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openSUSE 12.2

Start-Up

October 02, 2012

Start-Up

served.

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document

under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2

or (at your option) version 1.3; with the Invariant Section being this

ed in the section entitled “GNU Free Documentation License”.

For Novell trademarks, see the Novell Trademark and Service Mark list

http://www.novell.com/company/legal/trademarks/tmlist.html. All

other third party trademarks are the property of their respective own-

ers. A trademark symbol (®, ™ etc.) denotes a Novell trademark; an

asterisk (*) denotes a third party trademark.

All information found in this book has been compiled with utmost at-

tention to detail. However, this does not guarantee complete accuracy.

Neither Novell, Inc., SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, the authors, nor the

translators shall be held liable for possible errors or the consequences

thereof.

Contents

About This Guide ix

1 Available Documentation ... .... .... .... ...... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. ix

2 Feedback .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . . x

3 Documentation Conventions ... . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. xi

4 About the Making of This Manual .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . xi

5 Source Code .. .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . xi

6 Acknowledgments ...... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . xi

I Installation and Basics 1

1 Installation Quick Start 3

1.1 Welcome to openSUSE .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . . 3

1.2 System Requirements ... .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. 3

1.3 Installing openSUSE .. .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. 3

2 KDE Quick Start 11

2.1 Getting Started .... . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. 11

2.2 The Standard KDE Desktop .... . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . 11

2.3 Starting programs .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . .. 13

2.4 Handling Media .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . 15

2.5 Adapt your desktop ... ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... 15

2.6 Application of desktop eects ... . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . . 21

2.7 Use of virtual desktops .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. 22

2.8 Management of les and folders .... . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . . 23

2.9 Browsing on the Internet .... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. 27

2.10 Managing Passwords ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. 30

2.11 E-mail and Calendar .... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... 31

2.12 Instant Messaging with Kopete ... ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. 33

2.13 Starting LibreOce ... ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . 34

2.14 Viewing PDF Files and Other Documents . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . .. 34

2.15 Search for data (with Strigi) .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . 35

2.16 Creating a CD or DVD ... . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . . 36

2.17 Manage your collection of digital images .. .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . 36

2.18 Managing your music collection .... . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . 37

2.19 Ending Your Session .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . . 38

2.20 For More Information .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . 39

3 GNOME Quick Start 41

3.1 Getting Started .... . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. 41

3.2 The standard GNOME desktop ... .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . . 41

3.3 Fallback Mode .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. 47

3.4 "Open Application" dialog box“ ... .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . 48

3.5 Manage Files, Folders and Media .... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . . 49

3.6 Customizing your Work Environment ... . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . 52

3.7 Browsing the Internet with Firefox ... .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . . 53

3.8 Managing Passwords . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . 55

3.9 E-mail and Calendar .. .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . 56

3.10 Instant Messaging with Empathy .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . . 57

3.11 Starting LibreOce ... ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . 58

3.12 Viewing PDF Files and Other Documents . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . .. 58

3.13 Managing Your Digital Image Collection ... .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . . 59

3.14 Managing Your Music and Videos .... . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. 60

3.15 Ending Your Session .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . . 61

3.16 For More Information .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . 62

4 LibreOce Quick Start 63

4.1 Compatibility . . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . 63

4.2 LibreOce Modules ..... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . 63

4.3 Starting LibreOce .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. 64

4.4 LibreOce Writer .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . 66

4.5 LibreOce Calc .. ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . .. 69

4.6 Other LibreOce Modules ... . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. 71

4.7 For More Information . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . 75

II Managing and Updating Software 77

5 Installing or Removing Software 79

5.1 Denition of Terms .. .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . 79

5.2 Using the KDE Interface (Qt) ..... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . 80

5.3 Using the GNOME Interface (GTK+) ... .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . 86

5.4 Managing Software Repositories and Services ... . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . 90

5.5 Keeping the System Up-to-date ... .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . . 94

6 YaST Online Update 99

6.1 The Online Update Dialog .. .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . 99

6.2 Installing Patches ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . 102

6.3 Automatic Online Update .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. 103

7 Installing Packages From the Internet 105

7.1 1-Click Install .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. 105

7.2 YaST Package Search .. .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . 106

8 Installing Add-On Products 109

8.1 Add-Ons . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . .. 109

8.2 Binary Drivers . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... 110

9 Managing Software with Command Line Tools 111

9.1 Using Zypper . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . . 111

9.2 RPM—the Package Manager ... ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. 120

III Administration 131

10 Managing Users with YaST 133

10.1 User and Group Administration Dialog . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . 133

10.2 Managing User Accounts .... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . 134

10.3 Additional Options for User Accounts ... .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . .. 136

10.4 Changing Default Settings for Local Users .. .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . 141

10.5 Assigning Users to Groups . . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . . 142

10.6 Managing Groups .. .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . . 143

10.7 Changing the User Authentication Method .... ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . 144

11 Changing Language and Country Settings with YaST

145

11.1 Changing the System Language .. .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . . 145

11.2 Changing the Country and Time Settings ... . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . 149

12 YaST in Text Mode 153

12.1 Navigation in Modules .. .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . 154

12.2 Restriction of Key Combinations .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . . 155

12.3 YaST Command Line Options .. .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . . 155

13 Setting Up Hardware Components with YaST 157

13.1 Hardware Information . . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. 157

13.2 Setting Up Sound Cards ... . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . .. 157

13.3 Setting Up a Scanner ... . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . 160

14 Printer Operation 163

14.1 The Workow of the Printing System ... ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . 164

14.2 Methods and Protocols for Connecting Printers . . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . .. 164

14.3 Installing the Software .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . . 165

14.4 Setting Up a Printer ... . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. 165

14.5 Network Printers .. .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . . 170

14.6 Printing from the Command Line . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. 172

14.7 Special Features in openSUSE .... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . . 172

14.8 Troubleshooting .. .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... 174

15 Installing and Conguring Fonts for the Graphical User

Interface 181

15.1 Adding Fonts ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . 181

16 Upgrading the System and System Changes 183

16.1 Upgrading the System ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . 183

16.2 For More Information .... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . . 188

IV The Bash Shell 189

17 Shell Basics 191

17.1 Starting a Shell .. ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. 191

17.2 Entering Commands .. .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . 192

17.3 Working with Files and Directories .. .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. 195

17.4 Becoming Root . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . 199

17.5 File Access Permissions ... . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. 200

17.6 Useful Features of the Shell .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . .. 205

17.7 Editing Texts ... . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . 208

17.8 Searching for Files or Contents .... . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . 209

17.9 Viewing Text Files . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. 211

17.10 Redirection and Pipes .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . 211

17.11 Starting Programs and Handling Processes . . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. 213

17.12 Important Linux Commands ... . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . 214

18 Bash and Bash Scripts 225

18.1 What is “The Shell”? .. .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . 225

18.2 Writing Shell Scripts .... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . .. 230

18.3 Redirecting Command Events .. .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . . 231

18.4 Using Aliases . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. 232

18.5 Using Variables in Bash ... . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . . 232

18.6 Grouping And Combining Commands ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . . 235

18.7 Working with Common Flow Constructs ... .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. 235

18.8 For More Information .... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . . 236

A Help and Troubleshooting 237

A.1 Help and Documentation ... .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . 237

A.2 Common Problems and Their Solutions .... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. 241

A.3 Legal Notice .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . 269

A.4 GNU Free Documentation License . . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . . 269

About This Guide

This manual will see you through your initial contact with openSUSE®. Check out

the various parts of this manual to learn how to install, use and enjoy your system.

Installation and Basics

Guides you through the installation process and the basic conguration of your

system. Introduces YaST, the central tool for installation and conguration of your

system. Learn how to set up or modify key components of your system and how

to connect to the internet.

Basics

This part mainly addresses to users changing to Linux from other operating sys-

tems. It introduces basic Linux concepts such as the user concept, the structure

of the le system and access permissions for les and directories. An introduction

to the shell is also provided, although you hardly ever need the command line to

interact with your system nowadays.

Help and Troubleshooting

Provides an overview of where to nd help and additional documentation in case

you need more information or want to perform specic tasks with your system.

Also nd a compilation of the most frequent problems and annoyances and learn

how to solve these problems on your own.

Many chapters in this manual contain links to additional documentation resources.

This includes documentation that is available on the system as well as documentation

available on the Internet.

For an overview of the documentation available for your product and the latest doc-

umentation updates, refer to http://doc.opensuse.org/ or to the following section.

1 Available Documentation

We provide HTML and PDF versions of our books in dierent languages. The following

manuals for users and administrators are available on this product:

Start-Up (page i)

Guides you step-by-step through the installation of openSUSE from DVD, or from

an ISO image, gives short introductions to the GNOME and KDE desktops including

some key applications running on it. Also gives an overview of LibreOce and its

modules for writing texts, working with spreadsheets, or creating graphics and

presentations.

Reference (↑Reference)

Gives you a general understanding of openSUSE and covers advanced system

administration tasks. It is intended mainly for system administrators and home

users with basic system administration knowledge. It provides detailed information

about advanced deployment scenarios, administration of your system, the inter-

action of key system components and the set-up of various network and le ser-

vices openSUSE oers.

Security Guide (↑Security Guide)

Introduces basic concepts of system security, covering both local and network

security aspects. Shows how to make use of the product inherent security software

like AppArmor (which lets you specify per program which les the program may

read, write, and execute) or the auditing system that reliably collects information

about any security-relevant events.

System Analysis and Tuning Guide (↑System Analysis and Tuning Guide)

An administrator's guide for problem detection, resolution and optimization. Find

how to inspect and optimize your system by means of monitoring tools and how

to eciently manage resources. Also contains an overview of common problems

and solutions and of additional help and documentation resources.

Virtualization with KVM (↑Virtualization with KVM)

This manual oers an introduction to setting up and managing virtualization with

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) on openSUSE. Also shows how to manage

VM Guests with libvirt and QEMU.

Find HTML versions of most product manuals in your installed system under /usr/

share/doc/manual or in the help centers of your desktop. Find the latest documentation

updates at http://www.suse.com/documentation where you can download PDF or

HTML versions of the manuals for your product.

2 Feedback

Several feedback channels are available:

Bugs and Enhancement Requests

To report bugs for a product component, or to submit enhancement requests,

please use https://bugzilla.novell.com/. For documentation bugs, submit a

bug report for the component Documentation of the respective product.

If you are new to Bugzilla, you might nd the following articles helpful:

•

http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Submitting_bug_reports

•

http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Bug_reporting_FAQ

User Comments

We want to hear your comments about and suggestions for this manual and the

other documentation included with this product. Use the User Comments feature

at the bottom of each page in the online documentation or go to http://www.suse

.com/documentation/feedback.html and enter your comments there.

x Start-Up

Mail

For feedback on the documentation of this product, you can also send a mail to

doc-team@suse.de. Make sure to include the document title, the product version

and the publication date of the documentation. To report errors or suggest en-

hancements, provide a concise description of the problem and refer to the respec-

tive section number and page (or URL).

3 Documentation Conventions

The following typographical conventions are used in this manual:

•

/etc/passwd: directory names and lenames

•

placeholder

: replace

placeholder

with the actual value

•

PATH: the environment variable PATH

•

ls, --help: commands, options, and parameters

•

user: users or groups

• [Alt], [Alt] + [F1]: a key to press or a key combination; keys are shown in upper-

case as on a keyboard

• File, File > Save As: menu items, buttons

• Dancing Penguins (Chapter Penguins, ↑Another Manual): This is a reference to

a chapter in another manual.

4 About the Making of This Manual

This book is written in Novdoc, a subset of DocBook (see http://www.docbook.org).

The XML source les were validated by xmllint, processed by xsltproc, and converted

into XSL-FO using a customized version of Norman Walsh's stylesheets. The nal PDF

is formatted through XEP from RenderX. The open source tools and the environment

used to build this manual are available in the package daps that is shipped with

openSUSE. The project's home page can be found at http://daps.sf.net/.

5 Source Code

The source code of openSUSE is publicly available. Refer to http://en.opensuse.org/

Source_code for download links and more information.

6 Acknowledgments

With a lot of voluntary commitment, the developers of Linux cooperate on a global

scale to promote the development of Linux. We thank them for their eorts—this

About This Guide xi

distribution would not exist without them. Furthermore, we thank Frank Zappa and

Pawar. Special thanks, of course, goes to Linus Torvalds.

Have a lot of fun!

Your SUSE Team

xii Start-Up

Part I. Installation and Basics

1 Installation Quick Start

Use the following procedures to install a new version of openSUSE® 12.2. This doc-

ument gives a quick overview on how to run through a default installation of open-

SUSE.

1.1 Welcome to openSUSE

For more detailed installation instructions and deployment strategies, see the

openSUSE documentation at http://doc.opensuse.org/.

1.2 System Requirements

• Pentium* III 500 MHz or higher processor (Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or higher or any

AMD64 or Intel* EM64T processor recommended)

• 512 MB physical RAM (1 GB recommended)

• 3 GB available disk space (more recommended)

• 800 x 600 display resolution (1024 x 768 or higher recommended)

1.3 Installing openSUSE

Use these instructions if there is no existing Linux system on your machine, or if you

want to replace an existing Linux system.

1 Insert the openSUSE DVD into the drive, then reboot the computer to start

the installation program.

Installation Quick Start 3

2 Select Installation on the boot screen and press [Enter]. This loads the

openSUSE installation program and starts the installation in normal mode.

3 Select the language and the keyboard layout to be used during the instal-

lation and for the installed system.

Read the License Agreement and proceed with Next if you agree. If you

do not agree, press Abort to terminate the installation.

4 Start-Up

4 Select New Installation and proceed with Next.

5 Either use the map or the drop down lists for Region and Time Zone to

select the clock and time zone to use in your system. Proceed with Next.

Installation Quick Start 5

6 Select the desktop system you would like to use. KDE and GNOME, are

powerful graphical desktop environments similar to Windows, alternative

selections are available when checking Other. Proceed with Next.

7 Dene a partition setup for openSUSE in this step. In most cases a reason-

able scheme that can be accepted without change is proposed. Accept

the proposal with Next and proceed with the installation. Experienced

users can also customize the proposal (Edit Partition Setup) or apply their

own partitioning scheme (Create Partition Setup).

6 Start-Up

8 Type your rst and last name in the User’s Full Name eld, your login name

in the Username eld, and your password in the Password eld.

For security reasons, your password should be at least eight characters

long and should contain uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers.

Passwords are case-sensitive. Proceed with Next.

By default, the password you enter here is also used for the system admin-

istrator, root. Uncheck Use this password for system administrator if you

prefer to specify a dierent password for root in the next step.

With automatic login enabled, the system boots straight to your desktop

with no authentication at all. If you store sensitive data on your system,

you should not enable this option as long as the computer can also be

accessed by others.

Installation Quick Start 7

Type a password for the system administrator account (called the root

user). This step is skipped in case you had activated Use this Password

for System Administrator in the previous step.

You should never forget the root password. After you enter it here, the

password cannot be retrieved. It can only be reset with administrative

assistance. Proceed with Next.

10 Use the Installation Settings screen to review your choices as well as some

automatically proposed settings. If necessary, change the settings.

Click Install to proceed. Depending on your software selection you may

have to accept additional license agreements by clicking Accept. Before

the actual installation starts you will see the following screen:

8 Start-Up

11 Click Install to start the installation.

12 The installation usually takes between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on

the system performance and the selected software scope. During the in-

stallation you may either view the product presentation, the release notes

containing last-minute information, or the detailed installation log.

13 After completing the installation of all selected software packages and the

basic system setup, the openSUSE installation boots into the new Linux

system, to perform the automatic system conguration. This routine con-

gures your network and Internet access and sets up your hardware. This

process does not need any interaction.

Installation Quick Start 9

14 If you have chosen the automatic login function, the desktop directly starts.

Otherwise you will see the login screen. Select your username, and type

your password in the Password eld. Press [Enter] to log in.

10 Start-Up

2 KDE Quick Start

openSUSE® oers all tools which Linux* users require for their daily activities. The

product is supplied with a user-friendly graphical environment (KDE* Desktop) which

communicates with the basic Linux system in order to access les, folders, and pro-

grams and manage them. openSUSE oers an integrated suite of applications for a

broad range of activities (Oce, multimedia, Internet). The LibreOce suite is also

included. This enables you to edit and save les in many formats. As LibreOce is

available for dierent operating systems, you can use the les you have created

with it on several computer platforms.

2.1 Getting Started

When you start your system, you are usually prompted to enter your user name and

password. If you have not installed your system yourself, ask your system adminis-

trator for the user name and password.

The KDE Desktop appears after rst logging into KDE. Its appearance depends on

whether openSUSE® could activate the 3D functions of your graphics card. Optics

and functionality in both cases are the same, only the operation diers slightly.

2.2 The Standard KDE Desktop

When you log into KDE for the rst time, the KDE desktop is displayed which contains

the following basic elements:

KDE Quick Start 11

Desktop folder: The content of the ~/Desktop Directory is displayed as standard

on the milk glass surface on the top left. Any le placed in this directory also appears

in this view.

Desktop context menu: Right-click on an empty area on the desktop in order to

access the Context menu which you can use to change the appearance of the desktop,

add the desktop control bars or mini programs (widgets), congure desktop settings,

x mini programs in the current position (lock), lock the screen or terminate the

current session.

Toolbox: Click on the icon at the very top right of the desktop with the mouse to

access the menu which you can use to add or lock mini programs.

KDE control bar: As standard, the control bar on the lower edge of the KDE

desktop contains the icon for the Main Menu on the left side and further mini programs

and program icons and the icon for the control bar settings on the right side. A short

description of the icon is displayed when you point the mouse pointer at an icon in

the control bar.

Main menu: Click in the lower control bar on the left to open the main menu. The

Main Menu consists of the following elements: a search function at the top and dif-

ferent tabs below, which oer rapid access to the key menu functions. Your registra-

tion name and the host name of the computer are also displayed in the menu.

12 Start-Up

2.3 Starting programs

Start programs in the Main Menu, in the command line with the help of a shell or the

Execute a command option. Programs can also be launched from the desktop or the

control bar by clicking once on the program icon with the left mouse button.

2.3.1 Using the main menu

To open the Main Menu, click on the Main Menu icon in the control bar or press [Alt]

+ [F2].

A standard selection of pre-programmed shortcuts for quick access is displayed under

Favorites All the applications installed in your system can be seen under Applications.

Click on the relevant entry to navigate through the menu structure. You can return

via the breadcrumb menu (the light gray text directly at the top right above the

menu points). You only need to click on a previous menu point there. To jump back

to Start, select All programs. The Computer and History tabs provide fast access to

frequently used storage locations, applications, and documents. Under Quit you can

nd various options for ending the session, such as logging o, locking the screen

(further access is only possible with a password), shutting down and restarting the

computer. Some computers oer to put your session on RAM or a data medium into

deep sleep mode.

KDE Quick Start 13

If you use a program often and do not want to access it through the menu structure

every time, you can add its icon to the Favorites tab. To do so, right-click on any

other tab in the program and select Add to Favorites.

2.3.2 Use the “Execute command” dialog box“

KRunner is a helper application which lets you quickly start programs. It also oers

a search function to search for applications or storage locations.

Press [Alt] + [F2] to open the Execute command dialog box. Enter a command, for

example dolphin. Even during input, a list of applications or actions is displayed in

the dialog box which match your entry. Select one of the results, or press [Enter] to

start the highlighted application or action. The command to start is often (but not

always) the application name written in lower case letters.

In the Execute command dialog box you can use dierent functions: Click on the

question mark icon to display a list of active functions. To edit or retrieve a list of all

functions, click on the spanner icon. You can use so-called web key shortcuts which

are dened in Konqueror to send search enquiries directly to a search engine without

needing to open the browser beforehand. Another interesting function is the calcula-

tion of a mathematical expression such as =2+2^4-sin(2). The conversion of units,

such as from miles per hours to kilometers per hour, is also very useful. Simply enter

the expression 60 mph in km/h to retrieve the converted value.

2.3.3 Search for Programs

Both the Main Menu and the Execute command dialog box oer a search function

which enables you to start programs quickly, even if you do not know the exact ap-

14 Start-Up

plication name or command. To search for an application, start from the Main Menu

by entering a command or a part of the application name in the Search box or in the

input eld in the Execute command dialog box. Every character entered restricts the

search.

Select the application from the list below the input eld which corresponds to your

query.

2.4 Handling Media

When you place a CD or DVD into the drive, or connect a USB stick or an external

hard drive, the widget opens a small window for device notication which noties

you of the process. Possible actions for the respective type of device are also sug-

gested.

For example, if you connect a digital camera, you can download your photos with

Gwenview (image viewer) or digiKam (image management program). Click on the

device entry in the widget to access the available actions. To securely remove the

device from the computer, click on the icon to the right of the device entry (the cable

icon or the eject button).

2.5 Adapt your desktop

You can tailor the appearance and behavior of your KDE desktop to your personal

requirements.

2.5.1 Fixing and approving desktop objects

Desktop elements can be xed in the current position to prevent them moving to

and from on the desktop. This does not aect the program windows, but only elements

which are directly on the desktop such as the mini programs or program icons. When

the desktop elements are xed, no objects can be added to the desktop, moved or

removed.

KDE Quick Start 15

Click on the Cashew icon (toolbox) in the top right of the desktop to x or release

the desktop elements and select Lock mini programs or Unlock mini programs.

Alternatively, right-click on an empty space on the desktop and select Lock mini

programs or Unlock mini programs.

2.5.2 Changing individual desktop elements

In the following sections you will nd some examples of how individual desktop ele-

ments can be changed.

Procedure 2.1: Adding program icons to the desktop

Proceed as follows to create a link to an application and to place it on the desktop

or the control bar:

1 Click on the Main Menu and search for the desired application.

2 Right-click on the Add to desktop option in the displayed context menu to

select it. If this menu entry is not available, your desktop elements are prob-

ably xed. Release these rst, as described in Section 2.5.1, “Fixing and ap-

proving desktop objects” (page 15).

3 To change the position of icon symbol on the desktop, click on the icon with

the left mouse button and drag it to the desired location.

If you want to delete an icon from the desktop, right-click on the program icon and

select Remove icon.

Procedure 2.2: Adding mini programs on the desktop or on the control bar

1 To add mini programs to your desktop Right-click on an empty space

on your desktop and select Add mini programs.

To add a mini program to your control bar Right-click on an empty space

on the control bar and select Control bar Settings > Add mini programs.

If these menu entries are not available, your desktop elements are probably

xed. In this case, rst right-click on the control bar and select Unlock mini

programs.

2 Select a mini program from the displayed list. Search through the available

mini programs with the help of the scroll bar. To restrict the selection of mini

programs either input a search term in the input eld or select a category.

3 To display the selected mini program on the desktop or on the control bar,

click it with the left mouse button, keep the button depressed and drag the

symbol to its envisaged position. Then release the left mouse button again.

The mouse pointer turns into a prohibited symbol in locations where it is im-

possible to place the mini program.

16 Start-Up

4 To remove a mini program from the desktop or the control bar, right-click on

the mini program and select Remove....

Procedure 2.3: Conguring mini programs

1 Hold the mouse pointer over a mini program until a translucent frame appears

around the mini program which displays a row of icons:

If the frame does not appear, your mini programs are probably xed. Release

these rst, as described in Section 2.5.1, “Fixing and approving desktop ob-

jects” (page 15).

2 To change the size of the mini program, click on the ruler symbol in the frame

with the left mouse button and keep the mouse button depressed while you

slowly move the pointer over the desktop.

3 To rotate the mini program in one direction, click on the curved arrow symbol

in the frame with the left mouse button and keep the mouse button depressed

while you drag the mouse pointer in a circular motion over the desktop. There

is a locking limit on the horizontal and vertical positions to which you can

“ax” the mini program if necessary. Of course, you can also place it in any

appropriate position.

4 To change the content, the settings or the properties of a mini program, click

on the spanner icon in the frame with the left mouse button. Determine the

options as desired in the conguration dialog box which is now displayed.

Control bars are available to gain more space for your own programs.

Procedure 2.4: Adding and removing control bars

1 Right-click on an empty space on the desktop, select Add control bar, and a

control bar type from the list.

If these menu entries are not available, your desktop elements are probably

xed. In this case, rst right-click and select Unlock mini programs.

KDE Quick Start 17

2 Click on the Cashew icon at the end of the new control bar to access the

conguration options and adapt the control bar as described in Procedure 2.5,

“Conguring control bars” (page 18).

3 To delete a control bar, right-click on an empty space in the control bar for

deletion and select Control bar Settings > Remove "control bar”. At least one

control bar must remain on the desktop in openSUSE.

Procedure 2.5: Conguring control bars

Applications and mini programs can be added in the main control bar or other

control bars. Control bar elements and other control bars can be shifted to dierent

positions or removed if necessary.

1 In order to access options for the current control bar, right-click on an

empty space in the control bar and select Settings for control bar > Control

bar settings. It is quicker if you click on the cashew icon at the very right

of the bar. In any case, the view of the control bar changes and the con-

guration options are displayed.

If the menu entry and the icon is not available, your desktop elements are

probably xed. To unlock, rst right-click on the control bar and select

Unlock mini programs.

2 In order to move objects in the control bar to another position in the control

bar, point to the desired control bar object with the mouse cursor (e.g.

program icon, desktop toggle, task manager, system section for control

bar). The mouse pointer takes the form of a cross. Click on the object and

drag the element to the desired position in the control bar. Click again to

x it in this position.

3 To increase the distance between two mini programs, use Add spacers. A

spacer mini program is displayed on the right hand side. Drag it to the

preferred location and leave it there.

4 To change the width of the control bar, click on the small arrow icon on

the left and right hand side of the settings control bar. With the arrow on

the left hand side you can determine the position of the control bar and

with the arrows on the right hand side you can determine the maximized

and minimized size.

5 To change the height of the control bar, left-click on the Height button and

drag to the desired nal position.

6 With the help of the Screen edge button, position the control bar on one

side of the screen. Drag the control bar into the desired position using

drag and drop.

18 Start-Up

7 If you need additional mini programs in your control bar, you can add them

using the Add mini programs button as described in Procedure 2.2, “Adding

mini programs on the desktop or on the control bar” (page 16).

8 To remove program icons or mini programs from the control bar, right-

click on the object in question and select the menu entry to remove the

icon or mini program.

The icons in the system section of the control bar normally belong to ap-

plications which are executed in the background. You can therefore only

remove these icons once you have closed these applications (click on the

icon and select End).

9 Further conguration options (e.g. orientation) and further functions (e.g.

automatic masking) can be found under Advanced settings.

10 When all control bar settings meet your requirements, close the control

bar settings with the red button on the right hand side.

Procedure 2.6: Changing the Desktop Background

You can set the desktop background in such a way that images, slide shows, samples

or colors are displayed. Even a world map or the weather forecast can be used as

a desktop background.

1 Right-click on an empty space on the desktop and select Desktop settings. A

conguration window is opened.

2 In the View section select a type from the Background image dropdown list.

Further conguration options are dependent on the object you have selected

for the background.

3 In order to use an image as a background, proceed as follows:

3a Choose the Image option under Background image.

3b Dene the Positioning of the image.

3c Use one of the available background images by selecting the desired

background in the list, or click on Download new background images

to obtain further background images from the Internet.

3d To use a user-dened image, click on Open and select an image le

from the le system.

KDE Quick Start 19

4 Determine the other options in the conguration dialog box according to your

wishes and click on OK to save your changes and close the conguration dialog

box.

2.5.3 Modify personal settings

Apart from changing individual desktop elements, you can adapt your desktop with

KDE to your precise requirements. Options for adapting the entire appearance and

behavior of your desktop can be found in the System settings conguration dialog

box.

Launch System settings in the Main Menu by selecting Favorites > System settings.

The settings are sub-divided into dierent categories. Hover the mouse on an icon

to see further details. You need system administrator rights for some tasks in system

settings (root).

20 Start-Up

Change the settings as desired. Changes only become eective when you click on

Apply. Click on Restore to discard changes in the last view which have not yet been

applied. In order to restore all elements in the last view to standard values, click on

Default settings.

To return to the initial display (with all categories), click in the top left of the dialog

box on Overview. You can also input search terms at the top of the window (for ex-

ample Screensaver) to nd the category which contains options that match the search

text. Each character you enter in the Search eld further restricts the search. The

icon of the category found is highlighted in a dierent color.

For a more simple overview of all categories, you can change to a tree view by

clicking on Create and selecting a dierent View design.

2.6 Application of desktop eects

If your computer supports a 3D graphics card, you can use graphic eects, such as

converting the desktop to a rotating 3D dice, activating translucent or transparent

windows or maximizing and minimizing the desktop screen. You can also use other

window eects such as Shadow, Blending in and Remodeling. If you do not have a

3D graphics card, some eects may be disabled or can slow down your system. If

your system is too slow, disable the eects for the current session by pressing [Alt]

+ [Shift] + [F12].

Congure the eects of your desktop as follows:

1 Start the System settings as described in Section 2.5.3, “Modify personal

settings” (page 20).

KDE Quick Start 21

2 Select Desktop eects from the Desktop appearance and behavior category,

and select Activate desktop eects upon system start. If your graphics card

does not support the 3D function, you are notied accordingly.

3 Optional: Change some options under General settings on the Advanced tab.

4 Select the eects to be activated on the All eects tab. When you click on the

information icon, a short explanation on the respective eect is superimposed.

If an eect is activated, you can obtain access to further conguration options

with the spanner icon (right), for example to assign keyboard shortcuts for

the eect.

5 With Apply you can activate the eects permanently.

2.7 Use of virtual desktops

The desktop environment enables you to organize your programs and tasks on sev-

eral virtual desktops. If you often run a lot of programs simultaneously, this minimizes

the number of windows to arrange on your screen. For example, you can use a

desktop for e-mails and the calendar and another desktop for text processing or

graphic applications.

Procedure 2.7: Moving an application to another virtual desktop

You can display a currently executed application on one or all virtual desktops or

move them to other desktops.

1 Open the application.

2 Right-click on the title bar of the application.

3 Click on On Desktop.

4 Select the desktop where the application should be placed.

5 Click on the desired desktop in the desktop toggle switch in the control bar

in order to change to a certain desktop. Change to the next or previous

desktop by placing the mouse pointer in an empty space on the desktop and

moving the mouse wheel.

Procedure 2.8: Conguring the virtual desktop

You can increase the number of virtual desktops, change standard names, assign

activities, congure eect animations and assign keyboard shortcuts to switch

virtual desktops.

1 To add additional desktops, right-click on the desktop toggle switch in the

control bar and select Add virtual desktop. A new desktop is displayed in the

desktop toggle switch.

22 Start-Up

2 If conguration options are available, right-click on the desktop toggle switch

and select Desktop toggle switch settings.

3 You can congure the appearance of the desktop toggle switch in the control

bar with the options in the General category.

4 Desktop names, key combinations to change between desktops, and the

switchover type can be congured in the Virtual Desktops category.

5 Determine the desired options and click on OK. The changes are adopted and

the conguration dialog box is closed.

2.8 Management of les and folders

In KDE 4, Konqueror has been replaced by Dolphin as a standard le manager. Kon-

queror will continue to be used as a web browser (information regarding this can be

found in Section 2.9, “Browsing on the Internet” (page 27)). Start Dolphin in the main

menu by selecting Favorites > File manager or pressing [Alt] + [F2] and entering

dolphin.

2.8.1 Dolphin main window

The Dolphin main window consists of the following elements:

KDE Quick Start 23

Menu bar: Call the main menu up via the spanner icon. All possible functions are

ready there, such as copying, moving or deletion of les, changing view, starting of

further tools, changing settings and calling up help.

Symbol bar: The symbol bar accelerates the navigation and changing of the display.

The relevant functions can also be called up via the main menu. If the mouse pointer

is positioned over an icon for a moment, a short description of the icon is displayed.

Address bar: The address bar displays the path to the current directory. It is

available in two versions: one displays the path to the current directory with buttons

for each superordinate folder. Click on a directory name in this view in order to change

to this directory. The second version of the address bar displays the path to the

current directory as a text chain which can be edited.

Fields: The Places sidebar is displayed in Dolphin as standard. It enables rapid

access to frequently used places such as your home directory, the root directory of

the le system (/), the Recycle Bin, and removable media. You can add further dif-

ferent control bars in the main menu under View > Side bars .

Display eld (work area): The content of the selected directory or the selected

le is displayed in the display eld. Dolphin shows the content of your home directory

as standard at the start. By clicking on a folder in Dolphin an action is started directly

as standard: Dolphin loads the le into an application or opens the folder for further

processing.

Status bar: Shows the le type and the size of the currently selected object and

enables maximization and minimization of the icons or entries in the display eld

via the slider.

24 Start-Up

2.8.2 Management of folders and les in Dolphin

To perform actions such as copying, moving, creating or deleting les, you require

the relevant rights for the respective folders and les.

To copy, move or delete a le or a folder proceed as follows:

1 To select one or several les and folders in Dolphin move the mouse pointer

over the le or folder, but do not click on it. A green cross appears on the left

upper edge. The object is selected when you click on it. To clear the selection,

click on the red minus sign which is displayed when the object is selected.

Alternatively, press [Ctrl] and click on the objects which should be selected

or unselected.

2 Right-click and select Copy or Cut in the context menu.

3 Navigate to the target folder where you wish to insert the object.

4 To create a new folder at the current location, right-click in the display eld

and select Create > Folder or press [F10]. Enter a folder name in the new

window and press [Enter].

5 In order to insert the copied or cut object in Step 2 (page 25), right-click on

the target folder in the main display eld and select Insert. The object is copied

or moved into this folder.

6 To delete a le or a folder, right-click in the main display eld on the object

and select Send to Recycle Bin in the context menu. The object is moved to

the bin. You can retrieve it from there or permanently delete the object if

necessary.

In order to quickly lter for certain le names in the current directory, press [Ctrl] +

[I] to add the Filter input eld at the bottom of the Dolphin main window. Enter any

part of the le name for which you are searching to see all les in the current direc-

tory which contain the chain of characters searched for. Press [Ctrl] + [F] to use the

desktop search for detailed and advanced search. You can nd further information

on this in Section 2.15, “Search for data (with Strigi)” (page 35).

2.8.3 Conguration of Dolphin

Dolphin oers many options for changing the view and the options as a whole to suit

your preferences.

Procedure 2.9: Changing the view

1 To change from standard view to the editable version of the address bar, press

[F6]. Enter a path to a directory. After inputting an address, press [Enter] or

click the green hook on the right adjacent to the input eld.

KDE Quick Start 25

To delete the content in the address bar click on the right on the black X icon.

To change back to the standard view, press [Ctrl] + [L].

2 To change the view of the currently displayed folder click on one of the relevant

icons in the icon bar (fourth, fth and sixth from the left). Dolphin retains the

selected view for each folder. Press [F3] to display the content of the current

folder in two separate columns. You can now navigate to a dierent directory

in each column and easily drag or position objects or compare the contents

of directories. Press [F3] again to close the split pane.

3 If you want Dolphin to display hidden les, click on the spanner icon to open

the main menu and choose Show hidden les. (If you have enabled the menu

bar, instead use View > Show hidden les.)

4 To display further details on the les (such as access rights or ownership),

select Additional Information in the main menu behind the spanner icon and

activate the relevant options.

5 To add further directories to the Places sidebar, drag a folder from the desktop

into the Places sidebar and position it there Right-click on the context menu

and use it to hide, edit, or remove entries from Places.

6 To add further sidebars to the main window, select Sidebars behind the

spanner icon in the main menu and then further sidebars such as Folders or

Terminals.

26 Start-Up

Separate the sidebars from Dolphin’s main window by clicking the name of the

sidebar and then dragging it to another location on the desktop. If the sidebar has

no title it is locked. In such a case, right-click in a free area on the sidebar and then

select Unlock sidebars. to integrate the sidebar into Dolphin’s main window again,

double-click on the name of the sidebar again.

Procedure 2.10: Changing the overall behavior of Dolphin

To change the behavior or the view of Dolphin as a whole, select Set up Dolphin in

the main menu behind the Spanner icon and view the options oered in Dolphin’s

conguration catalog.

1 If a certain view mode should apply to all folders, click on General in the left

sidebar and activate Use the same view for all folders. Click on Views in the

left sidebar and adapt the options for the dierent views. Click on Apply to

save the changes.

2 If Dolphin displays another directory on startup, or if you want to use the ed-

itable address bar constantly, click on Start in the left sidebar and change the

relevant options.

3 To congure the entries and services displayed in Dolphin’s context menu,

click on General. Activate the entries to be displayed on the Context menu

tab. Click on Services in the left sidebar and activate or disable the relevant

services to be displayed in the context menu.

4 Click on OK to accept the changes and close the Dolphin conguration dialog

box.

2.9 Browsing on the Internet

Apart from Konqueror (the standard KDE web browser) openSUSE also contains the

Firefox web browser. To start Konqueror or Firefox, press [Alt] + [F2] and enter

konqueror or firefox.

Both browsers oer support for modern web standards, the use of tabs, a pop-up

blocker, and download and image management. Simple access to dierent search

engines helps you in searching for required information.

KDE Quick Start 27

Enter the URL in the address eld to start browsing. Press [Ctrl] + [T] to open a new,

empty tab. To open a link in a new tab, click on the link with your middle mouse

button. When you right-click on the tab, a menu with tab options is superimposed.

This menu allows you to create new tabs, reload the content of a certain tab or all

available tabs and close tabs. You can also change the sequence of the tabs by

dragging it to the desired position and leaving it there.

2.9.1 Finding Information

Firefox oers two dierent types of search options: You can search for information

on the web or on the current webpage using certain terms.

Procedure 2.11: Searching the web

1 To start a search on the web, click on the left icon on the right of the search

bar (adjacent to the places bar) to open a list of search engines.

2 Select the desired search engine and enter your search terms into the input

eld.

3 Press [Enter] to start the search process.

4 If you want to search the current webpage with Firefox or Konqueror, press

[Ctrl] + [F] to display a search bar at the bottom of the window. Enter your

search term there and start the search with the buttons below the search bar

in dierent directors or congure the search options, for example Upper/Lower

case.

Konqueror oers predened web key combinations to quickly search the web. To

search for yast, for example, on the web using the Google search engine enter

28 Start-Up

gg:yast in Konqueror’s address bar (or the Execute command dialog box) and press

[Enter].

You can also dene individual Web key combinations in Konqueror and Firefox as

described in Section 2.9.3, “Conguring Preferences” (page 29).

2.9.2 Downloading Files from the Web

When you download a le with Firefox or Konqueror, a dialog box is opened in which

you are requested whether you want to save the le or open it with a certain appli-

cation. Also specify whether the selected action should apply to all les of this type.

Firefox saves the le in the folder congured in the Firefox settings as standard and

shows the completed downloads in the Downloads dialog box.

