RH033 Unit2 Linux Usage Basics

Objectives

Upon completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1) Log into a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system

2) Start X from a console

3) Access the command line from X

4) Change your password

5) Understand the nature of root privileges

6) Elevate your privileges

7) Edit plain text files

Logging into a Linux System

1) Two types of login screen: virtual console (text-based) and graphical logins (called display managers)

2) Login using login name and password

3) Each user has a home directory for personal file storage

Switching between virtual consoles and the graphical environment

1) A typical Linux system will run six virtual consoles and .e graphical console

- Server systems often have .ly virtual consoles

- Desktop and workstation typically have both

2) Switch among virtual consoles by typing: Ctrl+Alt+F[1-6]

3) Access the graphical console by typing: Ctrl+Alt+F7

Element of the X Window System

1) The X Windows System is Linux’s graphical subsystem

2) Xorg is the particular version of the X Window System used by Red Hat

- Open source implementation of X

3) Look and behavior largely controlled by the desktop environment

4) Tow desktop environments provided by Red Hat:

- GNOME: the default desktop environment

- KDE: an alternate desktop environment

Starting the X server

1) . some systems, the X server starts automatically at boot time

2) Otherwise, if systems come up in virtual console, users must start the X server maually

- The X server must be pre-configured by the system administrator

- Log into a virtual console and run startx

- The X server appears . Ctrl+Alt+F7

Changing your password

1) Passwords control access the system

- Change the password the first time you log in

- Change it regularly thereafter

- Select a password that is hard to guess

2) To change your password using GNOME, navigate to System->Preference->About Me and then click password

3) To change your password from a terminal: passwd

The root user

1) The root user: a special administrative account

- Also called the superuser

- root has near complete control over the system (… and a nearly unlimited capacity to damage it!)

2) Do not login as root unless necessary

- Normal (unprivileged) users’ potential to do damage is more limited

Changing Identities

1) su – creates new shell as root

2) sudo command runs command as root

- Requires prior configuration by a system-administrator

3) id shows information . the current user

Editing text files

1) The nano editor

- Easy to learn, easy to use

- Not as feature-packed as some advanced editors

2) Other editors:

- gedit, a simple graphical editor

- vim, an advanced, full feature editor

- gvim, a graphical version of the vim editor

End of Unit2

1) Questions and answers

2) Summary

- Login name and password

- startx

- gnome-terminal

- passwd

- su

- nano