Using Webmin for Linux commands and tasks

Question: Is there any way to configure a dedicated Linux server without having local access and without logging in to the command line through SSH?

Answer: The short answer is that it is highly unlikely you will never need to use the command line interface on a Linux server, and if you don’t have physical access to the server, you will most likely not have a graphical interface at all.

The exception, however, is Webmin, a very powerful web-based Unix system administration tool. Webmin can be used to replace many of the common command-line tasks, such as creating users, configuring Apache, DNS, passwords, databases, and can even be used to reboot the server. It functions just like most other web-based control panels and comes with a customizable interface (using themes).

Webmin also includes sub-components such as Cloudmin for virtualization and Virtualmin for web hosting. Webmin is free and open source software released under a BSD-style license and is available for download and installation on numerous platforms and Unix-like operating systems.

Source: Webmin.com

Managing bootup services on Linux servers

Question: Which Linux services should be enabled at boot on a server?

Answer: Most Linux distributions come with more than what you need. They are designed to not only work on servers but also desktop computers, laptops, netbooks, and in some cases, even smaller mobile devices like phones. Because of this there are sometimes numerous services running that you may not need. Similarly, there might be special server-oriented services that you will want to enable.

Security is also an issue. In the past we covered X.org and why it is a bad idea to have it running on a server. There are other services like X.org that might be good for the desktop but are superfluous on a server. The first thing to do is to find out which services are currently running. Execute the following commands:

#service --status-all
#chkconfig --list | grep '3:on'

You can read the rest of the steps in tis process at nixCraft. Everything in the complete how-to article will cover CentOS, Fedora, and Redhat Enterprise Linux.

Source: nixCraft

The Copy Command in Linux

This week, I will be featuring several Linux/Unix commands that are very useful and important to know if you have a virtual private server or dedicated server. All of the commands can be executed from an SSH connection. If you have Mac OS X or Linux, you can use the terminal that comes with them to connect via SSH. If you have Windows, you should download a free client like PuTTY.

The first command to know is “cp”, which is the copy command. To copy one file to another location, navigate to that directory and type: cp filename /home/user/newlocation

To copy all of the files in a directory, type: cp * /home/user/newlocation

To copy files and directories, type: cp -r * /home/user/newlocation

By default, the cp command is silent, meaning you will not see the progress of long copies. If you want to see your multiple files confirmed as they are copied, use the “-v” verbose flag: cp -v. Adding the “-f” flag will force the removal of existing files without prompting you, which can be very dangerous. In general, use the cp command with caution and be sure you know ahead of time what you intend to copy. For more information about the cp command, type: man cp at the prompt.

Photo Source: Flickr

What are "Man" pages?

Question: What is a “man” page?

Answer: Linux and other Unix-like operating systems usually have hundreds of commands that a user can execute from the command line. When running a dedicated server, there are a few that you will use regularly, but there may be instances when you need to try out a new one. Learning how to use it can be quite a task.

Man (or manual) pages are designed to make learning a little easier. For example, if you want to learn how to use rsync to backup your files, simply type “man rsync” from the command line. A typical man page will have a synopsis of the command, a description, general information, setup, usage techniques, examples, and a detailed lists of options.

You can scroll through man pages with the arrow keys or page through them with “Page Up” and “Page Down”. When you are finished reading, press “Q” to quit. If you want to view Linux manuals while not logged into your server and do not have Linux at home, try visiting linuxmanpages.com.