location so those sites can quickly load your personalized content the next time you visit. Most cookies are safe, but some could potentially track the pages you browse or the links you click. Cookie settings in the Security section include Allow, Restrict, or Block. Cookies received in Incognito mode are deleted automatically when you close the window. Click the Show Cookies button to search for and delete any specific cookies you like.

Source of Information : Google Sites and Chrome FOR DUMMIES

Dealing with Plug-Ins with Chrome

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:26:00 PST

Web 2.0 is made possible by a lot of cool technology, such as HTML, AJAX, Flash, and Java. Chrome is built to handle HTML and AJAX just fine on its own, but Flash and Java require special software to work properly. The plugins are provided by Adobe and Sun, respectively, and here we show you how to get these plug-ins working in a breeze.

Installing plug-ins automatically
When you open a page that requires a plug-in, such as Flash Player, a yellow bar slides in below the toolbar indicating that an additional plug-in is required. Click the Install Plug-In button on the right side of the bar to begin installation. A confirmation window appears. Click the Get Plugin button. The plug-in installer downloads and runs on your computer. You may have to click a few buttons to allow the installer to run. After you run the plug-in installer, return to your Chrome tab and click the Reload button in the toolbar. The page should now show your added features.

Installing plug-ins manually
Some sites won’t allow you to install plug-ins quite as easily as we describe above. You can still get them working, but it may take a few more steps, listed here:

1. Navigate to the plug-in Web site. We list a few essential ones below.

2. Click the button(s) that say Download. You may have to click through a few screens and accept a license agreement.

3. Open the installer by clicking the icon in the Installer Bar at the bottom of your tab. The plug-in installer opens in a new window.

4. Click the Next and Accept buttons to install the plug-in, and then click Finish. The installer closes.

5. Switch back to Chrome and click the Reload button. Your plug-in should load correctly and show your interactive content. In some cases, you may need to close Chrome completely and open a new tab.

Here’s a list of plug-ins we can’t live without and where you can download them:

• Flash: Enables you to watch YouTube videos and play online games. Many Web sites also use Flash for navigation menus and advertisements, as well. Go to www.adobe.com/go/getflash to download Flash.

• Adobe Reader: Opens any PDF file you come across. PDF files are digital replicas of paper documents, including manuals and eBooks. Download the reader at www.adobe.com/go/getreader.

• Java: This is used on shopping sites for 3D product views, for some online games, and other tools. Go to www.java.com for more info.

• QuickTime: View high definition streaming video and virtual tours. Find it at www.quicktime.com. If you’ve already installed iTunes, you already have QuickTime.

Source of Information : Google Sites and Chrome FOR DUMMIES

Browser Wars I & II

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:55:00 PST

In the beginning (around AD 1994) there was Mosaic, a small, primitive HTML browser that first popularized the Web. Mosaic was created at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by a bunch of hotshot programmers, many of whom moved to Silicon Valley and created the next big breakthrough, a much faster browser forever remembered as simply Netscape. Netscape Navigator was the browser of choice until the late ’90s when Microsoft released Internet Explorer (IE was first licensed from much of the lingering Mosaic code) and the first browser war ensued.

With a good initial product and its fabled marketing might, Microsoft captured more and more users and pulled ahead as the mainstream Internet browser. Netscape slowly faded into history. While IE began to dominate, however, it added everything and the kitchen sink. The browser bogged down and broke down more than many users could tolerate.

As time went on, the Web was supercharged with 2.0 apps. More and more ’Net apps, such as messaging, voice apps, streaming video, chat, social networking, and online word processing became popular. With Web 2.0, having a fast, reliable Web browser has become more important than ever. In a response to changing needs, a number of alternative browsers have come out to challenge IE. A second browser war is now in full force. This time, Internet Explorer faces stiff competition from Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Google Chrome. The focus of these browsers is a return to an efficient, secure, and fast browser that can get the most out of Web 2.0 apps. Regardless of who wins the next browser skirmish, users are the ultimate winners with a better way to view and use the Web.

Source of Information : Google Sites and Chrome FOR DUMMIES

Windows 7 Ten Things That Still Need Fixing

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:50:23 PST

Flawless? Windows 7? Of course not. Think of these ten areas as constituting a working to-do list for Windows 8.

1. OVERALL CONSISTENCY: For a Microsoft product, Windows 7 is quite refined. But it still suffers from needless inconsistency. Why do most of its tools place menus on the left, while Internet Explorer 8 and the help system shove them over to the opposite end? Does the new media-sharing feature (HomeGroup) have zero, one, or two capital letters? Why does Office 2007’s Ribbon interface show up only in Paint and WordPad?

2. THE NAMES OF THINGS: Too often, Microsoft’s naming decisions confuse rather than clarify. ‘User Account Control’ has nothing to do with the feature it supposedly describes; ‘Action Center’ sounds like Ron Burgundy’s local TV newscast. And an OS that already has a feature called Device Manager shouldn’t call a new feature ‘Devices and Printers’.

3. WINDOWS UPDATE: The operating system’s built-in patching capability is essential. But Windows Update is also the OS’s most irritating carryover feature. Tell it to download and install everything without your further intervention (as Microsoft recommends), and it may still insist on rebooting when you are in the middle of important work—or deny you access to your computer altogether while it installs updates.

4. SEARCH: Windows 7’s Federated Search lets you add external sources like Flickr and YouTube to Windows Explorer searches. But the OS doesn’t help you find those sources and doesn’t mention Federated Search in its help system.

5. HELP: Help...needs help. Some sections target nerdy command-line afi cionados; others address clueless newbies. Few sections focus on intelligent-butbusy users of intermediate experience.

6. FLIP3D: Press Windows-Tab, and you get Vista’s fancy 3D task switcher, which pointlessly requires you to cycle through tasks one by one. This duplicates the functionality of Alt-Tab instead of enabling you to get to any task in a couple of clicks, as Apple’s similar Exposé does.

7. BACKUP: Win 7’s Backup and Re - store Center no longer requires you to de - vote an external hard drive to a full system backup. But it still isn’t as easy to use as Apple’s Time Machine. And Microsoft’s decision to put network backup only in Windows 7’s priciest editions is just silly.

