ADMIN - Explore the new world of system administration! Special introductory offer! Order by September 30th to save 10% off the regular subscription price! Each issue delivers technical solutions to the real-world problems you face every day. Learn the latest techniques for better:
network security
system management
troubleshooting
performance tuning
virtualization
cloud computing
on Windows, Linux, Solaris, and popular varieties of Unix.
DVD Theme:
Ubuntu 10.10 & Special Bonus: Backtrack Network Security Suite
If you want to keep the intruders off your network, you have to learn to think as they think. This month, we show you some tricks of the trade. We look at the Metasploit framework, which helps you attack your own network and look for the gaps. You'll learn about some techniques the attackers use to fly under the radar, and we'll show you how to set up your own security camera system.
Kernel News: Zack Brown reports on recent developments in the Linux kernel community.
Projects on the Move: We examine Sofa (Statistics Open For All) and the After the Deadline proofreading tool.
Tech Tools: Netgear Launches Network Management Platform; Low-Distortion TI Operational Amplifier; Eurotech Unveils Catalyst TC; IBM New Global Financing Program.
Tuning MySQL: Database performance depends on a number of factors you must identify, analyze, and fine-tune in a systematic way. Learn how to test, measure, and optimize your MySQL installation from the bottom up by looking at your hardware, operating system, and database.
Disposable Computers: Create then wipe a bootable USB drive for sensitive jobs online.
GNU Parallel: Multi-core processing from the command line.
Ask Klaus! Knoppix creator Klaus Knopper answers your Linux questions.
Perl: RRDtool An open source library with Holt-Winters forecasting.
Command Line: A number of tools helps you schedule automatic backups and other system tasks.
Clementine: This media player manages your collection and plays your tunes, too.
OOo Extensions: Create and package OpenOffice extensions from scratch.
Tech Tools: IBM Announces Blade Center HX5; InfiniteGraph Launches Free Program for Technology Startups; Pliant Introduces New SSDs; Harris Launches BeOn Push-to-Talk; Texas Instruments Announces Power Line Development Kit and Software Library.
DVD Theme:
openSUSE 11.3 & Special Bonus: Linux Mint 9 "KDE"
Advances in the web realm are creating a more vital, dynamic, and secure Internet. This month, we take you on a tour of the new HTML 5 standard. We also get you online with the Drupal CMS, show you an innovative, client-side database, and describe a tool for testing your websites.
News: The Linux Foundation announces the Open Compliance Program; Eclipse SDK 4.0 Released; Interview with Chris DiBona, open source and public manager for Google; Openstack Code Released; Gnome 3 Delayed
Virtualization: This month, we explore some variations on the theme of virtualization in Linux. You will learn how to configure better authentication in VirtualBox environments, how to manage multi-gigabyte VM disk images, and how to achieve high-availability fault tolerance with Xen 4 and Remus.
Cloud computing is changing the way businesses, home users, and even mobile phone users interact with their systems. This month we examine some practical tools that bring the promise of cloud computing to Linux environments. We examine Scalr and RightScale, which scale your cloud presences automatically -- so you never have more or less than you need. We show you how to deploy and manage your own virtual machines with Amazon Web Services. We also look at icloud, eyeOS, and other tools for the cloud user.
There's more! Our August issue also includes:
News: Meego 1.0, Qimo, Android 2.2, the Defensive Patent License, Peppermint, and more.
IPv6: Where will you be when the Internet runs out of addresses? Surfing on the new IP?
Perl: The Perlmeister shows how to drill a temporary SSH tunnel to send an email message.
Sys Admin: Protect your system with an ingenious one-liner that sends a warning when an intruder logs in.
DNSSEC: DNS has some severe flaws that make it easy for attackers to inject malicious data. DNSSEC keeps the names straight.
ZK: Use the ZK toolkit to build rich, Ajax-based Internet applications without the usual overhead.
Ask Klaus! Knoppix create Klaus Knopper answers questions about print sharing, GRUB, and ACPI settings.
Emacs: The Emacs editor is too arcane for some, but others love its power and versatility.
Thingamablog: Maintain a blog the easy way with this handy desktop tool.
JessyInk: The JessyInk extension builds presentations in Inkscape.
E-books: Building e-books with Sane and ImageMagick.
Skrooge: Keep your accounts balanced with this free banking tool.