To open the downloaded les directly from there, right-click on Open to select the

option. To clear the history of downloaded les, click on Empty list.

2.9.3 Conguring Preferences

Changing the settings in Konqueror or Firefox. Access the conguration dialog box

in Konqueror by selecting Settings > Set up Konqueror. To change the behavior of

Konqueror as a web browser, select one of the sub-categories in Surng the Internet

in the left navigation area to display the options for the relevant category. For exam-

ple, you can “hide” the true identity of Konqueror and identify Konqueror as another

browser (such as, Internet Explorer*) for certain websites you visit. To do so, select

Browser recognition and click on New in order to add a new, page-specic identica-

tion.

Perhaps you would also like to congure the web key shortcut you can use with

Konqueror (and the Execute command dialog box). Click on Web shortcut in the

conguration dialog box of Konqueror to display the currently dened key shortcut.

KDE Quick Start 29

Click on New to dene new key shortcuts. Press OK to close the conguration dialog

box of Konqueror and apply the changes.

Select Edit > Settings in Firefox to open the Firefox settings. Click on the symbols

in the upper display eld in order to access the options for the relevant category.

For example, change the standard download folder on the General page or change

the blocking of pop-up windows on the Content page. Click on Close to accept the

changes.

Navigate to the website with the desired search eld to congure a web key combi-

nation for a search in Firefox. Right-click on the search eld and select Add keyword

for this search.... Enter a Keyword and close the dialog box by pressing OK.

2.10 Managing Passwords

When you input a password in a KDE application for the rst time (for example in

KMail or in Konqueror), you are asked if you want to save the password. If you click

on Yes, the KWallet assistant starts as standard. KWallet is a password management

tool which can collect all passwords and save them in one or more encrypted les

(so-called “Wallets”).

To activate the KWallet, select Basic set-up, and click on Advanced. Select Yes, I

want to use the KDE digital wallet for my personal information. Then assign a master

password to the standard wallet (kdewallet), which is created in the next step.

WARNING: Protect your password for KWallet

If you forget your master password for a wallet, this password cannot be recreated.

Also, everyone who knows your password can look inside your wallet.

Click on Finish to close the assistant. If you originally started the KWallet assistant

via a dierent application such as Konqueror or KMail, you are requested in KWallet

to re-enter the password so that the password can be saved in the newly created

30 Start-Up

wallet for this application. After the rst conguration you can open KWallet at any

time to display, search for, delete or create entries. Entering passwords manually is

not usually necessary. KDE recognizes when a resource needs to be authenticated

and KWallet starts automatically and asks you to enter your KWallet password.

However, you can also add additional data if you wish. To congure the KWallet op-

tions, press [Alt] + [F2] and enter kwalletmanager. The Service program for digital

wallets is opened. If the window does not appear, take a look at the system section

of the control bar (on the left adjacent to the clock). If necessary, expand all hidden

applications via the small triangle. Then click on the Service program for digital

wallets or on the relevant icon. The window of the application should then open. Select

Settings > Set up digital wallet.

While KWallet is set up in such a way that passwords for dierent KDE applications

are managed centrally, Firefox also oers the option of saving data on a website

when a user name and password are entered. When you accept this, by clicking on

Save the password is saved on your hard drive in an encrypted format. Firefox lls

out the registration errors automatically when this website is next accessed.

To verify or manage your passwords in Firefox, click on Edit > Settings > Security

> Stored passwords....

2.11 E-mail and Calendar

You can use Kontact as your personal information management (PIM) tool to read

and manage your e-mails and events. Kontact combines KDE applications such as

KMail, KOrganizer and KAddressBook in a single interface. This facilitates access to

e-mails, calendar, address book and other PIM functions. Kontact can also manage

several e-mail accounts.

2.11.1 First time start-up of Contact

To start Contact press [Alt] + [F2] and enter Contact. To access one of the components

(e.g. KMail), click on the relevant icon on the left of the sidebar.

KDE Quick Start 31

Before you can send or receive e-mail messages, you must congure an e-mail

identity and an e-mail account:

1 Select Settings > Set up a contact.

2 Click on Identities in the left sidebar under E-mail and select the identity KMail

has automatically created for you. Change this identity by entering your full

name and e-mail address and conrm your changes with OK.

3 Click in the left sidebar under E-Mail on Accesses and select the Add option

on the Receiving and/or Sending of e-mails tab to create at least one account.

(Optionally, you can congure several e-mail accounts.)

4 Select the type of access. To retrieve e-mails, this is usually IMAP or POP3. To

nd out the right values to use, please consult the help pages of your e-mail

provider. Highlight the relevant entry in the list and click OK. KWallet reports

now, to whom you name the (master) password for your wallet. Then ll in

the form which appears. Dependent on the account, options must also be

determined for encryption or authentication. If you are unsure which settings

or objects you should search for, get in touch with your Internet Service

Provider or your system administrator.

5 Click on OK. Set-up is conrmed and the dialog box is closed.

To write a new e-mail in the main window of Contact, click on the Mail icon and press

[Ctrl] + [N] to open the E-mail Editor. When you have nished your e-mail, click on

Send to send it straightaway. If you have congured several e-mail accounts, hold

down the Send button and select the account to send the e-mail from.

32 Start-Up

2.12 Instant Messaging with Kopete

Kopete is an online messenger application which enables you to chat with others

over the Internet. Kopete supports many messenger protocols, such as AOL* Instant

Messenger (AIM), Gadu-Gadu, GroupWise® Messenger, ICQ, Jabber*, SMS, and Ya-

hoo!*. To use Instant Messaging (IM), you need to register with an IM services provider

and then enter this data Kopete accordingly.

To start Kopete, press [Alt] + [F2] and enter kopete. When you start the application

for the rst time, select Settings > Set up. Add an Access here in the Accesses area.

Kopete takes you through the set-up steps, such as selecting the news service, en-

tering the necessary account information (for example, user name/user ID, server

name, port), inputting of registration data (e.g. passwords). If you have not yet reg-

istered with the provider for the selected news service, click on Register New Access.

Enter your user data into the browser window which is now opened to register. Change

back to Kopete and enter the data received upon registration. Close the conguration

of your account by clicking on Finish.

If you want to go online after conguring your account, you can now add contacts

in the main window of Kopete. When the status Offline is displayed in the Kopete

window (in the status bar), rst click on File > Set status > Online and enter your

password as soon as you are requested. When connected, click on File > Add contact

and select the Kopete account for which contacts should be added. Enter the contact

data or search for a contact and click on OK.

To display all contacts, even if these are currently oine, select Settings > Display

Oine Users.

When you want to start a chat, click on the desired contact and enter your message

into the lower section of the chat window. Press [Enter] to send the message. The

upper part of the window displays the messages you have sent and received.

KDE Quick Start 33

2.13 Starting LibreOce

The oce suite LibreOce oers a comprehensive set of oce tools, which includes

a text processor, a spreadsheet application, a slideshow application, a vector

graphics program and a database application and more. As LibreOce is available

for a range of operating systems, you can seamlessly use les created with it on

dierent platforms.

Press [Alt] + [F2] to start and enter libreoffice. When you want to create a new

document, select File > New and then select the desired document type. To open

an existing document, click Open and select the relevant le from the le system.

You can nd further information in LibreOce Quick Start.

2.14 Viewing PDF Files and Other Documents

Documents which need to be approved or printed on several platforms can be saved

as PDF (Portable Document Format) les, for example with the LibreOce-Suite.

Display these documents with Okular, KDE’s standard document display.

2.14.1 Using the Okular document display

Apart from PDF les, you can display a multitude of le formats with Okular, such as

PostScript, dierent image formats, the OpenDocument Format (ODF), some eBook

formats (ePub) and even Microsoft* Compiled HTML Help (CHM). Okular also supports

bookmarks, comments, formula elds and multimedia contents as well as page rota-

tion.

Start Okular in the Main Menu or press [Alt] + [F2] and enter okular.

To open a document select File > Open and select the relevant le from the le

system. Navigate through the document with the up or down navigation icons in the

window. According to which icon you click on the left side of the navigation area, the

sidebar either shows the Content, Preview images of all pages, the Reviews or your

Bookmarks for this le. To lter for text which is listed in the sidebar or in the entire

document, enter a string of characters into the input eld at the top of the sidebar.

If you want to select and copy a text or images from the le in Okular, click on the

Select icon in the toolbar and select one of the options from the context menu. Click

on the Browse icon to return to browsing the document.

Procedure 2.12: Working with bookmarks and comments

With Okular you can verify a document by emphasizing certain passages of text

or adding comments or bookmarks which Okular then adds to the le in the form

of metadata. Note that the added comments and identiers cannot be saved in the

document. Consequently, it is not possible to print them or forward them to other

users.

1 To add a bookmark to a page click on the relevant page in the sidebar or in

the main display eld and click on [Ctrl] + [B]. The page is added to the list

34 Start-Up

of Bookmarks in the left sidebar. Right-click on the bookmark entry to access

a context menu in which you can change to this bookmark, rename it or re-

move it.

2 To create a comment for a page, press [F6] and select one of the comments

tools from the toolbar now displayed. The comment is added to the list of

Reviews and identied with the sign-in name of the user who created it. Use

the symbols at the bottom of the sidebar in order to group the comments by

page or author or to display only the comments for the current page.

3 To open a pop-up note and add a text for a comment (or to remove a com-

ment), right-click on the comment entry in the list of Reviews and select the

relevant menu entry. The comments or identiers added are automatically

added to the le and you do not need to save these.

2.14.2 Using Acrobat Reader

If Acrobat Reader is not installed as standard, install the acroread package with YaST.

To start Acrobat Reader, press [Alt] + [F2] and enter acroread. Click on File > Open,

search for the desired PDF le and click on Open, to display the le.

2.15 Search for data (with Strigi)

The Strigi desktop search not only searches for les, but also for metadata such as

tags, evaluations and even source URLs for downloads. To use desktop search, the

nepomuk and strigi services must be executed. To activate these services, press

[Alt] + [F2] and enter strigi. If necessary, tick all services on the Basic Settings tab

and terminate the dialog box by clicking on Apply and OK.

After activation, you can use KRunner ([Alt] + [F2]) to search for les by inputting a

keyword. An advanced search interface is available in the Dolphin le manager. Press

KDE Quick Start 35

[Ctrl] + [F] in Dolphin to activate the desktop search. You can lter the search results

by File name, Content or place.

2.16 Creating a CD or DVD

If your computer has a CD or DVD burner, you can burn K3b les on CD or DVD. To

create a data CD or DVD, proceed as follows:

Press [Alt] + [F2] and enter k3b. K3b is opened.

2 In the main menu select File > New Project > New Data Project.

3 Use the tree view in the upper left section of the window to search for the

les or folders to be burnt to a disc. As soon as this is displayed in the top

right of the window, drag it into the window using Current projects.

4 Place a writable CD or DVD into the device and then click on the Burn icon.

5 Check the settings on the Burn tab. The standard settings should normally

work for almost all les. If desired, you can also change further options, such

as Data medium name, on the File System tab.

6 Click on Burn.

2.17 Manage your collection of digital images

With digiKam, it is easy to manage digital photos: Download your images from the

camera, edit and optimize them, arrange them in albums (or add identications for

36 Start-Up

simple retrieval, regardless of folders or albums) and archive them on CD or DVD or

export them into a gallery with web images.

digiKam also contains a set of useful stacking functions and plug-ins which enable

you to convert several images into dierent formats, rename them or automatically

improve the quality of images with the help of functions such as red eye correction,

retouching and Hot Pixel removal. Dierent plug-ins for lters and eects help you

to make your digital photos into works of art.

To start digiKam, press [Alt] + [F2] and enter digikam. When you start it for the rst

time, the rst time start assistant opens which will guide you through setup. In gen-

eral, you can conrm all questions with Next.

The main window of digiKam contains a tree view on the left hand side and displays

thumbnails of the images on the right hand side. To access your images quickly, use

the sidebar on the left side which enables you to switch between the dierent views

and to sort the photos according to the Albums or Keywords for example. To change

to the display and editing mode of digiKam, double click on the thumbnail of a photo.

2.18 Managing your music collection

With KDE’s Amarok Music Player you can play back dierent audio formats, create

playlists, listen to streaming audio broadcasts on radio stations on the Internet and

subscribe to podcasts. The le types supported vary dependent on the Amarok

module used.

To start Amarok, press the [Alt] + [F2] key and enter amarok. Amarok asks for your

country on rst start-up. Select the relevant country from the dropdown list and then

click on OK. Then select the folder which should be searched for your music les. If

you want to use the suggested le, simply click on Yes.

KDE Quick Start 37

A sidebar with dierent views is displayed in the main window of Amarok: your local

music collection, some addresses for playing back podcasts or streams from the In-

ternet, your playlists and a le browser. In the middle section, the context browser,

information on the current title, the Wikipedia page for interpreters and the song

text is displayed as standard. You can see the current playlist in the right hand section

of the window. To do so, drag the desired elements from any browser of the sidebar

into the area for the playlists. To play back an element, double-click on it in the

playlist.

If your music les have the correct identiers (and contain at least information on

the artist and the album), dierent useful functions of Amarok are available to you.

To automatically retrieve images from Amazon for the album cover, select Extras >

Cover management and click on Retrieve missing cover. The next time you play back

a piece of music from this album, the cover is displayed in the context browser and

on the display. For further information on the artist, click in the middle section on

the Wikipedia button Amarok will then start searching for the relevant Wikipedia ar-

ticle.

To congure the use of another module (or other Amarok functions) select Set up >

Amarok settings.

2.19 Ending Your Session

Log o (while the system continues to be executed), restart the computer or shut it

down.

38 Start-Up

2.19.1 Log o or change user

Click on the Main Menu button in your control bar and select Quit > Log Out. This

terminates your session but the system remains active. To start a parallel session

as a dierent user, instead select the option Quit > Change User.

2.19.2 Restart or switch o the computer

Click on Quit and then select one of the following options:

Sleep

Only available if the computer supports energy management functions. Puts the

computer into sleep mode without logging the user o. All data and the session

data are stored in the main memory.

Hibernate

Only available if the computer supports power management functions. Puts the

computer into sleep mode without logging the user o. All data and session data

are stored on the hard drive before the system goes into hibernation. This protects

the data from being lost if a power failure occurs in the meantime.

Restart

Restarts the computer.

Shut down

Logs you out of the current session, then turns o the computer.

2.20 For More Information

You can also nd more information on KDE and KDE applications at http://www.kde

.org/ and http://www.kde-apps.org/.

KDE Quick Start 39

3 GNOME Quick Start

openSUSE® provides the tools required by Linux* users for their daily activities. It

has a user-friendly graphic environment (the GNOME* Desktop), which communicates

with the Linux base system and allows access to les, folders, and programs, as well

as their management. openSUSE provides an integrated suite of applications for a

wide range of oce, multimedia, and Internet activities. It also contains the LibreOce

Suite which enables editing and saving of les in a variety of formats. The oce suite

is available for several operating systems, meaning you can use the same data across

dierent computing platforms.

3.1 Getting Started

When starting up your system, you will normally be asked to select your user name

and enter your password. If someone else installed your system, ask your system

administrator for your user name and password.

The GNOME desktop appears after you rst log in. Its appearance depends on whether

openSUSE® could activate the 3D functions of your graphics card. Optics and func-

tionality in both cases are the same, only the operation diers slightly.

3.2 The standard GNOME desktop

If openSUSE® could activate the 3D functions, the GNOME desktop noties you. The

largest part is taken up by the initially still empty desktop with the green background

image. You will see a narrow black bar on the top edge of the screen. This so-called

panel allows you to access all functions and applications. Specically, it has the fol-

lowing elements:

GNOME Quick Start 41

Time, calendar, and schedule planner: The current time is ticking in the middle.

When you click on it, a small calendar appears which lists all pending appointments

and events on the right hand side. You can call up time and date settings via the

relevant buttons or start the calendar application directly (Open calendar).

Settings for accessibility: Clicking on the icon with the stylized little man opens

dierent settings for accessibility. You can, for example, increase the contrast, switch

on a screen keyboard or enlarge the font. To activate one of the functions, you must

only right-click beside the slide switch. An illuminated blue i marks a currently active

function. Further settings for accessibility are behind the similarly named point.

Volume: The icon with the loudspeaker represents media volume. The more

semicircles you can see, the louder your loudspeaker becomes. You can adjust the

volume by clicking on the icon and dragging the white slider which appears when

you press down the mouse button to the left or the right. To silence the sound, push

the control all the way to the left. A little cross will be added to the loudspeaker icon.

You can nd additional settings for audio playback via the Sound Settings under the

control.

Network: Clicking on the icon directly to the left beside the user name brings up

a list with all network connections. The individual connections are sorted here accord-

ing to their access type. For wireless connections (Wi-), small curved lines display

the connection quality. A white lock icon indicates that use is only possible after en-

tering a password. You enter it by clicking on the corresponding connection. Whether

a connection is active at all and is used by openSUSE® is indicated by the illuminated

blue I beside to the right. Click on the black switch in order to switch o a connection

or explicitly switch it on again. If special settings for your hardware are needed or if

problems appear, you can also quickly switch to Network Settings on the bottom

edge of the list.

42 Start-Up

User menu: If you click on your name on the top right corner, a menu appears

where you manage your user prole and your computer. If you use the immediate

news program Empathy, you can change your availability status directly below your

name. You can turn o the status messages with the switch underneath. This is

useful if, for example, you want to concentrate on your work. You can save your access

data for Google and Twitter under Online Accounts. You can reach the System Settings

via the following menu points, where you can, for example, lock the screen for the

duration of your lunch break, change to another user account, log o GNOME, or

switch o the computer. You can also restart your PC via the last point. If openSUSE®

can use the energy-saving functions of your computer, the last menu item is called

Readiness. This is how you switch your PC to hibernate mode. To go to the Switch

O menu item, hold down the [Alt] button.

Activities: Clicking Activities on the top left corner of the screen takes you to the

so-called activities overview where you start programs and manage those already

running. You also reach this view by placing the mouse pointer on the top left corner

of the screen or pressing the [Windows] key (also called the [Super] key. You return

to the normal view by clicking on Activities.

Notications panel: Whenever you insert a ash drive, nish downloading or

some other important thing happens in your system, a corresponding message ap-

pears on the bottom edge of the screen. Some of these messages disappear quickly

by themselves, others oer equally suitable actions. You can, for example, eject an

inserted data CD immediately or open your content in a new window. If you do not

wish to do any of the actions, simply click on the title of the message and it will then

disappear from the bottom edge. Some messages deliver only a fragmentary short

text. To nd out more, slide the mouse pointer over the message and it will then

expand completely. You can retrieve messages which have been clicked away or

which have disappeared too early by clicking on Activities in the top left and then

hovering the mouse pointer in the lower-right corner of the screen for a few seconds.

The so-called notications panel then appears. Clicking on one of the messages saved

there is enough to retrieve the list with the matching actions.

GNOME Quick Start 43

3.2.1 Start Programs

To start an application, rst switch to the activities view (click on Activities or press

the [Windows] button). You now have three options:

About the Dash (Favorites bar): Either click on the program icon in the bar on

the left edge of the screen, the so-called Dash (sometimes also inconsistently called

a Dock). If you hover over one of the icons with the mouse pointer, GNOME will tell

you the name of the pertaining application.

Via the applications view: If the desired program is missing in Dash, click on

Applications. GNOME will then show all the installed programs. You can move

downwards in the list by pulling the ruler which is rather dicult to recognize in the

narrow black bar slowly downwards with the left mouse button depressed. If you

have installed a lot of programs or the list appears unclear to you, simply click on

one of the categories on the right edge. GNOME then lters the diagram according

to the corresponding eld of application. For example, if you decide on the Graphics

category, you see only all the available graphics programs.

Via the search box: If you cannot nd what you are looking for or when things

have to get done quickly, the small search box on the right top will help. As soon as

you enter a term there, GNOME will show all the matching applications and system

settings. At the same time, you can also consult Wikipedia or Google via the corre-

sponding buttons on the bottom edge. By the way, you do not have to click on the

search box rst, you can just simply begin typing directly.

44 Start-Up

3.2.2 Manage Window

After you start an application, GNOME automatically switches back to the workplace.

The name of the program and its icon appear in the panel. You can end the application

by clicking on it. The X on the title bar of its window does the same thing.

Procedure 3.1: Maximize Window

To enlarge a window to the screen size, proceed as follows:

1 Bring the mouse to the title bar of the window (with the program name) and

hold and press the left mouse button.

2 Pull the window on the top edge against the panel.

3 As soon as GNOME turns the screen blue, let the mouse button go.

To minimize the window again, follow the same steps but vice versa: Using the mouse,

pull away the title bar of the window from the top edge. Alternatively, you can also

right-click on the title bar. A menu with the corresponding options then appears. But

beware: Dierently from other operating systems, Minimizing the window changes

to Activities view.

You can switch quickly between open windows via the [Ctrl] + [Tab]shortcut. Activities

view gives an overview of all currently open windows. You may need to rst click to

the Window area. Clicking on one of the windows brings it into the foreground, the

X symbol closes it.

GNOME Quick Start 45

3.2.3 Working with Dash

The small Dash in the Activities view not only keeps especially commonly used pro-

grams ready, but it can do even more: As soon as you start an application, an icon

appears for it in the Dash. A light glow indicates that the application is running and

(at least) one window is open.

Right-clicking on an icon opens a small menu which oers dierent actions depending

on the associated program. With Add to Favorites, you can place the application icon

permanently in Dash. To remove a program icon from Dash, select Remove from

Favorites. If you wish to rearrange an icon in the dock, hold the left mouse button

pressed above it and then drag it to its new position.

3.2.4 Using Virtual Desktops

GNOME allows you to organize your program window into several virtual desktops.

If you often run a lot of programs simultaneously, this minimizes the number of

windows to arrange on your screen. You might, for example, use one desktop for e-

mails and the calendar and another for word processing and graphics applications.

Procedure 3.2: Move an Application to Another Virtual Desktop

To move an open window to another virtual desktop, proceed as follows:

1 Open the Activities view.

2 Bring the mouse pointer to the corresponding window and drag it by pressing

and holding the left mouse button on the right edge of the screen.

3 A bar with all existing virtual desktops now opens there. Drag and drop the

window to the desktop where you would like it to be.

46 Start-Up

4 Release the left mouse button.

Procedure 3.3: Switch Virtual Desktops

You can switch between all existing desktops via [Alt] + [Ctrl] + [Arrow up] and

[Alt] + [Ctrl] + [Arrow down]. Alternatively, you can also pull up the activities view:

1 Open the activities view (for example, with the [Windows] key).

2 Bring the mouse to the right edge of the screen. The bar with all existing vir-

tual desktops opens again.

3 Click on the desired virtual desktop on the bar. GNOME now shows all the

windows that are there.

4 Click on the virtual desktop once again to nally switch to it.

Procedure 3.4: Show Window on All Desktops

You can also show a currently open application on all virtual desktops:

1 Right-click on the title bar of the application.

2 Click on Always on the Visible Desktop.

3 You can also very quickly move the window to an entirely specic desktop via

the small menu. To do this, select Move to Another Desktop and then the

corresponding desktop.

3.3 Fallback Mode

If openSUSE® cannot nd or activate any 3D graphics card in your computer, GNOME

will start in the so-called fallback mode. After Closing the corresponding warning in-

struction, the GNOME desktop then appears with the following elements:

GNOME Quick Start 47

Bottom Panel: The desktop includes a panel at the bottom of the screen. All appli-

cations currently open on the desktop appear here. You can access these applications

by clicking on their name. Right-clicking on the icon in the bottom-right corner takes

you to the virtual desktop's Settings. Provided you have created more than one, a

single icon appears for every virtual desktop. In fallback mode, every window has

three buttons in its title bar. Through it you can close the window (from right to left),

blow up to the screen size or minimize. In the last case, the bottom panel takes up

the window.

Applications menu: Click on Applications on the top left corner to open a menu

with all the installed programs. These are classied under dierent categories for a

better overview. Sub-items open automatically as soon as you place the mouse above

them.

Places menu: There is also a small menu behind Places. Its entries open especially

important folders (such as your personal folder or the Download folder), show content

of connected data carriers and establish a connection to another computer (connection

to server).

The Panel: The remaining elements on the top black bar function like their coun-

terparts in the normal GNOME mode already described above. Clicking on the time

opens a small calendar while the name itself leads to the prole and system settings.

3.4 "Open Application" dialog box“

Press [Alt] + [F2] to open a small dialog box. Enter a command, for example

libreoffice, and press [Enter] to start the application. The command to start is often

(but not always) the application name written in lower case letters.

48 Start-Up

3.5 Manage Files, Folders and Media

Use the Nautilus File Manager to create and view folders and documents, run scripts

and create CDs of your data. To open Nautilus, change to the Activities view (with

the [Windows] key for example) and click on the icon with the ling cabinet in Dash.

In fallback mode, instead you open Places followed by Personal Folder. In any case,

a new window appears with the content of your home directory.

The elements of the Nautilus window include the following:

Menu Lets you perform most tasks.

Path bar Lets you nd les and folders.

Side bar Lets you navigate or display information about the selected le or folder.

GNOME Quick Start 49

View pane Displays folders and les. Use the options in the View menu to increase

or decrease the content in the view pane and to display items as a list or as icons.

3.5.1 Handling Media

What happens exactly if you insert a CD or a DVD into the drive or connect a device

(such as a ash drive or a removable disk) depends on the content of the medium.

In the simplest case, GNOME automatically opens Nautilus which, in turn, displays

the content of the media. You have several options available in terms of action. A

message with a corresponding selection appears on the bottom edge. You must then

decide whether you would like to open a DVD with a media player or in a Nautilus

window. In fallback mode, in turn, GNOME asks in a new window what should be

done with the data carrier. You select a matching application in a drop-down list,

Open Folder shows the content of the data carrier in a new Nautilus window. If GNOME

should not show any response contrary to expectation, you must start Nautilus

manually.

The Nautilus window lists all connected or inserted data carriers in the side pane in

the Devices area. By clicking on the arrow icon on the right adjacent to its name you

can eject the CD or the DVD or the connected ash drive.

3.5.2 Creating a CD or DVD

If your system has a CD or DVD burner, use the Nautilus le manager to burn CDs

and DVDs.

1 Insert an empty data medium and open it in the CD/DVD creator. GNOME then

opens a new Nautilus window.

2 Copy the desired les and folders for the CD or DVD into this window.

3 To write data to the CD or DVD, click on Write to CD/DVD.

50 Start-Up

4 Change the corresponding data in the CD/DVD Creator window or accept the

standard settings. Then click on Burn. Now there is no turning back: GNOME

will write the les onto the disk. This could take a few minutes, depending on

the amount of data being copied and the speed of your burner.

To burn data and audio CDs, you can also use the more extensive burning program

Banshee Brasero.

3.5.3 Creating and Unpacking Archives

If you have les you have not used recently but want to keep on your computer, you

can compile and compress them in an archive le.

1 To do so, right-click on the folder to be archived in Nautilus and then select

Compress.

2 Accept the default archive le name or provide a new name.

3 Select a le name extension from the drop-down list beside to the right. At

the same time, you also determine the compression method. Use .zip if you

would like to forward the archive to other people or protect it with a password.

In Linux the .tar.gz format is also widely used.

4 Enter a location for the archive le.

If you have decided to use a .zip le, you can still click on the plus sign and

open Other Options and enter a password there. Remember this password

well. If you forget it, you will be unable to access the content of the archive.

6 Then click on Create.

To unpack an archive created in this way, right-click on the le and select Extract

here.

3.5.4 Using Bookmarks

Use bookmarking feature of Nautilus to highlight your favorite folders. A matching

entry then appears for quick access in the side pane.

GNOME Quick Start 51

1 Switch (with a double-click) to the folder for which a bookmark should be

created.

2 Click on Bookmark > Add bookmark. The bookmark is added to the list. The

folder name is used as the bookmark name.

3 To select an item from the bookmarks list, click on Bookmark then click on

the desired bookmark in the list.

You can also organize your bookmarks list by clicking on Bookmark > Edit bookmarks

and making your selection in the dialog box.

To change the order of your bookmarks, click a bookmark shown in the Edit bookmarks

dialog box and drag it to the desired location.

3.6 Customizing your Work Environment

You can nd more precise settings to adjust the overall appearance and behavior of

your desktop in System Settings. There you can also change keyboard and mouse

congurations, regional and language settings, parameters for your Internet and

network usage, and more.

To open System Settings, click on your name in the (top) panel and then on System

Settings.

52 Start-Up

3.6.1 Changing the Desktop Background

1 Then click on Background.

2 If you would like to select a background image from pre-installed images, click

on it from the list on the left pane.

3 To add your own image, click on the plus sign on the bottom left pane corner,

search for the desired image and let it open.

4 To display a colored background, select from the Background images drop-

down list the item Colors and Color Gradients, highlight the single-color rect-

angle in the list, click on the bottom right of the window on the button with

the color and then choose the desired color.

5 You can return to all system settings via the button with the nine small rect-

angles on it in the very top left hand corner of the window.

3.7 Browsing the Internet with Firefox

Firefox* is one of the most popular Web browsers. It works like all other browsers,

but oers additional functions such as tools for security and data protection.

GNOME Quick Start 53

To start Firefox, switch to the activities view (such as via the [Windows] key) and

click on the icon with the globe and the fox in Dash. In fallback mode, you instead

open Applications > Internet > Firefox.

Firefox awaits with all modern web technologies, such as use of tabs, pop-up blockers

and download and image management. Its easy access to dierent search engines

helps you nd the information you need. Enter an Internet address (URL) in the ad-

dress bar to start browsing.

To open a new empty tab in Firefox click on [Ctrl] + [T] or on the “+” beside to the

last tab. Type a new Internet address to browse. To open the page behind a link in

a new tab, click on the link with the middle mouse button. Right-clicking on the tab

displays a small menu. You can create a new tab, reload the content of a specic

tab or all existing tabs, or close a single tab or all tabs. You can also change the order

of the tabs by dragging & dropping them to a new position.

3.7.1 Finding Information

1 To start a Web search type the keywords in the integrated search box on the

right of the address bar, then press [Enter]. Firefox will display the results in

the active tab.

2 If you would like to use a specic search engine, click on the icon with the

small down arrow on the search bar.

3 Click on the desired engine, then press [Enter] to start the search.

To search for words in the current website, press [Ctrl] + [F]. Enter your keywords

in the search bar now shown on the bottom of the window. Use the buttons to the

right of the search box to switch the search direction or to highlight all results in the

text.

54 Start-Up

3.7.2 Downloading Files from the Web

If you download a le with Firefox, the Firefox download manager starts automatically.

It then saves the le in the folder previously set in the Firefox Preferences. By default,

it uses the Downloads folder in your home directory. Firefox shows the nished

downloads in the Downloads window.

Open the downloaded les directly from the Downloads window or from the destination

folder. Click on Clean List to clean up the history of downloaded les.

3.7.3 Conguring Preferences

If you change the standard folder for downloaded les, or activate or want to change

the pop-up blocker, click on Edit > Preferences.

You can congure advanced settings here, such as the appearance, the language,

data protection and the tab options. Click on the icons and set the options on each

page according to your preferences. To apply the changes click on Close.

3.8 Managing Passwords

GNOME allows you to store your passwords and encryption keys in a Keying. This is

especially useful if you want to store passwords for dierent websites.

GNOME Quick Start 55

To create a new key ring, proceed as follows:

Press [Alt] + [F2] and enter seahorse.

2 Select File > New.

3 Select Password Key Ring and continue with More.

4 Enter a name for the key ring and click on Add. A new window appears.

5 Enter your password, conrm the password, and click Continue.

You can create as many key rings as you like. For example, you can create one for

private use and a second one for business. To store passwords in your key ring,

proceed as follows:

Press [Alt] + [F2] and enter seahorse.

2 Select File > New.

3 Select Save password and continue with More.

4 Select the key ring, enter a description and the password.

5 Finally click on Add.

3.9 E-mail and Calendar

To read and manage your mails, contacts, appointments, and tasks, openSUSEcontains

the program Evolution™, which allows you to conveniently save, organize, and call

up your personal information.

With its extensive support for communications and data interchange standards,

Evolution can work with existing corporate networks and applications, including Ex-

change*.

56 Start-Up

To start Evolution, switch to the activities view (for example, via the [Windows] key)

and click on the letter icon. In fallback mode, select Applications > Internet > Evolution

E-Mail and Calendar.

If you are starting Evolution for the rst time, you will be asked to answer a series

of questions. The queried information is needed to set up your e-mail account and

helps you import e-mail messages from your old e-mail client. It shows you how many

new messages you have and lists upcoming appointments and tasks, as well as the

current weather and news from news feeds. The calendar, address book and e-mail

tools are available on the toolbar on the left side of the program window.

Press [Ctrl] + [N] to open a new item in the area of Evolution where you are working.

This creates a new message in e-mail. In the address book [Ctrl] + [N] creates a new

contact card and a new appointment in the calendar.

If you would like additional information, click in any window on Help > Content.

3.10 Instant Messaging with Empathy

Empathy is a multi-protocol Instant Messaging (IM) client. It is compatible with AOL*

Instant Messenger (AIM), Google Talk, GroupWise® Messenger, ICQ, IRC, MSN Mes-

senger, Jabber/XMPP, Yahoo!* and other networks.

With Empathy, you can log in to multiple accounts on multiple IM networks simulta-

neously. Empathy also supports many features of various networks such as video

chat, le transfer, away messages and typing notication.

To start Empathy, switch to the activities view (for example, via the [Windows] key)

and click on the icon with the speech balloon and the blue smiley in the Dash. In

fallback mode, try Applications > Internet > Empathy Instant Messenger Service.

To add an account to Empathy, use the conguration assistant, then select Edit >

Accounts. Click on the plus symbol, select the desired protocol and enter your regis-

tration information into the relevant elds. Click on Apply and Close, in order to acti-

vate your IM account.

GNOME Quick Start 57

Add contacts by clicking on Chat > Add Contacts. Select the account, the Identier

(ID), and the alias information that is relevant to the new content, and conrm with

Add. However, you must be online and connected to the selected messaging service

to add a contact to your list.

To start a chat, double-click on the desired contact and type your message in the

lower part of the chat window. Press [Enter] to send the message. The upper part of

the window displays the messages you have sent and received.

3.11 Starting LibreOce

LibreOce oers comprehensive and powerful oce programs, including a text

processing program, a table calculation application, a program for the creation of

presentations, a vector graphic program and a database application. Because Libre-

Oce is available for a number of operating systems, you can use the documents

across dierent operating systems.

To start LibreOce switch to the activities view (for example, by pressing the [Win-

dows] key) and then click on the blue document. Alternatively, type writer in the

search box and press [Enter]. In fallback mode, click on Applications > Oce > Libre-

Oce Writer. If you would like to create a new document, click on File > New and

select the document type. To open an existing document, select Open, then select

the le you want from the le system.

3.12 Viewing PDF Files and Other Documents

Documents that need to be shared or printed across platforms are often saves as

PDF (Portable Document Format) les. PDF les can be created using the LibreOce

suite or other applications. The PDF viewer of GNOME is called Evince. It can be used

to view PDFs and many other document formats like PostScript, DjVu, DVI, and multi-

page TIFFs.

To start Evince, press [Alt] + [F2 ] and enter evince.

1 To view a PDF le, double-click on the le you want.

58 Start-Up

2 Use the navigation icons at the top of the window to navigate through the

document. If the PDF document contains bookmarks, you can access them to

the left of the side pane.

3.13 Managing Your Digital Image Collection

Shotwell is a management tool for digital image collections. You can assign various

category tags to your images. It also oers many practical image editing options.

For example, you can remove red eye, crop an image to size as well as adjust

brightness and colors. Shotwell supports all important le formats, such as JPEG,

PNG, TIFF and various manufacturer-specic RAW formats, for example. With Shotwell,

you can also export photos to your Flickr, Picasa or Facebook account.

To access Shotwell, open the activities view (for example, by pressing the [Windows]

key) and then click on the icon with the images in Dash. In fallback mode, you can

nd Shotwell via Applications > Graphics > Shotwell Photo Manager. After you pass

through the welcome window by clicking OK, Shotwell immediately runs through

your image folder and automatically add all the images stored in it to its library.

GNOME Quick Start 59

Shotwell shows thumbnails of the images to the right in the window. As soon as you

click one of them, you can rotate it, re-edit it (enhance it) or publish it in an Internet

service with the buttons on the lower edge. The side bar to the left oers dierent

views of your photo portfolio. Provided the photos were stamped with a date, you

can limit the display to photos from a specic year via Events for example.

You import new photos via File > Import from Folder. Shotwell always copies them

to your image folder. If you would like to set another folder for this, go to Edit >

Preferences and choose the corresponding folder under Import Photos to.

3.14 Managing Your Music and Videos

Use Banshee to import CDs, synchronize your media collection to a digital media

player, play music directly from a digital media player, create playlists with songs

or videos from your library, create audio and data CDs from subsets of your library,

and subscribe to, download, and listen to your favorite podcasts. Banshee also has

an Internet Radio plug-in that allows you to listen to audio streams.

To open Banshee switch to activities view (for example, via the Windows key) and

click on the icon with the b in the form of a note. In fallback mode click on Applications

> Multimedia > Banshee Media Player.

When you start the Banshee for the rst time, you need to import your media to

make them available in the library. From the menu, call up Media > Import Media.

Select an import source and click on Choose Files or Choose Folders. After success-

fully importing your media, you can access them from your library.

60 Start-Up

To play a song or a movie, simply select it in the library and click the play button.

You can also use the buttons in the upper left corner to pause a song or play the

next or previous song. Use the loudspeaker button on the right to adjust the volume.

Banshee has an integrated CD player. When you insert a music CD, your CD title

appears in the left panel. Select the title and click on the Play button to play your

full CD.

To create Audio and MP3 CDs, select the desired song and then click on Edit > Write

CD in the menu .

3.15 Ending Your Session

Once you have nished your work on the computer, you can log out and exit the

system. However, you can also restart the system or shut down the computer.

3.15.1 Logging Out or Switching Users

Click on your user name on the top right in the panel and then select one of the fol-

lowing options:

Log Out... Logs you out of the current session and returns you to the login screen.

Switch User Likewise returns you to the login screen but, in contrast to Log Out,

the applications started continue running in the background. This feature is subse-

quently oered if another person has to log in to your computer for a short while

using his or her own user account.

GNOME Quick Start 61

Lock Screen Switches on the screen saver. You must enter your password to close

it. This prevents unauthorized persons from working on or playing around with your

computer during your absence.