8. VERSIONITIS: Having multiple versions of Windows is fine in theory. But in reality, their minor, subtle, and arbitrary differences invite confusion. Misleading names like Windows 7 Home Premium— the only Windows 7 Home version available in the United States—don’t help.

9. INTERNET EXPLORER 8: Windows 7’s bundled browser is perfectly adequate. But it’s playing catch-up with innovative competitors such as Firefox and Google’s Chrome, not setting new standards.

10. DOCUMENT VIEWING: Like Vista, Windows 7 lets you create applicationindependent documents that use Microsoft’s PDF-like XPS format to retain their original formatting. But PDF is pervasive and XPS hasn’t caught on, so wouldn’t it be infinitely more convenient if Windows 7 supported PDF out of the box?

Source of Information : PC World November 2009

Choosing Google Chrome

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:51:00 PST

You have many browser choices out there. If you’re running Windows, you have likely used Internet Explorer to see the world. If you have a Mac, your Web is powered by Safari. Although both of these browsers do a fine job of displaying your pages and running your apps, there’s a better way. Chrome, was built from the ground up as a browser for Web 2.0. The developers focused specifically on speed, security, and reliability throughout the design process. Plus, Chrome taps into Google Search to make finding information a breeze.

Using a faster browser
Internet apps use technology that is much more advanced than simple HTML. Older browsers started simple and kept adding new capabilities. Over time, they’ve become bulky and slow because each app has to load before the browser can load. Who has time to wait for browser windows to open?

Chrome takes advantage of new technology that runs many of these advanced features without using as much computer memory as other older browsers. This means that Chrome starts immediately after you open it and new tabs appear just as quickly. Additionally, many online apps, including Gmail and Google Sites, run much faster in Chrome than in other browsers. Try it and you’ll see what we mean.

If you decide Chrome isn’t for you, our feelings won’t be hurt. You can always go back to Internet Explorer, Safari, or whatever other browser you’re used to. However, it’s going to take a lot of effort to pry us away from Chrome.

Making the most of Google Search
The Internet is built around search. Whether you’re reviewing products, mastering a new medical procedure, or looking for that special e-mail message, search is indispensable. That’s why Chrome builds in Google Search technology everywhere from finding Web sites to locating bookmarks to checking your browsing history. One of the unique features of Chrome is the Omnibox. The Omnibox combines the browser’s address bar, search bar, and search from other Web sites into one location. Whether you know the address or want Google to find it, the Omnibox takes care of you.

Believe it or not, several other search services are out there that you can use in place of Google, including Yahoo!, Live Search, AOL, and more. When you open Chrome the first time, you have the option to choose Google Search or some other service. You can change it at any time using the Options screen.

Keeping your computer safe
Chrome even protects you from people who would steal your information or install bad software onto your computer. Every time you use it, Chrome automatically downloads a list of Web sites that Google knows are bad. They either try to get you to give up your personal information or load software to track your behavior. Whenever you come across a bad site, Google blocks the screen and helps you navigate away. If you’re certain the site is legitimate, there’s an option to continue at your own risk.

With the Omnibox, you have a handful of ways to tell whether a site is legitimate. In the Omnibox, the domain name of the site you’re visiting appears in black letters and the rest of the long address is gray. If you’re visiting an eBay page, make sure that the address shows www.ebay.com and not some other address. When you’re on a secure site, the Omnibox is yellow and a lock icon appears on the right side. You’ll also notice that the “https” letters appear in green.

Scammers like to make you think you’re visiting a popular site, such as your bank or eBay. Although Chrome does its best to protect you from these sites, do not enter personal information, such as PINs or Social Security numbers, on a site that you visit from an e-mail link. When in doubt, visit the site directly (by typing www.ebay.com, for example) and log in, or call the organization to see whether the request is valid.

Source of Information : Google Sites and Chrome FOR DUMMIES

How Google Sites Fits with the Other Google Apps

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:15:00 PDT

Google Apps (www.google.com/apps) is made up of five fully-functioning online applications: Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Talk, and Sites. Communicating with other people on the Internet is a snap with Gmail and Talk, and collaboration is simple with Calendar, Docs, and Sites. Each of these apps are fully functioning programs that allow you to do your work, such as e-mail and word processing, from any Web browser, instead of relying on your computer’s other installed software. Additionally, you can quickly access information you store online by using mini versions of the apps called gadgets. There are different editions of the whole Google Apps package, depending on your organization and needs. These include:

• Team Edition: If you already have a school or work e-mail address, this edition adds Calendar, Docs, Talk, and Sites to the mix. Plus, you can instantly start connecting with other users in your organization that have already signed up. (Click the link for Coworkers or Classmates.)

• Standard Edition: If your group or business is just starting out or is switching from another service, such as Outlook, this free edition of Google Apps lets you use all five services with your existing domain name with minimal e-mail advertisements. (Click the Business IT Managers link, click the See Details and Sign Up button, and then click Compare to Standard Edition)

• Premier Edition: This edition costs $50 per user per year, but adds more functionality and security than Standard Edition, more storage space, provides 24/7 support, and gets rid of the ads. (Click the Business IT Managers link.)

• Education Edition. This is just like Premier Edition, but free for universities, schools, and other nonprofit organizations. (Click the School IT Managers link.) These apps just so happen to play nice with each other, too, by allowing you to easily share information from one app with another. Some of the features we talk about in this book include alerts, which are sent to your e-mail account, and embedded calendars, which help your team members know what’s coming up.

Source of Information : Google Sites and Chrome FOR DUMMIES

Comparing Google Sites to Other Team Sites

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:49:00 PDT

Microsoft Office Live Workspace
Microsoft Office Live Workspace (http://workspace.officelive.com) — a free service that’s probably the most similar to Sites — offers users the ability to share files easily and to comment on projects. Unlike Sites, however, there’s no Web page tool, so creating a wiki site isn’t part of the package.

The main advantage to using Office Live Workspace is that if you use Microsoft Office, you can download a plug-in that gives you easy access to save your Office documents directly to the site. Office Live’s big brothers, Groove and SharePoint, offer additional features for larger companies but also require expensive servers and software. To use Office Live Workspace, you need a Windows Live ID and password, which you can get free at http://home.live.com.

