Linux Specifics

(we're running MacMillian's distribution of Mandrake 6.1, which is an OEM
version of Redhat)

Linux Mandrake 6.5 (Helios)
Redhat 6.1 distribution 
Kernel 2.2.13-7mdk

Popular Linux distributors: 
- Redhat: Mandrake, MacMillan and CheapBytes re-distributions, 
- Debian/GNU: Storm Linux, Corel.  www.debian.org
- non Redhat RPM-based distribution: Caldera OpenLinux
- Unknown: SuSe, Slackware (older), LinuxPPC, TurboLinux, 
YellowDog, Peanut Linux, Rock Linux

=================


- /etc/mtab == /etc/mnttab
- fdisk == format
- /var/log/messages == /var/adm/messages

- tcsh and csh read from /etc/csh.cshrc (much like the Bourne shell
reads from /etc/profile).  There's also an /etc/bashrc for Bash.

- adduser is a pseudo version of vipw.  vipw exists but just edits the
passwd file...its not interactive.

- /etc/securetty: akin to commenting out the console line in 
/etc/system.  If no file exists, you can telnet to the box as root

- SVR4 packages are .rpm files, installed via rpm utility.
rpm == Redhat Package manager, the standard way to distribute 
software

- rpm -qa equivalent to pkginfo | more; lists all thepackages
loaded on the server.
- rpm -qf /path/to/file reports which rpm package any file
belongs to (like grepping filename from /var/sadm/install/contents)

- rpm is sensitive to which option is first when you call it!  
rpm -hiv didn't work, whereas rpm -ivh did.  (for some reason
i doubt this...i think it was the fact that i was loading from
the source cd, not the install cd).

- 4gb file system limitation (like HP/UX).  16 partitions per
hard disk limitation.  Swap partitions limited to 128mb per....
which makes swap heavy boxes difficult to configure.

- Just has an /etc/hostname (not specific to the network interface
like /etc/hostname.le0)

- /etc/rc.d/rcX.d directory structure, but everything points back
to a start/stop script in /etc/rc.d/init.d

- /etc/services isn't in numerical order???  You've got to scroll
down trough the entire damn file.

- /etc/cron. files: automates cron scheduling.  no crontab?
- logrotate; builtin log rotation schemes.
- ctrl-alt-F1 kills X from console and drops to command line.  nice.
- LILO: linux single command: like boot -s

- Forgotten password? try linux init=/usr/bin/password or init=/bin/sh

- No Raw devices, no asynch i/o. 
- swap space increase: echo size to /proc/sys/kernel/shmmax instead
of editing /etc/system.  Works nicely.

- Gnome, KDE are window manager equivalents to Motif.

- you can convert an rpm file to a .tar file!  rpm -t -bb 

Q: How do you kill those freaking annoying colors in LInux?
A: well, you can edit /etc/DIR_COLORS to configure, do a man on dircolors.
Best is to unalias ls or alias ls='ls --color=none'