Linux Tips #7



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*1. HOWTOs AND MINI-HOWTOs                 
        
A HOWTO is a detailed document on a specific subject written in a
 standard expository style. Such a document usually explains how
 to do something (hence the name). A mini-HOWTO is a small-sized
 HOWTO that is limited to a few pages. HOWTOs and mini-HOWTOs
 are available in several formats including plain text, HTML,
 and PostScript.


*2. WHAT IS THE "GPL VIRUS"?                 
        
The GNU General Public License (GPL) is one of the most
 restrictive free software licenses. One of the GPL rules requires
 that if you include source code that is licensed under the GPL
 terms in another program, that program has to be licensed under
 the GPL rules, too. For this reason, the GPL is sometimes
 called a virus.


*3. THE LINUX DOCUMENTATION PROJECT                 
        
The Linux Documentation Project (LDP) takes care of composing and
 maintaining the standard online manual pages. The LDP also
 produces books about Linux that are targeted at Linux users and
 system administrators. In addition, it maintains a large
 collection of HOWTOs and mini-HOWTOs. You'll find the LDP
 Web site at 

http://metalab.unc.edu/LDP/


*4. THE GNOME PROJECT                 
        
The GNU Network Object Model Environment (GNOME) project attempts
 to build a complete desktop based entirely on free software that
 complies with the open source criteria. You can find more info
 about the GNOME project and download GNOME software at 

http://www.gnome.org


*5. THE GDB DEBUGGER                 
        
Gdb is a command-line debugger that was developed by the Free
 Software Foundation. It can debug a program, attach to an
 existing process for debugging purposes, and inspect a core file
 of a killed process. Gdb enables you to define breakpoints in
 the debugged source file, examine variables, and set break
 conditions. The three basic commands are run, step, and break.


*6. LINUX COUNTER                 
        
The Linux Counter is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to
 count the number of Linux users worldwide. You can register
 yourself as a Linux user, register your machine, or view the
 current count of Linux users at 

http://counter.li.org/


*7. SYMBOLIC LINKS                 
        
A symbolic link, or symlink, is a special kind of file that
 contains the path to another file. Linux recognizes symlinks, so
 when a symlink is opened, the system automatically reads its
 contents and opens the associated file.


*8. DEVICE FILES                 
        
On Linux, most physical devices are represented as files. There
 are two types of device files: block device files and character
 device files. A block device represents a hardware device from
 which the system cannot read one byte at a time, but rather, it
 must read blocks of bytes. CD-ROM drives are an example of block
 devices, and so are disk drives. In contrast, device drives that
 can be read one byte at a time are called character devices.
 These include printers, modems, terminals, video and audio
 cards, and mice.


*9. SPECIAL FILE NAMES                 
        
The . and .. (a dot and two dots) are special files that exist in
 every directory. The . name is identical to the current
 directory (note that directories are ordinary files). The
 .. file name is the current directory's parent directories.


*10. THE LINUX EQUIVALENT OF PLUG-AND-PLAY                 
        
The Lothar project attempts to make hardware configuration easier
 in Linux by providing Ethernet cards and sound cards
 autodetection along with a nice graphical interface. A new
 release of Lothar is now available. Users who would like to
 download the software or contribute to this project can find
 more info at 

http://www.linux-mandrake.com/lothar
