Chapter 6: Linux Administration from KDE

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Introduction

By this point in this book you should be getting quite comfortable with Linux and with the KDE graphical interface. You have installed Linux, configured Linux, and found out how to get on the Internet, and you have been introduced to several basic but highly useful applications. You should now be able to accomplish word processing, spreadsheet applications, use a calculator, and even do simple graphics with Linux. At this point you should be a basically competent Linux user. However, Linux is not always used for a single-user home environment. Many readers will want to use Linux in their small businesses. For this reason it will be necessary for us to cover some basic Linux administration skills.

This chapter is aimed at showing you how to use Linux as a server, perhaps for a small office, and how to administer that server via the KDE graphical interface. We will explore how to add users and groups, how to schedule tasks, and how to monitor the system. All of this will be done with easy-to-use point-and-click applications (in a later chapter, you will see how to perform many of these tasks with shell commands). Even if you are certain that you have no desire to use Linux as a server, it would still be a good idea to at least skim this chapter. It will give you some insight into how Linux works and perhaps a deeper understanding of computer systems in general.

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