SUSE Linux 10 For Dummies doc

www.dbeBooks.com - An Ebook Library
by Naba Barkakati
SUSE Linux
®
10
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
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by Naba Barkakati
SUSE Linux
®
10
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
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SUSE Linux
®
10 For Dummies
®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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About the Author
Naba Barkakati is an electrical engineer and a successful computer-book
author who has experience in a wide variety of systems, ranging from MS-DOS
and Windows to UNIX and Linux. He bought his first personal computer — an
IBM PC-AT — in 1984 after graduating with a PhD in electrical engineering from
the University of Maryland at College Park. While pursuing a full-time career
in engineering, Naba dreamed of writing software for the emerging PC soft-
ware market. As luck would have it, instead of building a software empire like
Microsoft, he ended up writing successful computer books. Currently, Naba is
a Senior Level Technologist at the Center for Technology and Engineering in
the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Over the past 16 years, Naba has written over 25 computer books on a number
of topics, ranging from object-oriented programming with C++ to Linux. He has
authored several best-selling titles, such as The Waite Group’s Turbo C++ Bible,
Object-Oriented Programming in C++, X Window System Programming, Visual C++
Developer’s Guide, Borland C++ 4 Developer’s Guide, and Linux Secrets. His
books have been translated into many languages, including Spanish, French,
Polish, Greek, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Naba’s most recent books
are Red Hat Fedora Linux Secrets and Linux All-in-One Desk Reference For
Dummies, also published by Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Naba lives in North Potomac, Maryland, with his wife Leha, and their chil-
dren, Ivy, Emily, and Ashley.

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Dedication
I would like to dedicate this book to my wife, Leha, and daughters Ivy, Emily,
and Ashley.
Author’s Acknowledgments
I am grateful to Terri Varveris for getting me started on this book — a
For Dummies guide about the up and coming SUSE Linux. As the project
editor, Susan Christophersen guided me through the manuscript submission
process and kept everything moving. Tiffany Franklin took care of the project
while Terri was away on maternity leave. I appreciate the guidance and sup-
port that Terri, Tiffany, and Susan gave me during this project.
I would like to thank Susan Douglas for reviewing the manuscript for techni-
cal accuracy and providing many useful suggestions for improving the book’s
content.
Thanks to everyone at Wiley Publishing for transforming my raw manuscript
into this well-edited and beautifully packaged book.
Of course, there would be no reason for this book if it were not for Linux.
For this, we have Linus Torvalds and the legions of Linux developers around
the world to thank. Thanks to Christian Egle, Andreas Jaeger, and others at
Novell for helping me with information about SUSE Linux. Thanks to the
openSUSE project for continuing to develop and enhance the SUSE Linux
distribution and for making publicly available the ISO image used to create
the DVD-ROM bundled with this book.
Finally, and as always, my greatest thanks go to my wife, Leha, and our daugh-
ters, Ivy, Emily, and Ashley — it is their love and support that keeps me going.
Thanks for being there!
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form

located at
www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and
Media Development
Project and Copy Editor: Susan Christophersen
Previous Edition: Linda Morris
Acquisitions Editor: Tiffany Franklin
Technical Editor: Susan Douglas
Editorial Manager: Jodi Jensen
Media Project Supervisor: Laura Moss
Media Development Specialist: Kit Malone
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Laura Carpenter VanWinkle
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Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies
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Publishing for Consumer Dummies
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction 1
Part I: Getting to Know SUSE 7
Chapter 1: What Is SUSE Linux? 9
Chapter 2: Installing SUSE Linux 23
Chapter 3: Starting SUSE for the First Time 39
Chapter 4: Taking Stock of What’s New in SUSE 53
Part II: Test-Driving SUSE 61
Chapter 5: Exploring the SUSE Desktops 63
Chapter 6: Finding and Organizing Files 79
Chapter 7: I Want My Internet, Now! 103
Chapter 8: Setting Up an Ethernet LAN with Wireless Access 121
Part III: Doing Stuff with SUSE 137
Chapter 9: Browsing the Web 139
Chapter 10: E-Mailing, IM-ing, and Using IP Phone in SUSE 151
Chapter 11: Reading Newsgroups and RSS Feeds 171
Chapter 12: Preparing Documents and Spreadsheets in SUSE Linux 187
Chapter 13: Doing Even More Office Stuff in SUSE Linux 209
Chapter 14: Playing Music and Burning CDs 221
Chapter 15: Working with Photos and Images 229
Chapter 16: What’s a Shell and Why Do I Care? 245

