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Distributions
Build a Fedora Live CD
Take a step-by-step guide to creating custom Live CDs on Fedora Linux. Fedora Linux is a popular and mature Linux distribution, which released its first official Live CD in December 2006. Learn how to build your own custom and easy-to-use Live CDs using a rewrite of Pilgrim, the Fedora Live CD creation tool.
Create Debian Linux packages
The Debian packaging system is one of the most elegant methods of installing, upgrading, and removing software available. Learn the basics of creating Debian packages for distributing programs and source code. This article shows all the necessary components of a package and how to put them together to end up with a final product.
DB2 Best Practices for Linux, UNIX, and Windows
Discover the best practices for DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows. Each of the Best Practice papers is designed to provide practical guidance for the most common DB2 9 product configurations. By applying this knowledge you can improve the value of your DB2 data servers.
Distribute Software on a Linux LiveCD
Linux has always been comfortable running Web servers, firewalls, and other single-function services on dedicated machines, thanks to its flexibility, reliability, and small kernel footprint. LiveCDs are a natural extension of this capability of single-mindedness, letting you install a specialized, bootable Linux distribution -- along with whatever applications you choose -- onto a single CD for distribution.
Distribution migration and binary compatibility considerations
Learn about binary compatibility as it relates to the different operating environments that run on Linux on POWER. Learn about new technologies that can provide performance enhancements for a Linux on POWER application, and follow steps to ensure binary compatibility across multiple distributions in the future.
How can I use DSL Linux?
Need a teeny-tiny, business-card-sized, open source operating system that squeezes a lot of software into a little space? Take a look at DSL Linux. This quick review shows you how to use the miniscule OS, highlights the on-board applications, details how to load and start it, and explains how to save between sessions when using a bootable CD.
How to build your own Linux distribution
Go to the source to learn Linux basics and build the right Linux for you. Linux From Scratch (LFS) and its descendants represent a new way to teach users how the Linux operating systems work. LFS is based on the assumption that compiling a complete operating system piece by piece not only teaches how the operating system works but also allows an independent operator to build systems for speed, footprint, or security.
Inside UnitedLinux
UnitedLinux was created by a consortium of four Linux vendors who pooled their expertise with the shared vision of providing a single, standards-based, core Linux operating system. Well, November is here and the good news is that the promise is being realized -- UnitedLinux 1.0 is here. The big question now is, will it fly? Read this article to get a personal tour of this new server platform.
Installing and configuring SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 8
This article highlights the key requirements and steps for getting SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 8 installed and configured on your workstation or laptop. With our suggested installation, you can explore Linux and get comfortable with it.
Knoppix gives bootable, one-disk Linux
If you've ever needed a functional Linux setup that is portable and runs the same way on any hardware, read on. Knoppix packages a specialized and highly useful Linux distribution on a single, bootable CD-ROM.
Packaging software with RPM, Part 1
RPM is a widely used tool for delivering software for Linux.
Users can easily install an RPM-packaged product. In this
article, the first in a series, IBM software engineer Dan
Poirier shows you how to use RPM to package simple software on
a Red Hat Linux 7.1 system.
Packaging software with RPM, Part 2
RPM is a widely used tool for delivering software for Linux;
users can easily install an RPM-packaged product. In this
article, the second in a series, Dan explains how to package
software without running as root, how to handle software that
won't build on Linux without changes, and how to distribute
your work.
Packaging software with RPM, Part 3
RPM is a widely-used tool for delivering software for Linux.
Users can easily install an RPM-packaged product. In this
article, third in a series, Dan explains how to run scripts
when your package is installed or uninstalled, or when other
packages are installed or uninstalled.
Protect Your Data at Rest with Linux
There are a number of data protection mechanisms already built into your Linux system that you may not be taking full advantage of. This paper provides some concrete advice on how to use Linux system mechanisms to protect data at rest and to vastly improve your organization's resistance to data leaks.
Spin up a Linux LiveCD
Many Linux® distributions have been designed as so-called
"LiveCDs," CDs that can be booted directly into working Linux
systems. In contrast to "rescue mode" bootable options
available with most widely used distributions, these LiveCDs
are designed to provide a full set of working tools when booted
from CD. Some are general-purpose, some highly specialized.
This article takes a look at this fast-growing segment of the
Linux market.
System recovery with Knoppix
This article shows how to access a non-booting Linux system with a Knoppix CD, get read-write permissions on configuration files, create and manage partitions and filesystems, and copy files to various storage media and over the network. You can use Knoppix for hardware and system configuration detection and for creating and managing partitions and filesystems. You can do it all from Knoppix's excellent graphical utilities, or from the command line.
The Distro Jungle
People new to Linux are often confused by the large number of distributions there are to choose from. The good news is that you can safely ignore most of them. This article helps you cut through the confusion of choosing a Linux Distribution your exploration and helps you understand just what it is you've chosen.
Uncovering the secrets of SE Linux: Part 1
In an uncharacteristic move, the U.S. National Security Agency recently released a security-enhanced version of Linux -- code and all -- to the open source community. This dW-exclusive article takes a first look at this unexpected development -- what it means and what's to come -- and delves into the architecture of SE Linux.