Blackboard and Moodle
Blackboard (www.blackboard.com) and Moodle (www.moodle.org) are both great tools for teachers to keep track of classes, handouts, quizzes, and grades. They provide tools for pretty much any aspect of your class needs. But they’re also very complex and require extensive training every time a new semester rolls around.

Blackboard and Moodle both require servers to run on, and someone to maintain them. You also have to pay a license fee for Blackboard. If your school already uses either one, they have gone ahead and taken care of the cost. In cases where you don’t need all the bells and whistles or if you use other publisher-provided tools, Google Sites gives you the basics to share all of your classroom information with the students in your class.

Acrobat
Adobe takes a slightly different approach to sharing files. They offer five services through their Web site, www.acrobat.com, which allow you to create and share individual files with others:

• Buzzword is an online word processor similar to Google Docs.

• ConnectNow lets you host online conferences and share your screen over the Internet.

• Create PDF is a tool to transform your documents into portable document format.

• Share lets you upload and invite others to see your documents.

• My Files gives you a place to keep your files and access them from anywhere.

Instead of using a wiki-like interface, Acrobat gives you the option to enter the e-mail addresses of your team members so they can keep track of your files. Although this is useful for individual documents, it makes running a whole team project a little difficult because every time you want to share a file, you have to remember the addresses of everyone on your team. Still, the black interface is very easy to use and is just plain cool.

Source of Information : Google Sites and Chrome FOR DUMMIES

Emacs for E-Mail

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:57:00 PDT

Emacs for E-Mail
Emacs has been called the Swiss Army knife of GNU/Linux because of all the functions it can perform. Sending and receiving e-mail is another application of Emacs that you may want to use. It is important to note that not all e-mail services support the use of Gnus or Emacs as a mail client. Double-check with your e-mail service to see if they support this before you configure the .gnus file.

If your e-mail service provides support for Emacs and Gnus, let’s open the .gnus file and modify it to be able to send and receive e-mails. To do this, you will need the SMTP and POP server information that was used for setting up your Evolution account. If you no longer have this information, your e-mail provider’s site will have this information for you.

Once you have opened your .gnus file, move the point to the first available line in the file by using the arrow keys or the C-N key binding (hold down CTRL and press N repeatedly until the point is at the first empty line in the file). Once you have the point in the right place, enter the following code:

(setq smtpmail-smtp-server "smtp.your isp.com")
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "smtp.your isp.com")))
(setq smtpmail-local-domain "your isp.com")

This will set up Gnus to send mail using the Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP). Where the example reads “your isp.com,” substitute the name of your Internet service provider. Remember, not all providers end in “.com”; some end in “.net.” For instance, if you are using Bell South, you would enter bellsouth.net.

To be able to receive e-mail, you need to define the Post Office Protocol (POP) server that your ISP uses. Once you have this information, you need to add the following line to the .gnus configuration file:

(setq mail-sources '((pop :server "your.pop3server.com" :user "username" )))

Gnus will now download all of your mail into a newsgroup that it creates for you. By opening this newsgroup, you can read through all of your downloaded e-mail. Since you set up the SMTP server settings, you can send e-mail as well by going to the toolbar and selecting Gnus | Send A Message. Once you have typed your message, click the Send This Message icon on the toolbar.

If you find Emacs to be a valuable tool when using your computer, practice with it as much as you can. Many more key bindings and many more tools are available to you in Emacs. The more you use this tool, the easier it gets. Learning the key bindings is like learning a second language, only you don’t have to roll your rrrr’s. Practice, practice, practice, and eventually you will find yourself using the key bindings to navigate through the buffers and frames without having to refer to a cheat sheet of any kind.

In this configuration, you will be asked to provide your password each time you start Gnus. It is possible to modify this line to automatically enter your password for you; however, this is not an advisable practice since anyone with access to your computer would be able to read all of your e-mails.

Source of Information : McGraw Hill Osborne Media How to Do Everything

Reading the Gnus

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:53:00 PDT

In addition to writing and modifying text files with Emacs, you can use this application to connect to different news servers and to read postings from the newsgroups housed there. Newsgroups are Internet message boards on a wide variety of topics. When you subscribe to a newsgroup, you can read messages posted by other users and post replies of your own. Basically, it is like a worldwide forum where people can ask questions, find answers, and debate ideas.

Emacs provides you with a built-in news reader called Gnus. To use this, you must first create a configuration file called .gnus that will be saved in your home directory. Of course, we can create that file using Emacs! So let’s open a new file, and we will name it .gnus. In the buffer, enter the following:

(setq gnus-select-method ' (nntp "news.cn99.com"))
(setq user-full-name "yourname")
(setq user-email-address "your email address")

Now write the file to disk using your key bindings.

Now that your server is set up, go to the toolbar and select Tools | Read Net News (Gnus). Emacs will now download the list of newsgroups available to you. This could take some time, so be patient.

Once the groups have been loaded, select Groups | Listing | Describe All Groups. Now you should see a long list of the different groups you can subscribe to, along with a brief description of what each group is all about. Once you find a group or two that you wish to subscribe to, from the toolbar select Groups | Subscribe | Subscribe To A Group. In the message area, Emacs will ask you which group you would like to subscribe to. Type the name of the group and press ENTER, and you will be a new subscriber! When you restart Gnus, you will see all of the groups that you subscribed to (plus a few extras that Gnus thinks you may find interesting). If Gnus is still running, from the toolbar select Buffer | Group, and the Group buffer will open in a new window.

To read the articles in a newsgroup, double-click on the newsgroup name, and you will be presented with a list of articles. Navigate to the article you wish to read and double-click it. You can move to the next article or the previous article by using the navigation arrows on the toolbar. You can also post a response to an article by selecting Post | Reply and then clicking the Send This Message icon from the toolbar.

There are many different news servers that you can choose from. News.cn99.com is one that is used for demonstration purposes, so you can substitute whichever server you like here. It is important to note that news servers often do not censor the groups that they host, so some groups may provide content that you find inappropriate. To avoid this, search for servers that host only groups that you find acceptable, or make sure to monitor the group subscriptions if you have children using this service.