Part IV: Becoming a SUSE Wizard 255
Chapter 17: Look, Ma, I’m a Sysadmin! 257
Chapter 18: Updating SUSE and Adding New Software 275
Chapter 19: Securing SUSE Linux 289
Part V: The Part of Tens 311
Chapter 20: Ten Frequently Asked Questions about SUSE 313
Chapter 21: The Ten Best Things about SUSE 323
Chapter 22: Ten Great Web Sites for SUSE Maniacs 327
Chapter 23: Ten Most Commonly Used SUSE Linux Commands 331
Appendix: About the DVD-ROM 341
Index 345
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Table of Contents
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
What You Don’t Have to Read 2
Who Are You? 3
How This Book Is Organized 3
What’s on the DVD? 4
Icons Used in This Book 4
Where to Go from Here 5
Part I: Getting to Know SUSE 7
Chapter 1: What Is SUSE Linux? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Getting a Handle on Linux 9
Discovering SUSE Linux 12
Making sense of Linux version numbers 12
What’s in SUSE Linux? 13
GNU software 13

GUIs and applications 14
Networks 15
Internet servers 16
Software development 17
Online documentation 17
Figuring Out What You Can Do with SUSE Linux 18
Disks, CD-ROMs, and DVD-ROMs 19
Peripheral devices 19
File systems and sharing 20
Networking 21
Getting Started with SUSE Linux 21
Install and configure SUSE Linux 21
Explore SUSE Linux 22
Use SUSE Linux 22
Chapter 2: Installing SUSE Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Introducing the Installation Steps 23
Checking Your PC’s Hardware 25
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Installing SUSE Linux 26
Booting your PC from the DVD/CD-ROM drive 26
Installing SUSE Linux from CDs or DVD 27
Chapter 3: Starting SUSE for the First Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Powering Up SUSE Linux 39
Getting GUI 40
Setting Up Printers 44
Managing DVDs and CD-ROMs 47
Playing with the Shell 47
Starting the bash shell 47
Understanding shell commands 48
Trying a few Linux commands 49

Shutting Down 51
Chapter 4: Taking Stock of What’s New in SUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Discovering the Internet Applications 54
Introducing the Office Applications 55
Exploring the Multimedia Applications 56
Cataloging the Image and Graphics Applications 58
Part II: Test-Driving SUSE 61
Chapter 5: Exploring the SUSE Desktops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Discovering the Common Features of the Desktops 63
Desktop context menus 65
Icon context menus 66
The panels 67
The Main Menu or Applications Menu 68
Exploring KDE 71
Getting to Know GNOME 74
Chapter 6: Finding and Organizing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Figuring Out the Linux File System 79
Using GUI File Managers 83
Conquering the file system with Konqueror 83
Roaming the file system with Nautilus 86
Using Linux Commands to Manipulate Files and Directories 91
Commands for directory navigation 91
Commands for directory listings and permissions 93
Commands for working with files 96
Commands for working with directories 97
Commands for finding files 97
Commands for mounting and unmounting 99
Commands for checking disk-space usage 100
SUSE Linux 10 For Dummies
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Chapter 7: I Want My Internet, Now! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
What Is the Internet? 104
Deciding How to Connect to the Internet 105
Connecting to the Internet with DSL 106
How DSL works 107
Stirring the DSL alphabet soup: ADSL, IDSL, SDSL 108
Typical DSL setup 109
Connecting to the Internet with a Cable Modem 112
How cable modems work 113
Typical cable modem setup 115
Dialing Up the Internet 118
Connecting the modem 118
Configuring the modem 119
Chapter 8: Setting Up an Ethernet LAN with Wireless Access . . . . .121
Getting a Handle on Ethernet 121
Connecting PCs to an Ethernet LAN 122
Configuring the Ethernet Network 124
Connecting Your LAN to the Internet 125
Extending Your LAN with a Wireless Network 126
Understanding wireless Ethernet networking 127
Understanding infrastructure and ad hoc modes 128
Understanding Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) 129
Setting up the wireless hardware 130
Configuring the wireless access point 131
Configuring wireless networking 131
Checking Whether Your Network Is Up 133
Checking the network interfaces 134
Checking the IP routing table 135
Checking connectivity to a host 135

