Chapter Summary

As with many operating systems, your access to a Linux system is authorized when you log in. You enter your username on the Login screen, followed by your password. You can change your password anytime while you are logged in. Choose a password that is difficult to guess and that conforms to the criteria imposed by the utility that changes your password.

The system administrator is responsible for maintaining the system. On a single-user system, you are the system administrator. On a small, multiuser system, you or another user may act as the system administrator, or this job may be shared. On a large, multiuser system or network of systems, there is frequently a full-time system administrator. When extra privileges are required to perform certain system tasks, the system administrator logs in as the root user by entering the username root and the root password; this user is called Superuser or administrator. On a multiuser system, several trusted users may be given the root password.

Do not work as Superuser as a matter of course. When you have to do something that requires Superuser privileges, work as Superuser for only as long as absolutely necessary; revert to working as yourself as soon as possible.

Understanding the desktop and its components is essential to getting the most out of the system. The Main panel offers a convenient way to launch applications, either by clicking icons or by using the Main menu. The Main menu is a multilevel menu that you can use to maintain the system and to start many of the most common applications on the system. A window is the graphical manifestation of an application. You can control its size, location, and appearance by clicking buttons on the window's titlebar. A terminal emulator allows you to use the Linux command line interface from a graphical environment. You can use a terminal emulator to launch both textual and graphical programs.

Konqueror is a multipurpose toolone of the most important on the desktop. You can use it to run programs, browse the Web, and manage files. Konqueror is transparent to the network: You can work with local or remote files and not be aware of the difference. Konqueror's power derives from the seamless integration of its functions.

The KDE Control Center provides a way of setting and changing many characteristics of KDE and kwin, the KDE window manager. Using the KDE Control Center, you can control Web and file browsing with Konqueror, the look and feel of your desktop, the sound component of the system, network aspects of the desktop, and personalization of the desktop, including options that make it easier for people with special needs to use. For Superuser, the KDE Control Center contains a system administration module.

The man utility provides online documentation for system utilities. This utility is helpful both to new Linux users and to experienced users who must often delve into the system documentation for information on the finer points of a utility's behavior. The info utility helps the beginner and the expert alike. It includes a tutorial on its use and documentation on many Linux utilities.