3.15.2 Restarting or Shutting Down the Computer

If openSUSE® can use the power-saving functions of your computer, your PC can

switch to sleep mode via the Suspend item. Otherwise, GNOME oers you Power

O.... Power O... can also be accessed by holding down the [Alt] button while the

menu is open. If you call it up, a new window oers you the following actions:

Power O Logs you out of the current session, then turns o the computer.

Restart Logs you out of the current session, then restarts the computer.

Hibernate This feature puts your computer into power-saving mode. The PC con-

sumes only a small amount of electricity while in this mode. After you switch on the

PC, your work environment as you had left it becomes available again. In particular,

all documents remain open.

3.16 For More Information

Additional information on GNOME and GNOME applications can be found under

http://www.gnome.org/.

62 Start-Up

4 LibreOce Quick Start

The LibreOce Novell Edition contains improved functionality and additional features

not available with the standard version.

4.1 Compatibility

LibreOce can work with documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and databases

in many other formats, including Microsoft Oce™. They can be seamlessly opened

like other les and saved back to the original format. Though some work has already

been invested in interoperability, occasionally there are still formatting issues. If you

have problems with your documents, consider opening them in the original application

and resaving them in an open format such as RTF for text documents. In case of

migration problems with spreadsheets however, it is advisable to resave them as

Excel les and use this as intermediate format (with CSV format you would lose all

cell formatting and CSV sometimes leads to incorrect cell type detection for spread-

sheets).

4.2 LibreOce Modules

LibreOce consists of several application modules (subprograms), which are designed

to interact with each other. All modules feature the same graphical user interface

and similar functionality.

Table 4.1: The LibreOce Modules

UsageModule

Text document moduleWriter

Spreadsheet moduleCalc

Presentation moduleImpress

Database moduleBase

Vector graphics moduleDraw

Mathematical equation moduleMath

LibreOce Quick Start 63

4.3 Starting LibreOce

To start the LibreOce suite, press [Alt] + [F2], type libreoffice and press [Enter].

In the Welcome dialog, select the module you want to open. If an LibreOce applica-

tion is open, you can start any of the other applications by clicking File > New >

Name of Application.

4.3.1 Saving LibreOce Files

1 To save a new le, select File > Save or Save as from the Menu Bar or use

the shortcut [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [S].

2 Select the directory where you want to save the le.

3 Enter the lename in the Name box.

4 From the File Type box, select the format in which you want to save the le.

In all modules you can save your documents as native LibreOce les, LibreOce

templates, Microsoft les and StarOce les.

4.3.2 Navigator and Navigation Shortcuts

The Navigator tool displays information about the contents of a document. It also

lets you quickly jump to dierent elements. For example, you can use the Navigator

64 Start-Up

to get a quick overview of all images included in the document. To open the Navigator,

click View > Navigator or with [F5]. The elements listed in the Navigator vary accord-

ing to the LibreOce module being used.

You can also navigate your les with the following shortcuts:

Table 4.2: Navigation Shortcuts

ShortcutAction

[Ctrl] + [Del]Delete to the End of the Word

[Ctrl] + [<—]Delete to the Beginning of the Word

[Ctrl] + [End]End of Document

[End]End of Line

[Ctrl] + [A]Select All

[Home]Start of Line

[Ctrl] + [Home]Top of Document

[Ctrl] + [←]Word Left

[Ctrl] + [→]Word Right

4.3.3 Using and Creating Templates

LibreOce comes with a set of predened templates, and you can nd additional

templates on the Internet. If you want to create your own templates, you need to

determine what you want the document to look like and create the styles you need

in that template.

For text document, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings, you can easily create

a template from an existing document as follows:

1 Start LibreOce and open or create a document that contains the styles that

you want to use as a template.

2 Click File > Templates > Save.

3 Specify a name for the template.

4 In the Categories box, click the category where you want to place the template.

LibreOce Quick Start 65

5 Click OK.

4.4 LibreOce Writer

LibreOce Writer is a full-featured word processor with page and text-formatting

capabilities. It also includes some features that are usually found only in expensive

desktop publishing applications. Many of the LibreOce Writer features apply also

to other LibreOce modules.

4.4.1 Creating a New Document

LibreOce Writer allows you to create a new document in one of the following ways:

• From Scratch To create a document from scratch, click File > New > Text

Document and a new empty Writer document is created.

• Wizard To use a standard format and predened elements for your own docu-

ments use a wizard. Click File > Wizards > Letter... and follow the steps.

• Templates To use a template, click File > New > Templates and Documents

and choose one of the many folders (for example, Business Correspondence)

and a new document based on the style of your selected template is created.

To use a standard format and predened elements for your own documents, try a

wizard (a small utility that lets you make some basic initial decisions and then pro-

duces a ready-made document from a template). For example, to create a business

letter, click File > Wizards > Letter. With the wizard's dialogs, you can create a basic

document that uses a standard format.

Enter text in the document window as desired. Use the Formatting toolbar or the

Format menu to adjust the appearance of the document. Use the File menu or the

relevant buttons in the toolbar to print and save your document. With the options

under Insert, add extra items to your document, such as a table, picture, or chart.

4.4.2 Customizing LibreOce

With LibreOce you can customize the default settings with the Format menu.

Below is a list of the most popular options available in most modules:

Customizing Character Settings

To set all character elements at the same time, select Format > Character.

Customizing Paragraph Settings

To format paragraphs, select Format > Paragraph and select the appropriate tabs

for making changes.

Customizing Alignment

To modify the alignment, select Format > Paragraph and choose the alignment

you want.

66 Start-Up

Inserting Headers and Footers

If you want to add headers and footers, click Insert and select either Header or

Footer.

Inserting Special Characters

If you want to insert special characters, select Insert > Special Character.

Inserting Footnotes

If you want to insert footnotes, click Insert and select Footnote.

Inserting Columns

If you want to insert columns, click Insert and select Section. Then in the Columns

tab, specify the number of columns to use for the current section.

Inserting Indexes and Table of Contents

If you want to insert indexes or a table of contents, click Insert and select Indexes

and Tables.

The Object Toolbar oers additional text formatting options.

Inserting Comments

If you want to comment your text for others or for yourself, click Insert > Comment.

4.4.3 Using Master Documents

If you are working with a very large document (such as a book), you might nd it

easier to manage the book with a master document, rather than keeping the book

LibreOce Quick Start 67

in a single le. A master document enables you to quickly apply formatting changes

to a large document or to jump to each subdocument for editing.

A master document is a Writer document that serves as a container for multiple

Writer les. You can maintain chapters or other subdocuments as individual les

collected in the master document. Master documents are also useful if multiple

people are working on a document. You can separate each person’s relevant part of

the document into subdocuments, allowing multiple writers to work on their subdoc-

uments at the same time without the danger of overwriting each other’s work.

1 Click New > Master Document.

Open an existing document and click File > Send > Create Master Document.

2 Insert subdocuments.

3 Click File Save.

The LibreOce help les contain more complete information about working with

master documents. Look for the topic entitled Working with Master Documents and

Subdocuments.

4.4.4 Using Writer as HTML Editor

In addition to being a full-featured word processor, Writer also functions as an HTML

editor. Writer includes HTML tags that can be applied the same way as any other

style in a Writer document. You can view the document as it will appear online, or

you can directly edit the HTML code.

1 Click File > New > HTML Document.

2 Press F11 to open the Styles and Formatting window.

3 Click the arrow at the bottom of the Styles and Formatting window.

4 Select HTML Styles.

5 Create your HTML document, using the styles to tag your text.

6 Click File > Save As.

7 Select the location where you want to save your le, name the le, and select

HTML Document (.html) from the File Type list.

8 Click OK.

If you prefer to edit HTML code directly, or if you want to see the HTML code created

when you edited the HTML le as a Writer document, click View > HTML Source. In

68 Start-Up

HTML Source mode, the Formatting and Styles list is not available. The rst time you

switch to HTML Source mode, you are prompted to save the le as HTML, if you have

not already done so.

4.4.5 Tables

You can include tabular data in the Writer, Impress and Draw module. Insert basic

tables directly into your document either with the following menus items or by using

the toolbar:

• Insert > Table,

• Table > Insert > Table,

• or use the Table icon.

To enter data, select a cell with your mouse pointer and begin typing. To move around

cells, use the arrow keys. [→|] moves to the next cell, skipping over the contents of

the cell and [Shift] + [→|] moves backwards.

You can use Table menu or the Table toolbar to modify the table.

4.5 LibreOce Calc

Calc is the LibreOce spreadsheet and data-plotting module. Spreadsheets consist

of a number of sheets, containing cells which can be lled with elements like text,

numbers, or formulas. A formula can manipulate data from other cells to generate

a value for the cell into which it is inserted. Calc also allows you to dene ranges,

lter and sort the data, or create charts from the data to present it graphically. By

using DataPilots, you can combine, analyze or compare larger amounts of data.

As with the entire LibreOce suite, Calc can be used across a variety of platforms.

It provides a number of exchange formats (including export to PDF documents), and

can also read and save les in Microsoft Excel's format.

LibreOce Quick Start 69

4.5.1 Creating a New Document

Start LibreOce and select File > New > Spreadsheet to create a new spreadsheet.

Access the individual sheets by clicking the respective tabs at the bottom of the

window.

Enter data in the cells as desired. To adjust appearance, either use the Formatting

toolbar or the Format menu—or dene styles. Use the File menu or the relevant

buttons in the toolbar to print and save your document.

4.5.2 Customizing LibreOce Calc

Calc comes with a few built-in cell and page styles to improve the appearance of

your spreadsheets and reports. Although these built-in styles are adequate for many

uses, you will probably nd it useful to create styles for your own frequently-used

formatting preferences.

Procedure 4.1: Creating a Style

1 Click Format > Styles and Formatting.

2 In the Styles and Formatting window, click one of the icons representing either

Paragraph Styles, Character Styles, or Page Styles icon.

3 Right-click in the Styles and Formatting window, then click New.

70 Start-Up

4 Specify a name for your style and use the various tabs to set the desired for-

matting options.

5 Click OK.

Procedure 4.2: Modifying a Style

1 Click Format > Styles and Formatting.

2 In the Styles and Formatting window, click either the Cell Styles or the Page

Styles icon.

3 Right-click the name of the style you want to change, then click Modify.

4 Change the desired formatting options.

5 Click OK.

4.6 Other LibreOce Modules

Besides LibreOce Writer and LibreOce Calc, LibreOce also includes the modules

Impress, Base, Draw, and Math. With these you can create presentations, design

databases, draw up graphics and diagrams and create mathematical formulas.

4.6.1 Using Presentations with Impress

Use LibreOce Impress to create presentations for screen display or printing, such

as slide shows or transparencies. If you have used other presentation software, you

can move comfortably to Impress, which works very similarly to other presentation

software.

Impress can open and save Microsoft Powerpoint presentations, which means you

can exchange presentations with Powerpoint users, as long as you save your presen-

tations in Powerpoint format.

LibreOce allows you to use 3D transitions for your slides. Access the available

transitions by selecting Slide Show > Slide Transitions.

You can either create a brand new presentation (without any preformatted slides)

or use an existing template or presentation for your new document. Impress uses

styles and templates the same way other LibreOce modules do. A wizard leads you

through the options available for creating new presentations.

LibreOce Quick Start 71

4.6.2 Using Databases with Base

LibreOce includes a database module (Base). Use Base to design a database to

store many dierent kinds of information, from a simple address book or recipe le

to a sophisticated document management system.

Tables, forms, queries, and reports can be created manually or using convenient

wizards. For example, the Table Wizard contains a number of common elds for

business and personal use. A wizard guides you through the steps to create a new

database.

LibreOce Base comes with several predened database elds to help you create

a database. A wizard guides you through the steps to create a new database. The

following steps are specic to creating an address book using predened elds, but

it should be easy to use the predened elds for any of the built-in database options.

The process for creating a database can be broken into several subprocesses:

Procedure 4.3: Creating a Database

1 Click File > New > Database.

2 Select Create a new database Next.

3 Click Yes, register the database for me to make your database information

available to other LibreOce modules, select both check boxes in the bottom

half of the dialog, then click Finish.

4 Browse to the directory where you want to save the database, specify a name

for the database, then click OK.

72 Start-Up

Procedure 4.4: Setting Up the Database Table

1 In the Table Wizard, click Personal.

2 The Sample tables list changes to show the predened tables for personal

use. If you had clicked Business, the list would contain predened business

tables.

In the Sample tables list, click Addresses. The available elds for the predened

address book appear in the Available elds menu.

3 In the Available elds menu, click the elds you want to use in your address

book.

You can select one item at a time, or you can shift-click multiple items to select

them.

4 Click the single arrow icon to move the selected items to the Selected elds

menu.

To move all available elds to the Selected elds menu, click the double right-

arrow.

5 Use the arrow keys to adjust the order of the selected elds.

The elds appear in the table and forms in the order in which they are listed.

4.6.3 Creating Graphics with Draw

Use LibreOce Draw to create graphics and diagrams. You can save your drawings

in today’s most common formats and import them into any application that lets you

import graphics, including the other LibreOce modules. You can also create Flash

versions of your drawings.

LibreOce Quick Start 73

LibreOce allows you to import Scalable Vector Graphics (*.svg) and WordPerfect

Graphics (*.wpg). Select File > Open and use the Filter drop-down list to view which

le formats can be opened.

Procedure 4.5: Creating a Graphic

Click [Alt] + [F2] and enter oodraw to open LibreOce Draw.

2 Use the toolbar at the bottom of the window to create a graphic.

3 Save the graphic.

To embed an existing Draw graphic into an LibreOce document, select Insert >

Object > OLE Object. Select Create from le and click Search to navigate to the Draw

le to insert. If you insert a le as OLE object, you can easily edit the object later by

double-clicking it.

Procedure 4.6: Opening Draw From Other LibreOce Modules

One particularly useful feature of Draw is the ability to open it from other LibreOce

modules so you can create a drawing that is automatically imported into your

document.

1 From an LibreOce module (for example, from Writer), click Insert > Object

> OLE Object > LibreOce 3.x Drawing > OK. This opens Draw.

2 Create your drawing.

3 Click in your document, outside the Draw frame.

The drawing is automatically inserted into your document.

4.6.4 Creating Mathematical Formulas with Math

It is usually dicult to include complex mathematical formulas in your documents.

The LibreOce Math equation editor lets you create formulas using operators,

functions, and formatting assistants. You can then save those formulas as objects

that can be imported into other documents. Math functions can be inserted into

other LibreOce documents like any other graphic object.

Using Math, you can enter your equation in three dierent ways:

• Type markup in the equation editor,

• Right-click on the equation editor and select the symbol from the context menu,

• Select a symbol from the Selection toolbox.

74 Start-Up

NOTE

Math is not a calculator. The functions it creates are graphical objects. Even if

they are imported into Calc, these functions cannot be evaluated.

4.7 For More Information

LibreOce also contains extensive online help. In addition, a large community of

users and developers support it. For more details, see the following links:

http://www.libreoffice.org/download/3-4-new-features-and-fixes/

A list of all new features available with LibreOce.

http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/documentation/

Ocial LibreOce support page, provides manuals and other documentation

http://www.taming-openoffice-org.com/

Taming LibreOce: Books, news, tips and tricks.

LibreOce Quick Start 75

Part II. Managing and Updating

Software

5 Installing or Removing Software

Use YaST's software management tool to search for software components you want

to add or remove. YaST resolves all dependencies for you. To install packages not

shipped with the installation media, add additional software repositories to your

setup and let YaST manage them. Keep your system up-to-date by managing software

updates with the update applet.

Change the software collection of your system with YaST Software Manager. This

YaST module is available in three toolkit avors: Qt (for KDE desktops), GTK+ (for

GNOME desktops), and ncurses (providing a pseudo-graphical user interface in text

mode). This chapter describes Qt and GTK+ avors—for details on the ncurses YaST,

see Chapter 12, YaST in Text Mode (page 153).

TIP: Changing the Toolkit Flavor

By default, YaST is started with the toolkit matching your desktop (GTK+ under

GNOME, Qt under KDE). To alter this default setting system-wide, change the

variable WANTED_GUI in /etc/sysconfig/yast2 to either qt or gtk.

If you do not want to change the system-wide settings, you can nevertheless start

YaST in the desired avor from command line by using the --gtk or --qt parame-

ter, respectively. For example: yast2 --gtk.

NOTE: Conrmation and Review of Changes

When installing, updating or removing packages, any changes in the Software

Manager are not applied immediately but only after conrming them with Accept

or Apply respectively. YaST maintains a list with all actions, allowing you to review

and modify your changes before applying them to the system.

5.1 Denition of Terms

Repository

A local or remote directory containing packages, plus additional information about

these packages (package meta-data).

(Repository) Alias

A short name for a repository used by various zypper commands. The alias can

be chosen by the user when adding a repository and must be unique.

Installing or Removing Software 79

Product

Represents a whole product, for example openSUSE®.

Pattern

A pattern is an installable group of packages dedicated to a certain purpose. For

example, the Laptop pattern contains all packages that are needed in a mobile

computing environment. Patterns dene package dependencies (such as required

or recommended packages) and come with a preselection of packages marked

for installation. This ensures that the most important packages needed for a

certain purpose are available on your system after installation of the pattern.

However, not necessarily all packages in a pattern are preselected for installation

and you can manually select or deselect packages within a pattern according to

your needs and wishes.

Package

A package is a compressed le in rpm format that contains the les for a particular

program.

Patch

A patch consists of one or more packages and may be applied by means of

deltarpms. It may also introduce dependencies to packages that are not installed

yet.

Resolvable

An generic term for product, pattern, package or patch. The most commonly used

type of resolvable is a package or a patch.

deltarpm

A deltarpm consists only of the binary di between two dened versions of a

package, and therefore has the smallest download size. Before being installed,

the full RPM package is rebuilt on the local machine.

Package Dependencies

Certain packages are dependent on other packages, such as shared libraries. In

other terms, a package may require other packages—if the required packages

are not available, the package cannot be installed. In addition to dependencies

(package requirements) that must be fullled, some packages recommend other

packages. These recommended packages are only installed if they are actually

available, otherwise they are just ignored and the package recommending them

is installed nevertheless.

5.2 Using the KDE Interface (Qt)

The YaST Qt interface is started by default when using the desktops KDE, icewm,

and others. It is also used when invoking YaST from a remote terminal. Start the

software manager from the YaST Control Center by choosing Software > Software

Management.

80 Start-Up

5.2.1 Views for Searching Packages or Patterns

The YaST software manager can install packages or patterns from all currently enabled

repositories. It oers dierent views and lters to make it easier to nd the software

you are searching for. The Search view is the default view of the window. To change

view, click View and select one of the following entries from the drop-down list. The

selected view opens in a new tab.

Patterns

Lists all patterns available for installation on your system.

Package Groups

Lists all packages sorted by groups such as Graphics, Programming, or Security.

RPM Groups

Lists all packages sorted by functionality with groups and subgroups. For example

Networking > Email > Clients.

Languages

Filter to list all packages needed to add a new system language.

Repositories

Filter to list packages by repository. In order to select more than one repository,

hold the [Ctrl] key while clicking on repository names. The “pseudo repository”

@System lists all packages currently installed.

Lets you search for a package according to certain criteria. Enter a search term

and press [Enter]. Rene your search by specifying where to Search In and by

changing the Search Mode. For example, if you do not know the package name

but only the name of the application that you are searching for, try including the

package Description in the search process.

Installing or Removing Software 81

Installation Summary

If you have already selected packages for installation, update or removal, this

view shows the changes that will be applied to your system as soon as you click

Accept. To lter for packages with a certain status in this view, activate or deac-

tivate the respective check boxes. Hit [Shift] + [F1] for details on the status ags.

TIP: Finding Packages not Belonging to an Active Repository

To list all packages that do not belong to an active repository, choose View >

Repositories > @System and then choose Secondary Filter > Unmaintained

Packages. This is useful, for example, if you have deleted a repository and would

like to make sure no packages from that repository remain installed.

5.2.2 Installing and Removing Packages or Patterns

Certain packages are dependent on other packages, such as shared libraries. On the

other hand, some packages cannot coexist with others on the system. If possible,

YaST automatically resolves these dependencies or conicts. If your choice results

in a dependency conict that cannot be automatically solved, you need to solve it

manually as described in Section 5.2.4, “Checking Software Dependencies” (page 85).

NOTE: Removal of Packages

When removing any packages, by default YaST only removes the selected pack-

ages. If you want YaST to also remove any other packages that become unneeded

after removal of the specied package, select Options > Cleanup when deleting

packages.

1 Search for packages as described in Section 5.2.1, “Views for Searching

Packages or Patterns” (page 81).

2 The packages found are listed in the right pane. To install a package or remove

it, right-click it and choose Install or Delete. If the relevant option is not

available, check the package status indicated by the symbol in front of the

package name—hit [Shift] + [F1] for help.

TIP: Applying an Action to All Packages Listed

To apply an action to all packages listed in the right pane, choose an action

from Package > All in This List.

3 To install a pattern, right-click the pattern name and choose Install.

4 It is not possible to remove a pattern per se. Instead, select the packages of

a pattern you want to remove and mark them for removal.

5 In order to select more packages, repeat the steps mentioned above.

82 Start-Up

6 Before applying your changes, you can review or modify them by clicking

View > Installation Summary. By default, all packages that will change status,

are listed.

7 In order to revert the status for a package, right-click the package and select

one of the following entries: Keep if the package was scheduled to be deleted

or updated, or Do Not Install if it was scheduled for installation. To abandon

all changes and close the Software Manager, click Cancel and Abandon

8 When you are nished, click Accept to apply your changes.

9 In case YaST found dependencies on other packages, a list of packages that

have additionally been chosen for installation, update or removal is presented.

Click Continue to accept them.

After all selected packages are installed, updated or removed, the YaST Soft-

ware Manager automatically terminates.

NOTE: Installing Source Packages

Installing source packages with YaST Software Manager is not possible at the

moment. Use the command line tool zypper for this purpose. For more information,

see Section 9.1.2.1, “Installing Source Packages” (page 114).

5.2.3 Updating Packages

Instead of updating individual packages, you can also update all installed packages

or all packages from a certain repository. When mass updating packages, the following

aspects are generally considered:

• priorities of the repositories that provide the package,

• architecture of the package (for example, x86_64, i686, i586),

• version number of the package,

• package vendor.

Which of the aspects has the highest importance for choosing the update candidates

depends on the respective update option you choose.

1 To update all installed packages to the latest version, choose Package > All

Packages > Update if Newer Version Available from the main menu.

All repositories are checked for possible update candidates, using the following

policy: YaST rst tries to restrict the search to packages with the same archi-

tecture and vendor like the installed one. If the search is positive, the “best”

update candidate from those is selected according to the process below.

However, if no comparable package of the same vendor can be found, the

search is expanded to all packages with the same architecture. If still no

Installing or Removing Software 83

comparable package can be found, all packages are considered and the “best”

update candidate is selected according to the following criteria:

1. Repository priority: Prefer the package from the repository with the highest

priority.

2. If more than one package results from this selection, choose the one with

the “best” architecture (best choice: matching the architecture of the in-

stalled one; otherwise: x86_64 > i686 > i586).

If the resulting package has a higher version number than the installed one,

the installed package will be updated and replaced with the selected update

candidate.

This option tries to avoid changes in architecture and vendor for the installed

packages, but under certain circumstances, they are tolerated.

NOTE: Update Unconditionally

If you choose Package > All Packages > Update Unconditionally instead,

basically the same criteria apply but any candidate package found is in-

stalled unconditionally. Thus, choosing this option might actually lead to

downgrading some packages.

2 To make sure that the packages for a mass update derive from a certain

repository:

2a Choose the repository from which to update as described in Sec-

tion 5.2.1, “Views for Searching Packages or Patterns” (page 81) .

2b On the right hand side of the window, click Switch system packages

to the versions in this repository. This explicitly allows YaST to change

the package vendor when replacing the packages.

As soon as you proceed with Accept, all installed packages will be

replaced by packages deriving from this repository, if available. This

may lead to changes in vendor and architecture and even to down-

grading some packages.

2c To refrain from this, click Cancel switching system packages to the

versions in this repository. Note that you can only cancel this until

you press the Accept button.

3 Before applying your changes, you can review or modify them by clicking

View > Installation Summary. By default, all packages that will change status,

are listed.

4 If all options are set according to your wishes, conrm your changes with Ac-

cept to start the mass update.

84 Start-Up

5.2.4 Checking Software Dependencies

Most packages are dependent on other packages. If a package, for example, uses a

shared library, it is dependent on the package providing this library. On the other

hand some packages cannot coexist with each other, causing a conict (for example,

you can only install one mail transfer agent: sendmail or postx). When installing or

removing software, the Software Manager makes sure no dependencies or conicts

remain unsolved to ensure system integrity.

In case there exists only one solution to resolve a dependency or a conict, it is re-

solved automatically. Multiple solutions always cause a conict which needs to be

resolved manually. If solving a conict involves a vendor or architecture change, it

also needs to be solved manually. When clicking Accept to apply any changes in the

Software Manager, you get an overview of all actions triggered by the automatic re-

solver which you need to conrm.

By default, dependencies are automatically checked. A check is performed every

time you change a package status (for example, by marking a package for installation

or removal). This is generally useful, but can become exhausting when manually

resolving a dependency conict. To disable this function, uncheck Dependencies >

Autocheck. Manually perform a dependency check with Dependencies > Check Now.

A consistency check is always performed when you conrm your selection with Accept.

To review a package's dependencies, right-click it and choose Show Solver Informa-

tion. A map showing the dependencies opens. Packages that are already installed

are displayed in a green frame.

NOTE: Manually Solving Package Conicts

Unless you are very experienced, follow the suggestions YaST makes when han-

dling package conicts, otherwise you may not be able to resolve them. Keep in

mind that every change you make, potentially triggers other conicts, so you can

easily end up with a steadily increasing number of conicts. In case this happens,

Cancel the Software Manager, Abandon all your changes and start again.

Installing or Removing Software 85

Figure 5.1: Conict Management of the Software Manager

5.3 Using the GNOME Interface (GTK+)

The YaST GTK+ interface is started by default when using the desktops GNOME and

XFCE. Start the software manager from the YaST Control Center by clicking Software

> Software Management.

5.3.1 Views for Searching Packages or Patterns

The easiest way to nd a package is to use the search eld in the upper right corner

of the software manager. Enter a search term and press [Enter]. By default it will

86 Start-Up

search package names and summaries. Press the search item to change this lter

and search the le lists, for example.

The software manager also oers dierent views and lters for displaying package

lists. These are available from the pull-down menu in the upper left corner:

Groups

The default view lists all packages sorted by groups such as Admin Tools,

Graphics, Programming, or Security.

RPM Groups

Lists all packages sorted by functionality with groups and subgroups. For example

Networking > Email > Clients.

Repositories

Filter to list packages by repository. In order to select more than one repository,

hold the [Ctrl] key while clicking on repository names. The “pseudo repository”

@System lists all packages currently installed.

To add, edit, or remove available repositories, click Edit Repositories.

Patterns

Lists all patterns available for installation on your system.

Languages

Filter to list all packages needed to add a new system language.

The box in the lower right corner of the dialog also allows to lter for packages that

are Installed, Not Installed or Upgradable. If you select the No Status entry, all

available packages from the congured repositories are displayed, independent of

their status.

5.3.2 Installing and Removing Packages or Patterns

Certain packages are dependent on other packages, such as shared libraries. On

the other hand, some packages cannot coexist with others on the system. If possible,

YaST automatically resolves these dependencies or conicts. If your choice results

in a dependency conict that cannot be automatically solved, you need to solve it

manually as described in Section 5.2.4, “Checking Software Dependen-

cies” (page 85).

1 Search for packages as described in Section 5.3.1, “Views for Searching

Packages or Patterns” (page 86).

2 The packages found are listed in the right pane. To further lter the search

results according to package status (Any Status, Not Installed, Installed,

Upgradable), select one of the entries in the box at the lower left corner of

the dialog. For details about a package, click the package in the list. Informa-

tion like available versions, authors and changelog of the package are dis-

played in the lower right corner of the window.

Installing or Removing Software 87

To mark a package for installation, re-installation, removal, or upgrade, right-

click the package and choose the appropriate action from the menu.

TIP: Applying an Action to All Packages Listed

To apply an action to all packages listed in the right pane, right-click a

package, choose Select All, right-click again and choose an action.

3 To install a pattern, right-click the pattern name and choose Install.

4 It is not possible to remove a pattern per se. Instead, select the packages of

a pattern you want to remove and mark them for removal.

5 In order to select more packages, repeat the steps mentioned above.

6 Before applying your changes, you can review or modify them by clicking

View All Changes at the bottom of the dialog. By default, all packages that

will change status are listed.

7 To revert changes for a package, click the Undo icon with the yellow arrow.

To nish the review, click Close.

8 When you are nished with the selection of packages to install or remove,

Apply your changes.

9 In case YaST found dependencies on other packages, a list of packages that

have additionally been chosen for installation, update or removal is presented.

Click Apply to accept them.

After all selected packages are installed, updated or removed, the YaST Soft-

ware Manager automatically terminates.

NOTE: Installing Source Packages

Installing source packages with YaST Software Manager is not possible at the

moment. Use the command line tool zypper for this purpose. For more information,

see Section 9.1.2.1, “Installing Source Packages” (page 114).

5.3.3 Updating Packages

Instead of updating individual packages, you can also update all installed packages

or all packages from a certain repository. When mass updating packages, the following

aspects are generally considered:

• priorities of the repositories that provide the package,

• architecture of the package (for example, x86_64, i686, i586),

• version number of the package,

88 Start-Up

• package vendor.

Which of the aspects has the highest importance for choosing the update candidates

depends on the respective update option you choose.

1 To view the list of packages that can be updated (packages with higher ver-

sions are available), select Upgradable in the bottom left box.

2 To update all packages listed there, click Upgrade All.

To install only upgradable packages for which an ocial patch has been issued,

click Upgrade Patches. Those packages are marked by a patch tag next to

their version number. Choosing this option is equivalent to doing an online

update with YaST as described in Chapter 6, YaST Online Update (page 99).

If no patches have been issued since last applying patches, the button is dis-

abled.

3 To make sure that the packages for a mass update derive from a certain

repository:

3a Choose the repository from which to update as described in Sec-

tion 5.3.1, “Views for Searching Packages or Patterns” (page 86) .

3b On the right hand side of the window, click Switch system packages

to the versions in this repository. This explicitly allows YaST to change

the package vendor when replacing the packages.

All installed packages will be replaced by packages deriving from

this repository, if available. This may lead to changes in vendor and

architecture and even to downgrading some packages.

4 Before applying the changes, you can review or modify them by clicking View

All Changes at the bottom of the dialog. By default, all packages that will

change status are listed.

5 To refrain from switching the system packages to the versions in this reposi-

tory, click the Undo button next to the respective option.

6 If all options are set according to your wishes, conrm your changes with Apply

to start the mass update.

5.3.4 Checking Software Dependencies

Most packages are dependent on other packages. If a package, for example, uses a

shared library, it will be dependent on the package providing this library. On the

other hand, some packages cannot coexist with each other, causing a conict (for

example, you can only install one mail transfer agent: sendmail or postx). When

installing or removing software, the Software Manager makes sure no dependencies

or conicts remain unresolved to ensure system integrity.

Installing or Removing Software 89

In case there exists only one solution to resolve a dependency or a conict, it is re-

solved automatically. Multiple solutions always cause a conict which needs to be

resolved manually. If solving a conict involves a vendor or architecture change, it

also needs to be solved manually. When clicking Apply to apply any changes in the

Software Manager, you get an overview of all actions triggered by the automatic re-

solver which you need to conrm.

By default, dependencies are automatically checked. A check is performed every

time you change a package status (for example, by marking a package for installation

or removal). This is generally useful, but can become exhausting when manually

resolving a dependency conict. To disable this function, uncheck Dependencies >

Autocheck. Manually perform a dependency check with Dependencies > Check Now.

A consistency check is always performed when you conrm your selection with Apply.

NOTE: Manually Solving Package Conicts

Unless you are very experienced, follow the suggestions YaST makes when han-

dling package conicts, otherwise you may not be able to resolve them. Keep in

mind that every change you make, potentially triggers other conicts, so you can

easily end up with a steadily increasing number of conicts. In case this happens,

click Cancel and Quit the software manager. Relaunch it to start again.

Figure 5.2: Conict Management of the Software Manager

5.4 Managing Software Repositories and Services

If you want to install third-party software, add additional software repositories to

your system. By default, the product repositories such as openSUSE-DVD 12.2 and

a matching update repository are automatically congured during the installation.

Depending on the initially selected product, a separate language add-on repository

with translations, dictionaries, etc. might also be congured.

90 Start-Up

To manage repositories, start YaST and select Software > Software Repositories. The

Congured Software Repositories dialog opens. Here, you can also manage subscrip-

tions to so-called Services by changing the View at the right corner of the dialog to

All Services. A Service in this context is a Repository Index Service (RIS) that can

oer one or more software repositories. Such a Service can be changed dynamically

by its administrator or vendor.

Each repository provides les describing content of the repository (package names,

versions, etc.). These repository description les are downloaded to a local cache

that is used by YaST. To ensure their integrity, software repositories can be signed

with the GPG Key of the repository maintainer. Whenever you add a new repository,

YaST oers the ability to import its key.

WARNING: Trusting External Software Sources

Before adding external software repositories to your list of repositories, make

sure this repository can be trusted. openSUSE is not responsible for any potential

problems arising from software installed from third-party software repositories.

5.4.1 Adding Software Repositories

You can either add repositories from a local harddisk, from a removable medium

(like a CD, DVD or a USB mass storage) or from a network.

To add repositories from the Congured Software Repositories dialog in YaST proceed

as follows:

1 Click Add.

2 From the list of available Media Types specify the type matching your reposi-

tory:

For network sources, it is usually sucient to use the default option, Specify

URL.

To add a repository from a removable medium or a local harddisk, choose the

relevant option and insert the medium or connect the USB device to the ma-

chine, respectively.

3 You can choose to Download Repository Description Files now. If the option

is unchecked, YaST will automatically download the les later, if needed. Click

Next to proceed.

4 When adding a repository from the network, enter the data you are prompted

for. Continue with Next.

5 Depending on the repository you have added, you might be asked if you want

to import the GPG key with which it is signed or asked to agree to a license.

Installing or Removing Software 91

After conrming these messages, YaST will download and parse the metadata

and add the repository to the list of Congured Repositories..

6 If needed, adjust the repository Properties as described in Section 5.4.2,

“Managing Repository Properties” (page 92) or conrm your changes with OK

to close the conguration dialog.

Now you can install software from this repository as described in Section 5.2, “Using

the KDE Interface (Qt)” (page 80) or in Section 5.3, “Using the GNOME Interface

(GTK+)” (page 86).

YaST also oers a list of predened popular repositories available under Community

Repositories. Among others, it includes driver repositories for nVidia and ATI graphics

cards, and popular projects from the openSUSE® Build Service, such as the Mozilla

repository (containing packages with the most recent versions of Firefox and Thun-

derbird).

Procedure 5.1: Conguring Community Repositories

1 Start YaST and select Software > Software Repositories.

2 Click Add.

3 Choose Community Repositories and proceed with Next.

4 From the precongured list of repositories choose the ones you want to add

by ticking the respective check boxes. The Mozilla repository, for example, is

listed as openSUSE BuildService - Mozilla.

Conrm with OK.

5 Accept to Import the GPG key. You need to import a key for each repository

you have chosen.

6 The new software repositories are now listed in the Congured Software

Repositories overview. Click OK to leave the software repositories conguration.

5.4.2 Managing Repository Properties

The Congured Software Repositories overview of the Software Repositories lets you

change the following repository properties:

Status

The repository status can either be Enabled or Disabled. You can only install

packages from repositories that are enabled. To turn a repository o temporarily

click Disable. You can also double-click on a repository name to toggle its status.

If you want to remove a repository completely, click Delete.

Refresh

When refreshing a repository, its content description (package names, versions,

etc.) is downloaded to a local cache that is used by YaST. It is sucient to do this

92 Start-Up

once for static repositories such as CDs or DVDs, whereas repositories whose

content changes often should be refreshed frequently. The easiest way to keep

a repository's cache up-to-date is to choose Automatically Refresh. To do a

manual refresh click Refresh and select one of the options.

Keep Downloaded Packages

Packages from remote repositories are downloaded before being installed. By

default, they are deleted upon a successful installation. Activating Keep Down-

loaded Packages prevents the deletion of downloaded packages. The download

location is congured in /etc/zypp/zypp.conf, by default it is /var/cache/zypp/

packages.

Priority

The Priority of a repository is a value between 1 and 200, with 1 being the highest

priority and 200 the lowest priority. Any new repositories that are added with YaST

get a priority of 99 by default. If you do not care about a priority value for a certain

repository, you can also set the value to 0 to apply the default priority to that

repository (99). If a package is available in more than one repository, then the

repository with the highest priority takes precedence. This is useful if you want

to avoid downloading packages unnecessarily from the Internet by giving a local

repository (for example, a DVD) a higher priority.

IMPORTANT: Priority vs. Version

The repository with the highest priority takes precedence in any case. There-

fore, make sure that the update repository always has the highest priority (20

by default), otherwise you might install an outdated version that will not be

updated until the next online update.

If you add repositories providing new versions for programs shipped with

openSUSE (for example a repository with the latest KDE or GNOME version),

make sure they have a higher priority than the standard repositories, otherwise

packages from these repositories will not be installed by default.

Name and URL

To change a repository name or its URL, select it from the list with a single-click

and then click Edit.

5.4.3 Managing Repository Keys

To ensure their integrity, software repositories can be signed with the GPG Key of

the repository maintainer. Whenever you add a new repository, YaST oers to import

its key. Verify it as you would do with any other GPG key and make sure it does not

change. If you detect a key change, something might be wrong with the repository.

Disable the repository as an installation source until you know the cause of the key

change.

Installing or Removing Software 93

To manage all imported keys, click GPG Keys... in the Congured Software Repositories

dialog. Select an entry with the mouse to show the key properties at the bottom of

the window. Add, Edit or Delete keys with a click on the respective buttons.

5.5 Keeping the System Up-to-date

openSUSE oers a continuous stream of software security patches for your product.

The update applet informs you about the availability of patches and lets you easily

install them with just a few clicks.

5.5.1 Using the KDE Software Updater

The Software Updater icon resides in the system tray of your panel depicting a

gearwheel with a green arrow. To start Software Updater manually, choose System

Settings > Software Management > Software Updates from the main menu. Alterna-

tively, press [Alt] + [F2] and enter kpk_update.

NOTE: Icon Visibility

The Software Updater icon is only visible in the system tray, if patches are avail-

able. Hover over the icon to see the number of patches available.

5.5.1.1 Installing Patches

1 Whenever software updates are available, the applet icon appears in the

panel. Left-click the Software Updater icon to launch the Review and Update

software window.