When we set out to look for emerging technologies that are making their way into real projects, our focus quickly fell on the innovative KDE project. We show you the semantic web technology in KOffice, and we study how to build a custom plasmoid applet. Then we round out our emerging technology set with a study of 3D printing. Also in this issue:
Comment: Our editor in chief introduces our fresh new look.
News: Our new news editor, Trevan McGee, rounds up tech news from around the world.
FSlint: Clean up unwanted files with this helpful janitor app.
Coding in Go: Two Unix veterans create a language with the best of old and new.
Synfig: Use this free app to create your own animations.
RHEV: Losing track of virtual machines? We take a close look at Red Hat's enterprise virtualization manager.
Ask Klaus: Knoppix creator Klaus Knopper answers questions about Eee PC troubleshooting and NTLDR masks.
Perl: Add a command history feature to a custom Perl app.
DVD Theme:
2-SIDED DVD: LINUX MINT 8 & CALCULATE LINUX
Life was so easy when all the data for a stand-alone computer stayed on a little local hard drive. This month we look at filesystems for solid-state drives and show how to connect Linux clients with Microsoft Active Directory networks. Also in this issue:
DVD Theme:
DEBIAN 5.0.4 LENNY & LINUX FROM SCRATCH LIVE CD
Customize Your Linux: The infinitely flexible Linux lets you customize almost anything. This month Marcel Gagné tours some alternative windows managers and desktops for Linux. We take a close look at some popular Linux filesystems and help you decide which filesystem is right for your environment. Learn how to automate your desktop with Sikuli, an innovative tool that lets you build scripts from screenshots, and find out how to create your own applets for KDE 4’s powerful Plasma desktop.
Projects on the Move: Replace dictionaries and notepads with StarDict, the dictionary application, and RedNotebook, a combined notepad, diary, and calendar.
DVD Theme:
Double-sided DVD: Knoppix 6.3 exclusive! Plus Mandriva 2010
Most people don’t give a second thought to Bluetooth security, but that address book on your mobile phone might be more vulnerable than you think. Bluetooth devices are surprisingly susceptible to snooping, but the new Bluetooth 2.1 specification could floss some of the gaps. This month we’ll show you how an intruder can get past your phone’s defenses.
Projects on the Move: Free software simulates the population of Mars, which is due to start 30 years from now, gives users an overview of social networks, and keeps the peace at the debating society.
Steganography and Other Security Techniques – You've configured a firewall and set up an intrusion detection framework. What else can you do to lock down your network and protect your privacy? This month we study some smart security techniques:
The Security Challenge: This month we look into better password control.
Steganography: We show you how to hide secrets in an ordinary digital image.
PDF Attack: The GhostNet attack infected computers around the world. We show you how intruders used some simple PDF tricks to slip inside.
SELinux Sandbox: A new tool based on the SELinux access control system locks down your desktop environment to prevent browser-based attacks.
Password Managers: We examine some practical tools for managing Internet passwords.
Additional articles in this issue include:
Double-sided DVD: This month’s DVD features a pair of exciting Linux distros.
Projects on the Move: We look at new sound landscapes. C2h lets people talk to dolphins and whales, and if you happen to be a jazz musician, you will find a creative helper in Impro-Visor.
Surviving Windows: Every new Microsoft Windows release brings a new crop of interoperability challenges. This month we look at some Linux interoperability tools in Windows and discuss some apps for running Linux on Windows 7:
Linux Services in Windows 7: Talk to your Linux systems with Windows 7's Telnet server, NFS client, and Subsystem for Unix-based applications.
Linux on Windows: Several tools offer a means for running Linux on Windows. We look at Cygwin, coLinux, Wubi, and some of the leading virtualization options.
Web Operating Systems: Throw out your old assumptions about where the system lives. Marcel Gagné studies some web-based OS options.
System Administration: This month we look at traffic shaping and other techniques for the sys admin. We'll show you some process monitoring tools, and we'll examine a distro designed to turn your PC into a network-attached storage device:
FreeNAS: Turn your old computer into a network-attached storage device.
Wondershaper: Traffic shaping used to be for experts only. This helpful tool offers an easy way to manage your bandwidth.
Admin Tools: Marcel Gagné looks at the Top family and other important tools, including pstree, Krunner, and Gnome System Monitor.
Sudo: We'll show you why it is wise to be careful with this powerful security tool.
In our January 2009 issue you'll also find articles on:
Karmic Koala DVD: Ubuntu Linux is one of the most popular Linux distros in the world!