Part III: Doing Stuff with SUSE 137
Chapter 9: Browsing the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
Understanding the World Wide Web 139
Links and URLs 140
Web servers and Web browsers 142
Web Browsing in SUSE Linux 144
Web Browsing with Konqueror 144
Web Browsing with Firefox 146
Getting familiar with Firefox 148
Changing your home page 149
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Chapter 10: E-Mailing, IM-ing, and Using IP Phone in SUSE . . . . . .151
Understanding E-Mail 152
How MUA and MTA work 152
Mail message enhancements 154
E-Mailing in SUSE Linux 154
Introducing KMail 155
Introducing Evolution Mail 156
Instant Messaging in SUSE Linux 160
Using Kopete 160
Using GAIM 162
Making IP Telephone Calls in SUSE Linux 165
Using KPhone or Linphone 166
Using Skype 169
Chapter 11: Reading Newsgroups and RSS Feeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
Understanding Newsgroups 172
Newsgroup hierarchy 172
Top-level newsgroup categories 173

Some Linux-related newsgroups 175
Reading Newsgroups from Your ISP 176
Taking stock of newsreaders in SUSE Linux 176
Introducing KNode 176
Introducing Pan 179
Newsgroup subscriptions 181
Posting news 181
Reading and Searching Newsgroups at Web Sites 182
Reading RSS Feeds 183
Examining an RSS feed 184
Reading RSS feeds 185
Chapter 12: Preparing Documents and Spreadsheets
in SUSE Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Writing with OpenOffice.org Writer 187
Taking stock of OpenOffice.org Writer 188
Getting started with Writer 190
Setting up Writer 192
Preparing documents in Writer 192
Editing and reviewing documents 193
Using styles and templates 194
Doing page layout 197
Creating and inserting graphics 199
Using fields 201
Working with large documents 202
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Preparing Spreadsheets with OpenOffice.org Calc 203
Taking stock of OpenOffice.org Calc 203
Getting started with Calc 204

Entering and formatting data 207
Calculating and charting data 208
Chapter 13: Doing Even More Office Stuff in SUSE Linux . . . . . . . . .209
Keeping Track of Appointments and Tasks 209
Making Calculations 211
Making Presentations with OpenOffice.org Impress 211
Taking stock of OpenOffice.org Impress 212
Getting started with Impress 213
Using Impress 215
Preparing presentations 216
Adding graphics and special effects 218
Delivering presentations 220
Chapter 14: Playing Music and Burning CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221
Playing Audio CDs 221
Playing Music Files 223
Burning a CD/DVD 224
Burning CD/DVDs with K3b 224
Burning data CDs in Nautilus 227
Chapter 15: Working with Photos and Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
Downloading Photos from a Digital Camera 230
Scanning Photos and Documents 234
Editing Images with The GIMP 238
Viewing Images 240
Viewing PDF and PostScript Files 242
Chapter 16: What’s a Shell and Why Do I Care? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245
Opening Terminal Windows and Virtual Consoles 245
Exploring the Bash Shell 246
Understanding the syntax of shell commands 247
Combining shell commands 248
Controlling command input and output 248