2 Select a patch for installation by ticking its checkbox. Get detailed information

on a patch by clicking on its title. To select all available patches for installation,

tick the checkbox in the table header.

3 Click Apply to start the patch installation.

4 In case you have started the patch installation for the rst time, you will be

asked to enter the root password twice in order to proceed. If you also check

Remember authorization you will never be asked again to provide the pass-

word.

5 The Additional Changes window showing an installation summary opens. Click

Continue to nish the installation.

94 Start-Up

Figure 5.3: KDE Software Updater

The YaST Online Update oers advanced features to customize the patch installation.

Please refer to Chapter 6, YaST Online Update (page 99) for more information.

5.5.1.2 Conguring the KDE Software Updater

By default Software Updater checks for updates every 24 hours, noties you when

patches are available and does not automatically install patches. These settings can

be changed with the Software Management settings. To open the Software Manage-

ment settings choose System Settings > Software Management > Settings from the

main menu. Alternatively, press [Alt] + [F2] and enter kpk_settings. The settings for

Software Updater are available in the Update Settings section.

IMPORTANT: Patch Origin

The Software Management settings also allows you to congure the repositories

(Origin of Packages) to be used. This setting not only applies to Software Updater

but also to the KDE Software Management module (Get and Remove Software).

Make sure the repository Updates for openSUSE 12.2 is always selected—otherwise

you will not receive patches.

5.5.2 Using the GNOME Update Applet

The update applet resides in the notication area of the panel. Its icon changes de-

pending on the availability and relevance of patches and the status of the update.

To invoke the applet manually, choose Computer > More Applications > System >

Software Update.

NOTE: Icon visibility

The applet icon is only visible if the following conditions are met:

• patches are available

Installing or Removing Software 95

•

the GUI was not started as user root

• the GUI was not started in a VNC session

To start the update viewer even if no applet icon is visible, press [Alt] + [F2] and

enter gpk-update-viewer.

Open box with a globe

The update applet is busy (for example checking for updates or installing software).

Red Star with Exclamation Mark

Security patches are available.

Orange Star with an Up Arrow

Important patches are available.

Yellow Star with a Down Arrow

Trivial patches are available.

Yellow Triangle with Exclamation Mark

An error has occurred.

5.5.2.1 Installing Patches

Procedure 5.2: Installing Patches

Whenever new patches are available, a notication message will appear and the

Update Applet icon will be visible in the notication area.

1 Either click Install updates in the notication message or click the icon to open

the Software Update window.

2 All security and important patches are preselected. It is strongly recommended

to install these patches. Trivial patches can be manually selected by ticking

the respective check boxes. Get detailed information on a patch by clicking

on its title.

3 Click Install Updates to start the patch installation.

4 The Additional Conrmation Required window showing an installation summary

opens. Click Continue to proceed.

Enter the root password in the authentication screen and proceed with Au-

thenticate.

96 Start-Up

Figure 5.4: GNOME Update Applet

The YaST Online Update oers advanced features to customize the patch installation.

Please refer to Chapter 6, YaST Online Update (page 99) for more information.

5.5.2.2 Conguring the Software Update Applet

To congure the update applet, right-click the update icon in the panel and choose

Preferences. The conguration dialog lets you modify the following settings:

Check for Updates

Choose how often a check for updates is performed: Hourly, Daily, Weekly, or

Never.

Automatically Install

Congure whether patches are installed automatically or not (default). Automatic

installation can be chosen for either security patches only or for all patches.

Check for Major Upgrades

Choose how often a check for major upgrades is performed: Daily, Weekly, or

Never.

Check for updates when using mobile broadband

This conguration option is only available on mobile computers. Turned o by

default.

More options are congurable using gconf-editor: apps > gnome-packagekit.

Installing or Removing Software 97

6 YaST Online Update

openSUSE oers a continuous stream of software security updates for your product.

By default, the update applet is used to keep your system up-to-date. Refer to Sec-

tion 5.5, “Keeping the System Up-to-date” (page 94) for further information on the

update applet. This chapter covers the alternative tool for updating software packages:

YaST Online Update.

The current patches for openSUSE® are available from an update software repository,

which is automatically congured during the installation. Alternatively, you can

manually add an update repository from a source you trust. To add or remove

repositories, start the Repository Manager with Software > Software Repositories in

YaST. Learn more about the Repository Manager in Section 5.4, “Managing Software

Repositories and Services” (page 90).

openSUSE provides updates with dierent relevance levels:

Security Updates

Fix severe security hazards and should always be installed.

Recommended Updates

Fix issues that could compromise your computer.

Optional Updates

Fix non-security relevant issues or provide enhancements.

6.1 The Online Update Dialog

The YaST Online Update dialog is available in two toolkit avors: GTK (for GNOME)

and Qt (for KDE). Both interfaces dier in look and feel but basically provide the same

functions. The following sections provide a brief description of each. To open the di-

alog, start YaST and select Software > Online Update. Alternatively, start it from

the command line with yast2 online_update.

6.1.1 KDE Interface (Qt)

The Online Update window consists of four sections.

YaST Online Update 99

Figure 6.1: YaST Online Update—Qt Interface

The Summary section on the left lists the available patches for openSUSE. The

patches are sorted by security relevance: security, recommended, and optional. You

can change the view of the Summary section by selecting one of the following options

from Show Patch Category:

Needed Patches (default view)

Non-installed patches that apply to packages installed on your system.

Unneeded Patches

Patches that either apply to packages not installed on your system, or patches

that have requirements which have already have been fullled (because the rel-

evant packages have already been updated from another source).

All Patches

All patches available for openSUSE.

Each list entry in the Summary section consists of a symbol and the patch name. For

an overview of the possible symbols and their meaning, press [Shift] + [F1]. Actions

required by Security and Recommended patches are automatically preset. These actions

are Autoinstall, Autoupdate and Autodelete.

If you install an up-to-date package from a repository other than the update reposi-

tory, the requirements of a patch for this package may be fullled with this installation.

In this case a check mark is displayed in front of the patch summary. The patch will

be visible in the list until you mark it for installation. This will in fact not install the

patch (because the package already is up-to-date), but mark the patch as having

been installed.

100 Start-Up

Select an entry in the Summary section to view a short Patch Description at the

bottom left corner of the dialog. The upper right section lists the packages included

in the selected patch (a patch can consist of several packages). Click an entry in the

upper right section to view details about the respective package that is included in

the patch.

6.1.2 GNOME Interface (GTK)

The Online Update window consists of four main sections.

Figure 6.2: YaST Online Update—GTK Interface

The upper right section lists the available (or already installed) patches for openSUSE.

To lter patches according to their security relevance, click the corresponding Prior-

ity entry in the upper right section of the window: Security, Recommended, Optional

or Any priority.

If all available patches are already installed, the Package listing in the upper right

section will show no entries. The box in the bottom left-hand section shows the

number of both available and already installed patches and lets you toggle the view

to either Available or Installed patches.

Select an entry in the Package listing section to view a patch description and further

details at the bottom right corner of the dialog. As a patch can consist of several

packages, click the Applies to entry in the lower right section to see which packages

are included in the respective patch.

Click on a patch entry to open a row with detailed information about the patch in the

bottom of the window. Here you can see a detailed patch description as well as the

YaST Online Update 101

versions available. You can also choose to Install optional patches—security and

recommended patches are already preselected for installation.

6.2 Installing Patches

The YaST Online Update dialog allows you to either install all available patches at

once or to manually select the patches that you want to apply to your system. You

may also revert patches that have been applied to the system.

By default, all new patches (except optional ones) that are currently available for

your system are already marked for installation. They will be applied automatically

once you click Accept or Apply.

Procedure 6.1: Applying Patches with YaST Online Update

1 Start YaST and select Software > Online Update.

To automatically apply all new patches (except optional ones) that are cur-

rently available for your system, proceed with Apply or Accept to start the

installation of the preselected patches.

3 To rst modify the selection of patches that you want to apply:

3a Use the respective lters and views the GTK and Qt interfaces provide.

For details, refer to Section 6.1.1, “KDE Interface (Qt)” (page 99) and

Section 6.1.2, “GNOME Interface (GTK)” (page 101).

3b Select or deselect patches according to your needs and wishes by

activating or deactivating the respective checkbox (GNOME) or by

right-clicking the patch and choosing the respective action from the

context menu (KDE).

IMPORTANT: Always Apply Security Updates

Do not deselect any security-related patches without a very good

reason. These patches x severe security hazards and prevent

your system from being exploited.

3c Most patches include updates for several packages. If you want to

change actions for single packages, right-click a package in the

package view and choose an action (KDE).

3d To conrm your selection and apply the selected patches, proceed

with Apply or Accept.

4 After the installation is complete, click Finish to leave the YaST Online Update.

Your system is now up-to-date.

102 Start-Up

TIP: Disabling deltarpms

By default, updates are downloaded as deltarpms. Since rebuilding rpm packages

from deltarpms is a memory and processor consuming task, certain setups or

hardware congurations might require you to disable the usage of deltarpms for

the sake of performance.

To disable the use of deltarpms, edit the le /etc/zypp/zypp.conf and set

download.use_deltarpm to false.

6.3 Automatic Online Update

YaST also oers the possibility to set up an automatic update with daily, weekly or

monthly schedule. To use the respective module, you need to install the

yast2-online-update-configuration package rst.

Procedure 6.2: Conguring the Automatic Online Update

1 After installation, start YaST and select Software > Online Update Congura-

tion.

Alternatively, start the module with yast2 online_update_configuration from

the command line.

2 Activate Automatic Online Update.

3 Choose whether to update Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.

Some patches, such as kernel updates or packages requiring license agree-

ments, require user interaction, which would cause the automatic update

procedure to stop.

4 To automatically accept any license agreements, activate Agree with Licenses.

5 Select if you also want to Skip Interactive Patches in case you want the update

procedure to proceed fully automatically.

IMPORTANT: Skipping Patches

If you select to skip any packages that require interaction, run a manual

Online Update from time to time in order to install those patches, too.

Otherwise you might miss important patches.

6 Conrm your conguration with OK.

YaST Online Update 103

7 Installing Packages From the

Internet

By default, it is only possible to install packages from congured and enabled

repositories. Apart from the ocial repositories that are congured during the instal-

lation, numerous other repositories exist. The openSUSE® Build Service hosts several

hundred ones and a lot of third party repositories exist, too—see http://en.opensuse

.org/Additional_package_repositories.

openSUSE oers two easy ways to install from these repositories without the need

to rst subscribe to them. The 1-Click Install method allows you to install packages

directly from a Web browser, while the YaST Package Search lets you query almost

all known repositories for openSUSE. You can directly install any package found by

the package search module.

WARNING: Trusting External Software Sources

Before installing from any external software repository, make sure it can be

trusted. openSUSE is not responsible for any potential problems arising from

software installed from third-party software repositories.

7.1 1-Click Install

Installation using 1-Click Install is available from a lot of repositories available on

Web interfaces. A very popular interface is the openSUSE Build Service software

search.

Procedure 7.1: Installing Packages from the openSUSE Build Service via 1-Click

Install

Start the openSUSE Build Service search interface at http://software

.opensuse.org/search.

2 Select your system version from the drop-down menu, for example open-

SUSE 12.2.

3 Enter the name of the package you want to install, for example the

OpenStreetMap editor josm.

4 To rene the search, adjust the Search Options according to your wishes.

5 Click Search.

Installing Packages From the Internet 105

6 From the results list select the preferred item by clicking its 1-Click Install

button.

7 In the Web browser's download dialog, select to open the le with the YaST

Meta Package Handler.

The 1-click installer opens the Additional Software Repositories dialog. It

shows the repositories providing the packages you want to install per

1-Click Install. They are activated per default. To proceed with the in-

stallation, keep the repository selection. By default, you remain subscribed

to these repositories after the installation has nished and you will receive

updates from them in the future.

8 If you want to use the new repositories only once instead, uncheck Remain

Subscribed to These Repositories after Installation. Click Next to proceed.

9 Now select the software packages that should be installed. Normally there

is no need to change the default selection. Click Next to proceed.

10 The Proposal screen summarizes the choices you made. Click Customize

to restart the conguration steps from above. Click Next and Yes to proceed

with the installation.

Enter the root password to start the installation. In case a new repository

has been added you also need to conrm the import of the repository's

GPG key. During the installation several progress pop-ups appear that do

not need any interaction. After reading the “Installation was successful”

message, click Finish.

TIP: Disabling 1-Click Install Feature

If you want to disable the 1-Click install feature, uninstall the

yast2-metapackage-handler package using YaST. Alternatively, enter the following

command as root:

rpm -e yast2-metapackage-handler

7.2 YaST Package Search

Provided you are connected to the internet, you can also search and install packages

from almost all known repositories for openSUSE directly via YaST's Package Search.

This module is a YaST frontend for the Webpin package search available at http://

packages.opensuse-community.org/. The YaST module is not available by default—you

need to install the package yast2-packager-webpin rst.

Procedure 7.2: Installing Packages Using the YaST Package Search

1 Start the Package Search from the YaST Control Center via Software > Package

Search.

106 Start-Up

2 Search for a software package by entering it's name into the Search Expression

eld and clicking Search.

3 The search result is listed on the Found Packages tab. Click on a package

name to see the repository URL, the package version number and the archi-

tecture in the Package Description pane.

WARNING: Double Check the Package Information

Make sure to double check whether the software is hosted on a repository

you trust before you install it. Also check if the architecture complies with

your system (x86_64 packages can only be installed on 64bit systems).

4 Mark a package for installation by activating its checkbox. You can mark

several packages at once. You can even start a new search for other packages

without losing your current selection, which is always available on the All Se-

lected Packages. Once you have nished the package selection, proceed with

Next.

The Additional Software Repositories dialog shows the repositories providing

the packages you want to install. They are activated per default. To proceed

with the installation, keep the repository selection. By default, you remain

subscribed to these repositories after the installation has nished, so you will

receive updates from them in the future.

5 If instead you want to use the new repositories only once, uncheck Remain

Subscribed to These Repositories after Installation. Click Next to proceed.

6 Now select the software packages that should be installed. Normally there is

no need to change the default selection. Click Next to proceed.

7 The Proposal screen summarizes the choices you made. Click Customize to

restart the conguration steps from above. Click Next and Yes to proceed with

the installation.

8 Conrm the next dialog. In case a new repository is used, you will also need

to conrm the import of the repository's GPG key. During the installation

several progress pop-ups appear that do not need any interaction. After

reading the “Installation was successful” message, click Finish.

Installing Packages From the Internet 107

8 Installing Add-On Products

Add-on products are system extensions. You can install a third party add-on product

or a special system extension of openSUSE® (for example, a CD with support for

additional languages or a CD with binary drivers). To install a new add-on, start YaST

and select Software > Add-On Products . You can select various types of product

media, like CD, FTP, USB mass storage devices (such as USB ash drives or disks)

or a local directory. You can work also directly with ISO les. To add an add-on as

ISO le media, select Local ISO Image then enter the Path to ISO Image. The Repos-

itory Name is arbitrary.

8.1 Add-Ons

To install a new add-on, proceed as follows:

1 In YaST select Software > Add-On Products to see an overview of already in-

stalled add-on products.

2 To install a new add-on product, click Add.

3 From the list of available Media Types specify the type matching your reposi-

tory.

4 To add a repository from a removable medium, choose the relevant option

and insert the medium or connect the USB device to the machine, respectively.

5 You can choose to Download Repository Description Files now. If the option

is unchecked, YaST will automatically download the les later, if needed. Click

Next to proceed.

6 When adding a repository from the network, enter the data you are prompted

for. Continue with Next.

7 Depending on the repository you have added, you may be asked if you want

to import the GPG key with which it is signed or asked to agree to a license.

After conrming these messages, YaST will download and parse the metadata

and add the repository to the list of Congured Repositories..

8 If needed, adjust the repository Properties as described in Section 5.4.2,

“Managing Repository Properties” (page 92) or conrm your changes with OK

to close the conguration dialog.

Installing Add-On Products 109

9 After having successfully added the repository for the add-on media, the

software manager starts and you can install packages. Refer to Chapter 5,

Installing or Removing Software (page 79) for details.

8.2 Binary Drivers

Some hardware needs binary-only drivers to function properly. If you have such

hardware, refer to the release notes for more information about availability of binary

drivers for your system. To read the release notes, open YaST and select Miscellaneous

> Release Notes.

110 Start-Up

9 Managing Software with Command

Line Tools

This chapter describes Zypper and RPM, two command line tools for managing soft-

ware. For a denition of the terminology used in this context (for example, repository,

patch, or update) refer to Section 5.1, “Denition of Terms” (page 79).

9.1 Using Zypper

Zypper is a command line package manager for installing, updating and removing

packages as well as for managing repositories. It is especially useful for accomplishing

remote software management tasks or managing software from shell scripts.

9.1.1 General Usage

The general syntax of Zypper is:

zypper [global-options]

command

[command-options][arguments] ...

The components enclosed in brackets are not required. The simplest way to execute

Zypper is to type its name, followed by a command. For example, to apply all needed

patches to the system type:

zypper patch

Additionally, you can choose from one or more global options by typing them just

before the command. For example, --non-interactive means running the command

without asking anything (automatically applying the default answers):

zypper --non-interactive patch

To use the options specic to a particular command, type them right after the com-

mand. For example, --auto-agree-with-licenses means applying all needed patches

to the system without asking to conrm any licenses (they will automatically be ac-

cepted):

zypper patch --auto-agree-with-licenses

Some commands require one or more arguments. When using the install command,

for example, you need to specify which package(s) to install:

zypper install mplayer

Managing Software with Command Line Tools 111

Some options also require an argument. The following command will list all known

patterns:

zypper search -t pattern

You can combine all of the above. For example, the following command will install

the mplayer and amarok packages from the factory repository while being verbose:

zypper -v install --from factory mplayer amarok

The --from option makes sure to keep all repositories enabled (for solving any de-

pendencies) while requesting the package from the specied repository.

Most Zypper commands have a dry-run option that does a simulation of the given

command. It can be used for test purposes.

zypper remove --dry-run MozillaFirefox

9.1.2 Installing and Removing Software with Zypper

To install or remove packages use the following commands:

zypper install

package_name

zypper remove

package_name

Zypper knows various ways to address packages for the install and remove com-

mands:

by the exact package name (and version number)

zypper install MozillaFirefox

zypper install MozillaFirefox-3.5.3

by repository alias and package name

zypper install mozilla:MozillaFirefox

Where mozilla is the alias of the repository from which to install.

by package name using wildcards

The following command will install all packages that have names starting with

“Moz”. Use with care, especially when removing packages.

zypper install 'Moz*'

by capability

For example, if you would like to install a perl module without knowing the name

of the package, capabilities come in handy:

zypper install 'perl(Time::ParseDate)'

112 Start-Up

by capability and/or architecture and/or version

Together with a capability you can specify an architecture (such as i586 or x86_64)

and/or a version. The version must be preceded by an operator: < (lesser than),

<= (lesser than or equal), = (equal), >= (greater than or equal), > (greater than).

zypper install 'firefox.x86_64'

zypper install 'firefox>=3.5.3'

zypper install 'firefox.x86_64>=3.5.3'

by path to the RPM le

You can also specify a local or remote path to a package:

zypper install /tmp/install/MozillaFirefox.rpm

zypper install

URL_TO_FIREFOX_RPM

Replace

URL_TO_FIREFOX_RPM

with the actual download URL such as http://

download.opensuse.org/repositories/mozilla/SUSE_Factory/x86_64/

MozillaFirefox-3.5.3-1.3.x86_64.rpm.

To install and remove packages simultaneously use the +/- modiers. To install emacs

and remove vim simultaneously, use:

zypper install emacs -vim

To remove emacs and install vim simultaneously, use:

zypper remove emacs +vim

To prevent the package name starting with the - being interpreted as a command

option, always use it as the second argument. If this is not possible, precede it with

--:

zypper install -emacs +vim # Wrong

zypper install vim -emacs # Correct

zypper install -- -emacs +vim # same as above

zypper remove emacs +vim # same as above

If (together with a certain package) you automatically want to remove any packages

that become unneeded after removing the specied package, use the --clean-deps

option:

package_name

--clean-deps

By default, Zypper asks for a conrmation before installing or removing a selected

package, or when a problem occurs. You can override this behavior using the

--non-interactive option. This option must be given before the actual command

(install, remove, and patch) as in the following:

zypper --non-interactive install

package_name

This option allows the use of Zypper in scripts and cron jobs.

Managing Software with Command Line Tools 113

WARNING: Do not Remove Mandatory System Packages

Do not remove packages such as glibc, zypper, kernel, or similar packages. These

packages are mandatory for the system and, if removed, may cause the system

to become unstable or stop working altogether.

9.1.2.1 Installing Source Packages

If you want to install the corresponding source package of a package, use:

zypper source-install

package_name

That command will also install the build dependencies of the specied package. If

you do not want this, add the switch -D. To install only the build dependencies use

-d.

zypper source-install -D

package_name

# source package only

zypper source-install -d

package_name

# build dependencies only

Of course, this will only work if you have the repository with the source packages

enabled in your repository list (it is added by default, but not enabled). See Sec-

tion 9.1.4, “Managing Repositories with Zypper” (page 117) for details on repository

management.

A list of all source packages available in your repositories can be obtained with:

zypper search -t srcpackage

9.1.2.2 Utilities

To verify whether all dependencies are still fullled and to repair missing dependen-

cies, use:

zypper verify

In addition to dependencies that must be fullled, some packages “recommend”

other packages. These recommended packages are only installed if actually available

and installable. In case recommended packages were made available after the rec-

ommending package has been installed (by adding additional packages or hardware),

use the following command:

zypper install-new-recommends

This command is very useful after plugging in a webcam or WLAN device. It will install

drivers for the device and related software, if available. Drivers and related software

are only installable if certain hardware dependencies are fullled.

9.1.3 Updating Software with Zypper

There are three dierent ways to update software using Zypper: by installing

patches, by installing a new version of a package or by updating the entire distribu-

114 Start-Up

tion. The latter is achieved with the zypper dist-upgrade command which is discussed

in Section 16.1, “Upgrading the System” (page 183).

9.1.3.1 Installing Patches

To install all ocially released patches applying to your system, just run:

zypper patch

In this case, all patches available in your repositories are checked for relevance and

installed, if necessary. The above command is all you must enter in order to apply

them when needed.

Zypper knows three dierent commands to query for the availability of patches:

zypper patch-check

Lists the number of needed patches (patches, that apply to your system but are

not yet installed)

~ # zypper patch-check

Loading repository data...

Reading installed packages...

5 patches needed (1 security patch)

zypper list-patches

Lists all needed patches (patches, that apply to your system but are not yet in-

stalled)

~ # zypper list-patches

Loading repository data...

Reading installed packages...

Repository | Name | Version | Category | Status

------------------------------------+-----------+---------+----------+-------

Updates for openSUSE 11.3 11.3-1.82 | lxsession | 2776 | security | needed

zypper patches

Lists all patches available for openSUSE, regardless of whether they are already

installed or apply to your installation.

It is also possible to list and install patches relevant to specic issues. To list specic

patches, use the zypper list-patches command with the following options:

--bugzilla[=

number

]

Lists all needed patches for Bugzilla issues. Optionally, you can specify a bug

number if you only want to list patches for this specic bug.

--cve[=

number

]

Lists all needed patches for CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) issues,

or only patches matching a certain CVE number, if specied.

To install a patch for a specic Bugzilla or CVE issue, use the following commands:

Managing Software with Command Line Tools 115

zypper patch --bugzilla=

number

zypper patch --cve=

number

For example, to install a security patch with the CVE number CVE-2010-2713, execute:

zypper patch --cve=CVE-2010-2713

9.1.3.2 Installing Updates

If a repository contains only new packages, but does not provide patches,

zypper patch does not show any eect. To update all installed packages with newer

available versions, use:

zypper update

To update individual packages, specify the package with either the update or install

command:

zypper update

package_name

zypper install

package_name

A list of all new installable packages can be obtained with the command:

zypper list-updates

Note that this command only packages lists packages that match the following criteria:

• has the same vendor like the already installed package,

• is provided by repositories with at least the same priority than the already in-

stalled package,

• is installable (all dependencies are satised).

A list of all new available packages (regardless whether installable or not) can be

obtained with:

zypper list-updates --all

To nd out why a new package cannot be installed, just use the zypper install or

zypper update command as described above.

9.1.3.3 Upgrading to a New Product Version

To easily upgrade your installation to a new product version (for example, from

openSUSE 11.4 to openSUSE 12.1), rst adjust your repositories to match the current

openSUSE repositories. For details, refer to Section 9.1.4, “Managing Repositories

with Zypper” (page 117). Then use the zypper dist-upgrade command with the re-

quired repositories. This command ensures that all packages will be installed from

116 Start-Up

the repositories currently enabled. For detailed instructions, refer to Section 16.1.4,

“Distribution Upgrade with zypper” (page 185).

To restrict the distribution upgrade to packages from a certain repository while con-

sidering also the other repositories for satisfying dependencies, use the --from option

and specify the repository by either its alias, its number or URI.

NOTE: Dierences between zypper update and zypper dist-upgrade

Choose zypper update to update packages to newer versions available for your

product version while maintaining system integrity. zypper update will honor the

following rules:

no vendor changes

no architecture changes

no downgrades

keep installed packages

When executing zypper dist-upgrade, all packages will be installed from the

repositories currently enabled. This rule is enforced, so packages might change

vendor or architecture or even might get downgraded. All packages that have

unfullled dependencies after the upgrade will be uninstalled.

9.1.4 Managing Repositories with Zypper

All installation or patch commands of Zypper rely on a list of known repositories. To

list all repositories known to the system, use the command:

zypper repos

The result will look similar to the following output:

Example 9.1: Zypper—List of Known Repositories

# | Alias | Name | Enabled | Refresh

--+-----------------------+-----------------------+---------+--------

1 | Updates | Updates | Yes | Yes

2 | openSUSE 11.2-0 | openSUSE 11.2-0 | No | No

3 | openSUSE-11.2-Debug | openSUSE-11.2-Debug | No | Yes

4 | openSUSE-11.2-Non-Oss | openSUSE-11.2-Non-Oss | Yes | Yes

5 | openSUSE-11.2-Oss | openSUSE-11.2-Oss | Yes | Yes

6 | openSUSE-11.2-Source | openSUSE-11.2-Source | No | Yes

When specifying repositories in various commands, an alias, URI or repository number

from the zypper repos command output can be used. A repository alias is a short

version of the repository name for use in repository handling commands. Note that

the repository numbers can change after modifying the list of repositories. The alias

will never change by itself.

By default, details such as the URI or the priority of the repository are not displayed.

Use the following command to list all details:

Managing Software with Command Line Tools 117

zypper repos -d

9.1.4.1 Adding Repositories

To add a repository, run

zypper addrepo

URIalias

URI

can either be an Internet repository, a network resource, a directory or a CD or

DVD (see http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Libzypp_URIs for details). The

alias

a shorthand and unique identier of the repository. You can freely choose it, with

the only exception that is has to be unique. Zypper will issue a warning if you specify

an alias that is already in use.

9.1.4.2 Removing Repositories

If you want to remove a repository from the list, use the command zypper removerepo

together with the alias or number of the repository you want to delete. For example,

to remove the repository listed as third entry in Example 9.1, “Zypper—List of Known

Repositories” (page 117), use the following command:

zypper removerepo 3

9.1.4.3 Modifying Repositories

Enable or disable repositories with zypper modifyrepo. You can also alter the repos-

itory's properties (such as refreshing behavior, name or priority) with this command.

The following command will enable the repository named updates, turn on auto-refresh

and set its priority to 20:

zypper modifyrepo -er -p 20 'updates'

Modifying repositories is not limited to a single repository—you can also operate on

groups:

-a: all repositories

-l: local repositories

-t: remote repositories

-m

TYPE

: repositories of a certain type (where

TYPE

can be one of the following: http,

https, ftp, cd, dvd, dir, file, cifs, smb, nfs, hd, iso)

To rename a repository alias, use the renamerepo command. The following example

changes the alias from Mozilla Firefox to just firefox:

zypper renamerepo 'Mozilla Firefox' firefox

9.1.5 Querying Repositories and Packages with Zypper

Zypper oers various methods to query repositories or packages. To get lists of all

products, patterns, packages or patches available, use the following commands:

118 Start-Up

zypper products

zypper patterns

zypper packages

zypper patches

To query all repositories for certain packages, use search. It works on package names,

or, optionally, on package summaries and descriptions. Using the wildcards * and ?

with the search term is allowed. By default, the search is not case-sensitive.

zypper search firefox # simple search for "firefox"

zypper search "*fire*" # using wildcards

zypper search -d fire # also search in package descriptions and

summaries

zypper search -u firefox # only display packages not already installed

To search for packages which provide a special capability, use the command

what-provides. For example, if you would like to know which package provides the

perl module SVN::Core, use the following command:

zypper what-provides 'perl(SVN::Core)'

To query single packages, use info with an exact package name as an argument. It

displays detailed information about a package. To also show what is required/recom-

mended by the package, use the options --requires and --recommends:

zypper info --requires MozillaFirefox

The what-provides

package

is similar to rpm -q --whatprovides

package

, but rpm is

only able to query the RPM database (that is the database of all installed packages).

Zypper, on the other hand, will tell you about providers of the capability from any

repository, not only those that are installed.

9.1.6 Conguring Zypper

Zypper now comes with a conguration le, allowing you to permanently change

Zypper's behavior (either system-wide or user-specic). For system-wide changes,

edit /etc/zypp/zypper.conf. For user-specic changes, edit ~/.zypper.conf. If ~/

.zypper.conf does not yet exist, you can use /etc/zypp/zypper.conf as template:

copy it to ~/.zypper.conf and adjust it to your liking. Refer to the comments in the

le for help about the available options.

9.1.7 Troubleshooting

In case you have problems to access packages from congured repositories (for ex-

ample, zypper cannot nd a certain package though you know that it exists in one

the repositories), it can help to refresh the repositories with:

zypper refresh

If that does not help, try

Managing Software with Command Line Tools 119

zypper refresh -fdb

This forces a complete refresh and rebuild of the database, including a forced

download of raw metadata.

9.1.8 Zypper Rollback Feature on btrfs File System

If the btrfs le system is used on the root partition and snapper is installed, zypper

automatically calls snapper (via script installed by snapper) when committing changes

to the le system to create appropriate le system snapshots. These snapshots can

be used for reverting any changes made by zypper. For more information about

snapper, see man snapper.

Zypper (and YaST) currently only make snapshots of the root lesystem. Other sub-

volumes cannot be congured. This feature is not supported on the default le system.

9.1.9 For More Information

For more information on managing software from the command line, enter zypper

help, zypper help

command

or refer to the zypper(8) manpage. For a complete and

detailed command reference, including cheat sheets with the most important com-

mands, and information on how to use Zypper in scripts and applications, refer to

http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Zypper_usage. A list of software changes for the latest

openSUSE version can be found at . [http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Zypper

versions] .

9.2 RPM—the Package Manager

RPM (RPM Package Manager) is used for managing software packages. Its main

commands are rpm and rpmbuild. The powerful RPM database can be queried by the

users, system administrators and package builders for detailed information about

the installed software.

Essentially, rpm has ve modes: installing, uninstalling (or updating) software pack-

ages, rebuilding the RPM database, querying RPM bases or individual RPM archives,

integrity checking of packages and signing packages. rpmbuild can be used to build

installable packages from pristine sources.

Installable RPM archives are packed in a special binary format. These archives consist

of the program les to install and certain meta information used during the installation

by rpm to congure the software package or stored in the RPM database for documen-

tation purposes. RPM archives normally have the extension .rpm.

TIP: Software Development Packages

For a number of packages, the components needed for software development

(libraries, headers, include les, etc.) have been put into separate packages.

These development packages are only needed if you want to compile software

120 Start-Up

yourself (for example, the most recent GNOME packages). They can be identied

by the name extension -devel, such as the packages alsa-devel, gimp-devel, and

libkde4-devel.

9.2.1 Verifying Package Authenticity

RPM packages have a GPG signature. To verify the signature of an RPM package,

use the command rpm --checksig

package

-1.2.3.rpm to determine whether the

package originates from Novell/SUSE or from another trustworthy facility. This is

especially recommended for update packages from the Internet.

9.2.2 Managing Packages: Install, Update, and Uninstall

Normally, the installation of an RPM archive is quite simple: rpm -i

package

.rpm.

With this command the package is installed, but only if its dependencies are fullled

and if there are no conicts with other packages. With an error message, rpm requests

those packages that need to be installed to meet dependency requirements. In the

background, the RPM database ensures that no conicts arise—a specic le can

only belong to one package. By choosing dierent options, you can force rpm to ignore

these defaults, but this is only for experts. Otherwise, you risk compromising the in-

tegrity of the system and possibly jeopardize the ability to update the system.

The options -U or --upgrade and -F or --freshen can be used to update a package

(for example, rpm -F

package

.rpm). This command removes the les of the old version

and immediately installs the new les. The dierence between the two versions is

that -U installs packages that previously did not exist in the system, but -F merely

updates previously installed packages. When updating, rpm updates conguration

les carefully using the following strategy:

•

If a conguration le was not changed by the system administrator, rpm installs

the new version of the appropriate le. No action by the system administrator

is required.

• If a conguration le was changed by the system administrator before the update,

rpm saves the changed le with the extension .rpmorig or .rpmsave (backup le)

and installs the version from the new package (but only if the originally installed

le and the newer version are dierent). If this is the case, compare the backup

le (.rpmorig or .rpmsave) with the newly installed le and make your changes

again in the new le. Afterwards, be sure to delete all .rpmorig and .rpmsave

les to avoid problems with future updates.

•

.rpmnew les appear if the conguration le already exists and if the noreplace

label was specied in the .spec le.

Following an update, .rpmsave and .rpmnew les should be removed after comparing

them, so they do not obstruct future updates. The .rpmorig extension is assigned if

the le has not previously been recognized by the RPM database.

Managing Software with Command Line Tools 121

Otherwise, .rpmsave is used. In other words, .rpmorig results from updating from a

foreign format to RPM. .rpmsave results from updating from an older RPM to a newer

RPM. .rpmnew does not disclose any information as to whether the system adminis-

trator has made any changes to the conguration le. A list of these les is available

in /var/adm/rpmconfigcheck. Some conguration les (like /etc/httpd/httpd.conf)

are not overwritten to allow continued operation.

The -U switch is not just an equivalent to uninstalling with the -e option and installing

with the -i option. Use -U whenever possible.

To remove a package, enter rpm -e

package

. rpm, which only deletes the package if

there are no unresolved dependencies. It is theoretically impossible to delete Tcl/Tk,

for example, as long as another application requires it. Even in this case, RPM calls

for assistance from the database. If such a deletion is, for whatever reason, impossible

(even if no additional dependencies exist), it may be helpful to rebuild the RPM

database using the option --rebuilddb.

9.2.3 RPM and Patches

To guarantee the operational security of a system, update packages must be installed

in the system from time to time. Previously, a bug in a package could only be elimi-

nated by replacing the entire package. Large packages with bugs in small les could

easily result in this scenario. However the SUSE RPM oers a feature enabling the

installation of patches in packages.

The most important considerations are demonstrated using pine as an example:

Is the patch RPM suitable for my system?

To check this, rst query the installed version of the package. For pine, this can

be done with

rpm -q pine

pine-4.44-188

Then check if the patch RPM is suitable for this version of pine:

rpm -qp --basedon pine-4.44-224.i586.patch.rpm

pine = 4.44-188

pine = 4.44-195

pine = 4.44-207

This patch is suitable for three dierent versions of pine. The installed version in

the example is also listed, so the patch can be installed.

Which les are replaced by the patch?

The les aected by a patch can easily be seen in the patch RPM. The rpm param-

eter -P allows selection of special patch features. Display the list of les with the

following command:

122 Start-Up

rpm -qpPl pine-4.44-224.i586.patch.rpm

/etc/pine.conf

/etc/pine.conf.fixed

/usr/bin/pine

or, if the patch is already installed, with the following command:

rpm -qPl pine

/etc/pine.conf

/etc/pine.conf.fixed

/usr/bin/pine

How can a patch RPM be installed in the system?

Patch RPMs are used just like normal RPMs. The only dierence is that a suitable

RPM must already be installed.

Which patches are already installed in the system and for which package versions?

A list of all patches installed in the system can be displayed with the command

rpm -qPa. If only one patch is installed in a new system (as in this example), the

list appears as follows:

rpm -qPa

pine-4.44-224

If, at a later date, you want to know which package version was originally installed,

this information is also available in the RPM database. For pine, this information

can be displayed with the following command:

rpm -q --basedon pine

pine = 4.44-188

More information, including information about the patch feature of RPM, is available

in the man pages of rpm and rpmbuild.

NOTE: Ocial Updates for openSUSE

In order to make the download size of updates as small as possible, ocial updates

for openSUSE are not provided as Patch RPMs, but as Delta RPM packages. For

details, see Section 9.2.4, “Delta RPM Packages” (page 123).

9.2.4 Delta RPM Packages

Delta RPM packages contain the dierence between an old and a new version of an

RPM package. Applying a delta RPM onto an old RPM results in a completely new

RPM. It is not necessary to have a copy of the old RPM because a delta RPM can also

work with an installed RPM. The delta RPM packages are even smaller in size than

patch RPMs, which is an advantage when transferring update packages over the In-

ternet. The drawback is that update operations with delta RPMs involved consume

considerably more CPU cycles than plain or patch RPMs.

Managing Software with Command Line Tools 123

The prepdeltarpm, writedeltarpm and applydeltarpm binaries are part of the delta

RPM suite (package deltarpm) and help you create and apply delta RPM packages.

With the following commands, create a delta RPM called new.delta.rpm. The following

command assumes that old.rpm and new.rpm are present:

prepdeltarpm -s seq -i info old.rpm > old.cpio

prepdeltarpm -f new.rpm > new.cpio

xdelta delta -0 old.cpio new.cpio delta

writedeltarpm new.rpm delta info new.delta.rpm

Finally, remove the temporary working les old.cpio, new.cpio, and delta.

Using applydeltarpm, you can reconstruct the new RPM from the le system if the

old package is already installed:

applydeltarpm new.delta.rpm new.rpm

To derive it from the old RPM without accessing the le system, use the -r option:

applydeltarpm -r old.rpm new.delta.rpm new.rpm

See /usr/share/doc/packages/deltarpm/README for technical details.

9.2.5 RPM Queries

With the -q option rpm initiates queries, making it possible to inspect an RPM archive

(by adding the option -p) and also to query the RPM database of installed packages.

Several switches are available to specify the type of information required. See Ta-

ble 9.1, “The Most Important RPM Query Options” (page 124).

