Chapter 10. Networking with Linux

In this chapter

• What is Red Hat Linux?

• Installing Red Hat

• Linux administrative tools

• Managing users

• Configuring Red Hat network services

• Sharing network resources

This chapter provides an introduction to Linux, specifically the Red Hat distribution of Linux. Linux is both a desktop and server environment. Linux was created by Linus Torvalds when he was a student at the University of Helsinki. Linux is an open -system OS/NOS, and because the source code is freely available, a number of Linux distributions have popped up in the marketplace . Linux is similar to Unix in many respects and uses a similar command set.

Linux servers can offer file and print services as well as more complex services, such as Web hosting. The Apache Web Server software is a popular Web hosting add-on for Linux servers. Linux servers can also provide services to non-Linux clients . For example, a Linux computer running Samba can function as a Windows peer computer or as a Windows NT domain controller. Samba is discussed in Chapter 6, "Configuring Peer-to-Peer Networks."