Websites and Search Engines

Literally thousands of websites exist with information about Linux and Ubuntu. The key to getting the answers you need right away involves using the best search engines and techniques. Knowing how to search can mean the difference between frustration and success when troubleshooting problems. This section provides some Internet search tips and lists Ubuntu- and Linux-related sites sorted by various topics. The lists are not comprehensive, but have been checked and were available at the time of this writing.

Web Search Tips

Troubleshooting problems with Linux by searching the Web can be an efficient and productive way to get answers to vexing problems. One of the most basic rules for conducting productive searches is to use specific search terms to find specific answers. For example, if you simply search for "Ubuntu Linux," you will end up with too many links and too much information. If you search for "Ubuntu sound," however, you are more likely to find the information you need. If you've received an error message, use it; otherwise, use the Linux kernel diagnostic message as your search criterion.

Other effective techniques include the following:

• Using symbols in the search string, such as the plus sign (+) to force matches of web pages containing both strings (if such features are supported by the search engine used by web search site)

• Searching within returned results

• Sorting results (usually by date to get the latest information)

• Searching for related information

• Stemming searches; for example, specifying returns for not only "link" but also "linking" and "linked"

Invest some time and experiment with your favorite search engine's featuresthe result will be more productive searches. In addition to sharpening your search skills, also take the time to choose the best search engine for your needs.

Google Is Your Friend

Some of the fastest and most comprehensive search engines on the Web are powered by Linux, so it makes sense to use the best available resources. Out of the myriad number of websites with search engines, http://google.com stands out from the crowd, with 81 million or more users per month. The site uses advanced hardware and software to bring speed and efficiency to your searches. If you are looking for specific Linux answers, take advantage of Google's Linux page at http://google.com/linux.

Why is Google (named after a math number) so powerful? You can get a quick overview from the Google folks at http://www.google.com/technology/. Part of its success is because of great algorithms, good programming, and simple interface design; but most users really seem to appreciate Google's uncanny capability to provide links to what you are looking for in the first page of a search return. Google's early success was also assured because the site ran its search engine on clusters of thousands of PCs running a version of Red Hat Linux! It is also rumored that an Ubuntu-based distribution is in use at Google, thought to be called Gubuntu.

Google has the largest database size of any search engine on the Web, with more than eight billion web pages searched and indexed. The database size is important because empty search results are useless to online users, and the capability to return hits on esoteric subjects can make the difference between success and failure or satisfaction and frustration. Some of Google's features include a GoogleScout link to return similar pages on the results page, the capability to see the exact version of a web page as returned to a search engine (known as a cached feature), advanced searches, and more recently, a link to an active Usenet news feed!

To get a better idea of what Google can offer you, browse to http://www.google.com/options/. You will find links to more than two dozen different services and tools covering specialized searches, databases, information links, translators, and other helpful browsing tools.

Ubuntu Package Listings

You can quickly and easily view a list of the installed packages on your Ubuntu system, along with a short description of each package, by using synaptic.

synaptic also shows you descriptions of each package so you can decide whether to have it installed. For more information on synaptic, refer to Chapter 7, "Managing Software."

Certification

Linux certification courses are part of the rapidly growing information technology training industry. Hundreds of different vendors now offer courses about and testing of Linux skill sets. However, because Linux is open-source software, there are no formal rules or mandates concerning what knowledge or level of expertise is required for certification. If you are interested in certification and want to pursue a career or obtain employment with a company using Linux, you really should seek training. You can find a good list of companies that can provide training at http://www.ubuntu.com/support/marketplace/, split down by geographical region.

Commercial Support

Commercial support for Ubuntu is an essential ingredient to the success of Linux in the corporate and business community. Although hundreds, if not thousands, of consultants well versed in Linux and UNIX are available on call for a fee, here is a short list of the best-known Linux support providers:

• http://www.ubuntu.com/support/paid Go straight to the source for a range of support options. You can get help on Ubuntu direct from Canonical software, or from a local support provider.

• http://www.hp.com/linux HP offer a comprehensive package of Linux services and hardware that cover almost everything that you would want to do, including consultancy, business solutions, and hardware specification and implementation.

• http://www.ibm.com/linux/ Linux services offered by IBM include e-business solutions, open-source consulting, database migration, clustering, servers, and support.

In addition to service-oriented support companies, nearly every commercial distributor of Linux has some form of easily purchased commercial support. There are various ways in which to take advantage of support services (such as remote management, onsite consulting, device driver development, and so on), but needs will vary according to customer circumstances and installations.

The Benefits of Joining a Linux User Group

Join a local Linux Users Group (LUG)! Joining and participating in a local LUG has many benefits. You will be able to get help, trade information, and learn many new and wonderful things about Linux. Most LUGs do not have membership dues, and many often sponsor regular lectures and discussions from leading Linux, GNU, and open-source experts. For one great place to start, browse to http://www.tux.org/luglist.html.

Documentation

Nearly all Linux distributions include thousands of pages of documentation in the form of manual pages, HOWTO documents (in various formats, such as text and HTML), mini-HOWTO documents, or software package documentation (usually found under the /usr/share/doc/ directory). However, the definitive site for reading the latest versions of these documents is the Linux Documentation Project, found at http://www.tldp.org.