A newsgroup topic is called a thread. A thread is generally started by one person who posts a question or comment; then others reply to this posting. It is considered proper etiquette to keep postings related to the thread. If you have a new topic, start a new thread.
You can navigate among the different threads by selecting the Threads menu from the toolbar and then choosing either Go To Next Thread or Go To Previous Thread.

Source of Information : McGraw Hill Osborne Media How to Do Everything

Netstat

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:42:00 PDT

The Netstat tab provides information on three sets of network data available on the workstation:

• The routing table
• The active network services
• The multicast network information

Ubuntu maintains an internal routing table to keep track of how to forward network packets to remote networks. Selecting the Routing Table radio button then clicking the Netstat button produces a list.

The routing table matches network destinations with a gateway that can send the packets to the remote network. The routing table always includes at least two entries. One entry is the default route, 0.0.0.0. This route defines the gateway to use by default for sending packets to any network on the Internet. Usually this gateway is the IP address of your broadband modem connection.

The other route defines the local network your Ubuntu workstation is connected to. In the example, the workstation is connected to the 10.0.1.0 public network address and uses the default gateway to send packets to this network.

The active network services selection displays a list of what network ports are currently in use on the workstation. Different software packages use different network ports to listen for incoming connections. Many network servers are assigned standard network ports, such as TCP port 80 for web servers and TCP port 25 for email servers.

The network port list includes the current state of the port. TCP uses 11 states to define what mode the network port is in.

TCP Network Port States
LISTEN Waiting for a connection request from a remote client

SYN-SENT Sent a connection acknowledgment and waiting for one in return

SYN-RECEIVED Received a connection acknowledgment from remote client

ESTABLISHED Port is ready to send and receive data with the remote client

FIN-WAIT-1 Sent a connection disconnect request to the remote client

FIN-WAIT-2 Received a connection disconnect from the remote client in response to a connection disconnect request sent by the port

CLOSE-WAIT Remote client initiated a connection disconnect

CLOSING Waiting for a response from a sent connection disconnect request

LAST-ACK Waiting for remote client to acknowledge a connection disconnect request

TIME-WAIT The port is on hold for a preset amount of time after the connection disconnects

CLOSED The connection is officially closed

The TCP states are invaluable for troubleshooting network programs. By checking the network port states, you often can determine whether a remote device is closing a connection early or is keeping a connection open too long.

The final feature of the Netstat tab is the multicast network information. This protocol allows devices to subscribe to special multicast IP addresses on network routers. Network routers handle multicast packets only when they have a device on the network that requests them. This list displays whether the Ubuntu workstation has registered to receive any multicast packets on the network.

Source of Information : Wiley Ubuntu Linux Secrets

GNOME PPP

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:36:00 PDT

If you use a dial-up modem to access the Internet, you’ll have to do some manual configuration to tell Ubuntu how to contact your ISP. This is done using the GNOME PPP application. You’ll first have to manually install the GNOME PPP application using the Synaptic Package Manager before you can use it to connect to your ISP.

Just start Synaptic, search for the GNOME PPP package, mark it for installation, then apply the changes. After installing the GNOME PPP package, follow these steps to configure a PPP session to connect to your ISP:

1. Start the GNOME PPP dialog box by selecting Applications -> Internet -> GNOME PPP from the Panel menu. The main GNOME PPP dialog box.

2. Click the Setup button at the bottom of the dialog box. This opens the Setup dialog box, where you can configure you modem settings.

3. Configure your modem settings in the Modem tab. You must select which port your modem uses to communicate. If Ubuntu automatically detects your modem, it assigns it to the special port /dev/modem. If that doesn’t work, Ubuntu uses /dev/ttyS0 for COM1, /dev/ttyS1 for COM2, and so on.

4. Click the Networking tab to set your IP address information. If your ISP dynamically assigns an IP address to your workstation, select the Dynamic IP Address radio button. If you must specify a static IP address, select the Static IP Address radio button and enter your IP address information in the text boxes. If your ISP uses a static address, you’ll also need to configure the DNS server to use for the network.

5. Click the Options tab to set additional features for the modem connection. You can set the Modem Connection icon to minimize when the connection is established or dock itself on the panel. You can also choose advanced connection features from this page, such as having the modem reconnect if the connection drops.

6. Click the OK button to save the settings.

7. Back in the main GNOME PPP dialog box, enter the information needed to contact your ISP account. You must provide the phone number, plus any special prefixes (such as a 9 to get an outside line). Enter the userID and password provided by your ISP and select the check box if you want GNOME PPP to remember your password.

8. Click the Connect button to initiate the connection to the ISP.

Once you’ve activated your dial-up modem, Ubuntu will attempt to use it to access the Internet via your ISP whenever a network request is made.

Source of Information : Wiley Ubuntu Linux Secrets

Ethernet Connections - Wireless Ethernet Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:31:00 PDT

These days it seems that everything is going wireless, from ordinary household appliances to gadgets you hook to your cell phone. The computer world is no different. Wireless network connections are becoming more popular as home users search for an easier way to connect multiple computers to a broadband Internet connection.

There are three current standards and one proposed standard in the wireless network card world:

• 802.11a: Provides up to 54 Mbps of data connectivity but has only a 35-meter range.

• 802.11b: Provides only up to 11 Mbps but has a larger range than the 802.11a specification.

• 802.11g: Provides up to 54 Mbps and has a larger range than the 802.11b specification.

• 802.11n (proposed): Provides up to 248 Mbps, with a range of up to 70 meters.

The benefits of the new 802.11n wireless have made it a commercial success, even before
its formal adoption as a network standard. The downside to wireless network cards is that many of them don’t provide drivers for Linux. Ubuntu can detect and use many wireless network cards, but not all of them.

Besides the network type, you also must worry about whether the wireless network is protected by a security system. Wireless networks offer several types of encryption schemes to protect them from unwanted visitors. The most popular encryption schemes used are

• WEP: The wired equivalent privacy protocol is the oldest and least secure encryption scheme. It uses RC4 encryption with either a 64- or 128-bit key. The key is usually entered as a series of hexadecimal digits, often as text characters, to create a password.