Table 9.1: The Most Important RPM Query Options

Package information

-i

File list

-l

Query the package that contains the

le

FILE

(the full path must be specied

with

FILE

)

-f FILE

File list with status information (implies

-l)

-s

List only documentation les (implies

-l)

-d

List only conguration les (implies -l)-c

124 Start-Up

File list with complete details (to be

used with -l, -c, or -d)

--dump

List features of the package that anoth-

er package can request with --requires

--provides

Capabilities the package requires

--requires, -R

Installation scripts (preinstall, postin-

stall, uninstall)

--scripts

For example, the command rpm -q -i wget displays the information shown in Exam-

ple 9.2, “rpm -q -i wget” (page 125).

Example 9.2: rpm -q -i wget

Name : wget Relocations: (not relocatable)

Version : 1.11.4 Vendor: openSUSE

Release : 1.70 Build Date: Sat 01 Aug 2009

09:49:48 CEST

Install Date: Thu 06 Aug 2009 14:53:24 CEST Build Host: build18

Group : Productivity/Networking/Web/Utilities Source RPM:

wget-1.11.4-1.70.src.rpm

Size : 1525431 License: GPL v3 or later

Signature : RSA/8, Sat 01 Aug 2009 09:50:04 CEST, Key ID b88b2fd43dbdc284

Packager : http://bugs.opensuse.org

URL : http://www.gnu.org/software/wget/

Summary : A Tool for Mirroring FTP and HTTP Servers

Description :

Wget enables you to retrieve WWW documents or FTP files from a server.

This can be done in script files or via the command line.

[...]

The option -f only works if you specify the complete lename with its full path. Provide

as many lenames as desired. For example, the following command

rpm -q -f /bin/rpm /usr/bin/wget

results in:

rpm-4.8.0-4.3.x86_64

wget-1.11.4-11.18.x86_64

If only part of the lename is known, use a shell script as shown in Example 9.3,

“Script to Search for Packages” (page 126). Pass the partial lename to the script

shown as a parameter when running it.

Managing Software with Command Line Tools 125

Example 9.3: Script to Search for Packages

#! /bin/sh

for i in $(rpm -q -a -l | grep $1); do

echo "\"$i\" is in package:"

rpm -q -f $i

echo ""

done

The command rpm -q --changelog rpm displays a detailed list of change information

about a specic package (in this case, the rpmpackage), sorted by date.

With the help of the installed RPM database, verication checks can be made. Initiate

these with -V, or --verify. With this option, rpm shows all les in a package that have

been changed since installation. rpm uses eight character symbols to give some hints

about the following changes:

Table 9.2: RPM Verify Options

MD5 check sum

File size

Symbolic link

Modication time

Major and minor device numbers

Owner

Group

Mode (permissions and le type)

In the case of conguration les, the letter c is printed. For example, for changes to

/etc/wgetrc (wget package):

rpm -V wget

S.5....T c /etc/wgetrc

The les of the RPM database are placed in /var/lib/rpm. If the partition /usr has a

size of 1 GB, this database can occupy nearly 30 MB, especially after a complete

update. If the database is much larger than expected, it is useful to rebuild the

database with the option --rebuilddb. Before doing this, make a backup of the old

database. The cron script cron.daily makes daily copies of the database (packed

with gzip) and stores them in /var/adm/backup/rpmdb. The number of copies is con-

126 Start-Up

trolled by the variable MAX_RPMDB_BACKUPS (default: 5) in /etc/sysconfig/backup. The

size of a single backup is approximately 1 MB for 1 GB in /usr.

9.2.6 Installing and Compiling Source Packages

All source packages carry a .src.rpm extension (source RPM).

NOTE: Installed Source Packages

Source packages can be copied from the installation medium to the hard disk and

unpacked with YaST. They are not, however, marked as installed ([i]) in the

package manager. This is because the source packages are not entered in the

RPM database. Only installed operating system software is listed in the RPM

database. When you “install” a source package, only the source code is added to

the system.

The following directories must be available for rpm and rpmbuild in /usr/src/packages

(unless you specied custom settings in a le like /etc/rpmrc):

SOURCES

for the original sources (.tar.bz2 or .tar.gz les, etc.) and for distribution-specic

adjustments (mostly .diff or .patch les)

SPECS

for the .spec les, similar to a meta Makele, which control the build process

BUILD

all the sources are unpacked, patched and compiled in this directory

RPMS

where the completed binary packages are stored

SRPMS

here are the source RPMs

When you install a source package with YaST, all the necessary components are in-

stalled in /usr/src/packages: the sources and the adjustments in SOURCES and the

relevant .spec le in SPECS.

WARNING

Do not experiment with system components (glibc, rpm, sysvinit, etc.), because

this endangers the stability of your system.

The following example uses the wget.src.rpm package. After installing the source

package, you should have les similar to those in the following list:

Managing Software with Command Line Tools 127

/usr/src/packages/SOURCES/wget-1.11.4.tar.bz2

/usr/src/packages/SOURCES/wgetrc.patch

/usr/src/packages/SPECS/wget.spec

rpmbuild -b

/usr/src/packages/SPECS/wget.spec starts the compilation.

is a wild

card for various stages of the build process (see the output of --help or the RPM

documentation for details). The following is merely a brief explanation:

-bp

Prepare sources in /usr/src/packages/BUILD: unpack and patch.

-bc

Do the same as -bp, but with additional compilation.

-bi

Do the same as -bp, but with additional installation of the built software. Caution:

if the package does not support the BuildRoot feature, you might overwrite con-

guration les.

-bb

Do the same as -bi, but with the additional creation of the binary package. If the

compile was successful, the binary should be in /usr/src/packages/RPMS.

-ba

Do the same as -bb, but with the additional creation of the source RPM. If the

compilation was successful, the binary should be in /usr/src/packages/SRPMS.

--short-circuit

Skip some steps.

The binary RPM created can now be installed with rpm -i or, preferably, with rpm -U.

Installation with rpm makes it appear in the RPM database.

9.2.7 Compiling RPM Packages with build

The danger with many packages is that unwanted les are added to the running

system during the build process. To prevent this use build, which creates a dened

environment in which the package is built. To establish this chroot environment, the

build script must be provided with a complete package tree. This tree can be made

available on the hard disk, via NFS, or from DVD. Set the position with build --rpms

directory

. Unlike rpm, the build command looks for the .spec le in the source direc-

tory. To build wget (like in the above example) with the DVD mounted in the system

under /media/dvd, use the following commands as root:

cd /usr/src/packages/SOURCES/

mv ../SPECS/wget.spec .

build --rpms /media/dvd/suse/ wget.spec

128 Start-Up

Subsequently, a minimum environment is established at /var/tmp/build-root. The

package is built in this environment. Upon completion, the resulting packages are

located in /var/tmp/build-root/usr/src/packages/RPMS.

The build script oers a number of additional options. For example, cause the script

to prefer your own RPMs, omit the initialization of the build environment or limit the

rpm command to one of the above-mentioned stages. Access additional information

with build --help and by reading the build man page.

9.2.8 Tools for RPM Archives and the RPM Database

Midnight Commander (mc) can display the contents of RPM archives and copy parts

of them. It represents archives as virtual le systems, oering all usual menu options

of Midnight Commander. Display the HEADER with [F3]. View the archive structure

with the cursor keys and [Enter]. Copy archive components with [F5].

A full-featured package manager is available as a YaST module. For details, see

Chapter 5, Installing or Removing Software (page 79).

Managing Software with Command Line Tools 129

Part III. Administration

10 Managing Users with YaST

During installation, you chose a method for user authentication. This method is either

local (via /etc/passwd) or, if a network connection is established, via NIS, LDAP,

Kerberos or Samba (see Section “Create New User” (Chapter 1, Installation with

YaST, ↑Reference) . You can create or modify user accounts and change the authen-

tication method with YaST at any time.

Every user is assigned a system-wide user ID (UID). Apart from the users which can

Each user is assigned to one or more groups. Similar to system users, there are also

system groups for internal use.

10.1 User and Group Administration Dialog

To administer users or groups, start YaST and click Security and Users > User and

Group Management. Alternatively, start the User and Group Administration dialog

directly by running yast2 users & from a command line.

Figure 10.1: YaST User and Group Administration

Managing Users with YaST 133

Depending on the set of users you choose to view and modify with, the dialog (local

users, network users, system users), the main window shows several tabs. These

allow you to execute the following tasks:

Managing User Accounts

From the Users tab create, modify, delete or temporarily disable user accounts

as described in Section 10.2, “Managing User Accounts” (page 134). Learn about

advanced options like enforcing password policies, using encrypted home direc-

tories, using ngerprint authentication, or managing disk quotas in Section 10.3,

“Additional Options for User Accounts” (page 136).

Changing Default Settings

Local users accounts are created according to the settings dened on the Defaults

for New Users tab. Learn how to change the default group assignment, or the

default path and access permissions for home directories in Section 10.4,

“Changing Default Settings for Local Users” (page 141).

Assigning Users to Groups

Learn how to change the group assignment for individual users in Section 10.5,

“Assigning Users to Groups” (page 142).

Managing Groups

From the Groups tab, you can add, modify or delete existing groups. Refer to

Section 10.6, “Managing Groups” (page 143) for information on how to do this.

Changing the User Authentication Method

When your machine is connected to a network that provides user authentication

methods like NIS or LDAP, you can choose between several authentication

methods on the Authentication Settings tab. For more information, refer to Sec-

tion 10.7, “Changing the User Authentication Method” (page 144).

For user and group management, the dialog provides similar functionality. You can

easily switch between the user and group administration view by choosing the ap-

propriate tab at the top of the dialog.

Filter options allow you to dene the set of users or groups you want to modify: On

the Users or Group tab, click Set Filter to view and edit users or groups according to

certain categories, such as Local Users or LDAP Users, for instance (if you are part

of a network which uses LDAP). With Set Filter > Customize Filter you can also set

up and use a custom lter.

Depending on the lter you choose, not all of the following options and functions will

be available from the dialog.

10.2 Managing User Accounts

YaST oers to create, modify, delete or temporarily disable user accounts. Do not

modify user accounts unless you are an experienced user or administrator.

134 Start-Up

NOTE: Changing User IDs of Existing Users

File ownership is bound to the user ID, not to the user name. After a user ID

change, the les in the user's home directory are automatically adjusted to reect

this change. However, after an ID change, the user no longer owns the les he

created elsewhere in the le system unless the le ownership for those les are

manually modied.

In the following, learn how to set up default user accounts. For some further options,

such as auto login, login without password, setting up encrypted home directories

or managing quotas for users and groups, refer to Section 10.3, “Additional Options

for User Accounts” (page 136).

Procedure 10.1: Adding or Modifying User Accounts

1 Open the YaST User and Group Administration dialog and click the Users tab.

2 With Set Filter dene the set of users you want to manage. The dialog shows

a list of users in the system and the groups the users belong to.

3 To modify options for an existing user, select an entry and click Edit.

To create a new user account, click Add.

4 Enter the appropriate user data on the rst tab, such as Username (which is

used for login) and Password. This data is sucient to create a new user. If

you click OK now, the system will automatically assign a user ID and set all

other values according to the default.

5 Activate Receive System Mail if you want any kind of system notications to

be delivered to this user's mailbox. This creates a mail alias for root and the

user can read the system mail without having to rst log in as root.

6 If you want to adjust further details such as the user ID or the path to the user's

home directory, do so on the Details tab.

If you need to relocate the home directory of an existing user, enter the path

to the new home directory there and move the contents of the current home

directory with Move to New Location. Otherwise, a new home directory is

created without any of the existing data.

7 To force users to regularly change their password or set other password op-

tions, switch to Password Settings and adjust the options. For more details,

refer to Section 10.3.2, “Enforcing Password Policies” (page 137).

8 If all options are set according to your wishes, click OK.

9 Click Expert Options > Write Changes Now to save all changes without exiting

the User and Group Administration dialog. Click OK to close the administration

Managing Users with YaST 135

dialog and to save the changes. A newly added user can now log in to the

system using the login name and password you created.

TIP: Matching User IDs

For a new (local) user on a laptop which also needs to integrate into a network

environment where this user already has a user ID, it is useful to match the (local)

user ID to the ID in the network. This ensures that the le ownership of the les

the user creates “oine” is the same as if he had created them directly on the

network.

Procedure 10.2: Disabling or Deleting User Accounts

1 Open the YaST User and Group Administration dialog and click the Users tab.

2 To temporarily disable a user account without deleting it, select the user from

the list and click Edit. Activate Disable User Login. The user cannot log into

your machine until you enable the account again.

3 To delete a user account, select the user from the list and click Delete. Choose

if you also want to delete the user's home directory or if you want to retain

the data.

10.3 Additional Options for User Accounts

In addition to the settings for a default user account, openSUSE® oers further op-

tions, such as options to enforce password policies, use encrypted home directories

or dene disk quotas for users and groups.

10.3.1 Automatic Login and Passwordless Login

If you use the KDE or GNOME desktop environment you can congure Auto Login for

a certain user as well as Passwordless Login for all users. Auto login causes a user

to become automatically logged in to the desktop environment on boot. This func-

tionality can only be activated for one user at a time. Login without password allows

all users to log in to the system after they have entered their username in the login

manager.

WARNING: Security Risk

Enabling Auto Login or Passwordless Login on a machine that can be accessed

by more than one person is a security risk. Without the need to authenticate, any

user can gain access to your system and your data. If your system contains con-

dential data, do not use this functionality.

If you want to activate auto login or login without password, access these functions

in the YaST User and Group Administration with Expert Options > Login Settings.

136 Start-Up

10.3.2 Enforcing Password Policies

On any system with multiple users, it is a good idea to enforce at least basic password

security policies. Users should change their passwords regularly and use strong

passwords that cannot easily be exploited. For local users, proceed as follows:

Procedure 10.3: Conguring Password Settings

1 Open the YaST User and Group Administration dialog and select the Users

tab.

2 Select the user for which to change the password options and click Edit.

3 Switch to the Password Settings tab. The user's last password change is

displayed on the tab.

4 To make the user change his password at next login, activate Force Pass-

word Change.

5 To enforce password rotation, set a Maximum Number of Days for the

Same Password and a Minimum Number of Days for the Same Password.

6 To remind the user to change his password before it expires, set a number

of Days before Password Expiration to Issue Warning.

7 To restrict the period of time the user can log in after his password has

expired, change the value in Days after Password Expires with Usable Login.

8 You can also specify a certain expiration date for a password. Enter the

Expiration Date in

YYYY-MM-DD

format.

9 For more information about the options and about the default values, click

Help.

10 Apply your changes with OK.

10.3.3 Managing Encrypted Home Directories

To protect data in home directories against theft and hard disk removal, you can

create encrypted home directories for users. These are encrypted with LUKS (Linux

Unied Key Setup), which results in an image and an image key being generated for

the user. The image key is protected with the user's login password. When the user

logs into the system, the encrypted home directory is mounted and the contents are

made available to the user.

NOTE: Fingerprint Reader Devices and Encrypted Home Directories

If you want to use a ngerprint reader device, you must not use encrypted home

directories. Otherwise logging in will fail, because decrypting during login is not

possible in combination with an active ngerprint reader device.

Managing Users with YaST 137

With YaST, you can create encrypted home directories for new or existing users. To

encrypt or modify encrypted home directories of already existing users, you need

to know the user's current login password. By default, all existing user data is copied

to the new encrypted home directory, but it is not deleted from the unencrypted di-

rectory.

WARNING: Security Restrictions

Encrypting a user's home directory does not provide strong security from other

users. If strong security is required, the system should not be physically shared.

Find background information about encrypted home directories and which actions

to take for stronger security in Section “Using Encrypted Home Directories” (Chap-

ter 10, Encrypting Partitions and Files, ↑Security Guide).

Procedure 10.4: Creating Encrypted Home Directories

1 Open the YaST User and Group Management dialog and click the Users tab.

2 To encrypt the home directory of an existing user, select the user and click

Edit.

Otherwise, click Add to create a new user account and enter the appropriate

user data on the rst tab.

3 In the Details tab, activate Use Encrypted Home Directory. With Directory Size

in MB, specify the size of the encrypted image le to be created for this user.

4 Apply your settings with OK.

138 Start-Up

5 Enter the user's current login password to proceed if YaST prompts for it.

6 Click Expert Options > Write Changes Now to save all changes without exiting

the administration dialog. Click OK to close the administration dialog and save

the changes.

Procedure 10.5: Modifying or Disabling Encrypted Home Directories

Of course, you can also disable the encryption of a home directory or change the

size of the image le at any time.

1 Open the YaST User and Group Administration dialog in the Users view.

2 Select a user from the list and click Edit.

3 If you want to disable the encryption, switch to the Details tab and disable

Use Encrypted Home Directory.

If you need to enlarge or reduce the size of the encrypted image le for this

user, change the Directory Size in MB.

4 Apply your settings with OK.

5 Enter the user's current login password to proceed if YaST prompts for it.

6 Click Expert Options > Write Changes Now to save all changes without exiting

the User and Group Administration dialog. Click OK to close the administration

dialog and to save the changes.

10.3.4 Using Fingerprint Authentication

If your system includes a ngerprint reader you can use biometric authentication in

addition to standard authentication via login and password. After registering their

ngerprint, users can log into the system either by swiping a nger on the ngerprint

reader or by typing in a password.

Fingerprints can be registered with YaST. Find detailed information about conguration

and use of ngerprint authentication in Chapter 7, Using the Fingerprint Reader

(↑Security Guide). For a list of supported devices, refer to http://www.freedesktop

.org/wiki/Software/fprint/libfprint.

10.3.5 Managing Quotas

To prevent system capacities from being exhausted without notication, system

administrators can set up quotas for users or groups. Quotas can be dened for one

or more le systems and restrict the amount of disk space that can be used and the

number of inodes (index nodes) that can be created there. Inodes are data structures

on a le system that store basic information about a regular le, directory, or other

le system object. They store all attributes of a le system object (like user and group

ownership, read, write, or execute permissions), except le name and contents.

Managing Users with YaST 139

openSUSE allows usage of soft and hard quotas. Soft quotas usually dene a warning

level at which users are informed that they are nearing their limit, whereas hard

quotas dene the limit at which write requests are denied. Additionally, grace intervals

can be dened that allow users or groups to temporarily violate their quotas by certain

amounts.

Procedure 10.6: Enabling Quota Support for a Partition

In order to congure quotas for certain users and groups, you need to enable

quota support for the respective partition in the YaST Expert Partitioner rst.

1 In YaST, select System > Partitioner and click Yes to proceed.

2 In the Expert Partitioner, select the partition for which to enable quotas and

click Edit.

Click Fstab Options and activate Enable Quota Support. If the quota package

is not already installed, it will be installed once you conrm the respective

message with Yes.

4 Conrm your changes and leave the Expert Partitioner.

Procedure 10.7: Setting Up Quotas for Users or Groups

Now you can dene soft or hard quotas for specic users or groups and set time

periods as grace intervals.

1 In the YaST User and Group Administration, select the user or the group you

want to set the quotas for and click Edit.

2 On the Plug-Ins tab, select the Manage User Quota entry and click Launch to

open the Quota Conguration dialog.

3 From File System, select the partition to which the quota should apply.

140 Start-Up

4 Below Size Limits, restrict the amount of disk space. Enter the number of 1

KB blocks the user or group may have on this partition. Specify a Soft Limit

and a Hard Limit value.

5 Additionally, you can restrict the number of inodes the user or group may

have on the partition. Below Inodes Limits, enter a Soft Limit and Hard Limit.

6 You can only dene grace intervals if the user or group has already exceeded

the soft limit specied for size or inodes. Otherwise, the time-related input

elds are not activated. Specify the time period for which the user or group

is allowed to exceed the limits set above.

7 Conrm your settings with OK.

8 Click Expert Options > Write Changes Now to save all changes without exiting

the User and Group Administration dialog. Click OK to close the administration

dialog and to save the changes.

openSUSE also ships command line tools like repquota or warnquota with which system

administrators can control the disk usage or send e-mail notications to users ex-

ceeding their quota. With quota_nld, administrators can also forward kernel messages

about exceeded quotas to D-BUS. For more information, refer to the repquota, the

warnquota and the quota_nld man page.

10.4 Changing Default Settings for Local Users

When creating new local users, several default settings are used by YaST. These in-

clude, for example, the primary group and the secondary groups the user belongs

Managing Users with YaST 141

to, or the access permissions of the user's home directory. You can change these

default settings to meet your requirements:

1 Open the YaST User and Group Administration dialog and select the Defaults

for New Users tab.

2 To change the primary group the new users should automatically belong to,

select another group from Default Group.

3 To modify the secondary groups for new users, add or change groups in Sec-

ondary Groups. The group names must be separated by commas.

If you do not want to use /home/

username

as default path for new users' home

directories, modify the Path Prex for Home Directory.

5 To change the default permission modes for newly created home directories,

adjust the umask value in Umask for Home Directory. For more information

about umask, refer to Chapter 9, Access Control Lists in Linux (↑Security

Guide) and to the umask man page.

6 For information about the individual options, click Help.

7 Apply your changes with OK.

10.5 Assigning Users to Groups

Local users are assigned to several groups according to the default settings which

you can access from the User and Group Administration dialog on the Defaults for

New Users tab. In the following, learn how to modify an individual user's group as-

signment. If you need to change the default group assignments for new users, refer

to Section 10.4, “Changing Default Settings for Local Users” (page 141).

Procedure 10.8: Changing a User's Group Assignment

1 Open the YaST User and Group Administration dialog and click the Users tab.

It shows a list of users and of the groups the users belong to.

2 Click Edit and switch to the Details tab.

3 To change the primary group the user belongs to, click Default Group and

select the group from the list.

4 To assign the user additional secondary groups, activate the corresponding

check boxes in the Additional Groups list.

5 Click OK to apply your changes.

6 Click Expert Options > Write Changes Now to save all changes without exiting

the User and Group Administration dialog. Click OK to close the administration

dialog and save the changes.

142 Start-Up

10.6 Managing Groups

With YaST you can also easily add, modify or delete groups.

Procedure 10.9: Creating and Modifying Groups

1 Open the YaST User and Group Management dialog and click the Groups tab.

2 With Set Filter dene the set of groups you want to manage. The dialog shows

a list of groups in the system.

3 To create a new group, click Add.

4 To modify an existing group, select the group and click Edit.

5 In the following dialog, enter or change the data. The list on the right shows

an overview of all available users and system users which can be members

of the group.

6 To add existing users to a new group select them from the list of possible

Group Members by checking the corresponding box. To remove them from

the group uncheck the box.

7 Click OK to apply your changes.

8 Click Expert Options > Write Changes Now to save all changes without exiting

the User and Group Administration dialog.

In order to delete a group, it must not contain any group members. To delete a group,

select it from the list and click Delete. Click Expert Options > Write Changes Now to

save all changes without exiting the User and Group Administration dialog. Click OK

to close the administration dialog and to save the changes.

Managing Users with YaST 143

10.7 Changing the User Authentication Method

When your machine is connected to a network, you can change the authentication

method you set during installation. The following options are available:

NIS

Users are administered centrally on a NIS server for all systems in the network.

For details, see Chapter 3, Using NIS (↑Security Guide).

LDAP

Users are administered centrally on an LDAP server for all systems in the network.

For details about LDAP, see Chapter 4, LDAP—A Directory Service (↑Security

Guide).

You can manage LDAP users with the YaST user module. All other LDAP settings,

including the default settings for LDAP users, have to be dened with the YaST

LDAP client module as described in Section “Conguring an LDAP Client with

YaST” (Chapter 4, LDAP—A Directory Service, ↑Security Guide) .

Kerberos

With Kerberos, a user registers once and then is trusted in the entire network for

the rest of the session.

Samba

SMB authentication is often used in mixed Linux and Windows networks. For de-

tails, see Chapter 19, Samba (↑Reference) and Chapter 5, Active Directory Support

(↑Security Guide).

To change the authentication method, proceed as follows:

1 Open the User and Group Administration dialog in YaST.

2 Click the Authentication Settings tab to show an overview of the available

authentication methods and the current settings.

3 To change the authentication method, click Congure and select the authen-

tication method you want to modify. This takes you directly to the client con-

guration modules in YaST. For information about the conguration of the

appropriate client, refer to the following sections:

NIS: Section “Conguring NIS Clients” (Chapter 3, Using NIS, ↑Security

Guide)

LDAP: Section “Conguring an LDAP Client with YaST” (Chapter 4, LDAP—A

Directory Service, ↑Security Guide)

4 After accepting the conguration, return to the User and Group Administration

overview.

5 Click OK to close the administration dialog.

144 Start-Up

11 Changing Language and Country

Settings with YaST

Working in dierent countries or having to work in a multilingual environment requires

your computer to be set up to support this. openSUSE® can handle dierent locales

in parallel. A locale is a set of parameters that denes the language and country

settings reected in the user interface.

The main system language was selected during installation and keyboard and time

zone settings were adjusted. However, you can install additional languages on your

system and determine which of the installed languages should be the default.

For those tasks, use the YaST language module as described in Section 11.1,

“Changing the System Language” (page 145). Install secondary languages to get op-

tional localizations if you need to start applications or desktops in languages other

than the primary one.

Apart from that, the YaST timezone module allows you to adjust your country and

timezone settings accordingly. It also lets you synchronize your system clock against

a time server. For details, refer to Section 11.2, “Changing the Country and Time

Settings” (page 149).

11.1 Changing the System Language

Depending on how you use your desktop and whether you want to switch the entire

system to another language or just the desktop environment itself, there are several

ways to achieve this:

Changing the System Language Globally

Proceed as described in Section 11.1.1, “Modifying System Languages with

YaST” (page 146) and Section 11.1.2, “Switching the Default System Lan-

guage” (page 148) to install additional localized packages with YaST and to set

the default language. Changes are eective after relogin. To ensure that the entire

system reects the change, reboot the system or close and restart all running

services, applications, and programs.

Changing the Language for the Desktop Only

Provided you have previously installed the desired language packages for your

desktop environment with YaST as described below, you can switch the language

of your desktop using the desktop's control center. After the X server has been

restarted, your entire desktop reects your new choice of language. Applications

Changing Language and Country Settings with YaST 145

not belonging to your desktop framework are not aected by this change and

may still appear in the language that was set in YaST.

Temporarily Switching Languages for One Application Only

You can also run a single application in another language (that has already been

installed with YaST). To do so, start it from the command line by specifying the

language code as described in Section 11.1.3, “Switching Languages for Individ-

ual Applications” (page 148).

11.1.1 Modifying System Languages with YaST

YaST knows two dierent language categories:

Primary Language

The primary language set in YaST applies to the entire system, including YaST

and the desktop environment. This language is used whenever available unless

you manually specify another language.

Secondary Languages

Install secondary languages to make your system multilingual. Languages installed

as secondary languages can be selected manually for a specic situation. For

example, use a secondary language to start an application in a certain language

in order to do word processing in this language.

Before installing additional languages, determine which of them should be the default

system language (primary language) after you have installed them.

To access the YaST language module, start YaST and click System > Language. Al-

ternatively, start the Languages dialog directly by running yast2 language & as user

root from a command line.

146 Start-Up

Procedure 11.1: Installing Additional Languages

When installing additional languages, YaST also allows you to set dierent locale

settings for the user root, see Step 4 (page 147). The option Locale Settings for

User root determines how the locale variables (LC_*) in the le /etc/sysconfig/

language are set for root. You can either set them to the same locale as for normal

users, keep it unaected by any language changes or only set the variable

RC_LC_CTYPE to the same values as for the normal users. This variable sets the lo-

calization for language-specic function calls.

1 To add additional languages in the YaST language module, select the Sec-

ondary Languages you wish to install.

2 To make a language the default language, set it as Primary Language.

3 Additionally, adapt the keyboard to the new primary language and adjust the

time zone, if appropriate.

TIP

For advanced keyboard or time zone settings, select Hardware > Keyboard

Layout or System > Date and Time in YaST to start the respective dialogs.

For more information, refer to Section 11.2, “Changing the Country and

Time Settings” (page 149).

To change language settings specic to the user root, click Details.

Changing Language and Country Settings with YaST 147

Set Locale Settings for User root to the desired value. For more infor-

mation, click Help.

Decide if you want to Use UTF-8 Encoding for root or not.

5 If your locale was not included in the list of primary languages available, try

specifying it with Detailed Locale Setting. However, some of these localizations

may be incomplete.

6 Conrm your changes in the dialogs with OK. If you have selected secondary

languages, YaST installs the localized software packages for the additional

languages.

The system is now multilingual. However, to start an application in a language other

than the primary one, you need to set the desired language explicitly as explained

in Section 11.1.3, “Switching Languages for Individual Applications” (page 148).

11.1.2 Switching the Default System Language

1 To globally switch the default system language, start the YaST language

module.

2 Select the desired new system language as Primary Language.

IMPORTANT: Deleting Former System Languages

If you switch to a dierent primary language, the localized software pack-

ages for the former primary language will be removed from the system. If

you want to switch the default system language but want to keep the former

primary language as additional language, add it as Secondary Language

by enabling the respective checkbox.

3 Adjust the keyboard and time zone options as desired.

4 Conrm your changes with OK.

5 After YaST has applied the changes, restart any X sessions (for example, by

logging out and logging in again) to make YaST and the desktop applications

reect your new language settings.

11.1.3 Switching Languages for Individual Applications

After you have installed the respective language with YaST, you can run a single

application in another language.

Standard X and GNOME Applications

Start the application from the command line by using the following command:

LANG=

languageapplication

148 Start-Up

For example, to start f-spot in German, run LANG=de_DE f-spot. For other lan-

guages, use the appropriate language code. Get a list of all language codes

available with the locale -av command.

KDE Applications

Start the application from the command line by using the following command:

KDE_LANG=

languageapplication

For example, to start digiKam in German, run KDE_LANG=de digikam. For other

languages, use the appropriate language code.

11.2 Changing the Country and Time Settings

Using the YaST date and time module, adjust your system date, clock and time zone

information to the area you are working in. To access the YaST module, start YaST

and click System > Date and Time. Alternatively, start the Clock and Time Zone dialog

directly by running yast2 timezone & as user root from a command line.

First, select a general region, such as Europe. Choose an appropriate country that

matches the one you are working in, for example, Germany.

Depending on which operating systems run on your workstation, adjust the hardware

clock settings accordingly:

• If you run another operating system on your machine, such as Microsoft Win-

dows*, it is likely your system does not use UTC, but local time. In this case,

uncheck Hardware Clock Set To UTC.

Changing Language and Country Settings with YaST 149

• If you only run Linux on your machine, set the hardware clock to UTC and have

the switch from standard time to daylight saving time performed automatically.

You can change the date and time manually or opt for synchronizing your machine

against an NTP server, either permanently or just for adjusting your hardware clock.

Procedure 11.2: Manually Adjusting Time and Date

1 In the YaST timezone module, click Change to set date and time.

2 Select Manually and enter date and time values.

3 Conrm your changes with Accept.

Procedure 11.3: Setting Date and Time With NTP Server

1 Click Change to set date and time.

2 Select Synchronize with NTP Server.

3 Enter the address of an NTP server, if not already populated.

4 Click Synchronize Now, to get your system time set correctly.

5 If you want to make use of NTP permanently, enable Save NTP Conguration.

6 With the Congure button, you can open the advanced NTP conguration. For

details, see Section “Conguring an NTP Client with YaST” (Chapter 17, Time

Synchronization with NTP, ↑Reference).

150 Start-Up

7 Conrm your changes with Accept.

Changing Language and Country Settings with YaST 151

12 YaST in Text Mode

This section is intended for system administrators and experts who do not run an X

server on their systems and depend on the text-based installation tool. It provides

basic information about starting and operating YaST in text mode.

YaST in text mode uses the ncurses library to provide an easy pseudo-graphical user

interface. The ncurses library is installed by default. The minimum supported size of

the terminal emulator in which to run YaST is 80x25 characters.

Figure 12.1: Main Window of YaST in Text Mode

When you start YaST in text mode, the YaST Control Center appears (see Figure 12.1).

The main window consists of three areas. The left frame features the categories to

which the various modules belong. This frame is active when YaST is started and

therefore it is marked by a bold white border. The active category is highlighted. The

right frame provides an overview of the modules available in the active category.

The bottom frame contains the buttons for Help and Quit.

When you start the YaST Control Center, the category Software is selected automat-

ically. Use [↓] and [↑] to change the category. To select a module from the category,

activate the right frame with [→] and then use [↓] and [↑] to select the module. Keep

the arrow keys pressed to scroll through the list of available modules. The selected

module is highlighted. Press [Enter] to start the active module.

Various buttons or selection elds in the module contain a highlighted letter (yellow

by default). Use [Alt] + [highlighted_letter] to select a button directly instead of nav-

igating there with [Tab]. Exit the YaST Control Center by pressing [Alt] + [Q] or by

selecting Quit and pressing [Enter].

YaST in Text Mode 153

12.1 Navigation in Modules

The following description of the control elements in the YaST modules assumes that

all function keys and [Alt] key combinations work and are not assigned to dierent

global functions. Read Section 12.2, “Restriction of Key Combinations” (page 155) for

information about possible exceptions.

Navigation among Buttons and Selection Lists

Use [Tab] to navigate among the buttons and frames containing selection lists.

To navigate in reverse order, use [Alt] + [Tab] or [Shift] + [Tab] combinations.

Navigation in Selection Lists

Use the arrow keys ([↑] and [↓]) to navigate among the individual elements in

an active frame containing a selection list. If individual entries within a frame

exceed its width, use [Shift] + [→] or [Shift] + [←] to scroll horizontally to the right

and left. Alternatively, use [Ctrl] + [E] or [Ctrl] + [A]. This combination can also

be used if using [→] or [←] results in changing the active frame or the current

selection list, as in the Control Center.

Buttons, Radio Buttons, and Check Boxes

To select buttons with empty square brackets (check boxes) or empty parentheses

(radio buttons), press [Space] or [Enter]. Alternatively, radio buttons and check

boxes can be selected directly with [Alt] + [highlighted_letter]. In this case, you

do not need to conrm with [Enter]. If you navigate to an item with [Tab], press

[Enter] to execute the selected action or activate the respective menu item.

Function Keys

The F keys ([F1] through [F12]) enable quick access to the various buttons.

Available F key shortcuts are shown in the bottom line of the YaST screen. Which

function keys are actually mapped to which buttons depend on the active YaST

module, because the dierent modules oer dierent buttons (Details, Info, Add,

Delete, etc.). Use [F10] for Accept, OK, Next, and Finish. Press [F1] to access the

YaST help.

Using Navigation Tree in ncurses Mode

Some YaST modules use a navigation tree in the left part of the window to select

conguration dialogs. Use the arrow keys ([↑] and [↓]) to navigate in the tree.

Use [Space] to open or close tree items. In ncurses mode, [Enter] must be pressed

after a selection in the navigation tree in order to show the selected dialog. This

is an intentional behavior to save time consuming redraws when browsing through

the navigation tree.

154 Start-Up

Figure 12.2: The Software Installation Module

12.2 Restriction of Key Combinations

If your window manager uses global [Alt] combinations, the [Alt] combinations in

YaST might not work. Keys like [Alt] or [Shift] can also be occupied by the settings

of the terminal.

Replacing [Alt] with [Esc]

[Alt] shortcuts can be executed with [Esc] instead of [Alt]. For example, [Esc] –

[H] replaces [Alt] + [H]. (First press [Esc], then press [H].)

Backward and Forward Navigation with [Ctrl] + [F] and [Ctrl] + [B]

If the [Alt] and [Shift] combinations are occupied by the window manager or the

terminal, use the combinations [Ctrl] + [F] (forward) and [Ctrl] + [B] (backward)

instead.

Restriction of Function Keys

The F keys are also used for functions. Certain function keys might be occupied

by the terminal and may not be available for YaST. However, the [Alt] key combi-

nations and function keys should always be fully available on a pure text console.

12.3 YaST Command Line Options

Besides the text mode interface, YaST provides a pure command line interface. To

get a list of YaST command line options, enter:

yast -h

12.3.1 Starting the Individual Modules

To save time, the individual YaST modules can be started directly. To start a module,

enter:

yast <module_name>

YaST in Text Mode 155

View a list of all module names available on your system with yast -l or yast --list.

Start the network module, for example, with yast lan.

12.3.2 Installing Packages from the Command Line

If you know a package name and the package is provided by any of your active in-

stallation repositories, you can use the command line option -i to install the package:

yast -i <package_name>

yast --install <package_name>

package_name

can be a single short package name, for example gvim, which is installed

with dependency checking, or the full path to an rpm package, which is installed

without dependency checking.

If you need a command-line based software management utility with functionality

beyond what YaST provides, consider using zypper. This new utility uses the same

software management library that is also the foundation for the YaST package

manager. The basic usage of zypper is covered in Section 9.1, “Using Zyp-

per” (page 111).

12.3.3 Command Line Parameters of the YaST Modules

To use YaST functionality in scripts, YaST provides command line support for individ-

ual modules. Not all modules have command line support. To display the available

options of a module, enter:

yast <module_name> help

If a module does not provide command line support, the module is started in text

mode and the following message appears:

This YaST module does not support the command line interface.

156 Start-Up

13 Setting Up Hardware Components

with YaST

YaST allows you to congure hardware items at installation time as well as on an

already-installed system. Congure audio hardware, printers or scanner support or

learn which hardware components are connected to your computer by using the

YaST Hardware Information module.

TIP: Graphics card, monitor, mouse and keyboard settings

Graphics card, monitor, mouse and keyboard can be congured with either KDE

or GNOME tools.

13.1 Hardware Information

Use the YaST hardware information module if you want to know more about your

hardware or if you need to nd out details like vendor and model of a certain piece

of hardware to be able to properly congure it.

1 Start YaST and click Hardware > Hardware Information. Hardware probing

starts immediately and it will take some time until you see the hardware in-

formation tree in a separate window.

2 In the hardware information tree recursively click on the entries to expand

the information about a specic device.

3 Click Save to File... to save the output to a le.

4 Click Close to leave the hardware information overview.

13.2 Setting Up Sound Cards

YaST detects most sound cards automatically and congures them with the appropri-

ate values. If you want to change the default settings, or need to set up a sound card

that could not be congured automatically, use the YaST sound module. There, you

can also set up additional sound cards or switch their order.

To start the sound module, start YaST and click Hardware > Sound. Alternatively,

start the Sound Conguration dialog directly by running yast2 sound & as user root

from a command line.

Setting Up Hardware Components with YaST 157

The dialog shows all sound cards that could be detected.