Typing less with automatic command completion 250
Going wild with asterisksand question marks 251
Repeating previously typed commands 252
Part IV: Becoming a SUSE Wizard 255
Chapter 17: Look, Ma, I’m a Sysadmin! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257
What Does a Sysadmin Do? 257
Becoming root, When You Must 259
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Resetting a Forgotten root Password 259
Introducing Your New Friend, YaST 260
Starting and Stopping Services 263
Understanding how Linux boots 263
Trying a new run level with the init command 264
Using YaST to start and stop services 265
Manually starting and stopping services 266
Checking Your System’s Performance 267
Using the top utility 267
Using the uptime command 269
Checking disk performance and disk usage 269
Managing Hardware Devices 270
Managing User Accounts 272
Chapter 18: Updating SUSE and Adding New Software . . . . . . . . . . .275
Updating SUSE Linux Online 276
Adding a Software Source to YaST 278
Locating and Installing Software Using YaST 279
Using RPM Commands to Work with RPM Files 283
Using the RPM commands 283
Understanding RPM filenames 284

Querying RPMs 284
Installing an RPM 286
Removing an RPM 287
Upgrading an RPM 287
Chapter 19: Securing SUSE Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .289
Why Worry about Security? 289
Understanding Linux Security 290
Understanding the host security issues 290
Understanding network security issues 291
Getting Familiar with Computer Security Terminology 292
Practicing Good Host Security 297
Making passwords expire 297
Protecting files and directories 298
Securing the Network 302
Securing Internet services 303
Turning off stand-alone services 303
Configuring the Internet superserver 303
Configuring TCP wrapper security 304
Using Secure Shell (SSH) for remote logins 305
Setting up a simple firewall 306
Using NATs 308
Keeping Up with Security News and Updates 308
SUSE Linux 10 For Dummies
xiv
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Part V: The Part of Tens 311
Chapter 20: Ten Frequently Asked Questions about SUSE . . . . . . . . .313
What Does SUSE Stand for and How Do You Pronounce It? 313
How Can I Find Answers to My SUSE Linux Questions? 314
When Is the Next SUSE Linux Release? 314

Can I Get ISO Files for SUSE Linux from the Internet? 315
How Do I Do an FTP Install of SUSE Linux? 315
How Can I Auto-Login into the KDE Desktop as Another User? 318
If My System Crashes, Can I Press the Reset Button to Reboot? 319
How Can I Schedule a Command to Run Every 30 Minutes? 320
How Can I Find All the Huge Files on My SUSE Linux System? 321
Where Can I Find More SUSE RPMs? 322
Chapter 21: The Ten Best Things about SUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323
YaST — The Super Sysadmin Tool 323
Detects All Hardware (Well, Nearly All!) 324
Smooth and Easy Installation 324
I Love YOU — YaST Online Update 325
Automatic Mounting of My Windows Partitions
and USB Memory Stick 325
Automatic Login at the KDE Desktop 325
Good Support for Laptops 326
Easy Browsing of Windows Shares 326
That Cute Gecko Mascot 326
SUSE’s Increasing Popularity 326
Chapter 22: Ten Great Web Sites for SUSE Maniacs . . . . . . . . . . . . .327
327
328
328
328
328
329
329
329
329
330

Chapter 23: Ten Most Commonly Used SUSE Linux Commands . . . .331
apropos: Finding Commands Based on a Keyword 332
man: Reading Online Man Page 332
ls: Listing Files and Directories 333
cat: Feeding Input to Commands 333
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grep: Searching for Text in Files 334
locate: Finding Files and Directories the Easy Way 335
chmod: Changing Permissions 336
rpm: Taming RPM Packages 337
tar: Packing and Unpacking Archives 337
pico: Editing Text Files 339
Appendix: About the DVD-ROM 341
System Requirements 341
DVD Installation Instructions 342
What You’ll Find on the DVD 343
Troubleshooting 344
Index 345
SUSE Linux 10 For Dummies
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Introduction
S
USE Linux is an increasingly popular Linux distribution that competes head-
on with Red Hat’s Linux versions. SUSE Linux’s fortunes have been on the
rise following Novell’s acquisition of Germany’s SUSE Linux AG and the recent
initiation of the openSUSE project (www.opensuse.org) — an open source
project, sponsored by Novell, in which a community of developers, end users,