• WPA: The Wi-Fi protected access protocol uses the RC4 encryption scheme with a 128-bit key but dynamically changes the key as the system is used. It can be used with a server that provides separate keys to each device on the network or, for less secure environments, it can provide a pre-shared key (PSK) mode in which multiple computers on the network can share the same key.

• WPA2: The second version of the Wi-Fi protected access protocol uses a more secure advanced encryption standard (AES)-based scheme that for now is considered fully secure and not breakable.

You must know the encryption type as well as the password to connect to a wireless network that uses a security scheme. If you happen to find a network that’s not encrypted, Network Manager will automatically connect you.

Source of Information : Wiley Ubuntu Linux Secrets

Internet Connection Types - DSL Modem

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:27:00 PDT

The DSL modem uses normal telephone lines to communicate to the ISP. However, instead of converting the digital signal to analog, the DSL modem sends a digital signal directly across the telephone line. The telephone line carries both the analog voice signal and the digital signal on the same wires to the telephone provider, which in turn must separate the two signals, connecting the digital signal to its servers and the analog signal to the appropriate telephone exchange equipment.

Your telephone provider must have the proper equipment installed to be able to provide DSL service to your location. Not all areas are converted to support DSL connectivity. Check with your telephone provider to determine whether they support DSL modems in your area.

Three basic types of digital modems can be used on a digital telephone line:

Integrated services digital network (ISDN): The ISDN modem is the oldest technology and is the most sensitive to distance. It offers up to 128 kbps of connectivity speed (more than double the speed of a dial-up modem), provided that the end connection is within 3.4 miles of the telephone exchange equipment. Performance degrades the farther away you are from the telephone exchange, which is one reason why ISDN didn’t catch on all that well.

Symmetric digital subscriber line (SDSL): SDSL provides a constant upload and download speed using the entire bandwidth provided on the telephone line, so it’s not able to share the same line with an analog signal. SDSL lines can provide up to 2,320 kbps of upload and download speeds.

Asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL): ADSL provides a constant upload and download speed but can share the same telephone line with an analog signal, allowing an ADSL modem and a telephone to operate at the same time on the single telephone line. ADSL splits the upload and download speeds, so they don’t have to be the same. This method allows much faster download speeds but at the expense of the upload speeds. ADSL lines can provide download speeds up to 24 megabits per second (Mbps) but usually limit upload speeds to no more than 3.5 Mbps. A typical home ADSL installation provides 8 Mbps of download speed and 1 Mbps of upload speed. For the average home user who downloads videos, music, and Linux distribution ISO files, ADSL is a perfect solution.

The second and third categories of digital modem Internet access is referred to as xDSL. Most xDSL providers distribute a simple DSL modem, which you install by simply plugging it into your normal telephone jack to connect to the telephone company. The DSL modem is usually set to communicate automatically with the telephone system’s ISP.

The DSL modem uses Ethernet to communicate with the workstation. The Ethernet protocol has been a communications standard for decades and is supported by various types of media. The two most popular methods for communicating via Ethernet today are
• Wired Ethernet network cards
• Wireless Ethernet cards

Source of Information : Wiley Ubuntu Linux Secrets

Installing / Removing Packages

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:05:00 PDT

Installing Packages
Installing software packages using Synaptic is a breeze. Just follow these steps to install a new package:
1. Open Synaptic by selecting System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager from the Panel menu.

2. Enter your password in the Password dialog box prompt. The Synaptic Package Manager requires administrative permissions to install and remove software packages. If your user account doesn’t have administrative permissions, you won’t be able to use the program.

3. Enter the package name in the Quick Search box. The Search tool searches all of the configured repositories, looking for packages that contain the search word in the name and description, then displays packages that match in the package list, displays the results of a search for the SuperTux game. If you require a more detailed search, use the Search button on the toolbar and select different search criteria.

4. Click the SuperTux package and select the Mark for Installation option from the menu. Synaptic automatically locates any dependent packages required by the selected packages and asks whether you want to mark those for installation as well. Packages marked for installation appear with an error in the status box and are highlighted in green if all of the dependency packages are available.

5. Click the Apply button in the toolbar. The Synaptic installation process begins, downloading and installing the selected packages.

6. Synaptic asks whether you want to install more packages. If you’re done, select No.

Once the packages are installed you may or may not see them in the Ubuntu menu system, depending on what type of packages they are. Some packages require opening a Terminal session and starting them from the command line. You can manually create a menu entry for these packages.

Removing Packages
When you view the package list in Synaptic, installed packages have a green status box, indicating that all of the components for that package are installed. Right-clicking on the package produces a menu that gives you three options for managing the installed package:
• Mark for Reinstallation: Reinstall the package from the current version in the repository.
• Mark for Removal: Remove only the files installed by the package.
• Mark for Complete Removal: Remove the package files plus any additional configuration or data files associated with the application.

If you want to reinstall the package but have customized configuration files you’d like to use with the reinstallation, select Mark for Removal rather than Mark for Complete Removal. A complete removal will delete any custom configuration you’ve done to the package.

Once the packages are installed you may or may not see them in the Ubuntu menu system, depending on what type of packages they are. Some packages require opening a Terminal session and starting them from the command line. You can manually create a menu entry for these packages.

Source of Information : Wiley Ubuntu Linux Secrets

The Synaptic Layout

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:28:00 PDT

Start the Synaptic Package Manager by selecting System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager. After you enter your password, the main Synaptic Package Manager window appears.

The main window is divided into six sections:
• The menu bar
• The toolbar
• The category selector
• The package list
• The description field
• The status bar
Each of these sections provides features for managing the packages on the system, as described in the following sections.

The Menu Bar
The menu bar provides access to all of the features in Synaptic, separated into standard menu categories:

• File: Provides features for saving selected package settings and restoring them from a file, generating a script to perform the selected package installations at a later time, adding downloaded packages, and displaying the history of package operations.

• Edit: Lets you undo a change, unmark all selections to start over, search for a specific package, reload package information from repositories, add a local CD to the repository list, mark all packages that have available upgrades, and fix broken packages.