Linux Guides

If you are looking for more extensive and detailed information concerning a Linux subject, try reading one of the many Linux guides. These guides, available for a number of subjects, dwell on technical topics in more detail and at a more leisurely pace than a HOWTO. You can find copies of

• "Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide," by Mendel Cooper; a guide to shell scripting using bash

• "LDP Author Guide," by Mark F. Komarinski; how to write LDP documentation

• "Linux Administration Made Easy," by Steve Frampton

• "Linux Consultants Guide," by Joshua Drake; a worldwide listing of commercial Linux consultants

• "Linux from Scratch," by Gerard Beekmans; creating a Linux distribution from software

• "Linux Kernel Module Programming Guide," by Peter J Salzman, Michael Burian, and Ori Pomerantz; a good guide to building 2.4 and 2.6 series modules

• "Securing and Optimizing Linux," by Gerhard Mourani

• Linux certification

• "The Linux Network Administrator's Guide, Second Edition," by Olaf Kirch and Terry Dawson; a comprehensive Net admin guide

The Ubuntu Project

• http://www.ubuntu.com Home page for Ubuntu Project, Canonical's community-based free Linux distribution. Ubuntu is the main release of this Linux distribution and includes thousands of software packages that form the core of an up-to-date, cutting-edge Linux-based desktop.

• http://www.Ubuntuforums.org A good place to go if you need specific Ubuntu support.

Mini-CD Linux Distributions

Mini-CD Linux distributions are used for many different purposes. Some distributions are used to boot to a read-only firewall configuration; others are used to provide as complete a rescue environment as possible; whereas others are used to either install or help jumpstart an install of a full distribution. Mini-CDs are available in a wide variety of sizes, such as 3" CD-Rs (or CD-RW) with sizes ranging from 185MB to 210MB. You can also download an .iso image and create a Linux bootable business card, typically fitting on a 40MB or 50MB credit-cardsize CD-R. (Consider using a miniCD-RW, especially if you want to upgrade your distribution often.) Here are some links to these distributions:

• http://www.lnx-bbc.org Home page for the Linux BBC, a 40MB image hosting a rather complete live Linux session with X, a web browser, and a host of networking tools.

• http://crux.nu/ Home page of the CRUX i686optimized Linux distribution.

• http://www.trustix.net/ Home page for the free version of the Trustix Secure Linux distribution, which currently uses the latest 2.6 kernel. Trustix is RPM based.

• http://www.smoothwall.org/community/home/ The 22MB SmoothWall distribution, which easily fits on a bootable business card and is used to install a web-administered firewall, router, or gateway with SSH, HTTP, and other services.

Floppy-Based Linux Distributions

• http://floppix.ccai.com/index.html A Debian-based floppy

• http://www.toms.net/rb/ Tom's root and boot disk distribution

• http://www.coyotelinux.com/ Secure routing and embedded Linux disk distributions

• http://trinux.sourceforge.net An ultra-secure Linux distribution on floppy

• http://PenguinBackup.sourceforge.net/ A unique, floppy-based distribution that allows quick backup of your Palm-type PDA

Various Intel-Based Linux Distributions

Choosing a Linux distribution (distro) for an Intel-based PC is generally a matter of personal preference or need. Many Linux users prefer Red Hat's distro because of its excellent support, commercial support options, and widespread use around the world. However, many different Linux distributions are available for download. One of the best places to start looking for a new distro or new version of your favorite distro is http://www.distrowatch.com:

• http://www.xandros.net New home of the original and improved version of Corel's Debian-based Linux

• http://www.debian.org The Debian Linux distribution, consisting only of software distributed under the GNU GPL license

• http://www.slackware.com Home page for download of the newest version of one of the oldest Linux distributions, Slackware

• http://www.opensuse.com Home page for SUSE Linux, also available for the PowerPC and x86_64 platforms

• http://www.mepis.org An increasingly popular distribution based on Ubuntu

• http://www.mandrivalinux.com A Pentium-optimized, RPM-based distribution, originally based on Red Hat's Linux distribution

PowerPC-Based Linux Distributions

• http://penguinppc.org/ Home page for the PowerPC GNU/Linux distribution

• http://www.opensuse.com SUSE PPC Linux

• http://www.yellowdoglinux.com Home page for Terra Soft Solutions's Yellow Dog Linux for the PowerPC, which is based on Fedora

Linux on Laptops and PDAs

One of the definitive sites for getting information about running Linux on your laptop is Kenneth Harker's Linux Laptop site. Although not as actively updated as in the past, this site (http://www.linux-laptop.net) still contains the world's largest collection of Linux and laptop information, with links to user experiences and details concerning specific laptop models.

Another site to check is Werner Heuser's Tuxmobil-Mobile UNIX website at http://www.tuxmobil.org. You will find links to information such as IrDA, Linux PDAs, and cell phones. Linux Zaurus PDA users can browse to http://www.openzaurus.org to download a complete open-source replacement operating system for the Zaurus 5000 and 5500 models.

The X Window System

Although much technical information is available on the Internet regarding the X Window System, finding answers to specific questions when troubleshooting can prove problematic. If you are having a problem using X, first try to determine whether the problem is software or hardware related. When searching or asking for help (such as on Usenet's comp.os.linux.x newsgroup, which you can access through Google's Groups link; see the next section for other helpful Linux newsgroups), try to be as specific as possible. Some critical factors or information needed to adequately assess a problem include the Linux distribution in use; the kernel version used; the version of X used; the brand, name, and model of your video card; the names, brands, and models of your monitor and other related hardware.

This section lists just some of the basic resources for Linux XFree86 users. Definitive technical information regarding X is available from http://www.X.org:

• http://www.lesstif.org/ Home page for the GPL'd OSF/Motif clone, LessTif

• http://www.motifzone.net Site for download of the open-source version of Motif for Linux, Open Motif

• http://www.rahul.net/kenton/index.shtml Ken Lee's X and Motif website with numerous links to tutorial, development, and other information about X

• http://www.x.org Home page for X.org, the X server used in Ubuntu

• http://www.xig.com/ Home page for a commercial version of X for Linux (along with other software products)