and other open source enthusiasts can participate and continue to evolve SUSE
Linux. The recent migration to the openSUSE community-based development
model has generated a distinct “buzz” around SUSE Linux as the up-and-coming
Linux distribution for everyone from home users to enterprise servers.
A significant factor in SUSE Linux’s increasing popularity is that unlike its
competitor Red Hat’s singular focus on the enterprise market, Novell contin-
ues to address both the enterprise market and Linux enthusiasts. Specifically,
the SUSE Linux open source software (OSS) is aimed at small-office/home-office
users as well as those wishing to experiment with the SUSE Linux as their
desktop system. The commercial version of SUSE Linux is sold as a boxed set
through distributors as well as online stores. SUSE Linux is a complete Linux
distribution, suitable for small office/home office or even an enterprise. This
book includes a DVD with SUSE Linux 10 OSS, with everything you need to
use it as a personal desktop system.
If you are starting out with SUSE Linux, you need a beginner’s guide that not
only gets you going with the installation and setup of SUSE Linux, but also
shows you how to use all the tools that come with your desktop. That’s why I
wrote SUSE Linux 10 For Dummies in plain English, using a breezy style, that
quickly gets to the step-by-step instructions for accomplishing a task, be it
installing a printer or crafting a memo with OpenOffice.org Writer. My goal is to
minimize confusion and keep things as simple as possible. I present the essen-
tial steps for specific tasks, but avoid inundating you with too many details.
About This Book
SUSE Linux 10 For Dummies is a beginner’s guide for the upcoming SUSE Linux
distribution. The approach to the subject matter and the writing style is that
of the successful For Dummies series. The focus is on introducing you to the
SUSE Linux desktop with all the GUI tools, including the office productivity
suite (OpenOffice.org) and multimedia applications (audio player, digital
camera, CD burning, image editing, and so on). I include a chapter on con-
necting to the Internet using cable/DSL modems and setting up a basic home

network because these have become necessities for anyone who has more
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than one PC and, especially, for those who plan to run SUSE Linux on a PC. I
also include a part that introduces the basics of routine system administra-
tion, how to add and update software, and how to tighten up the system’s
security.
Here are some of the things that this book shows you how to do:
ߜ Install and configure SUSE Linux from the DVD-ROM included with
the book.
ߜ Connect the SUSE Linux system to the Internet through a DSL or cable
modem.
ߜ Set up dialup networking.
ߜ Add a wireless Ethernet to your existing network.
ߜ Get tips, techniques, and shortcuts for various uses of SUSE Linux,
such as
• Using the OpenOffice.org office suite
• Browsing the Linux file system
• Using Linux commands
• Using multimedia applications
ߜ Understand the basics of system and network security.
ߜ Perform system administration tasks.
Conventions Used in This Book
I use a simple notational style in this book. All listings, filenames, commands,
and keywords are typeset in a monospace font for ease of reading. I italicize
the first occurrences of new terms and concepts, and then provide a defini-
tion right there. I show typed commands in boldface. The output of com-
mands and any listing of files are shown in a monospace font.
What You Don’t Have to Read
Each chapter zeros in on a specific task area — such as using the Internet or
preparing documents with OpenOffice.org — and then provides hands-on