• Package: Controls package management, such as marking packages for installation, reinstallation, upgrade, or removal; locking a package version; forcing a specific version of a package; and configuring a package.

• Settings: Allows you to configure repositories (the Software Sources window), preferences, and filters used for determining which packages are available.

• Help: Provides quick access to the Synaptic Package Manager manual, as well as access to online help, if available.

In the Preferences window you can specify how Synaptic handles package changes, displays package information, and connects to the remote software repositories (if a network proxy server is required). You can also specify whether to load only the package versions that match the current distribution release.

By default, Ubuntu allows you to install the highest-available version of a software package. Sometimes, though, this can cause problems when working with other packages in the distribution. If you need to synchronize all of the packages in your distribution to the same release levels, click the Distribution tab in the Preferences window and select the Always Prefer the Installed Version option.

The Toolbar
The toolbar provides quick access to common functions in Synaptic:
• Reload: Refresh the package list from the configured repositories
• Mark All Upgrades: Mark all installed packages that have an upgrade available.
• Apply: Perform the operations as marked in the package list.
• Properties: Display the properties for the selected package.
• Quick Search: Enter text in the text box to perform a real-time search of the package based on package names and descriptions.
• Search: Search for packages using other attributes, such as version numbers, dependencies, and the maintainer. Although there aren’t many buttons in the Synaptic toolbar, the ones supplied should cover most of the features you need for normal operations.

The Category List
The category list helps filter the packages that appear in the package list. There are five categories of filters you can select from:
• Sections: Contains individual section filters based on the package application type.
• Status: Displays the status of the package—installed or not installed.
• Origin: Filters packages based on which repository they were loaded from.
• Custom Filters: Lets you create your own definitions for filtering packages.
• Search Results: Filters the results based on the Search tool.

The Sections filter divides packages into sections based on the primary category they belong to. There are 32 different categories of packages, such as base packages loaded at installation time, GNOME packages, KDE packages, networking packages, and library packages. Within each category there may be multiple entries, depending on the type of applications:
• Main: open-source packages supported by Ubuntu
• Multiverse: packages that may be covered by copyright or patent licensing but are not supported by Ubuntu and are not provided with automatic updates
• Restricted: packages that are supported by Ubuntu but are not open-source programs, such as proprietary hardware drivers
• Universe: packages that are open-source and supported by the open-source community but are not supported directly by Ubuntu (Ubuntu doesn’t guarantee updates for these packages but may provide them if they are available) Packages not marked as one of these four types are part of the Ubuntu main repository and are fully supported by Ubuntu.

The Package List
The package list displays the packages available on the system, depending on the filters set in the category list. The package list provides five pieces of information about the packages:
• The package status (installed, not installed, marked for upgrade, marked for installation, or marked for removal)
• The package name
• The installed version of the package
• The version currently available in the repository
• A brief description of the package

When you select a package, the lower section of the package list provides a more detailed description of the package.

Source of Information : Wiley Ubuntu Linux Secrets

The Add/Remove Applications Window in Ubuntu

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:15:00 PDT

You can start the Add/Remove Applications tool by selecting Applications -> Add/Remove from the Panel menu. If it’s been a while since your Ubuntu workstation has contacted the software repositories, you may see a notice message telling you the list may be out of date and asking whether you want to update it. Click the Reload button to update the list of available applications.

The Add/Remove Applications window consists of four sections:
• The software catalog
• The Applications panel
• The Filter drop-down menu and Search text box
• The Application Description window

The application software catalog appears on the left side of the Add/Remove Applications window. It breaks down the applications into categories to help you find applications. There are eleven categories of applications you can browse through:
• Accessories: small utilities that can enhance your desktop experience, such as an advanced calculator, an alarm, a virtual keyboard, and a dictionary
• Education: programs for supporting educational purposes, such as a test and exam editor, educational games, and language translators
• Games: programs to help entertain and amuse you
• Graphics: programs for handling photos and images and for drawing pictures
• Internet: programs for accessing Internet features such as email, web browsing, and news reading
• Office: alternative office productivity tools such as basic word processors, calendars, and finance programs
• Other: the junk drawer of utilities and small programs, including programs for setting monitor features and setting laptop touchpad features, and packages restricted by patents or copyrights
• Programming: Programming tools such as integrated development environments
(IDEs) and editors, as well as compilers and debuggers
• Sound & Video: a collection of multimedia applications for advanced audio and video capturing, editing, and CD burning
• System Tools: utilities that interact with the Ubuntu system, such as a battery monitor, all-in-one configuration editor, alternative file managers, and file backup managers
• Universal Access: applications that provide assistive technologies for workstations

Selecting a catalog from the list automatically filters the Application panel to display only the applications in that catalog.

The Filter drop-down menu and Search text box allow you to fine-tune the applications listed in the panel. The drop-down menu allows you to select the type of applications listed in the panel:
• All Available Applications: all applications available within the configured Ubuntu software repositories
• All Open-Source Applications: only applications that are part of the open-source community
• Canonical-Maintained Applications: only applications that are supported by Ubuntu and Canonical, Ltd.
• Third-Party Applications: applications that are not part of the Ubuntu software
• Installed Applications Only: only applications that are currently installed on the workstation

Selecting one of these options immediately changes the application list window to display only the applications that meet the filter specification. The Search box allows you to search the application names and descriptions for keywords. Only applications that meet the search keywords appear in the application list window.

Source of Information : Wiley Ubuntu Linux Secrets

Installing Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:47:00 PDT

Once you have the software management settings configured, you’re ready to start working with the actual software updates. This section walks through how to use the graphical Update Manager tool to check on, retrieve, and install updates on your Ubuntu workstation.

The Update Manager
The Update Manager provides a quick interface for downloading and installing all updates for your Ubuntu workstation. You can start the Update Manager by selecting System -> Administration -> Update Manager from the Panel menu. The main Update Manager window.

If you configured the Software Source settings to automatically check for updates, the Update Manager may already have a current list of the updates available for your installed software packages, depending on when it last checked for updates. You can manually force Update Manager to check the configured repositories by clicking the Check button. The Update Manager connects to all of the remote repositories you configure in the Software Sources and checks for updates to all software packages installed on your specific Ubuntu distribution. If updates are available, they appear in the Update Manager main window.

