Additional Documentation

When using Unix in the workplace, you should have a system administrator who is in charge of the Unix system and who may operate it. This staff member should already have documentation set up for the Unix system he or she cares for. This includes disaster recovery and security logs and other forms of documentation, such as maps or logs.

Another handy source of information that many systems administrators have exists in the form of a handbook that is usually given to new users on the network. Ask whether one exists for the Unix system you are working on. This handbook may provide you with another source of information that you can learn with and utilize.

When working with Unix at home, you may want to keep this book and several Web links available for more information if needed.

Do Your Documentation! Documentation is extremely important. It is critical to know how your systems are designed and interconnected, what operating system (OS) they use, and so on. This may not be your area of expertise or experience, so it's important to have these things written down and to update them when necessary.

There are also other forms of documentation that you may encounter on a local intranet or on the Internet, where online information can be found and used quickly. The next section takes a look at a few of these resources.

Unix and Linux Resources Online

Unix resources can be found online quickly if you use a search engine to locate them. Using your favorite Web browser, run a search for "unix help" or "unix commands." You can even be more specific. The results should keep you busy for quite some time. In addition, some of the most helpful Unix- and Linux-based sites on the Web as of the printing of this publication include the following:

• http://www.unix.org/link_list.html This is a massive list of links that will help you find more information if needed.

• http://www.suse.com/ This is the English-language home of SuSE Linux. News, downloads, and support are all available.

• http://www.tldp.org/ The Linux Documentation Project home page is a great place to go for general Linux questions and to learn about many of the applications included in your SuSE Linux distribution.

• http://glue.linuxgazette.com/ This is the home page of GLUE, or Groups of Linux Users Everywhere. Use this site to find your nearest Linux Users Group (LUG).

• http://linuxgazette.net/ The goal of the Linux Gazette is "making Linux just a little more fun." This electronic magazine is oriented toward new Linux users. Send your question to The Answer Guy.

• http://www.google.com/linux This link takes you to the Linux-specific Google search page.

• http://www.x.org This is the home page of X.org, the hub of X Window System development activity.

• http://www.kde.org This is the online home of the K Desktop Environment. It's a well-organized site with links to nearly everything relevant to KDE.

• http://dot.kde.org The KDE News site has links to online articles about KDE and its applications and also connects you to press releases and the like.

Appendix A, "Learn More About Unix: Reference" also lists more references and helpful links.