instructions on how to perform a series of related tasks. You can jump right to
a section and read about a specific task. You don’t have to read anything but
the few paragraphs or the list of steps that relate to your question. Use the
Table of Contents or the index to locate the pages relevant to your question.
2
SUSE Linux 10 For Dummies
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You can safely ignore text next to the Technical Stuff icons as well as the side-
bars. However, if you are the kind who likes to know some of the hidden details
of how Linux works, by all means, dig in to the Technical Stuff and the sidebars.
Who Are You?
I assume that you are somewhat familiar with a PC — you know how to turn it
on and off and you have dabbled a bit with Windows. Considering that most
new PCs come preloaded with Windows, this assumption is safe, right? And I
assume that you know how to use some of the Windows applications such as
Microsoft Office. Most of all, you want to either experiment with or switch to
SUSE Linux as your desktop of choice.
When installing SUSE Linux on your PC, you may want to retain your
Windows 2000 or Windows XP installations. I assume that you are willing to
accept the risk that when you try to install SUSE Linux, some things may not
quite work. Problems can happen if you have some uncommon types of hard-
ware. If you are afraid of ruining your system, try finding a slightly older
spare Pentium PC that you can sacrifice and then install Linux on that PC.
How This Book Is Organized
SUSE Linux 10 For Dummies contains 23 chapters organized into five parts. The
book’s organization is that of a typical For Dummies title that covers an operating
system such as SUSE Linux where the reader is expected to install the software
and then learn to use it. The five parts cover installation and setup, test driving
the system to learn the ropes, using the system to do productive work, learning
to be a budding system administrator, and the mandatory “Part of Tens.” Here’s a

quick overview of the five parts and the appendix:
ߜ Part I: Getting to Know SUSE introduces the reader to SUSE Linux, pro-
vides step-by-step installation instructions, and explains what happens
when you start the system for the first time.
ߜ Part II: Test-Driving SUSE is about getting started with SUSE Linux —
how to use the desktop and the file manager, how to connect to the
Internet (and set up a home network) — and figuring out what else is
there to play with.
ߜ Part III: Doing Stuff with SUSE turns to doing day-to-day things with the
SUSE Linux system such as browsing the Web, reading e-mail and news-
groups and making IP phone calls, using the OpenOffice.org office suite
and some multimedia applications, and, finally, working with the com-
mand line shell.
3
Introduction
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ߜ Part IV: Becoming a SUSE Wizard includes chapters on the basic
system administration and security. In particular, Part IV explains how
to add new software and keep the SUSE system up to date with the YaST
(Yet another Setup Tool) installation/configuration tool and YaST Online
Update (YOU).
ߜ Part V: The Part of Tens is the standard Part of Tens with chapters that
present ten frequently asked questions about SUSE, ten best things
about SUSE, ten great SUSE-related Web sites, and ten most commonly
used SUSE Linux commands.
ߜ Appendix: About the DVD-ROM summarizes the contents of the book’s
companion DVD-ROM.
What’s on the DVD?
The DVD contains SUSE Linux 10 from the openSUSE project. You may use the
DVD in accordance with the license agreements accompanying the software. To

find out more about the contents of the DVD, please consult the appendix.
Icons Used in This Book
Following the time-honored tradition of the For Dummies series, I use icons to
help you quickly pinpoint useful information. The icons include the following:
The Remember icon marks a general interesting fact — something that I think
you might want to know and remember.
The Tip icon indicates things that you can do to make your job easier.
The Warning icon highlights potential pitfalls. With this icon, I’m telling you:
“Watch out! This could hurt your system!”
The Technical Stuff icon marks technical information that could be of interest
to an advanced user (or those of us aspiring to be advanced users).
4
SUSE Linux 10 For Dummies
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Where to Go from Here
It’s time to get started on your SUSE Linux adventure. Take out the DVD and
install SUSE Linux, following the instructions in Chapter 2. Then, turn to a rel-
evant chapter and let the fun begin. Use the Table of Contents and the Index
to figure out where you want to go. Before you know it, you’ll become an
expert at SUSE Linux!
I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it!
5
Introduction
Sidebars
Sometimes I use sidebars to highlight inter-
esting, but not critical, information. Sidebars
explain concepts you may not have encountered
before or give a little insight into a related topic.
If you’re in a hurry, you can safely skip the
sidebars.

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6
SUSE Linux 10 For Dummies
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Part I
Getting to Know
SUSE
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