From the main window you can view the title and summary for each update available for installation. Click on an individual update to highlight it, then click the Description of Update link at the bottom of the window to view a more detailed explanation of the update.

By default, all available updates are selected for download and installation. If there are any updates you don’t want to apply, just remove the check mark from the check box.
To begin the update process, click the Install Updates button. The Update Manager produces a progress dialog box, that indicates the download progress.

After the Update Manager downloads all of the updates, it processes each package update individually, applying the update to the installed software package.

Sometimes, certain updates are required to be installed before other updates can
process. Therefore, after you run an update you should manually check again
for additional updates. If additional updates are still available, install them, then
manually check again for more updates. Repeat this process until there are no
more updates available to install.

Using the Update Manager Applet
By default, Ubuntu installs the Update Manager Applet in the top panel. If you’ve configured the Update Manager to retrieve updates automatically, the Update Manager Applet monitors the status of the Update Manager as it works in the background on your workstation.
The Update Manager Applet icon displays a quick status of the Update Manager:
• Gray sun: Update Manager is checking for updates.
• Orange sun: Software updates are available to download and install.
• Gray down arrow: Update Manager is checking for security updates.
• Red down arrow: Security patches are available to download and install.
• Circling blue arrows: A reboot is necessary after an update installation.

If the orange sun or red down arrow icon appears, Update Manager has determined that updates are available for your installation. Clicking the Update Manager Applet icon in the top panel starts the Update Manager window and displays the updates available to install. As with the manual method, click the Install Updates button to begin downloading and installing the selected updates.

Source of Information : Wiley Ubuntu Linux Secrets

Configuring Software Repositories

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:39:00 PDT

The main Ubuntu installation includes a graphical utility that allows you to easily configure your Ubuntu system to access different software repositories. You can start the
Software Sources tool by selecting System -> Administration -> Software Sources from the Panel menu.

The Software Sources window contains five tabbed sections:
• Ubuntu Software: Configure the types of software packages to download and from where to download them.

• Third-Party Software: Identify non-Ubuntu software repositories from which to retrieve software packages.

• Updates: Define the types of updates to download and how often to check for new updates.

• Authentication: Store public keys for verifying the authenticity of software repositories.

• Statistics: Allow your Ubuntu workstation to share information on the packages you install with an online statistical tracker.

Ubuntu classifies software packages into five categories of software :

Ubuntu Software Repositories
Canonical-supported, opensource software
Large, open-source projects supported by formal organizations, such as OpenOffice.org and Firefox

Community-maintained, opensource software
Smaller, open-source projects, such as GIMP and Rhythmbox, supported by groups of individuals

Proprietary drivers for devices
Drivers supported by a commercial company for its own products only and not released to the open-source community (for example, packages such as video- and sound-card drivers)

Software restricted by copyright or legal issues
Software that may be illegal to use in some countries due to patent or copyright violations

Source code
The application source code for open-source packages

Just select the categories of software you’re interested in keeping up with. By default Ubuntu will retrieve software from all of these repositories. You can remove the check mark next to any of the repositories if you prefer not to use that particular software category. The Updates tab section allows you to customize how your Ubuntu workstation receives software updates. Updates provide a quick and easy way to update an installed software package with new patches that fix coding bugs and security problems. You can control several facets of software updates:

Ubuntu Updates: Select which types of updates to look for in the repositories:

• Security Updates: updates that fix security-related bugs in installed software packages

• Recommended Updates: updates that fix nonsecurity-related code bugs in installed software packages

• Pre-Released Updates: updates that haven’t been officially released by Ubuntu but may fix reported bugs in software

• Unsupported Updates: updates to installed software packages that aren’t supported by the Ubuntu community

• Automatic Updates: Indicate whether the workstation should automatically check for available updates, how often to check, and whether to install security-related updates automatically without notification or user intervention.

• Release Upgrade: Opt to be notified when a new major Ubuntu distribution upgrade has been released.

The updates tab is where you configure Ubuntu to automatically check for updates available in the repositories for the software currently installed on your system. If you have the Update Manager Applet installed an icon appears in the top panel of your desktop notifying you of available updates to download and install. This makes managing software updates a breeze!

As you can see from this list, not only can you update the individual software packages installed on your workstation, you can also perform a complete upgrade from one version of Ubuntu to another via the package download process. This feature is a great timesaver if you have a high-speed Internet connection, because you don’t have to mess with downloading and burning an installation CD. You can upgrade your Ubuntu workstation directly from the Internet.

The software updates allow you to keep an Ubuntu installation active and up to date when the next release becomes available, so there’s no reason to rush out and install a new version when it comes out. However, Ubuntu eventually will cease to release updates for a particular version.

For most distribution versions, Ubuntu provides security and code updates for up to 18 months after the initial release date. The long-term support (LTS) Ubuntu distributions provide security updates for up to 3 years for workstations and 5 years for servers after the distribution release date. When Ubuntu no longer releases security updates for a distribution you can still run the system, but it’s recommended to upgrade to a newer version of Ubuntu to avoid any future security problems.

Source of Information : Wiley Ubuntu Linux Secrets

Software Management in Ubuntu

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:51:00 PDT

The Ubuntu operating system contains lots of software. Trying to keep track of which applications are installed, which ones can be installed, and which ones you can remove can be a full-time job. Fortunately Ubuntu offers some features that help make software management a little easier. This section walks through the basics of how Ubuntu handles software and shows how to access software for Ubuntu once you’ve installed the basic distribution.

Software Packages
The Ubuntu distribution consists of many different open-source software packages. A package is a self-contained application or a set of related applications that installs as a single component.

Examples of self-contained applications are common programs such as the Firefox web browser, the Evolution email client, and the GIMP image editor. Each of these applications loads as a self-contained package in Ubuntu. You can easily install or remove these applications individually without affecting the operation of your Ubuntu system. Examples of an application set are the OpenOffice.org office automation suite of applications and the GNOME games package. These packages contain several individual applications that are installed in one package.