Procedure 13.1: Conguring Sound Cards

If you have added a new sound card or YaST could not automatically congure an

existing sound card, follow the steps below. For conguring a new sound card, you

need to know your sound card vendor and model. If in doubt, refer to your sound

card documentation for the required information. For a reference list of sound cards

supported by ALSA with their corresponding sound modules, see http://www.alsa

-project.org/main/index.php/Matrix:Main.

During conguration, you can choose between the following setup options:

Quick Automatic Setup

You are not required to go through any of the further conguration steps—the

sound card is congured automatically. You can set the volume or any options

you want to change later.

Normal Setup

Allows you to adjust the output volume and play a test sound during the con-

guration.

Advanced setup with possibility to change options

For experts only. Allows you to customize all parameters of the sound card.

IMPORTANT: Advanced Conguration

Only use this option if you know exactly what your are doing. Otherwise leave

the parameters untouched and use the normal or the automatic setup options.

158 Start-Up

1 Start the YaST sound module.

2 To congure a detected, but Not Congured sound card, select the respective

entry from the list and click Edit.

To congure a new sound card, click Add. Select your sound card vendor and

model and click Next.

3 Choose one of the setup options and click Next.

4 If you have chosen Normal Setup, you can now Test your sound conguration

and make adjustments to the volume. You should start at about ten percent

volume to avoid damage to your hearing or the speakers.

5 If all options are set according to your wishes, click Next.

The Sound Conguration dialog shows the newly congured or modied sound

card.

6 To remove a sound card conguration that you no longer need, select the

respective entry and click Delete.

7 Click OK to save the changes and leave the YaST sound module.

Procedure 13.2: Modifying Sound Card Congurations

1 To change the conguration of an individual sound card (for experts only!),

select the sound card entry in the Sound Conguration dialog and click Edit.

This takes you to the Sound Card Advanced Options where you can ne-tune

a number of parameters. For more information, click Help.

2 To adjust the volume of an already congured sound card or to test the sound

card, select the sound card entry in the Sound Conguration dialog and click

Other. Select the respective menu item.

NOTE: YaST Mixer

The YaST mixer settings provide only basic options. They are intended for

troubleshooting (for example, if the test sound is not audible). Access the

YaST mixer settings from Other > Volume. For everyday use and ne-tuning

of sound options, use the mixer applet provided by your desktop or the

alsasound command line tool.

3 For playback of MIDI les, select Other > Start Sequencer.

When a supported sound card is detected (like a Creative Soundblaster Live,

Audigy or AWE sound card), you can also install SoundFonts for playback of

MIDI les:

Setting Up Hardware Components with YaST 159

4a Insert the original driver CD-ROM into your CD or DVD drive.

4b Select Other > Install SoundFonts to copy SF2 SoundFonts™ to your

hard disk. The SoundFonts are saved in the directory /usr/share/

sfbank/creative/.

5 If you have congured more than one sound card in your system you can adjust

the order of your sound cards. To set a sound card as primary device, select

the sound card in the Sound Conguration and click Other > Set as the Primary

Card. The sound device with index 0 is the default device and thus used by

the system and the applications.

6 Per default, openSUSE uses the PulseAudio sound system. It is an abstraction

layer that helps to mix multiple audio streams, bypassing any restrictions the

hardware may have. To enable or disable the PulseAudio sound system, click

Other > PulseAudio Conguration. If enabled, PulseAudio daemon is used to

play sounds. Disable PulseAudio Support in case you want to use something

else system-wide.

The volume and conguration of all sound cards are saved when you click OK and

leave the YaST sound module. The mixer settings are saved to the le /etc/asound

.state. The ALSA conguration data is appended to the end of the le /etc/modprobe

.d/sound and written to /etc/sysconfig/sound.

13.3 Setting Up a Scanner

You can congure a USB or SCSI scanner with YaST. The sane-backends package

contains hardware drivers and other essentials needed to use a scanner. Scanners

connected to a parallel port cannot be congured with YaST. If you own a HP All-In-

One device, see Section 13.3.1, “Conguring an HP All-In-One Device” (page 161),

instructions on how to congure a network scanner are available at Section 13.3.3,

“Scanning over the Network” (page 161).

Procedure 13.3: Conguring a USB or SCSI Scanner

1 Connect your USB or SCSI scanner to your computer and turn it on.

2 Start YaST and select Hardware > Scanner. YaST builds the scanner database

and tries to detect your scanner model automatically.

If a USB or SCSI scanner is not properly detected, try Other > Restart Detection.

3 To activate the scanner select it from the list of detected scanners and click

Edit.

4 Choose your model form the list and click Next and Finish.

5 Use Other > Test to make sure you have chosen the correct driver.

160 Start-Up

6 Leave the conguration screen with OK.

13.3.1 Conguring an HP All-In-One Device

An HP All-In-One device can be congured with YaST even if it is connected to the

parallel port or is made available via the network. If you own a USB HP All-In-One

device, start conguring as described in Procedure 13.3, “Conguring a USB or SCSI

Scanner” (page 160). If it is detected properly and the Test succeeds, it is ready to

use.

If your USB device is not properly detected, or your HP All-In-One device is connected

to the parallel port or the network, run the HP Device Manager:

1 Start YaST and select Hardware > Scanner. YaST loads the scanner database.

2 Start the HP Device Manager with Other > Run hp-setup and follow the on-

screen instructions. After having nished the HP Device Manager, the YaST

scanner module automatically restarts the auto detection.

3 Test it by choosing Other > Test.

4 Leave the conguration screen with OK.

13.3.2 Sharing a Scanner over the Network

openSUSE allows the sharing of a scanner over the network. To do so, congure your

scanner as follows:

1 Congure the scanner as described in Section 13.3, “Setting Up a Scan-

ner” (page 160).

2 Choose Other > Scanning via Network.

3 Enter the hostnames of the clients (separated by a comma) that should be

allowed to use the scanner under Server Settings > Permitted Clients for

saned and leave the conguration dialog with OK.

13.3.3 Scanning over the Network

To use a scanner that is shared over the network, proceed as follows:

1 Start YaST and select Hardware > Scanner.

2 Open the network scanner conguration menu by Other > Scanning via Net-

work.

3 Enter the hostname of the machine the scanner is connected to under Client

Settings > Servers Used for the net Metadriver

Setting Up Hardware Components with YaST 161

4 Leave with OK. The network scanner is now listed in the Scanner Conguration

window and is ready to use.

162 Start-Up

14 Printer Operation

openSUSE® supports printing with many types of printers, including remote network

printers. Printers can be congured manually or with YaST. For conguration instruc-

tions, refer to Section 14.4, “Setting Up a Printer” (page 165). Both graphical and

command line utilities are available for starting and managing print jobs. If your

printer does not work as expected, refer to Section 14.8, “Troubleshooting” (page 174).

CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) is the standard print system in openSUSE.

Printers can be distinguished by interface, such as USB or network, and printer lan-

guage. When buying a printer, make sure that the printer has an interface (like USB

or parallel port) that is available on your hardware and a suitable printer language.

Printers can be categorized on the basis of the following three classes of printer

languages:

PostScript Printers

PostScript is the printer language in which most print jobs in Linux and Unix are

generated and processed by the internal print system. If PostScript documents

can be processed directly by the printer and do not need to be converted in addi-

tional stages in the print system, the number of potential error sources is reduced.

Standard Printers (Languages Like PCL and ESC/P)

Although these printer languages are quite old, they are still undergoing expansion

to address new features in printers. In the case of known printer languages, the

print system can convert PostScript jobs to the respective printer language with

the help of Ghostscript. This processing stage is referred to as interpreting. The

best-known languages are PCL (which is mostly used by HP printers and their

clones) and ESC/P (which is used by Epson printers). These printer languages are

usually supported by Linux and produce an adequate print result. Linux may not

be able to address some special printer functions. Except for HP developing HPLIP

(HP Linux Imaging and Printing), there are currently no printer manufacturers

who develop Linux drivers and make them available to Linux distributors under

an open source license.

Proprietary Printers (Also Called GDI Printers)

These printers do not support any of the common printer languages. They use

their own undocumented printer languages, which are subject to change when

a new edition of a model is released. Usually only Windows drivers are available

for these printers. See Section 14.8.1, “Printers without Standard Printer Language

Support” (page 174) for more information.

Before you buy a new printer, refer to the following sources to check how well the

printer you intend to buy is supported:

Printer Operation 163

http://www.linuxfoundation.org/collaborate/workgroups/openprinting/database/

databaseintro

The OpenPrinting home page with the printer database. The database shows the

latest Linux support status. However, a Linux distribution can only integrate the

drivers available at production time. Accordingly, a printer currently rated as

“perfectly supported” may not have had this status when the latest openSUSE

version was released. Thus, the database may not necessarily indicate the correct

status, but only provide an approximation.

http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/

The Ghostscript Web page.

/usr/share/doc/packages/ghostscript/catalog.devices

List of included drivers.

14.1 The Workow of the Printing System

The user creates a print job. The print job consists of the data to print plus information

for the spooler, such as the name of the printer or the name of the printer queue,

and optionally, information for the lter, such as printer-specic options.

At least one dedicated printer queue exists for every printer. The spooler holds the

print job in the queue until the desired printer is ready to receive data. When the

printer is ready, the spooler sends the data through the lter and back-end to the

printer.

The lter converts the data generated by the application that is printing (usually

PostScript or PDF, but also ASCII, JPEG, etc.) into printer-specic data (PostScript,

PCL, ESC/P, etc.). The features of the printer are described in the PPD les. A PPD

le contains printer-specic options with the parameters needed to enable them on

the printer. The lter system makes sure that options selected by the user are en-

abled.

If you use a PostScript printer, the lter system converts the data into printer-specic

PostScript. This does not require a printer driver. If you use a non-PostScript printer,

the lter system converts the data into printer-specic data. This requires a printer

driver suitable for your printer. The back-end receives the printer-specic data from

the lter then passes it to the printer.

14.2 Methods and Protocols for Connecting Printers

There are various possibilities for connecting a printer to the system. The conguration

of the CUPS print system does not distinguish between a local printer and a printer

connected to the system over the network. For more information about the printer

connection, read the article CUPS in a Nutshell in the Support Database at http://

en.opensuse.org/SDB:CUPS_in_a_Nutshell.

164 Start-Up

WARNING: Changing Cable Connections in a Running System

When connecting the printer to the machine, do not forget that only USB devices

can be plugged in or unplugged during operation. To avoid damaging your system

or printer, shut down the system before changing any connections that are not

USB.

14.3 Installing the Software

PPD (PostScript printer description) is the computer language that describes the

properties of a printer, like resolution, and options, such as the availability of a duplex

unit. These descriptions are required for using various printer options in CUPS.

Without a PPD le, the print data would be forwarded to the printer in a “raw” state,

which is usually not desired. During the installation of openSUSE, many PPD les are

preinstalled.

To congure a PostScript printer, the best approach is to get a suitable PPD le. Many

PPD les are available in the package manufacturer-PPDs, which is automatically in-

stalled within the scope of the standard installation. See Section 14.7.2, “PPD Files

in Various Packages” (page 173) and Section 14.8.2, “No Suitable PPD File Available

for a PostScript Printer” (page 175).

New PPD les can be stored in the directory /usr/share/cups/model/ or added to the

print system with YaST as described in Section 14.4.1.1, “Adding Drivers with

YaST” (page 167). Subsequently, the PPD le can be selected during the printer setup.

Be careful if a printer manufacturer wants you to install entire software packages.

First, this kind of installation may result in the loss of the support provided by open-

SUSE and second, print commands may work dierently and the system may no

longer be able to address devices of other manufacturers. For this reason, the instal-

lation of manufacturer software is not recommended.

14.4 Setting Up a Printer

YaST can be used to congure a local printer that is directly connected to your ma-

chine (normally with USB or parallel port) and to set up printing with network printers.

It is also possible to share printers over the network.

In YaST, click Hardware > Printer to start the printer module. By default it opens in

the Printer Congurations view, displaying a list of all printers that are available and

congured. This is especially useful when having access to a lot of printers via the

network. From here you can also Print a Test Page and congure local printers.

14.4.1 Conguring Local Printers

Usually a local USB printer is automatically detected. There are two possible reasons

why a USB printer is not automatically detected:

Printer Operation 165

• The USB printer is switched o.

• The communication between printer and computer is not possible. Check the

cable and the plugs to make sure that the printer is properly connected. If this

is the case, the problem may not be printer-related, but rather a USB-related

problem.

Conguring a printer is basically a three-step process: Specify the connection type,

choose a driver, and name the printing queue for this setup.

For many printer models, several drivers are available. When conguring the printer,

YaST defaults to the one marked recommended as a general rule. Normally it is not

necessary to change the driver—the recommended one should produce the best results.

However, if you want a color printer to print only in black and white, it is most conve-

nient to use a driver that does not support color printing, for example. If you experi-

ence performance problems with a PostScript printer when printing graphics, it may

help to switch from a PostScript driver to a PCL driver (provided your printer under-

stands PCL).

If no driver for your printer is listed, try to select a generic driver with an appropriate

standard language from the list. Refer to your printer's documentation to nd out

which language (the set of commands controlling the printer) your printer under-

stands. If this does not work, refer to Section 14.4.1.1, “Adding Drivers with

YaST” (page 167) for another possible solution.

A printer is never used directly, but always through a print queue. This ensures that

simultaneous jobs can be queued and processed one after the other. Each printer

queue is assigned to a specic driver, and a printer can have multiple queues. This

makes it possible to set up a second queue on a color printer that prints black and

white only, for example. Refer to Section 14.1, “The Workow of the Printing Sys-

tem” (page 164) for more information about print queues.

Procedure 14.1: Adding a New Local Printer

1 Start the YaST printer module with Hardware > Printer.

2 In the Printer Congurations screen click Add.

If your printer is already listed under Specify the Connection, proceed with

the next step. Otherwise, try to Detect More or start the Connection Wizard.

In the input box under Find and Assign a Driver enter the vendor name and

the model name and click Search for.

5 Choose the driver marked as recommended that best matches your printer.

If no suitable drivers is displayed:

5a Check your search term

5b Broaden your search by clicking Find More

166 Start-Up

5c Add a driver as described in Section 14.4.1.1, “Adding Drivers with

YaST” (page 167)

Specify the Default paper size.

7 In the Set Arbitrary Name eld enter a unique name for the printer queue.

8 The printer is now congured with the default settings and ready to use. Click

OK to return to the Printer Congurations view. The newly congured printer

is now visible in the list of printers.

14.4.1.1 Adding Drivers with YaST

If no suitable driver is available in the Find and Assign a Driver dialog when adding

a new printer, no PPD (PostScript Printer Description) le for your model is available.

For more information about PPD les, refer to Section 14.3, “Installing the Soft-

ware” (page 165).

Get PPD les directly from your printer vendor or from the driver CD of a PostScript

printer. For details, see Section 14.8.2, “No Suitable PPD File Available for a PostScript

Printer” (page 175). Alternatively, nd PPD les at http://www.linuxfoundation.org/

collaborate/workgroups/openprinting/database/databaseintro, the “OpenPrinting.org

printer database”. When downloading PPD les from OpenPrinting, keep in mind that

it always shows the latest Linux support status, which is not necessarily met by

openSUSE.

Procedure 14.2: Adding a PPD le

1 Start the YaST printer module with Hardware > Printer.

2 In the Printer Congurations screen click Add.

In the Find and Assign a Driver section click Driver Packages.

Enter the full path to the PPD le into the input box under Make a Printer

Description File Available. Alternatively, choose the le from a dialog box

by clicking Browse.

Click OK to return to the Add New Printer Configuration screen.

6 In order to directly use this PPD le, proceed as described in Procedure 14.1,

“Adding a New Local Printer” (page 166). Otherwise, click Cancel.

14.4.1.2 Editing a Local Printer Conguration

By editing an existing conguration for a local printer you can not only change basic

settings as connection type and driver, but also adjust the default settings for paper

size, resolution, media source, etc. You can change the identier of the printer by

altering the printer descriptions.

Printer Operation 167

Procedure 14.3: Editing a Local Printer

1 Start the YaST printer module with Hardware > Printer.

2 In the Printer Congurations screen, choose a local printer from the list and

click Edit.

3 Change the connection type or the driver as described in Procedure 14.1,

“Adding a New Local Printer” (page 166). This should only be necessary in case

you have problems with the current conguration.

4 Make this printer the default by checking Default Printer.

5 Adjust the default settings by clicking All Options for the Current Driver. To

change a setting, expand the list of options by clicking the relative + sign.

Change the default by clicking an option. Apply your changes with OK.

14.4.2 Conguring Printing via the Network with YaST

Network printers are not detected automatically. They must be congured manually

using the YaST printer module. Depending on your network setup, you can print to

a print server (CUPS, LPD, SMB, or IPX) or directly to a network printer (preferably

via TCP). Access the conguration view for network printing by choosing Printing via

Network from the left pane in the YaST printer module.

14.4.2.1 Using CUPS

In a Linux environment CUPS is usually used to print via the network. The simplest

setup is to only print via a single CUPS server which can directly be accessed by all

clients. Printing via more than one CUPS server requires a running local CUPS daemon

that communicates with the remote CUPS servers.

Procedure 14.4: Printing via a Single CUPS Server

1 Start the YaST printer module with Hardware > Printer.

2 From the left pane launch the Print via Network screen.

3 Check Do All Your Printing Directly via One Single CUPS Server and specify

the name or IP address of the server.

4 Click Test Server to make sure you have chosen the correct name or IP address.

5 Click OK to return to the Printer Congurations screen. All printers available

via the CUPS server are now listed.

Procedure 14.5: Printing via Multiple CUPS Servers

1 Start the YaST printer module with Hardware > Printer.

2 From the left pane launch the Print via Network screen.

168 Start-Up

3 Check Accept Printer Announcements from CUPS Servers.

Under General Settings specify which servers to use. You may accept con-

nections from all networks available, from the local network, or from specic

hosts. If you choose the latter option, you need to specify the hostnames or

IP addresses.

5 Conrm by clicking OK and then Yes when asked to start a local CUPS server.

After the server has started YaST will return to the Printer Congurations

screen. Click Refresh list to see the printers detected by now. Click this button

again, in case more printer are to be available.

14.4.2.2 Using Print Servers other than CUPS

If your network oers print services via print servers other than CUPS, start the YaST

printer module with Hardware > Printer and launch the Print via Network screen from

the left pane. Start the Connection Wizard and choose the appropriate Connection

Type. Ask your network administrator for details on conguring a network printer in

your environment.

14.4.3 Sharing Printers Over the Network

Printers managed by a local CUPS daemon can be shared over the network and so

turn your machine into a CUPS server. Usually you share a printer by enabling CUPS'

so-called “browsing mode”. If browsing is enabled, the local printer queues are made

available on the network for listening to remote CUPS daemons. It is also possible

to set up a dedicated CUPS server that manages all printing queues and can directly

be accessed by remote clients. In this case it is not necessary to enable browsing.

Procedure 14.6: Sharing Printers

1 Start the YaST printer module with Hardware > Printer.

2 Launch the Share Printers screen from the left pane.

3 Select Allow Remote Access. For more detailed conguration, additional options

are available:

• Check For computers within the local network and enable browsing mode

by also checking Publish printers by default within the local network.

• Add the network interface to be used by the CUPS server. If you want to

share your printers via specied network interfaces, add those in the input

box below.

• To restrict access to your CUPS server to certain networks or IP addresses,

specify these via the two input boxes.

4 Click OK to restart the CUPS server and to return to the Printer Congurations

screen.

Printer Operation 169

Regarding CUPS and rewall settings, see http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:CUPS

_and_SANE_Firewall_settings.

14.5 Network Printers

A network printer can support various protocols, some of them even concurrently.

Although most of the supported protocols are standardized, some manufacturers

modify the standard. Manufacturers then provide drivers for only a few operating

systems. Unfortunately, Linux drivers are rarely provided. The current situation is

such that you cannot act on the assumption that every protocol works smoothly in

Linux. Therefore, you may have to experiment with various options to achieve a

functional conguration.

CUPS supports the socket, LPD, IPP and smb protocols.

socket

Socket refers to a connection in which the plain print data is sent directly to a

TCP socket. Some of the socket port numbers that are commonly used are 9100

or 35. The device URI (uniform resource identier) syntax is: sock-

et://

IP.of.the.printer

port

, for example: socket://192.168.2.202:9100/.

LPD (Line Printer Daemon)

The LPD protocol is described in RFC 1179. Under this protocol, some job-related

data, such as the ID of the printer queue, is sent before the actual print data is

sent. Therefore, a printer queue must be specied when conguring the LPD

protocol. The implementations of diverse printer manufacturers are exible enough

to accept any name as the printer queue. If necessary, the printer manual should

indicate what name to use. LPT, LPT1, LP1 or similar names are often used. The

port number for an LPD service is 515. An example device URI is

lpd://192.168.2.202/LPT1.

IPP (Internet Printing Protocol)

IPP is a relatively new protocol (1999) based on the HTTP protocol. With IPP, more

job-related data is transmitted than with the other protocols. CUPS uses IPP for

internal data transmission. The name of the print queue is necessary to congure

IPP correctly. The port number for IPP is 631. Example device URIs are

ipp://192.168.2.202/ps and ipp://192.168.2.202/printers/ps.

SMB (Windows Share)

CUPS also supports printing on printers connected to Windows shares. The protocol

used for this purpose is SMB. SMB uses the port numbers 137, 138 and 139. Exam-

ple device URIs are smb://user:password@workgroup/smb.example.com/printer,

smb://user:password@smb.example.com/printer, and

smb://smb.example.com/printer.

The protocol supported by the printer must be determined before conguration. If

the manufacturer does not provide the needed information, the command nmap (which

170 Start-Up

comes with the nmap package) can be used to ascertain the protocol. nmap checks a

host for open ports. For example:

nmap -p 35,137-139,515,631,9100-10000

printerIP

14.5.1 Conguring CUPS with Command Line Tools

CUPS can be congured with command line tools like lpinfo, lpadmin and lpoptions.

You need a device URI consisting of a back-end, such as parallel, and parameters.

To determine valid device URIs on your system use the command lpinfo -v | grep

":/":

# lpinfo -v | grep ":/"

direct usb://ACME/FunPrinter%20XL

direct parallel:/dev/lp0

With lpadmin the CUPS server administrator can add, remove or manage print queues.

To add a print queue, use the following syntax:

lpadmin -p

queue

-v

device-URI

-P

PPD-file

-E

Then the device (-v) is available as

queue

(-p), using the specied PPD le (-P). This

means that you must know the PPD le and the device URI to congure the printer

manually.

Do not use -E as the rst option. For all CUPS commands, -E as the rst argument

sets use of an encrypted connection. To enable the printer, -E must be used as shown

in the following example:

lpadmin -p ps -v parallel:/dev/lp0 -P \

/usr/share/cups/model/Postscript.ppd.gz -E

The following example congures a network printer:

lpadmin -p ps -v socket://192.168.2.202:9100/ -P \

/usr/share/cups/model/Postscript-level1.ppd.gz -E

For more options of lpadmin, see the man page of lpadmin(8).

During printer setup, certain options are set as default. These options can be modied

for every print job (depending on the print tool used). Changing these default options

with YaST is also possible. Using command line tools, set default options as follows:

1 First, list all options:

lpoptions -p

queue

-l

Example:

Resolution/Output Resolution: 150dpi *300dpi 600dpi

The activated default option is identied by a preceding asterisk (*).

Printer Operation 171

Change the option with lpadmin:

lpadmin -p

queue

-o Resolution=600dpi

3 Check the new setting:

lpoptions -p

queue

-l

Resolution/Output Resolution: 150dpi 300dpi *600dpi

When a normal user runs lpoptions, the settings are written to ~/.cups/lpoptions.

However, root settings are written to /etc/cups/lpoptions.

14.6 Printing from the Command Line

To print from the command line, enter lp -d

queuename filename

, substituting the

corresponding names for

queuename

and

filename

Some applications rely on the lp command for printing. In this case, enter the correct

command in the application's print dialog, usually without specifying

filename

. For

example: lp -d

queuename

14.7 Special Features in openSUSE

A number of CUPS features have been adapted for openSUSE. Some of the most

important changes are covered here.

14.7.1 CUPS and Firewall

After having performed a default installation of openSUSE, SuSEFirewall2 is active

and the network interfaces are congured to be in the External Zone which blocks

incoming trac. More information about the SuSEFirewall2 conguration is available

in Section “SuSErewall2” (Chapter 13, Masquerading and Firewalls, ↑Security Guide)

and at http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:CUPS_and_SANE_Firewall_settings.

14.7.1.1 CUPS Client

Normally, a CUPS client runs on a regular workstation located in a trusted network

environment behind a rewall. In this case it is recommended to congure the network

interface to be in the Internal Zone, so the workstation is reachable from within the

network.

14.7.1.2 CUPS Server

If the CUPS server is part of a trusted network environment protected by a rewall,

the network interface should be congured to be in the Internal Zone of the rewall.

It is not recommended to set up a CUPS server in an untrusted network environment

172 Start-Up

unless you take care that it is protected by special rewall rules and secure settings

in the CUPS conguration.

14.7.2 PPD Files in Various Packages

The YaST printer conguration sets up the queues for CUPS using the PPD les in-

stalled in /usr/share/cups/model. To nd the suitable PPD les for the printer model,

YaST compares the vendor and model determined during hardware detection with

the vendors and models in all PPD les. For this purpose, the YaST printer congura-

tion generates a database with the vendor and model information extracted from

the PPD les.

The conguration using only PPD les and no other information sources has the ad-

vantage that the PPD les in /usr/share/cups/model can be modied freely. For ex-

ample, if you only have PostScript printers, normally you do not need the Foomatic

PPD les in the cups-drivers package or the Gutenprint PPD les in the gutenprint

package. Instead, the PPD les for your PostScript printers can be copied directly to

/usr/share/cups/model (if they do not already exist in the manufacturer-PPDs package)

to achieve an optimum conguration for your printers.

14.7.2.1

CUPS PPD Files in the cups Package

The generic PPD les in the cups package have been complemented with adapted

Foomatic PPD les for PostScript level 1 and level 2 printers:

•

/usr/share/cups/model/Postscript-level1.ppd.gz

•

/usr/share/cups/model/Postscript-level2.ppd.gz

14.7.2.2

PPD Files in the cups-drivers Package

Normally, the Foomatic printer lter foomatic-rip is used together with Ghostscript

for non-PostScript printers. Suitable Foomatic PPD les have the entries *NickName:

... Foomatic/Ghostscript driver and *cupsFilter: ... foomatic-rip. These PPD

les are located in the cups-drivers package.

YaST generally prefers a manufacturer-PPD le. However, when no suitable

manufacturer-PPD le exists, a Foomatic PPD le with the entry *NickName: ...

Foomatic ... (recommended) is selected.

14.7.2.3

Gutenprint PPD Files in the gutenprint Package

Instead of foomatic-rip, the CUPS lter rastertogutenprint from Gutenprint (formerly

known as GIMP-Print) can be used for many non-PostScript printers. This lter and

suitable Gutenprint PPD les are available in the gutenprint package. The Gutenprint

PPD les are located in /usr/share/cups/model/gutenprint/ and have the entries

*NickName: ... CUPS+Gutenprint and *cupsFilter: ... rastertogutenprint.

Printer Operation 173

14.7.2.4

PPD Files from Printer Manufacturers in the manufacturer-PPDs

Package

The manufacturer-PPDs package contains PPD les from printer manufacturers that

are released under a suciently liberal license. PostScript printers should be cong-

ured with the suitable PPD le of the printer manufacturer, because this le enables

the use of all functions of the PostScript printer. YaST prefers a PPD le from the

manufacturer-PPDs, but YaST cannot use a PPD le from the manufacturer-PPDs

package if the model name does not match. This may happen if the manufacturer-PPDs

package contains only one PPD le for similar models, like Funprinter 12xx series.

In this case, select the respective PPD le manually in YaST.

14.8 Troubleshooting

The following sections cover some of the most frequently encountered printer hard-

ware and software problems and ways to solve or circumvent these problems. Among

the topics covered are GDI printers, PPD les and port conguration. Common network

printer problems, defective printouts, and queue handling are also addressed.

14.8.1 Printers without Standard Printer Language Support

These printers do not support any common printer language and can only be ad-

dressed with special proprietary control sequences. Therefore they can only work

with the operating system versions for which the manufacturer delivers a driver. GDI

is a programming interface developed by Microsoft* for graphics devices. Usually

the manufacturer delivers drivers only for Windows, and since the Windows driver

uses the GDI interface these printers are also called GDI printers. The actual problem

is not the programming interface, but the fact that these printers can only be ad-

dressed with the proprietary printer language of the respective printer model.

Some GDI printers can be switched to operate either in GDI mode or in one of the

standard printer languages. See the manual of the printer whether this is possible.

Some models require special Windows software to do the switch (note that the Win-

dows printer driver may always switch the printer back into GDI mode when printing

from Windows). For other GDI printers there are extension modules for a standard

printer language available.

Some manufacturers provide proprietary drivers for their printers. The disadvantage

of proprietary printer drivers is that there is no guarantee that these work with the

installed print system or that they are suitable for the various hardware platforms.

In contrast, printers that support a standard printer language do not depend on a

special print system version or a special hardware platform.

Instead of spending time trying to make a proprietary Linux driver work, it may be

more cost-eective to purchase a printer which supports a standard printer language

(preferably PostScript). This would solve the driver problem once and for all, elimi-

nating the need to install and congure special driver software and obtain driver

updates that may be required due to new developments in the print system.

174 Start-Up

14.8.2 No Suitable PPD File Available for a PostScript Printer

If the manufacturer-PPDs package does not contain a suitable PPD le for a PostScript

printer, it should be possible to use the PPD le from the driver CD of the printer

manufacturer or download a suitable PPD le from the Web page of the printer

manufacturer.

The PPD le is provided as a zip archive (.zip) or a self-extracting zip archive (.exe).

Unpack the zip archive with unzip. First, review the license terms of the PPD le.

Then use the cupstestppd utility to check if the PPD le complies with “Adobe

PostScript Printer Description File Format Specication, version 4.3.” If the utility

returns “FAIL,” the errors in the PPD les are serious and are likely to cause major

problems. The problem spots reported by cupstestppd should be eliminated. If nec-

essary, ask the printer manufacturer for a suitable PPD le.

14.8.3 Network Printer Connections

Identifying Network Problems

Connect the printer directly to the computer. For test purposes, congure the

printer as a local printer. If this works, the problems are related to the network.

Checking the TCP/IP Network

The TCP/IP network and name resolution must be functional.

Checking a Remote lpd

Use the following command to test if a TCP connection can be established to lpd

(port 515) on

host

netcat -z

host

515 && echo ok || echo failed

If the connection to lpd cannot be established, lpd may not be active or there

may be basic network problems.

As the user root, use the following command to query a (possibly very long) status

report for

queue

on remote

host

, provided the respective lpd is active and the

host accepts queries:

echo -e "\004queue" | netcat -w 2 -p 722

host

515

If lpd does not respond, it may not be active or there may be basic network

problems. If lpd responds, the response should show why printing is not possible

on the queue on host. If you receive a response like that shown in Example 14.1,

“Error Message from lpd” (page 175), the problem is caused by the remote lpd.

Example 14.1: Error Message from lpd

lpd: your host does not have line printer access

lpd: queue does not exist

printer: spooling disabled

printer: printing disabled

Printer Operation 175

Checking a Remote cupsd

A CUPS network server can broadcast its queues by default every 30 seconds on

UDP port 631. Accordingly, the following command can be used to test whether

there is a broadcasting CUPS network server in the network. Make sure to stop

your local CUPS daemon before executing the command.

netcat -u -l -p 631 & PID=$! ; sleep 40 ; kill $PID

If a broadcasting CUPS network server exists, the output appears as shown in

Example 14.2, “Broadcast from the CUPS Network Server” (page 176).

Example 14.2: Broadcast from the CUPS Network Server

ipp://192.168.2.202:631/printers/queue

The following command can be used to test if a TCP connection can be established

to cupsd (port 631) on

host

netcat -z

host

631 && echo ok || echo failed

If the connection to cupsd cannot be established, cupsd may not be active or there

may be basic network problems. lpstat -h

host

-l -t returns a (possibly very

long) status report for all queues on

host

, provided the respective cupsd is active

and the host accepts queries.

The next command can be used to test if the

queue

host

accepts a print job

consisting of a single carriage-return character. Nothing should be printed. Possi-

bly, a blank page may be ejected.

echo -en "\r" | lp -d queue -h

host

Troubleshooting a Network Printer or Print Server Box

Spoolers running in a print server box sometimes cause problems when they have

to deal with multiple print jobs. Since this is caused by the spooler in the print

server box, there no way to resolve this issue. As a work-around, circumvent the

spooler in the print server box by addressing the printer connected to the print

server box directly with the TCP socket. See Section 14.5, “Network Print-

ers” (page 170).

In this way, the print server box is reduced to a converter between the various

forms of data transfer (TCP/IP network and local printer connection). To use this

method, you need to know the TCP port on the print server box. If the printer is

connected to the print server box and turned on, this TCP port can usually be

determined with the nmap utility from the nmap package some time after the print

server box is powered up. For example, nmap

IP-address

may deliver the following

output for a print server box:

Port State Service

23/tcp open telnet

80/tcp open http

515/tcp open printer

9100/tcp open jetdirect

176 Start-Up

This output indicates that the printer connected to the print server box can be

addressed via TCP socket on port 9100. By default, nmap only checks a number of

commonly known ports listed in /usr/share/nmap/nmap-services. To check all

possible ports, use the command nmap -p

from_port

to_port IP-address

. This

may take some time. For further information, refer to the man page of nmap.

Enter a command like

echo -en "\rHello\r\f" | netcat -w 1 IP-address port

cat file | netcat -w 1 IP-address port

to send character strings or les directly to the respective port to test if the

printer can be addressed on this port.

14.8.4 Defective Printouts without Error Message

For the print system, the print job is completed when the CUPS back-end completes

the data transfer to the recipient (printer). If further processing on the recipient fails

(for example, if the printer is not able to print the printer-specic data) the print

system does not notice this. If the printer is not able to print the printer-specic data,

select a PPD le that is more suitable for the printer.

14.8.5 Disabled Queues

If the data transfer to the recipient fails entirely after several attempts, the CUPS

back-end, such as USB or socket, reports an error to the print system (to cupsd). The

back-end determines how many unsuccessful attempts are appropriate until the

data transfer is reported as impossible. As further attempts would be in vain, cupsd

disables printing for the respective queue. After eliminating the cause of the problem,

the system administrator must reenable printing with the command cupsenable.

14.8.6 CUPS Browsing: Deleting Print Jobs

If a CUPS network server broadcasts its queues to the client hosts via browsing and

a suitable local cupsd is active on the client hosts, the client cupsd accepts print jobs

from applications and forwards them to the cupsd on the server. When cupsd on the

server accepts a print job, it is assigned a new job number. Therefore, the job number

on the client host is dierent from the job number on the server. As a print job is

usually forwarded immediately, it cannot be deleted with the job number on the

client host This is because the client cupsd regards the print job as completed as

soon as it has been forwarded to the server cupsd.

When it becomes desirable to delete the print job on the server, use a command

such as lpstat -h cups.example.com -o to determine the job number on the server,

provided the server has not already completed the print job (that is, sent it completely

to the printer). Using this job number, the print job on the server can be deleted:

cancel -h cups.example.com

queue-jobnumber

Printer Operation 177

14.8.7 Defective Print Jobs and Data Transfer Errors

If you switch the printer o or shut down the computer during the printing process,

print jobs remain in the queue. Printing resumes when the computer (or the printer)

is switched back on. Defective print jobs must be removed from the queue with

cancel.

If a print job is defective or an error occurs in the communication between the host

and the printer, the printer prints numerous sheets of paper with unintelligible

characters, because it is unable to process the data correctly. To rectify this situation,

follow these steps:

1 To stop printing, remove all paper from the printer or open its paper trays.

High-quality printers have a button for canceling the current printout.

2 The print job may still be in the queue, because jobs are only removed after

they are sent completely to the printer. Use lpstat -o or lpstat -h

cups.example.com -o to check which queue is currently printing. Delete the

print job with cancel

queue

jobnumber

or cancel -h cups.example.com

queue

jobnumber

3 Some data may still be transferred to the printer even though the print job

has been deleted from the queue. Check if a CUPS back-end process is still

running for the respective queue and terminate it. For example, for a printer

connected to the parallel port, the command fuser -k /dev/lp0 can be used

to terminate all processes that are still accessing the printer (more precisely:

the parallel port).

4 Reset the printer completely by switching it o for some time. Then insert the

paper and turn on the printer.

14.8.8 Debugging the CUPS Print System

Use the following generic procedure to locate problems in the CUPS print system:

Set LogLevel debug in /etc/cups/cupsd.conf.

Stop cupsd.

Remove /var/log/cups/error_log* to avoid having to search through very

large log les.

Start cupsd.

5 Repeat the action that led to the problem.

Check the messages in /var/log/cups/error_log* to identify the cause of the

problem.

178 Start-Up

14.8.9 For More Information

Solutions to many specic problems are presented in the SUSE Support Database

(http://en.opensuse.org/Portal:Support_database). Locate the relevant articles

with a text search for SDB:CUPS.

Printer Operation 179

15 Installing and Conguring Fonts

for the Graphical User Interface

The installation of additional fonts in openSUSE® is very easy. Simply copy the fonts

to any directory located in the X11 font path. To enable the use of the fonts, the in-

stallation directory should be a subdirectory of the directories congured in /etc/

fonts/fonts.conf or included into this le with /etc/fonts/suse-font-dirs.conf.

The following is an excerpt from /etc/fonts/fonts.conf. This le is the standard

conguration le that should be appropriate for most congurations. It also denes

the included directory /etc/fonts/conf.d. In this directory, all les or symbolic links

starting with a two digit number are loaded by fontcong. For a more detailed expla-

nation of this functionality, have a look at /etc/fonts/conf.d/README.

<dir>/usr/share/fonts</dir>

<dir>/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts</dir>

<dir>/opt/kde3/share/fonts</dir>

<dir>/usr/local/share/fonts</dir>

<dir>~/.fonts</dir>

/etc/fonts/suse-font-dirs.conf is automatically generated to pull in fonts that ship

with (mostly third party) applications like OpenOce.org, Java or Adobe Acrobat

Reader. A typical entry would look like the following:

<dir>/usr/lib/Adobe/Reader9/Resource/Font</dir>

<dir>/usr/lib/Adobe/Reader9/Resource/Font/PFM</dir>

15.1 Adding Fonts

To install additional fonts system wide, manually copy the font les to a suitable di-

rectory (as root), such as /usr/share/fonts/truetype. Alternatively, the task can be

performed with the KDE font installer in the System Settings. The result is the same.