Ubuntu packages aren’t limited to applications. Ubuntu also bundles the different operating system elements into packages. The default Ubuntu installation includes packages for the Linux kernel, the GNU utilities used on the command line, and even the command-line shell itself. As you can see, packages are the core of Ubuntu software management. The ability to add new packages to the system and remove old or unused packages makes Ubuntu an extremely versatile operating system. The key is knowing where to find those packages.

Software Repositories
When you install Ubuntu from either the LiveCD or the alternate CD, you’re installing all of the individual packages that make up the system. The installation process copies each package bundled on the LiveCD or alternate CD to the hard drive and installs it in the proper location.

Unfortunately, there’s a limited amount of space on the LiveCD and alternative CD, so Ubuntu can’t include every software package in the default installation. However, if your workstation is connected to the Internet, you can easily retrieve additional software packages from Ubuntu servers for installation. Ubuntu maintains multiple servers that contain software packages for downloading. These servers are called software repositories. Ubuntu maintains different repositories for different applications. You must configure your Ubuntu system to interact with the software repositories you want to use.

If your Ubuntu system doesn’t have Internet connectivity, you can get Ubuntu software package collections on DVDs. You can install software packages and updates directly from the DVDs instead of from a software repository. Check the Ubuntu web site for details on software repository DVDs you can download or purchase.

Source of Information : Wiley Ubuntu Linux Secrets

Linux Sound Preferences

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:58:00 PDT

Start the Sound Preferences dialog box by selecting System -> Preferences -> Sound from the top Panel menu. The Sound Preferences utility starts. The Sound Preferences dialog box has two tabs of settings:

• Devices: Allows you to select which sound system to use for specific audio functions.

• Sounds: Allows you to select specific sounds for specific system functions. Each tab controls the settings for specific features of the sound environment.

The Devices Tab
The Devices tab sets the default front-end sound system used for the different types of sound generated on the workstation

For each category of sounds, you can select the front-end sound management system to use. Ubuntu includes three software sound management packages:
• The Advanced Linux Sound A Architecture (ALSA)
• The Open Sound System (OSS)
• The PulseAudio Sound Server

By default Ubuntu will set the values to autodetect the best sound system for your workstation. You can change the selected sound management system by clicking the drop-down box for the sound generation method and selecting the sound management system you want to use. The Audio Conferencing setup allows you to select separate sound management systems for playing received sound and recording sound to send.

The Sounds Tab
The Sounds tab provides an interface for you to select various sounds for Ubuntu to play
for specific system events. Figure 11-2 shows the events that you can define sounds for.
For each event you can select to play the default sound, disable the sound, or select a
custom sound from a sound file. The only restriction is that the sound file must be in WAV format.

The Sound Applet
When Ubuntu detects a sound card in your workstation at installation time, it automatically places the Sound applet in your panel. The Sound applet appears as a speaker icon in the right side of the top panel. When you click it, the master volume control appears.

The slider allows you to set the overall volume level of the workstation speakers. For more detailed volume control, double-click the Sound applet icon, and the ALSA mixer windowrs.

The ALSA mixer contains eight sets of sliders for detailed control of the sound environment:
• Master: Controls the overall volume level of the mixer (this is the same as the master volume control that appears if you single-click the icon).
• Headphone: Controls the volume level for the headphone jack on the workstation.
• PCM: Controls the volume level for audio CDs and music files when played from the system.
• Front: Controls the volume level for the speakers on the workstation, either internal or external.
• Line-in Boost: Sets the recording level for an external microphone plugged into the microphone jack on the workstation.
• CD: Sets the left and right channel volume when playing audio CDs.
• Microphone: Sets the recording level for the built-in microphone on the workstation.
• PC Speaker: Sets the volume for the built-in speaker on the workstation.
Using these sliders you can customize the sound volume for playing and recording audio from all applications on your workstation.

Source of Information : OReilly Linux in a Nutshell 6th Edition

Starting and Stopping the System

noreply@blogger.com (Computing Tech) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:36:00 PDT

The job of booting and rebooting a machine falls to a special program called init. Init is responsible for finishing the boot process once the kernel is done loading, launching the services necessary to run the computer. Init is also responsible for stopping services when needed and for shutting down or rebooting the computer when instructed.

For decades, the software handling these duties was called SysVinit, or System V init. Modern Linux distributions have begun switching to a replacement called Upstart (a less common replacement, init-ng, we will not discuss). The traditional model, facilitated by SysVinit, divides potential system states into multiple runlevels, each with a distinct purpose. Runlevel 3, for example, indicates a standard booted system; runlevel 6 indicates a reboot. When entering a runlevel N, SysVinit runs all of the commands in the directory /etc/rcN.d. In this manner, the scripts in /etc/rc3.d handle a system’s booting while those in /etc/rc6.d handle a reboot. Various commands (see accompanying table) allow a system administrator to force the system into a given runlevel. The file /etc/inittab specifies what runlevel is entered on boot, as well as configuration for the system’s tty’s.

Upstart replaces this functionality with a more general mechanism for the stopping, starting, and monitoring of services. Upstart operates asynchronously and is a much more powerful system than SysVinit. Thankfully, however, it is backward compatible with SysVinit and most distributions use it in a way in which much of the preceding paragraph remains accurate. Indeed, most modern Linux distributions have moved to Upstart but still manage runlevels via SysVinit-style scripts in /etc/rcN.d.

The biggest change with Upstart is with configuration. Instead of an inittab, Upstart maintains a directory of configuration scripts, /etc/event.d. Files within this directory describe how Upstart should handle tty’s and SysVinit-style runlevels: /etc/event.d/ttyN configures ttyN while /etc/event.d/rcN configures runlevel N.

Common Command on Starting and Stopping the System

chkconfig Manage which services run in a runlevel.
ctrlaltdel Shut down and then soft reboot system.
halt Stop or shut down system.
initctl Manage the Upstart init daemon.
reboot Shut down and then hard reboot system.
runlevel Print system runlevel.
shutdown Shut down system.
telinit Change the current runlevel.
uptime Display uptimes of local machines

Source of Information : OReilly Linux in a Nutshell 6th Edition