Instead of copying the actual fonts, you can also create symbolic links. For example,

you may want to do this if you have licensed fonts on a mounted Windows partition

and want to use them. Subsequently, run SuSEconfig --module fonts.

SuSEconfig --module fonts executes the script /usr/sbin/fonts-config, which

handles the font conguration. For more information on this script, refer to its man-

ual page (man fonts-config).

Installing and Conguring Fonts for the Graphical User Interface 181

The procedure is the same for bitmap fonts, TrueType and OpenType fonts, and

Type 1 (PostScript) fonts. All these font types can be installed into any directory

known to fonts-config.

182 Start-Up

16 Upgrading the System and

System Changes

You can upgrade an existing system without completely reinstalling it. There are two

types of renewing the system or parts of it: updating individual software packages

and upgrading the entire system. Updating individual packages is covered in Chap-

ter 5, Installing or Removing Software (page 79) and Chapter 6, YaST Online Up-

date (page 99). Two ways to upgrade the system are discussed in the following

sections— see Section 16.1.3, “Upgrading with YaST” (page 184) and Section 16.1.4,

“Distribution Upgrade with zypper” (page 185).

16.1 Upgrading the System

Software tends to “grow” from version to version. Therefore, take a look at the

available partition space with df before updating. If you suspect you are running

short of disk space, secure your data before you update and repartition your system.

There is no general rule regarding how much space each partition should have. Space

requirements depend on your particular partitioning prole, the software selected,

and the version numbers of the system.

16.1.1 Preparations

Before upgrading, copy the old conguration les to a separate medium (such as

removable hard disk or USB ash drive) to secure the data. This primarily applies to

les stored in /etc as well as some of the directories and les in /var. You may also

want to write the user data in /home (the HOME directories) to a backup medium. Back

up this data as root. Only root has read permission for all local les.

Before starting your update, make note of the root partition. The command df / lists

the device name of the root partition. In Example 16.1, “List with df -h” (page 183),

the root partition to write down is /dev/sda3 (mounted as /).

Example 16.1: List with df -h

Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on

/dev/sda3 74G 22G 53G 29% /

udev 252M 124K 252M 1% /dev

/dev/sda5 116G 5.8G 111G 5% /home

/dev/sda1 39G 1.6G 37G 4% /windows/C

/dev/sda2 4.6G 2.6G 2.1G 57% /windows/D

Upgrading the System and System Changes 183

16.1.2 Possible Problems

If you upgrade a default system from the previous version to this version, YaST works

out the necessary changes and performs them. Depending on your customizations,

some steps (or the entire upgrade procedure) may fail and you must resort to copying

back your backup data. Check the following issues before starting the system update.

16.1.2.1 Checking passwd and group in /etc

Before upgrading the system, make sure that /etc/passwd and /etc/group do not

contain any syntax errors. For this purpose, start the verication utilities pwck and

grpck as root to eliminate any reported errors.

16.1.2.2 Shut Down Virtual Machines

If your machine serves as a VM Host Server for KVM or Xen, make sure to properly

shut down all running VM Guests prior to the update. Otherwise you may not be able

to acces the guests after the update.

16.1.2.3 PostgreSQL

Before updating PostgreSQL (postgres), dump the databases. See the manual page

of pg_dump. This is only necessary if you actually used PostgreSQL prior to your update.

16.1.3 Upgrading with YaST

Following the preparation procedure outlined in Section 16.1.1, “Prepara-

tions” (page 183), you can now upgrade your system:

1 Boot the system as for the installation, described in Section “System Start-Up

for Installation” (Chapter 1, Installation with YaST, ↑Reference). In YaST,

choose a language and select Update in the Installation Mode dialog. Do not

select New Installation. Also add repositories to make sure to get all available

software updated whenever possible. Find more information about installation

repositories in Section “Add-On Products” (Chapter 1, Installation with YaST,

↑Reference).

2 YaST determines if there are multiple root partitions. If there is only one,

continue with the next step. If there are several, select the right partition and

conrm with Next (/dev/sda3 was selected in the example in Section 16.1.1,

“Preparations” (page 183)). YaST reads the old fstab on this partition to analyze

and mount the le systems listed there.

WARNING: Persistent Device Names

All entries in /etc/fstab that specify partitions to be mounted using the

kernel-device name must be changed to any of the other supported

methods prior to performing an update. Kernel-device names are not per-

sistent and are therefore unreliable for use during the update process. This

184 Start-Up

can be done using the YaST System Partitioner by changing the method

used in the fstab options settings.

3 Check the previously used repositories, if there are any. Enable all the

repositories you still want to use and from where you want to update third-

party software. Click the Toggle Status for every list item, if appropriate.

4 If you added repositories during the upgrade procedure as recommended

above, you now can activate those you are actually interested in.

5 In the Installation Settings dialog, adjust the settings according to your require-

ments. Normally, you can leave the default settings untouched. If you intend

to enhance your system, however, check the packages and patterns oered

in the Packages and Update Options submenus, or add support for additional

languages.

You also have the possibility to make backups of various system components.

Selecting backups slows down the upgrade process. Use this option if you do

not have a recent system backup.

6 Conrm the upgrade by clicking Start Update.

Once the basic upgrade installation is nished, YaST reboots the system. Finally,

YaST updates the remaining software, if any and displays the release notes, if

wanted.

16.1.4 Distribution Upgrade with zypper

With the zypper command line utility you can upgrade to the next version of the

distribution. Most importantly, you can initiate the system upgrade process from

within the running system.

This feature is attractive for advanced users who want to run remote upgrades or

upgrades on many similarly congured systems.

16.1.4.1 Before Starting the Upgrade with zypper

To avoid unexpected errors during the upgrade process using zypper, minimize risky

constellations.

Upgrade from the previous version (e.g., 11.3) to this version (11.4)—do not skip

any minor version inbetween (this means, do not upgrade from 11.2 or earlier to

11.4 in one go). Make sure all available 11.3 online updates are successfully applied.

Close as many applications and unneeded services as possible and log out all regular

users.

Disable third party or openSUSE Build Server repositories before starting the upgrade,

or lower the priority of these repositories to make sure packages from the default

system repositories will get preference. Enable them again after the upgrade and

Upgrading the System and System Changes 185

edit their version string to match the version number of the distribution of the up-

graded now running system.

For more information, see http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:System_upgrade.

16.1.4.2 The Upgrade Procedure

WARNING: Check Your System Backup

Before actually starting the upgrade procedure, check that your system backup

is up-to-date and restorable. This is especially important because you must enter

many of the following steps manually.

1 Run the online update to make sure the software management stack is up-

to-date. For more information, see Chapter 6, YaST Online Update (page 99).

2 Congure the repositories you want to use as an update source. Getting this

right is essential. Either use YaST (see Section 5.4, “Managing Software

Repositories and Services” (page 90)) or zypper (see Section 9.1, “Using

Zypper” (page 111)). The name of the repositories as used in the following

steps could vary a little bit depending on your customizations.

To view your current repositories enter:

zypper lr -u

TIP: zypper command names

zypper supports long and short command names. For example, you can

abbreviate zypper install as zypper in. In the following text, the short

variant is used.

2a Increase the version number of the system repositories from 11.3 to

11.4; add the new 11.4 repositories with commands such as:

server=http://download.opensuse.org

new_ver=11.4

zypper ar $server/distribution/$new_ver/repo/oss/

openSUSE-$new_ver-Oss

zypper ar $server/update/$new_ver/ openSUSE-$new_ver-Update

And remove the old repositories:

old_ver=11.3

zypper rr openSUSE-$old_ver-Oss

zypper rr openSUSE-$old_ver-Update

2b Disable third party repositories or other openSUSE Build Server

repositories, because zypper dup is guaranteed to work with the de-

186 Start-Up

fault repositories only (replace

repo-alias

with the name of the

repository you want to disable):

zypper mr -d

repo-alias

Alternatively, you can lower the priority of these repositories.

NOTE: Handling of Unresolved Dependencies

zypper dup will remove all packages having unresolved dependen-

cies, but it keeps packages of disabled repositories as long as

their dependencies are satised.

zypper dup ensures that all installed packages come from one of the

available repositories. It does not consider the version, architecture,

or vendor of the installed packages; thus it emulates a fresh installa-

tion. Packages that are no longer available in the repositories are

considered orphaned. Such packages get uninstalled if their depen-

dencies can not be satised. If they can be satised, such packages

stay installed.

2c Once done, check your repository conguration with:

zypper lr -d

Refresh local metadata and repository contents with zypper ref.

4 Pull in zypper and the package management stack from the 11.4 repository

with zypper up zypper.

Run the actual distribution upgrade with zypper dup. You are asked to conrm

the license.

Perform basic system conguration with SuSEconfig.

Reboot the system with shutdown -r now.

16.1.5 Updating Individual Packages

Regardless of your overall updated environment, you can always update individual

packages. From this point on, however, it is your responsibility to ensure that your

system remains consistent.

Use the YaST software management tool to update packages as described in Chap-

ter 5, Installing or Removing Software (page 79). Select components from the YaST

package selection list according to your needs. If a newer version of a package exists,

the version numbers of the installed and the available versions are listed in blue

color in the Installed (Available) column. If you select a package essential for the

Upgrading the System and System Changes 187

overall operation of the system, YaST issues a warning. Such packages should be

updated only in the update mode. For example, many packages contain shared li-

braries. Updating these programs and applications in the running system may lead

to system instability.

16.2 For More Information

Problems and special issues of the various versions are published online as they are

identied. See the links listed below. Important updates of individual packages can

be accessed using the YaST Online Update. For more information, see Chapter 6,

YaST Online Update (page 99).

Refer to the Product highlights (http://en.opensuse.org/Product_highlights and

the Bugs article in the openSUSE wiki at http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Most

_annoying_bugs for information about recent changes and issues.

188 Start-Up

Part IV. The Bash Shell

17 Shell Basics

When working with Linux these days, you can communicate with the system almost

without ever requiring a command line interpreter (the shell). After booting your

Linux system, you are usually directed to a graphical user interface that guides you

through the login process and the following interactions with the operating system.

The graphical user interface in Linux (the X Window System or X11) is initially cong-

ured during installation. Both KDE and GNOME desktop (and other window managers

you can install) use it for interaction with the user.

Nevertheless, it is useful to have some basic knowledge of working with a shell be-

cause you might encounter situations where the graphical user interface is not

available. For example, if some problem with the X Window System occurs. If you

are not familiar with a shell, you might feel a bit uncomfortable at rst when entering

commands, but the more you get used to it, the more you will realize that the com-

mand line is often the quickest and easiest way to perform some daily tasks.

For UNIX or Linux several shells are available which dier slightly in behavior and in

the commands they accept. The default shell in openSUSE® is Bash (GNU Bourne-

Again Shell).

The following sections will guide you through your rst steps with the Bash shell and

will show you how to complete some basic tasks via the command line. If you are

interested in learning more or rather feel like a shell “power user” already, refer to

Chapter 18, Bash and Bash Scripts (page 225).

17.1 Starting a Shell

Basically, there are two dierent ways to start a shell from the graphical user interface

which usually shows after you have booted your computer:

• you can leave the graphical user interface or

• you can start a terminal window within the graphical user interface.

While the rst option is always available, you can only make use of the second option

when you are already logged in to a desktop such as KDE or GNOME. Whichever way

you choose, there is always a way back and you can switch back and forth between

the shell and the graphical user interface.

If you want to give it a try, press [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [F2] to leave the graphical user inter-

face. The graphical user interface disappears and you are taken to a shell which

prompts you to log in. Type your username and press [Enter]. Then type your pass-

Shell Basics 191

word and press [Enter]. The prompt now changes and shows some useful information

as in the following example:

tux@linux:~>

Your login.

The hostname of your computer.

Path to the current directory. Directly after login, the current directory usually is

your home directory, indicated by the ~ symbol (tilde) .

When you are logged in at a remote computer the information provided by the prompt

always shows you which system you are currently working on.

When the cursor is located behind this prompt, you can pass commands directly to

your computer system. For example, you can now enter ls -l to list the contents of

the current directory in a detailed format. If this is enough for your rst encounter

with the shell and you want to go back to the graphical user interface, you should

log out from your shell session rst. To do so, type exit and press [Enter]. Then press

[Alt] + [F7] to switch back to the graphical user interface. You will nd your desktop

and the applications running on it unchanged.

When you are already logged in to the GNOME or the KDE desktop and want to start

a terminal window within the desktop, press [Alt] + [F2] and enter konsole (for KDE)

or gnome-terminal (for GNOME). This opens a terminal window on your desktop. As

you are already logged in to your desktop, the prompt shows information about your

system as described above. You can now enter commands and execute tasks just

like in any shell which runs parallel to your desktop. To switch to another application

on the desktop just click on the corresponding application window or select it from

the taskbar of your panel. To close the terminal window press [Alt] + [F4].

17.2 Entering Commands

As soon as the prompt appears on the shell it is ready to receive and execute com-

mands. A command can consist of several elements. The rst element is the actual

command, followed by parameters or options. You can type a command and edit it

by using the following keys: [←], [→], [Home], [End], [<—] (Backspace), [Del], and

[Space]. You can correct typing errors or add options. The command is not executed

until you press [Enter].

IMPORTANT: No News Is Good News

The shell is not verbose: in contrast to some graphical user interfaces, it usually

does not provide conrmation messages when commands have been executed.

Messages only appear in case of problems or errors —or if you explicitly ask for

them by executing a command with a certain option.

192 Start-Up

Also keep this in mind for commands to delete objects. Before entering a command

like rm (without any option) for removing a le, you should know if you really want

to get rid of the object: it will be deleted irretrievably, without conrmation.

17.2.1 Using Commands without Options

In Section 17.5.1, “Permissions for User, Group and Others” (page 200) you already

got to know one of the most basic commands: ls, which used to list the contents of

a directory. This command can be used with or without options. Entering the plain

ls command shows the contents of the current directory:

tux@knox:~> ls

bin Desktop Documents public_html tux.txt

tux@knox:~>

Files in Linux may have a le extension or a sux, such as .txt, but do not need to

have one. This makes it dicult to dierentiate between les and folders in this

output of the ls. By default, the colors in the Bash shell give you a hint: directories

are usually shown in blue, les in black.

17.2.2 Using Commands with Options

A better way to get more details about the contents of a directory is using the ls

command with a string of options. Options modify the way a command works so that

you can get it to carry out specic tasks. Options are separated from the command

with a blank and are usually prexed with a hyphen. The ls -l command shows the

contents of the same directory in full detail (long listing format):

tux@knox:~> ls -l

drwxr-xr-x 1 tux users 48 2006-06-23 16:08 bin

drwx---r-- 1 tux users 53279 2006-06-21 13:16 Desktop

drwx------ 1 tux users 280 2006-06-23 16:08 Documents

drwxr-xr-x 1 tux users 70733 2006-06-21 09:35 public_html

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 47896 2006-06-21 09:46 tux.txt

tux@knox:~>

This output shows the following information about each object:

drwxr-xr-x 1 tux users 48 2006-06-23 16:08 bin

Type of object and access permissions. For further information, refer to Sec-

tion 17.5.1, “Permissions for User, Group and Others” (page 200).

Number of hard links to this le.

Owner of the le or directory. For further information, refer to Section 17.5.1,

“Permissions for User, Group and Others” (page 200).

Group assigned to the le or directory. For further information, refer to Sec-

tion 17.5.1, “Permissions for User, Group and Others” (page 200).

File size in bytes.

Date and time of the last change.

Shell Basics 193

Name of the object.

Usually, you can combine several options by prexing only the rst option with a

hyphen and then write the others consecutively without a blank. For example, if you

want to see all les in a directory in long listing format, you can combine the two

options -l and -a (show all les) for the ls command. Executing ls -la shows also

hidden les in the directory, indicated by a dot in front (for example, .hiddenfile).

The list of contents you get with ls is sorted alphabetically by lenames. But like in

a graphical le manager, you can also sort the output of ls -l according to various

criteria such as date, le extension or le size:

•

For date and time, use ls -lt (displays newest rst).

•

For extensions, use ls -lx (displays les with no extension rst).

•

For le size, use ls -lS (displays largest rst).

To revert the order of sorting, add -r as an option to your ls command. For example,

ls -lr gives you the contents list sorted in reverse alphabetical order, ls -ltr shows

the oldest les rst. There are lots of other useful options for ls. In the following

section you will learn how to investigate them.

17.2.3 Getting Help

Nobody is expected to know all options of all commands by heart. If you remember

the command name but are not sure about the options or the syntax of the command,

choose one of the following possibilities:

--help option

If you only want to look up the options of a certain command, try entering the

command followed by a space and --help. This --help option exists for many

commands. For example, ls --help displays all the options for the ls command.

Manual Pages

To learn more about the various commands, you can also use the manual pages.

Manual pages also give a short description of what the command does. They can

be accessed with man followed by the name of the command, for example, man ls.

The man pages are displayed directly in the shell. To navigate them, move up

and down with [Page ↑] and [Page ↓]. Move between the beginning and the end

of a document with [Home] and [End]. End this viewing mode by pressing [Q].

Learn more about the man command itself with man man.

Info Pages

Info pages usually provide even more information about commands. To view the

info page for a certain command, enter info followed by the name of the command

(for example, info ls). You can browse an info page with a viewer directly in the

shell and display the dierent sections, called “nodes.” Use [Space] to move for-

194 Start-Up

ward and [<—] to move backwards. Within a node, you can also browse with

[Page ↑] and [Page ↓] but only [Space] and [<—] will take you also to the previous

or subsequent node. Like for the man pages, press [Q] to end the viewing mode.

Note that man pages and info pages do not exist for all commands. Sometimes both

are available (usually for key commands), sometimes only a man page or an info

page exists, and sometimes neither of them are available.

17.2.4 Bash Shortcut Keys

After having entered several commands, your shell will begin to ll up with all sorts

of commands and the corresponding outputs. In the following table, nd some useful

shortcut keys for navigating and editing in the shell.

FunctionShortcut Key

Clears the screen and moves the cur-

rent line to the top of the page.

[Ctrl] + [L]

Aborts the command which is currently

being executed.

[Ctrl] + [C]

Scrolls upwards.[Shift] + [Page ↑]

Scrolls downwards.[Shift] + [Page ↓]

Deletes from cursor position to start of

line.

[Ctrl] + [U]

Deletes from cursor position to the end

of line.

[Ctrl] + [K]

Closes the shell session.[Ctrl] + [D]

Browses in the history of executed

commands.

[↑], [↓]

17.3 Working with Files and Directories

To address a certain le or directory, you must specify the path leading to that direc-

tory or le. As you may know from MS DOS or Mac OS already, there are two ways

to specify a path:

Absolute Path

Enter the entire path from the root directory to the relevant le or directory.

Shell Basics 195

Relative Path

Enter a path to the relevant le or directory by using the current directory as a

starting point. This implies to give the levels you have to move up or down in the

le system tree to reach the target directory of le, starting from the current di-

rectory.

Paths contain lenames, directories or both, separated by slashes. Absolute paths

always start with a slash. Relative paths do not have a slash at the beginning, but

can have one or two dots.

When entering commands, you can choose either way to specify a path, depending

on your preferences or the amount of typing, both will lead to the same result. To

change directories, use the cd command and specify the path to the directory.

NOTE: Handling Blanks in Filenames or Directory Names

If a lename or the name of a directory contains a space, either escape the space

using a back slash (\) in front of the blank or enclose the lename in single quotes.

Otherwise Bash interprets a lename like My Documents as the names of two les

or directories, My and Documents in this case.

When specifying paths, the following “shortcuts” can save you a lot of typing:

•

The tilde symbol (~) is a shortcut for home directories. For example, to list the

contents of your home directory, use ls ~. To list the contents of another user's

home directory, enter ls ~

username

(or course, this will only work if you have

permission to view the contents, see Section 17.5, “File Access Permis-

sions” (page 200)). For example, entering ls ~tux would list the contents of the

home directory of a user named tux. You can use the tilde symbol as shortcut

for home directories also if you are working in a network environment where

your home directory may not be called /home but can be mapped to any directory

in the le system.

From anywhere in the le system, you can reach your home directory by entering

cd ~ or by simply entering cd without any options.

•

When using relative paths, refer to the current directory with a dot (.). This is

mainly useful for commands such as cp or mv by which you can copy or move

les and directories.

•

The next higher level in the tree is represented by two dots (..). In order to

switch to the parent directory of your current directory, enter cd .., to go up

two levels from the current directory enter cd ../.. etc.

To apply your knowledge, nd some examples below. They address basic tasks you

may want to execute with les or folders using Bash.

196 Start-Up

17.3.1 Examples for Working with Files and Directories

Suppose you want to copy a le located somewhere in your home directory to a

subdirectory of /tmp that you need to create rst.

Procedure 17.1: Creating and Changing Directories

From your home directory create a subdirectory in /tmp:

1 Enter

mkdir /tmp/test

mkdir stands for “make directory”. This command creates a new directory

named test in the /tmp directory. In this case, you are using an absolute path

to create the test directory.

2 To check what happened, now enter

ls -l /tmp

The new directory test should appear in the list of contents of the /tmp direc-

tory.

3 Switch to the newly created directory with

cd /tmp/test

Procedure 17.2: Creating and Copying Files

Now create a new le in a subdirectory of your home directory and copy it to /tmp/

test. Use a relative path for this task.

IMPORTANT: Overwriting of Existing Files

Before copying, moving or renaming a le, check if your target directory already

contains a le with the same name. If yes, consider changing one of the lenames

or use cp or mv with options like -i, which will prompt before overwriting an ex-

isting le. Otherwise Bash will overwrite the existing le without conrmation.

1 To list the contents of your home directory, enter

ls -l ~

It should contain a subdirectory called Documents by default. If not, create this

subdirectory with the mkdir command you already know:

mkdir ~/Documents

To create a new, empty le named myfile.txt in the Documents directory,

enter

Shell Basics 197

touch ~/Documents/myfile.txt

Usually, the touch command updates the modication and access date for an

existing le. If you use touch with a lename which does not exist in your

target directory, it creates a new le.

3 Enter

ls -l ~/Documents

The new le should appear in the list of contents.

4 To copy the newly created le, enter

cp ~/Documents/myfile.txt .

Do not forget the dot at the end.

This command tells Bash to go to your home directory and to copy myfile.txt

from the Documents subdirectory to the current directory, /tmp/test, without

changing the name of the le.

5 Check the result by entering

ls -l

The le myfile.txt should appear in the list of contents for /tmp/test.

Procedure 17.3: Renaming and Removing Files or Directories

Now suppose you want to rename myfile.txt into tuxfile.txt. Finally you decide

to remove the renamed le and the test subdirectory.

1 To rename the le, enter

mv myfile.txt tuxfile.txt

2 To check what happened, enter

ls -l

Instead of myfile.txt, tuxfile.txt should appear in the list of contents.

mv stands for move and is used with two options: the rst option species the

source, the second option species the target of the operation. You can use

mv either

• to rename a le or a directory,

• to move a le or directory to a new location or

• to do both in one step.

198 Start-Up

3 Coming to the conclusion that you do not need the le any longer, you can

delete it by entering

rm tuxfile.txt

Bash deletes the le without any conrmation.

Move up one level with cd .. and check with

ls -l test

if the test directory is empty now.

If yes, you can remove the test directory by entering

rmdir test

17.4 Becoming Root

root, also called the superuser, has privileges which authorize him to access all parts

of the system and to execute administrative tasks. He or she has the unrestricted

capacity to make changes to the system and has unlimited access to all les.

Therefore performing some administrative tasks or running certain programs such

as YaST requires root permissions.

17.4.1 Using su

In order to temporarily become root in a shell, proceed as follows:

Enter su. You are prompted for the root password.

Enter the password. If you mistyped the root password, the shell displays a

message. In this case, you have to re-enter su before retyping the password.

If your password is correct, a hash symbol # appears at the end of the prompt,

signaling that you are acting as root now.

3 Execute your task. For example, transfer ownership of a le to a new user

which only root is allowed to do:

chown wilber kde_quick.xml

After having completed your tasks as root, switch back to your normal user

account. To do so, enter

exit

The hash symbol disappears and you are acting as “normal” user again.

Shell Basics 199

17.4.2 Using sudo

Alternatively, you can also use sudo (superuser “do”) to execute some tasks which

normally are for roots only. With sudo, administrators can grant certain users root

privileges for some commands. Depending on the system conguration, users can

then run root commands by entering their normal password only. Due to a timestamp

function, users are only granted a “ticket” for a restricted period of time after having

entered their password. The ticket usually expires after a few minutes. In openSUSE,

sudo requires the root password by default (if not congured otherwise by your

system administrator).

For users, sudo is convenient as it prevents you from switching accounts twice (to

root and back again). To change the ownership of a le using sudo, only one command

is necessary instead of three:

sudo chown wilber kde_quick.xml

After you have entered the password which you are prompted for, the command is

executed. If you enter a second root command shortly after that, you are not

prompted for the password again, because your ticket is still valid. After a certain

amount of time, the ticket automatically expires and the password is required again.

This also prevents unauthorized persons from gaining root privileges in case a user

forgets to switch back to his normal user account again and leaves a root shell open.

17.5 File Access Permissions

In Linux, objects such as les or folders or processes generally belong to the user

who created or initiated them. There are some exceptions to this rule. For more in-

formation about the exceptions, refer to Chapter 9, Access Control Lists in Linux

(↑Security Guide). The group which is associated with a le or a folder depends on

the primary group the user belongs to when creating the object.

When you create a new le or directory, initial access permissions for this object are

set according to a predened scheme. As an owner of a le or directory, you can

change the access permissions for this object. For example, you can protect les

holding sensitive data against read access by other users and you can authorize the

members of your group or other users to write, read, or execute several of your les

where appropriate. As root, you can also change the ownership of les or folders.

17.5.1 Permissions for User, Group and Others

Three permission sets are dened for each le object on a Linux system. These sets

include the read, write, and execute permissions for each of three types of users—the

owner, the group, and other users.

The following example shows the output of an ls -l command in a shell. This com-

mand lists the contents of a directory and shows the details for each le and folder

in that directory.

200 Start-Up

Example 17.1: Access Permissions For Files and Folders

-rw-r----- 1 tux users 0 2006-06-23 16:08 checklist.txt

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 53279 2006-06-21 13:16 gnome_quick.xml

-rw-rw---- 1 tux users 0 2006-06-23 16:08 index.htm

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 70733 2006-06-21 09:35 kde-start.xml

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 47896 2006-06-21 09:46 kde_quick.xml

drwxr-xr-x 2 tux users 48 2006-06-23 16:09 local

-rwxr--r-- 1 tux users 624398 2006-06-23 15:43 tux.sh

As shown in the third column, all objects belong to user tux. They are assigned to

the group users which is the primary group the user tux belongs to. To retrieve the

access permissions the rst column of the list must be examined more closely. Let's

have a look at the le kde-start.xml:

Permissions for

Others

Group PermissionsUser PermissionsType

r--r--rw--

The rst column of the list consists of one leading character followed by nine charac-

ters grouped in three blocks. The leading character indicates the le type of the object:

in this case, the hyphen (–) shows that kde-start.xml is a le. If you nd the character

d instead, this shows that the object is a directory, like local in Example 17.1, “Access

Permissions For Files and Folders” (page 201).

The next three blocks show the access permissions for the owner, the group and

other users (from left to right). Each block follows the same pattern: the rst position

shows read permissions (r), the next position shows write permissions (w), the last

one shows execute permission (x). A lack of either permission is indicated by -. In

our example, the owner of kde-start.xml has read and write access to the le but

cannot execute it. The users group can read the le but cannot write or execute it.

The same holds true for the other users as shown in the third block of characters.

17.5.2 Files and Folders

Access permissions have a slightly dierent impact depending on the type of object

they apply to: le or directory. The following table shows the details:

Table 17.1: Access Permissions For Files And Directories

FolderFileAccess Permission

Users can view the con-

tents of the directory.

Users can open and read

the le.

Read (r)

Without this permission,

users cannot list the con-

Shell Basics 201

FolderFileAccess Permission

tents of this directory

with ls -l, for example.

However, if they only

have execute permission

for the directory, they

can nevertheless access

certain les in this direc-

tory if they know of their

existence.

Users can create, rename

or delete les in the direc-

tory.

Users can change the

le: They can add or drop

data and can even delete

Write (w)

the contents of the le.

However, this does not

include the permission to

remove the le complete-

ly from the directory as

long as they do not have

write permissions for the

directory where the le is

located.

Users can change into

the directory and execute

Users can execute the

le. This permission is

Execute (x)

les there. If they do notonly relevant for les like

have read access to thatprograms or shell scripts,

directory they cannot listnot for text les. If the

the les but can accessoperating system can ex-

them nevertheless if they

know of their existence.

ecute the le directly,

users do not need read

permission to execute

the le. However, if the

le must me interpreted

like a shell script or a perl

program, additional read

permission is needed.

Note that access to a certain le is always dependent on the correct combination of

access permissions for the le itself and the directory it is located in.

17.5.3 Modifying File Permissions

In Linux, objects such as les or folder or processes generally belong to the user who

created or initiated them. The group which is associated with a le or a folder depends

202 Start-Up

on the primary group the user belongs to when creating the object. When you create

a new le or directory, initial access permissions for this object are set according to

a predened scheme. For further details refer to Section 17.5, “File Access Permis-

sions” (page 200).

As the owner of a le or directory (and, of course, as root), you can change the access

permissions to this object.

To change object attributes like access permissions of a le or folder, use the chmod

command followed by the following parameters:

• the users for which to change the permissions,

• the type of access permission you want to remove, set or add and

• the les or folders for which you want to change permissions separated by

spaces.

The users for which you can change le access permissions fall into the following

categories: the owner of the le (user, u), the group that own the le (group, g) and

the other users (others, o). You can add, remove or set one or more of the following

permissions: read, write or execute.

As root, you can also change the ownership of a le: with the command chown

(change owner) you can transfer ownership to a new user.

17.5.3.1 Examples for Changing Access Permissions and Ownership

The following example shows the output of an ls -l command in a shell.

Example 17.2: Access Permissions For Files and Folders

-rw-r----- 1 tux users 0 2006-06-23 16:08 checklist.txt

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 53279 2006-06-21 13:16 gnome_quick.xml

-rw-rw---- 1 tux users 0 2006-06-23 16:08 index.htm

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 70733 2006-06-21 09:35 kde-start.xml

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 47896 2006-06-21 09:46 kde_quick.xml

drwxr-xr-x 2 tux users 48 2006-06-23 16:09 local

-r-xr-xr-x 1 tux users 624398 2006-06-23 15:43 tux.jpg

In the example above, user tux owns the le kde-start.xml and has read and write

access to the le but cannot execute it. The users group can read the le but cannot

write or execute it. The same holds true for the other users as shown by the third

block of characters.

Procedure 17.4: Changing Access Permissions

Suppose you are tux and want to modify the access permissions to your les:

If you want to grant the users group also write access to kde-start.xml, enter

chmod g+w kde-start.xml

Shell Basics 203

To grant the users group and other users write access to kde-start.xml, enter

chmod go+w kde-start.xml

3 To remove write access for all users, enter

chmod -w kde-start.xml

If you do not specify any kind of users, the changes apply to all users— the

owner of the le, the owning group and the others. Now even the owner tux

does not have write access to the le without rst reestablishing write permis-

sions.

To prohibit the usersgroup and others to change into the directory local,

enter

chmod go-x local

To grant others write permissions for two les, for kde_quick.xml and gnome

_quick.xml, enter

chmod o+w kde_quick.xml gnome_quick.xml

Procedure 17.5: Changing Ownership

Suppose you are tux and want to transfer the ownership of the le kde_quick.xml

to an other user, named wilber. In this case, proceed as follows:

Enter the username and password for root.

2 Enter

chown wilber kde_quick.xml

3 Check what happened with

ls -l kde_quick.xml

You should get the following output:

-rw-r--r-- 1 wilber users 47896 2006-06-21 09:46 kde_quick.xml

4 If the ownership is set according to your wishes, switch back to your normal

user account.

204 Start-Up

17.6 Useful Features of the Shell

As you probably noticed in the examples above, entering commands in Bash can

include a lot of typing. In the following, get to know some features of the Bash that

can make your work a lot easier and save a lot of typing.

History

By default, Bash “remembers” commands you have entered. This feature is called

history. You can browse through commands that have been entered before, select

one you want to repeat and then execute it again. To do so, press [↑] repeatedly

until the desired command appears at the prompt. To move forward through the

list of previously entered commands, press [↓]. For easier repetition of a certain

command from Bash history, just type the rst letter of the command you want

to repeat and press [Page ↑].

You can now edit the selected command (for example, change the name of a le

or a path), before you execute the command by pressing [Enter]. To edit the

command line, just move the cursor to the desired position using the arrow keys

and start typing.

You can also search for a certain command in the history. Press [Ctrl] + [R] to

start an incremental search function. showing the following prompt:

(reverse-i-search)`':

Just type one or several letters from the command you are searching for. Each

character you enter narrows down the search. The corresponding search result

is shown on the right side of the colon whereas your input appears on the left of

the colon. To accept a search result, press [Esc]. The prompt now changes to its

normal appearance and shows the command you chose. You can now edit the

command or directly execute it by pressing [Enter].

Completion

Completing a lename or directory name to its full length after typing its rst

letters is another helpful feature of Bash. To do so, type the rst letters then press

[→|] (Tabulator). If the lename or path can be uniquely identied, it is completed

at once and the cursor moves to the end of the lename. You can then enter the

next option of the command, if necessary. If the lename or path cannot be

uniquely identied (because there are several lenames starting with the same

letters), the lename or path is only completed up to the point where it becomes

ambiguous again. You can then obtain a list of them by pressing [→|] a second

time. After this, you can enter the next letters of the le or path then try comple-

tion again by pressing [→|]. When completing lenames and paths with the help

of [→|], you can simultaneously check whether the le or path you want to enter

really exists (and you can be sure of getting the spelling right).

Wild Cards

You can replace one or more characters in a lename with a wild card for path-

name expansion. Wild cards are characters that can stand for other characters.

There are three dierent types of these in Bash:

Shell Basics 205

FunctionWild Card

Matches exactly one arbitrary charac-

ter

Matches any number of characters

Matches one of the characters from

the group specied inside the square

[

set

]

brackets, which is represented here

by the string

set

17.6.1 Examples For Using History, Completion and Wildcards

The following examples illustrate how to make use of these convenient features of

Bash.

Procedure 17.6: Using History and Completion

If you already did the example Section 17.3.1, “Examples for Working with Files

and Directories” (page 197) your shell buer should be lled with commands which

you can retrieve using the history function.

Press [↑] repeatedly until cd ~ appears.

2 Press [Enter] to execute the command and to switch to your home directory.

By default, your home directory contains two subdirectories starting with the

same letter, Documents and Desktop.

Enter cd D and press [→|].

Nothing happens since Bash cannot identify to which one of the subdirectories

you want to change.

4 Press [→|] again to see the list of possible choices:

tux@knox:~> cd D Desktop/ Documents/ tux@knox:~> cd D

5 The prompt still shows your initial input. Type the next character of the subdi-

rectory you want to go to and press [→|] again.

Bash now completes the path.

6 You can now execute the command with [Enter].

206 Start-Up

Procedure 17.7: Using Wildcards

Now suppose that your home directory contains a number of les with various le

extensions. It also holds several versions of one le which you saved under dierent

lenames myfile1.txt, myfile2.txt etc. You want to search for certain les accord-

ing to their properties.

1 First, create some test les in your home directory:

Use the touch command to create several (empty) les with dierent

le extensions, for example .pdf, .xml and .jpg.

You can do this consecutively (do not forget to use the Bash history

function) or with only one touch command: simply add several le-

names separated by a space.

1b Create at least two les that have the same le extension, for exam-

ple .html.

1c To create several “versions” of one le, enter

touch myfile{1..5}.txt

This command creates ve consecutively numbered les:

myfile1.txt,…,myfile5.txt

1d List the contents of your home directory. It should look similar to this:

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 0 2006-07-14 13:34 foo.xml

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 0 2006-07-14 13:47 home.html

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 0 2006-07-14 13:47 index.html

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 0 2006-07-14 13:47 toc.html

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 0 2006-07-14 13:34 manual.pdf

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 0 2006-07-14 13:49 myfile1.txt

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 0 2006-07-14 13:49 myfile2.txt

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 0 2006-07-14 13:49 myfile3.txt

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 0 2006-07-14 13:49 myfile4.txt

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 0 2006-07-14 13:49 myfile5.txt

-rw-r--r-- 1 tux users 0 2006-07-14 13:32 tux.png

2 With the help of wild cards, select certain subsets of the les according to

various criteria:

To list all les with the .html extension, enter

ls -l *.html

Shell Basics 207

To list all “versions” of myfile.txt, enter

ls -l myfile?.txt

Note that you can only use the ? wild card here because the number-

ing of the les is single-digit. As soon as you have a le named

myfile10.txt you must to use the * wild card to view all versions of

myfile.txt (or add another question mark, so your string looks like

myfile??.txt).

To remove, for example, version 1-3 and version 5 of myfile.txt,

enter

rm myfile[1-3,5].txt

2d Check the result with

ls -l

Of all myfile.txt versions only myfile4.txt should be left.

You can also combine several wild cards in one command. In the example above, rm

myfile[1-3,5].* would lead to the same result as rm myfile[1-3,5].txt because

there are only les with the extension .txt available.

NOTE: Using Wildcards in rm Commands

Wildcards in a rm command can be very useful but also dangerous: you might

delete more les from your directory than intended. To see which les would be

aected by the rm, run your wildcard string with ls instead of rm rst.

17.7 Editing Texts

In order to edit les from the command line, you will need to know the vi editor. vi

is a default editor which can be found on nearly every UNIX/Linux system. It can run

several operating modes in which the keys you press have dierent functions. This

does not make it very easy for beginners, but you should know at least the most

basic operations with vi. There may be situations where no other editor than vi is

available.

Basically, vi makes use of three operating modes:

command mode

In this mode, vi accepts certain key combinations as commands. Simple tasks

such as searching words or deleting a line can be executed.

insert mode

In this mode, you can write normal text.

208 Start-Up

extended mode

In this mode, also known as colon mode (as you have to enter a colon to switch

to this mode), vi can execute also more complex tasks such as searching and

replacing text.

In the following (very simple) example, you will learn how to open and edit a le with

vi, how to save your changes and quit vi.

17.7.1 Example: Editing with vi

NOTE: Display of Keys

In the following, nd several commands that you can enter in vi by just pressing

keys. These appear in uppercase as on a keyboard. If you need to enter a key

in uppercase, this is stated explicitly by showing a key combination including

the [Shift] key.

1 To create and open a new le with vi, enter

vi textfile.txt

By default, vi opens in command mode in which you cannot enter text.

2 Press [I] to switch to insert mode. The bottom line changes and indicates that

you now can insert text.

3 Write some sentences. If you want to insert a new line, rst press [Esc] to

switch back to command mode. Press [O] to insert a new line and to switch

to insert mode again.

4 In the insert mode, you can edit the text with the arrow keys and with [Del].

5 To leave vi, press [Esc] to switch to command mode again. Then press [:]

which takes you to the extended mode. The bottom line now shows a colon.

To leave vi and save your changes, type wq (w for write; q for quit) and press

[Enter]. If you want to save the le under a dierent name, type w

filename

and press [Enter].

To leave vi without saving, type q! instead and press [Enter].

17.8 Searching for Files or Contents

Bash oers you several commands to search for les and to search for the contents

of les:

locate

This utility is only available if you have installed the findutils-locate package.

With this command you can nd out in which directory a specied le is located.

Shell Basics 209

If desired, use wild cards to specify lenames. The program is very quick, because

it uses a database specically created for the purpose (rather than searching

through the entire le system). This very fact, however, also results in a major

drawback: locate is unable to nd any les created after the latest update of its

database. The database can be generated by root running updatedb.

find

With find, search for a le in a given directory. The rst argument species the

directory in which to start the search. The option -name must be followed by a

search string, which may also include wild cards. Unlike locate, which uses a

database, find scans the actual directory.

grep

The grep command nds a specic search string in the specied text les. If the

search string is found, the command displays the line in which searchstring was

found, along with the lename. If desired, use wild cards to specify lenames.

17.8.1 Examples for Searching

The KDE and GNOME desktops store user-specic application data in hidden direc-

tories, for example .kde and .gnome.

1 To locate these directories on your computer, enter

locate .kde

if you have installed KDE desktop or

locate .gnome

if you have installed GNOME desktop.

You will see that locate displays all le names in the database that contain

the string .kde or .gnome anywhere. To learn how to modify this behavior refer

to the man page of locate.

2 To search your home directory for all occurrences of lenames that contain

the le extension .txt, use

find ~ -name '*.txt' -print

3 To search a directory (in this case, your home directory) for all occurrences

of les which contain, for example, the word music, enter

grep music ~/*

Note that grep is case-sensitive— unless you use it with the -i option. With

the command above you will not nd any les containing Music.

210 Start-Up

If you want to use a search string which consists of more than one word, en-

close the string in double quotation marks, for example:

grep "music is great" ~/*

17.9 Viewing Text Files

When searching for the contents of a le with grep, the output gives you the line in

which the searchstring was found along with the lename. Often this contextual

information is still not enough information to decide whether you want to open and

edit this le. Bash oers you several commands to have a quick look at the contents

of a text le directly in the shell, without opening an editor.

head

With head you can view the rst lines of a text le. If you do not specify the

command any further, head shows the rst 10 lines of a text le.

tail

The tail command is the counterpart of head. If you use tail without any further

options it displays the last 10 lines of a text le. This can be very useful to view

log les of your system, where the most recent messages or log entries are usu-

ally found at the end of the le.

less

With less, display the whole contents of a text le. To move up and down half a

page use [Page ↑] and [Page ↓]. Use [Space] to scroll down one page. [Home]

takes you to the beginning, and [End] to the end of the document. To end the

viewing mode, press [Q].

Instead of less, you can also use the older program more. It has basically the

same function—however, it is less convenient because it does not allow you to

scroll backwards. Use [Space] to move forward. When you reach the end of the

document, the viewer closes automatically.

cat

The cat command displays the contents of a le, printing the entire contents to

the screen without interruption. As cat does not allow you to scroll it is not very

useful as viewer but it is rather often used in combination with other commands.

17.10 Redirection and Pipes

Sometimes it would be useful if you could write the output of a command to a le

for further editing or if you could combine several commands, using the output of

one command as the input for the next one. The shell oers this function by means

of redirection or pipes.

Shell Basics 211

Normally, the standard output in the shell is your screen (or an open shell window)

and the standard input is the keyboard. With the help of certain symbols you can

redirect the input or the output to another object, such as a le or another command.

Redirection

With > you can forward the output of a command to a le (output redirection),

with < you can use a le as input for a command (input redirection).

Pipe

By means of a pipe symbol | you can also redirect the output: with a pipe, you

can combine several commands, using the output of one command as input for

the next command. In contrast to the other redirection symbols > and <, the use

of the pipe is not constrained to les.

17.10.1 Examples for Redirection and Pipe

To write the output of a command like ls to a le, enter

ls -l > filelist.txt

This creates a le named filelist.txt that contains the list of contents of

your current directory as generated by the ls command.

However, if a le named filelist.txt already exists, this command overwrites

the existing le. To prevent this, use >> instead of >. Entering

ls -l >> filelist.txt

simply appends the output of the ls command to an already existing le

named filelist.txt. If the le does not exist, it is created.

2 Redirections also works the other way round. Instead of using the standard

input from the keyboard for a command, you can use a le as input:

sort < filelist.txt

This will force the sort command to get its input from the contents of filelist

.txt. The result is shown on the screen. Of course, you can also write the result

into another le, using a combination of redirections:

sort < filelist.txt > sorted_filelist.txt

If a command generates a lengthy output, like ls -l may do, it may be useful

to pipe the output to a viewer like less to be able to scroll through the pages.

To do so, enter

ls -l | less

The list of contents of the current directory is shown in less.

212 Start-Up

The pipe is also often used in combination with the grep command in order

to search for a certain string in the output of another command. For example,

if you want to view a list of les in a directory which are owned by the user

tux, enter

ls -l | grep tux

17.11 Starting Programs and Handling Processes

As you have seen in Section 17.7, “Editing Texts” (page 208), programs can be

started from the shell. Applications with a graphical user interface need the X Window

System and can only be started from a terminal window within a graphical user in-

terface. For example, if you want to open a le named vacation.pdf in your home

directory from a terminal window in KDE or GNOME, simply run okular ~/vacation.pdf

(or evince ~/vacation.pdf) to start a PDF viewer displaying your le.

When looking at the terminal window again you will realize that the command line

is blocked as long as the PDF viewer is open, meaning that your prompt is not

available. To change this, press [Ctrl] + [Z] to suspend the process and enter bg to

send the process to the background. Now you can still have a look at vacation.pdf

while your prompt is available for further commands. An easier way to achieve this

is by sending a process to the background directly when starting it. To do so, add

an ampersand at the end of the command:

okular ~/vacation.pdf &

If you have started several background processes (also named jobs) from the same

shell, the jobs command gives you an overview of the jobs. It also shows the job

number in brackets and their status:

tux@linux:~> jobs

[1] Running okular book.opensuse.startup-xep.pdf &

[2]- Running okular book.opensuse.reference-xep.pdf &

[3]+ Stopped man jobs

To bring a job to the foreground again, enter fg

job_number

Whereas job only shows the background processes started from a specic shell, the

ps command (run without options) shows a list of all your processes—those you

started. Find an example output below:

tux@linux:~> ps

PID TTY TIME CMD

15500 pts/1 00:00:00 bash

28214 pts/1 00:00:00 okular

30187 pts/1 00:00:00 kwrite

30280 pts/1 00:00:00 ps

Shell Basics 213

In case a program cannot be terminated in the normal way, use the kill command

to stop the process (or processes) belonging to that program. To do so, specify the

process ID (PID) shown by the output of ps. For example, to shut down the KWrite

editor in the example above, enter

kill 30187

This sends a TERM signal that instructs the program to shut itself down.

Alternatively, if the program or process you want to terminate is a background job

and is shown by the jobs command, you can also use the kill command in combi-

nation with the job number to terminate this process. When identifying the job with

the job number, you must prex the number with a percent character (%):

kill %

job_number

If kill does not help—as is sometimes the case for “runaway” programs—try

kill -9

PID

This sends a KILL signal instead of a TERM signal, bringing the specied process to

an end in most cases.

This section is intended to introduce the most basic set of commands for handling

jobs and processes. Find an overview for system administrators in Section “Processes”

(Chapter 2, System Monitoring Utilities, ↑System Analysis and Tuning Guide).

17.12 Important Linux Commands

This section gives insight into the most important commands. There are many more

commands than listed in this chapter. Along with the individual commands, parame-

ters are listed and, where appropriate, a typical sample application is introduced. To

learn more about the various commands, use the manual pages, accessed with man

followed by the name of the command, for example, man ls.

Man pages are displayed directly in the shell. To navigate them, move up and down

with [Page ↑] and [Page ↓]. Move between the beginning and the end of a document

with [Home] and [End]. End this viewing mode by pressing [Q]. Learn more about

the man command itself with man man.

In the following overview, the individual command elements are written in dierent

typefaces. The actual command and its mandatory options are always printed as

command option. Specications or parameters that are not required are placed in

[square brackets].

Adjust the settings to your needs. It makes no sense to write ls file if no le named

file actually exists. You can usually combine several parameters, for example, by

writing ls -la instead of ls -l -a.

214 Start-Up

17.12.1 File Commands

The following section lists the most important commands for le management. It

covers everything from general le administration to the manipulation of le system

ACLs.

17.12.1.1 File Administration

ls [options] [files]

If you run ls without any additional parameters, the program lists the contents

of the current directory in short form.

-l

Detailed list

-a

Displays hidden les

cp [options] source target

Copies source to target.

-i

Waits for conrmation, if necessary, before an existing target is overwritten

-r

Copies recursively (includes subdirectories)

mv [options] source target

Copies source to target then deletes the original source.

-b

Creates a backup copy of the source before moving

-i

Waits for conrmation, if necessary, before an existing targetfile is overwrit-

ten

rm [options] files

Removes the specied les from the le system. Directories are not removed by

rm unless the option -r is used.

-r

Deletes any existing subdirectories

-i

Waits for conrmation before deleting each le

ln [options] source target

Creates an internal link from source to target. Normally, such a link points directly

to source on the same le system. However, if ln is executed with the -s option,

Shell Basics 215

it creates a symbolic link that only points to the directory in which source is locat-

ed, enabling linking across le systems.

-s

Creates a symbolic link

cd [options] [directory]

Changes the current directory. cd without any parameters changes to the user's

home directory.

mkdir [options] directory

Creates a new directory.

rmdir [options] directory

Deletes the specied directory if it is already empty.

chown [options] username[:[group]] files

Transfers ownership of a le to the user with the specied username.

-R

Changes les and directories in all subdirectories

chgrp [options] groupname files

Transfers the group ownership of a given file to the group with the specied

group name. The le owner can change group ownership only if a member of

both the current and the new group.

chmod [options] mode files

Changes the access permissions.

The mode parameter has three parts: group, access, and access type. group accepts

the following characters:

User

Group

Others

For access, grant access with + and deny it with -.

The access type is controlled by the following options:

Read

Write

216 Start-Up

Execute—executing les or changing to the directory

Setuid bit—the application or program is started as if it were started by the

owner of the le

As an alternative, a numeric code can be used. The four digits of this code are

composed of the sum of the values 4, 2, and 1—the decimal result of a binary

mask. The rst digit sets the set user ID (SUID) (4), the set group ID (2), and the

sticky (1) bits. The second digit denes the permissions of the owner of the le.

The third digit denes the permissions of the group members and the last digit

sets the permissions for all other users. The read permission is set with 4, the

write permission with 2, and the permission for executing a le is set with 1. The

owner of a le would usually receive a 6 or a 7 for executable les.

gzip [parameters] files

This program compresses the contents of les using complex mathematical algo-

rithms. Files compressed in this way are given the extension .gz and need to be

uncompressed before they can be used. To compress several les or even entire

directories, use the tar command.

-d

Decompresses the packed gzip les so they return to their original size and

can be processed normally (like the command gunzip)

tar options archive files

tar puts one or more les into an archive. Compression is optional. tar is a quite

complex command with a number of options available. The most frequently used

options are:

-f

Writes the output to a le and not to the screen as is usually the case

-c

Creates a new tar archive

-r

Adds les to an existing archive

-t

Outputs the contents of an archive

-u

Adds les, but only if they are newer than the les already contained in the

archive

-x

Unpacks les from an archive (extraction)

Shell Basics 217

-z

Packs the resulting archive with gzip

-j

Compresses the resulting archive with bzip2

-v

Lists les processed

The archive les created by tar end with .tar. If the tar archive was also com-

pressed using gzip, the ending is .tgz or .tar.gz. If it was compressed using

bzip2, the ending is .tar.bz2.

locate patterns

This command is only available if you have installed the findutils-locate pack-

age. The locate command can nd in which directory a specied le is located.

If desired, use wild cards to specify lenames. The program is very fast, because

it uses a database specically created for the purpose (rather than searching

through the entire le system). This very fact, however, also results in a major

drawback: locate is unable to nd any les created after the latest update of its

database. The database can be generated by root with updatedb.

updatedb [options]

This command performs an update of the database used by locate. To include

les in all existing directories, run the program as root. It also makes sense to

place it in the background by appending an ampersand (&), so you can immedi-

ately continue working on the same command line (updatedb &). This command

usually runs as a daily cron job (see cron.daily).

find [options]

With find, search for a le in a given directory. The rst argument species the

directory in which to start the search. The option -name must be followed by a

search string, which may also include wild cards. Unlike locate, which uses a

database, find scans the actual directory.

17.12.1.2 Commands to Access File Contents

file [options] [files]

With file, detect the contents of the specied les.

-z

Tries to look inside compressed les

cat [options] files

The cat command displays the contents of a le, printing the entire contents to

the screen without interruption.

-n

Numbers the output on the left margin

218 Start-Up

less [options] files

This command can be used to browse the contents of the specied le. Scroll half

a screen page up or down with [PgUp] and [PgDn] or a full screen page down with

[Space]. Jump to the beginning or end of a le using [Home] and [End]. Press [Q]

to exit the program.

grep [options] searchstring files

The grep command nds a specic search string in the specied les. If the search

string is found, the command displays the line in which searchstring was found

along with the lename.

-i

Ignores case

-H

Only displays the names of the relevant les, but not the text lines

-n

Additionally displays the numbers of the lines in which it found a hit

-l

Only lists the les in which searchstring does not occur

diff [options] file1 file2

The diff command compares the contents of any two les. The output produced

by the program lists all lines that do not match. This is frequently used by pro-

grammers who need only to send their program alterations and not the entire

source code.

-q

Only reports whether the two les dier

-u

Produces a “unied” di, which makes the output more readable

17.12.1.3 File Systems

mount [options] [device] mountpoint

This command can be used to mount any data media, such as hard disks, CD-

ROM drives, and other drives, to a directory of the Linux le system.

-r

Mount read-only

-t filesystem

Specify the le system, commonly ext2 for Linux hard disks, msdos for MS-DOS

media, vfat for the Windows le system, and iso9660 for CDs

For hard disks not dened in the le /etc/fstab, the device type must also be

specied. In this case, only root can mount it. If the le system needs to also be

Shell Basics 219

mounted by other users, enter the option user in the appropriate line in the /etc/

fstab le (separated by commas) and save this change. Further information is

available in the mount(1) man page.

umount [options] mountpoint

This command unmounts a mounted drive from the le system. To prevent data

loss, run this command before taking a removable data medium from its drive.

Normally, only root is allowed to run the commands mount and umount. To enable

other users to run these commands, edit the /etc/fstab le to specify the option

user for the relevant drive.

17.12.2 System Commands

The following section lists a few of the most important commands needed for retriev-

ing system information and controlling processes and the network.

17.12.2.1 System Information

df [options] [directory]

The df (disk free) command, when used without any options, displays information

about the total disk space, the disk space currently in use, and the free space on

all the mounted drives. If a directory is specied, the information is limited to the

drive on which that directory is located.

-h

Shows the number of occupied blocks in gigabytes, megabytes, or kilobytes—in

human-readable format

-T

Type of le system (ext2, nfs, etc.)

du [options] [path]

This command, when executed without any parameters, shows the total disk

space occupied by les and subdirectories in the current directory.

-a

Displays the size of each individual le

-h

Output in human-readable form

-s

Displays only the calculated total size

free [options]

The command free displays information about RAM and swap space usage,

showing the total and the used amount in both categories. See Section “The free

Command” (Chapter 11, Special System Features, ↑Reference) for more informa-

tion.

220 Start-Up

-b

Output in bytes

-k

Output in kilobytes

-m

Output in megabytes

date [options]

This simple program displays the current system time. If run as root, it can also

be used to change the system time. Details about the program are available in

the date(1) man page.

17.12.2.2 Processes

top [options]

top provides a quick overview of the currently running processes. Press [H] to

access a page that briey explains the main options for customizing the program.

ps [options] [process_ID]

If run without any options, this command displays a table of all your own programs

or processes—those you started. The options for this command are not preceded

by hyphen.

aux

Displays a detailed list of all processes, independent of the owner

kill [options] process_ID

Unfortunately, sometimes a program cannot be terminated in the normal way.

In most cases, you should still be able to stop such a runaway program by exe-

cuting the kill command, specifying the respective process ID (see top and ps).

kill sends a TERM signal that instructs the program to shut itself down. If this

does not help, the following parameter can be used:

-9

Sends a KILL signal instead of a TERM signal, bringing the specied process

to an end in almost all cases

killall [options] processname

This command is similar to kill, but uses the process name (instead of the process

ID) as an argument, killing all processes with that name.

17.12.2.3 Network

ping [options] hostname_or_IP address

The ping command is the standard tool for testing the basic functionality of TCP/IP

networks. It sends a small data packet to the destination host, requesting an im-

mediate reply. If this works, ping displays a message to that eect, which indicates

that the network link is basically functioning.

Shell Basics 221

-c

number

Determines the total number of packages to send and ends after they have

been dispatched (by default, there is no limitation set)

-f

ood ping: sends as many data packages as possible; a popular means, re-

served for root, to test networks

-i

value

Species the interval between two data packages in seconds (default: one

second)

host [options] hostname [server]

The domain name system resolves domain names to IP addresses. With this tool,

send queries to name servers (DNS servers).

ssh [options] [user@]hostname [command]

SSH is actually an Internet protocol that enables you to work on remote hosts

across a network. SSH is also the name of a Linux program that uses this protocol

to enable operations on remote computers.

17.12.2.4 Miscellaneous

passwd [options] [username]

Users may change their own passwords at any time using this command. The

administrator root can use the command to change the password of any user on

the system.

su [options] [username]

The su command makes it possible to log in under a dierent username from a

running session. Specify a username and the corresponding password. The

password is not required from root, because root is authorized to assume the

identity of any user. When using the command without specifying a username,

you are prompted for the root password and change to the superuser (root). Use

su - to start a login shell for a dierent user.

halt [options]

To avoid loss of data, you should always use this program to shut down your

system.

reboot [options]

Does the same as halt except the system performs an immediate reboot.

clear

This command cleans up the visible area of the console. It has no options.

222 Start-Up

17.12.3 For More Information

There are many more commands than listed in this chapter. For information about

other commands or more detailed information, the O'Reilly publication Linux in a

Nutshell is recommended.

Shell Basics 223

18 Bash and Bash Scripts

These days many people use computers with a graphical user interface (GUI) like

KDE or GNOME. Although they oer lots of features, their use is limited when it comes

to the execution of automated tasks. Shells are a good addition to GUIs and this

chapter gives you an overview of some aspects of shells, in this case Bash.

18.1 What is “The Shell”?

Traditionally, the shell is Bash (Bourne again Shell). When this chapter speaks about

“the shell” it means Bash. There are actually more available shells than Bash (ash,

csh, ksh, zsh, …), each employing dierent features and characteristics. If you need

further information about other shells, search for shell in YaST.

18.1.1 Knowing The Bash Conguration Files

A shell can be invoked as an:

1. interactive login shell. This is used when logging in to a machine, invoking Bash

with the --login option or when logging in to a remote machine with SSH.

2. “ordinary” interactive shell. This is normally the case when starting xterm, kon-

sole, gnome-terminal or similar tools.

3. non-interactive shell. This is used when invoking a shell script at the commandline.

Depending on which type of shell you use, dierent conguration les are being

read. The following tables show the login and non-login shell conguration les.

Table 18.1: Bash Conguration Files for Login Shells

DescriptionFile

Do not modify this le, otherwise your

modications can be destroyed during

your next update!

/etc/profile

Use this le if you extend /etc/profile/etc/profile.local

Contains system-wide conguration les

for specic programs

/etc/profile.d/

Bash and Bash Scripts 225

DescriptionFile

Insert user specic conguration for lo-

gin shells here

~/.profile

Table 18.2: Bash Conguration Files for Non-Login Shells

Do not modify this le, otherwise your

modications can be destroyed during

your next update!

/etc/bash.bashrc

Use this le to insert your system-wide

modications for Bash only

/etc/bash.bashrc.local

Insert user specic conguration here

~/.bashrc

Additionally, Bash uses some more les:

Table 18.3: Special Files for Bash

DescriptionFile

Contains a list of all commands you

have been typing

~/.bash_history

Executed when logging out

~/.bash_logout

18.1.2 The Directory Structure

The following table provides a short overview of the most important higher-level di-

rectories that you nd on a Linux system. Find more detailed information about the

directories and important subdirectories in the following list.

Table 18.4: Overview of a Standard Directory Tree

ContentsDirectory

Root directory—the starting point of the

directory tree.

Essential binary les, such as com-

mands that are needed by both the

/bin

system administrator and normal users.

226 Start-Up

ContentsDirectory

Usually also contains the shells, such

as Bash.

Static les of the boot loader.

/boot

Files needed to access host-specic

devices.

/dev

Host-specic system conguration les.

/etc

Holds the home directories of all users

who have accounts on the system.

/home

However, root's home directory is not

located in /home but in /root.

Essential shared libraries and kernel

modules.

/lib

Mount points for removable media.

/media

Mount point for temporarily mounting

a le system.

/mnt

Add-on application software packages.

/opt

Home directory for the superuser root./root

Essential system binaries.

/sbin

Data for services provided by the sys-

tem.

/srv

Temporary les.

/tmp

Secondary hierarchy with read-only da-

ta.

/usr

Variable data such as log les.

/var

Bash and Bash Scripts 227

ContentsDirectory

Only available if you have both Micro-

soft Windows* and Linux installed on

/windows

your system. Contains the Windows

data.

The following list provides more detailed information and gives some examples of

which les and subdirectories can be found in the directories:

/bin

Contains the basic shell commands that may be used both by root and by other

users. These commands include ls, mkdir, cp, mv, rm and rmdir. /bin also contains

Bash, the default shell in openSUSE.

/boot

Contains data required for booting, such as the boot loader, the kernel, and other

data that is used before the kernel begins executing user-mode programs.

/dev

Holds device les that represent hardware components.

/etc

Contains local conguration les that control the operation of programs like the

X Window System. The /etc/init.d subdirectory contains scripts that are executed

during the boot process.

/home/

username

Holds the private data of every user who has an account on the system. The les

located here can only be modied by their owner or by the system administrator.

By default, your e-mail directory and personal desktop conguration are located

here in the form of hidden les and directories. KDE users nd the personal con-

guration data for their desktop in .kde4 and GNOME users nd it in .gconf.

NOTE: Home Directory in a Network Environment

If you are working in a network environment, your home directory may be

mapped to a directory in the le system other than /home.

/lib

Contains the essential shared libraries needed to boot the system and to run the

commands in the root le system. The Windows equivalent for shared libraries

are DLL les.

/media

Contains mount points for removable media, such as CD-ROMs, USB sticks and

digital cameras (if they use USB). /media generally holds any type of drive except

228 Start-Up

the hard drive of your system. As soon as your removable medium has been in-

serted or connected to the system and has been mounted, you can access it from

here.

/mnt

This directory provides a mount point for a temporarily mounted le system. root

may mount le systems here.

/opt

Reserved for the installation of third-party software. Optional software and larger

add-on program packages can be found here.

/root

Home directory for the root user. The personal data of root is located here.

/sbin

As the s indicates, this directory holds utilities for the superuser. /sbin contains

the binaries essential for booting, restoring and recovering the system in addition

to the binaries in /bin.

/srv

Holds data for services provided by the system, such as FTP and HTTP.

/tmp

This directory is used by programs that require temporary storage of les.

IMPORTANT: Cleaning up /tmp at Boot Time

Data stored in /tmp are not guaranteed to survive a system reboot. It depends,

for example, on settings in /etc/sysconfig/cron.

/usr

/usr has nothing to do with users, but is the acronym for UNIX system resources.

The data in /usr is static, read-only data that can be shared among various hosts

compliant with the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS). This directory contains

all application programs and establishes a secondary hierarchy in the le system.

KDE4 and GNOME are also located here. /usr holds a number of subdirectories,

such as /usr/bin, /usr/sbin, /usr/local, and /usr/share/doc.

/usr/bin

Contains generally accessible programs.

/usr/sbin

Contains programs reserved for the system administrator, such as repair functions.

/usr/local

In this directory the system administrator can install local, distribution-independent

extensions.

Bash and Bash Scripts 229

/usr/share/doc

Holds various documentation les and the release notes for your system. In the

manual subdirectory nd an online version of this manual. If more than one lan-

guage is installed, this directory may contain versions of the manuals for dierent

languages.

Under packages nd the documentation included in the software packages installed

on your system. For every package, a subdirectory /usr/share/doc/

packages/

packagename

is created that often holds README les for the package

and sometimes examples, conguration les or additional scripts.

If HOWTOs are installed on your system /usr/share/doc also holds the howto

subdirectory in which to nd additional documentation on many tasks related to

the setup and operation of Linux software.

/var

Whereas /usr holds static, read-only data, /var is for data which is written during

system operation and thus is variable data, such as log les or spooling data. For

an overview of the most important log les you can nd under /var/log/, refer

to Table A.2, “Log Files” (page 242).

/windows

Only available if you have both Microsoft Windows and Linux installed on your

system. Contains the Windows data available on the Windows partition of your

system. Whether you can edit the data in this directory depends on the le system

your Windows partition uses. If it is FAT32, you can open and edit the les in this

directory. For NTFS, openSUSE also includes write access support. However, the

driver for the NTFS-3g le system has limited functionality. Learn more in Sec-

tion “Accessing Files on Dierent OS on the Same Computer” (Chapter 27,

Copying and Sharing Files, ↑Reference).

18.2 Writing Shell Scripts

Shell scripts are a convenient way of doing all sorts of tasks: collecting data,

searching for a word or phrase in a text and many other useful things. The following

example shows a small shell script that prints a text:

Example 18.1: A Shell Script Printing a Text

#!/bin/sh

# Output the following line:

echo "Hello World"

The rst line begins with the Shebang characters (#!) which is an indicator that

this le is a script. The script is executed with the specied interpreter after the

Shebang, in this case /bin/sh.

The second line is a comment beginning with the hash sign. It is recommended

to comment dicult lines to remember what they do.

The third line uses the built-in command echo to print the corresponding text.

230 Start-Up

Before you can run this script you need some prerequisites:

1. Every script should contain a Shebang line (this is already the case with our ex-

ample above.) If a script does not have this line, you have to call the interpreter

manually.

2. You can save the script wherever you want. However, it is a good idea to save

it in a directory where the shell can nd it. The search path in a shell is determined

by the environment variable PATH. Usually a normal user does not have write

access to /usr/bin. Therefore it is recommended to save your scripts in the users'

directory ~/bin/. The above example gets the name hello.sh.

3. The script needs executable permissions. Set the permissions with the following

command:

chmod +x ~/bin/hello.sh

If you have fullled all of the above prerequisites, you can execute the script in the

following ways:

1. As Absolute Path The script can be executed with an absolute path. In our

case, it is ~/bin/hello.sh.

Everywhere If the PATH environment variable contains the directory where the

script is located, you can execute the script just with hello.sh.

18.3 Redirecting Command Events

Each command can use three channels, either for input or output:

• Standard Output This is the default output channel. Whenever a command

prints something, it uses the standard output channel.

• Standard Input If a command needs input from users or other commands, it

uses this channel.

• Standard Error Commands use this channel for error reporting.

To redirect these channels, there are the following possibilities:

Command > File

Saves the output of the command into a le, an existing le will be deleted. For

example, the ls command writes its output into the le listing.txt:

ls > listing.txt

Command >> File

Appends the output of the command to a le. For example, the ls command ap-

pends its output to the le listing.txt:

Bash and Bash Scripts 231

ls >> listing.txt

Command < File

Reads the le as input for the given command. For example, the read command

reads in the content of the le into the variable:

read a < foo

Command1 | Command2

Redirects the output of the left command as input for the right command. For

example, the cat command outputs the content of the /proc/cpuinfo le. This

output is used by grep to lter only those lines which contain cpu:

cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep cpu

Every channel has a le descriptor: 0 (zero) for standard input, 1 for standard output

and 2 for standard error. It is allowed to insert this le descriptor before a < or >

character. For example, the following line searches for a le starting with foo, but

suppresses its errors by redirecting it to /dev/null:

find / -name "foo*" 2>/dev/null

18.4 Using Aliases

An alias is a shortcut denition of one or more commands. The syntax for an alias

is:

alias

NAME

DEFINITION

For example, the following line denes an alias lt which outputs a long listing (option

-l), sorts it by modication time (-t) and prints it in reverse order while sorting (-r):

alias lt='ls -ltr'

To view all alias denitions, use alias. Remove your alias with unalias and the cor-

responding alias name.

18.5 Using Variables in Bash

A shell variable can be global or local. Global variables, or environment variables,

can be accessed in all shells. In contrast, local variables are visible in the current

shell only.

To view all environment variables, use the printenv command. If you need to know

the value of a variable, insert the name of your variable as an argument:

printenv PATH

A variable, be it global or local, can also be viewed with echo:

echo $PATH

232 Start-Up

To set a local variable, use a variable name followed by the equal sign, followed by

the value:

PROJECT="SLED"

Do not insert spaces around the equal sign, otherwise you get an error. To set an

environment variable, use export:

export NAME="tux"

To remove a variable, use unset:

unset NAME

The following table contains some common environment variables which can be used

in you shell scripts:

Table 18.5: Useful Environment Variables

the home directory of the current user

HOME

the current host name

HOST

when a tool is localized, it uses the lan-

guage from this environment variable.

English can also be set to C

LANG

the search path of the shell, a list of di-

rectories separated by colon

PATH

species the normal prompt printed

before each command

PS1

species the secondary prompt printed

when you execute a multi-line com-

mand

PS2

current working directory

PWD

the current user

USER

18.5.1 Using Argument Variables

For example, if you have the script foo.sh you can execute it like this:

foo.sh "Tux Penguin" 2000

Bash and Bash Scripts 233

To access all the arguments which are passed to your script, you need positional

parameters. These are $1 for the rst argument, $2 for the second, and so on. You

can have up to nine parameters. To get the script name, use $0.

The following script foo.sh prints all arguments from 1 to 4:

#!/bin/sh

echo \"$1\" \"$2\" \"$3\" \"$4\"

If you execute this script with the above arguments, you get:

"Tux Penguin" "2000" "" ""

18.5.2 Using Variable Substitution

Variable substitutions apply a pattern to the content of a variable either from the

left or right side. The following list contains the possible syntax forms:

${VAR#pattern}

removes the shortest possible match from the left:

file=/home/tux/book/book.tar.bz2

echo ${file#*/}

home/tux/book/book.tar.bz2

${VAR##pattern}

removes the longest possible match from the left:

file=/home/tux/book/book.tar.bz2

echo ${file##*/}

book.tar.bz2

${VAR%pattern}

removes the shortest possible match from the right:

file=/home/tux/book/book.tar.bz2

echo ${file%.*}

/home/tux/book/book.tar

${VAR%%pattern}

removes the longest possible match from the right:

file=/home/tux/book/book.tar.bz2

echo ${file%%.*}

/home/tux/book/book

${VAR/pattern_1/pattern_2}

substitutes the content of

VAR

from the

pattern_1

with

pattern_2

file=/home/tux/book/book.tar.bz2

echo ${file/tux/wilber}

/home/wilber/book/book.tar.bz2

234 Start-Up

18.6 Grouping And Combining Commands

Shells allow you to concatenate and group commands for conditional execution. Each

command returns an exit code which determines the success or failure of its operation.

If it is 0 (zero) the command was successful, everything else marks an error which

is specic to the command.

The following list shows, how commands can be grouped:

Command1 ; Command2

executes the commands in sequential order. The exit code is not checked. The

following line displays the content of the le with cat and then prints its le

properties with ls regardless of their exit codes:

cat filelist.txt ; ls -l filelist.txt

Command1 && Command2

runs the right command, if the left command was successful (logical AND). The

following line displays the content of the le and prints its le properties only,

when the previous command was successful (compare it with the previous entry

in this list):

cat filelist.txt && ls -l filelist.txt

Command1 || Command2

runs the right command, when the left command has failed (logical OR). The fol-

lowing line creates only a directory in /home/wilber/bar when the creation of the

directory in /home/tux/foo has failed:

mkdir /home/tux/foo || mkdir /home/wilber/bar

funcname(){ ... }

creates a shell function. You can use the positional parameters to access its argu-

ments. The following line denes the function hello to print a short message:

hello() { echo "Hello $1"; }

You can call this function like this:

hello Tux

which prints:

Hello Tux

18.7 Working with Common Flow Constructs

To control the ow of your script, a shell has while, if, for and case constructs.

Bash and Bash Scripts 235

18.7.1 The if Control Command

The if command is used to check expressions. For example, the following code tests

whether the current user is Tux:

if test $USER = "tux"; then

echo "Hello Tux."

else

echo "You are not Tux."

The test expression can be as complex or simple as possible. The following expression

checks if the le foo.txt exists:

if test -e /tmp/foo.txt ; then

echo "Found foo.txt"

The test expression can also be abbreviated in angled brackets:

if [ -e /tmp/foo.txt ] ; then

echo "Found foo.txt"

Find more useful expressions at http://www.cyberciti.biz/nixcraft/linux/docs/

uniqlinuxfeatures/lsst/ch03sec02.html.

18.7.2 Creating Loops With the For Command

The for loop allows you to execute commands to a list of entries. For example, the

following code prints some information about PNG les in the current directory:

for i in *.png; do

ls -l $i

done

18.8 For More Information

Important information about Bash is provided in the man pages man bash. More about

this topic can be found in the following list:

•

http://tldp.org/LDP/Bash-Beginners-Guide/html/index.html—Bash Guide for

Beginners

•

http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Bash-Prog-Intro-HOWTO.html—BASH Programming - In-

troduction HOW-TO

•

http://tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/index.html—Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide

•

http://www.grymoire.com/Unix/Sh.html—Sh - the Bourne Shell

236 Start-Up

A Help and Troubleshooting

A.1 Help and Documentation

openSUSE® comes with various sources of information and documentation, many

of which are already integrated into your installed system.

Documentation in /usr/share/doc

This traditional help directory holds various documentation les and release notes

for your system. It contains also information of installed packages in the subdirec-

tory packages. Find more detailed information in Section A.1.1, “Documentation

Directory” (page 237).

Man Pages and Info Pages for Shell Commands

When working with the shell, you do not need to know the options of the com-

mands by heart. Traditionally, the shell provides integrated help by means of

man pages and info pages. Read more in Section A.1.2, “Man Pages” (page 239)

and Section A.1.3, “Info Pages” (page 240).

Desktop Help Centers

The help centers of both the KDE desktop (KDE help center) and the GNOME

desktop (Help) provide central access to the most important documentation re-

sources on your system in searchable form. These resources include online help

for installed applications, man pages, info pages, and the Novell/SUSE manuals

delivered with your product.

Separate Help Packages for Some Applications

When installing new software with YaST, the software documentation is installed

automatically (in most cases) and usually appears in the help center of your

desktop. However, some applications, such as GIMP, may have dierent online

help packages that can be installed separately with YaST and do not integrate

into the help centers.

A.1.1 Documentation Directory

The traditional directory to nd documentation on your installed Linux system is

/usr/share/doc. Usually, the directory contains information about the packages in-

stalled on your system, plus release notes, manuals, and more.

NOTE: Contents Depends on Installed Packages

In the Linux world, many manuals and other kinds of documentation are available

in the form of packages, just like software. How much and which information you

nd in /usr/share/docs also depends on the (documentation) packages installed.

If you cannot nd the subdirectories mentioned here, check if the respective

packages are installed on your system and add them with YaST, if needed.

A.1.1.1 Novell/SUSE Manuals

We provide HTML and PDF versions of our books in dierent languages. In the manual

subdirectory, nd HTML versions of most of the Novell/SUSE manuals available for

your product. For an overview of all documentation available for your product refer

to the preface of the manuals.

If more than one language is installed, /usr/share/doc/manual may contain dierent

language versions of the manuals. The HTML versions of the Novell/SUSE manuals

are also available in the help center of both desktops. For information on where to

nd the PDF and HTML versions of the books on your installation media, refer to the

openSUSE Release Notes. They are available on your installed system under /usr/

share/doc/release-notes/ or online at your product-specic Web page at http://

www.suse.com/documentation/.

A.1.1.2 HOWTOs

If the howto package is installed on your system, /usr/share/doc also holds the howto

subdirectory, where you nd additional documentation for many tasks relating to

the setup and operation of Linux software.

A.1.1.3 Package Documentation

Under packages, nd the documentation that is included in the software packages

installed on your system. For every package, a subdirectory /usr/share/doc/

packages/

packagename

is created. It often contains README les for the package and

sometimes examples, conguration les, or additional scripts. The following list in-

troduces typical les to be found under /usr/share/doc/packages. None of these

entries are mandatory and many packages might just include a few of them.

AUTHORS

List of the main developers.

BUGS

Known bugs or malfunctions. Might also contain a link to a Bugzilla Web page

where you can search all bugs.

CHANGES , ChangeLog

Summary of changes from version to version. Usually interesting for developers,

because it is very detailed.

COPYING , LICENSE

Licensing information.

FAQ

Question and answers collected from mailing lists or newsgroups.

238 Start-Up

INSTALL

How to install this package on your system. As the package is already installed

by the time you get to read this le, you can safely ignore the contents of this

le.

README, README.*

General information on the software. For example, for what purpose and how to

use it.

TODO

Things that are not implemented yet, but probably will be in the future.

MANIFEST

List of les with a brief summary.

NEWS

Description of what is new in this version.

A.1.2 Man Pages

Man pages are an essential part of any Linux system. They explain the usage of a

command and all available options and parameters. Man pages can be accessed

with man followed by the name of the command, for example, man ls.

Man pages are displayed directly in the shell. To navigate them, move up and down

with [Page ↑] and [Page ↓]. Move between the beginning and the end of a document

with [Home] and [End]. End this viewing mode by pressing [Q]. Learn more about

the man command itself with man man. Man pages are sorted in categories as shown

in Table A.1, “Man Pages—Categories and Descriptions” (page 239) (taken from the

man page for man itself).

Table A.1: Man Pages—Categories and Descriptions

DescriptionNumber

Executable programs or shell com-

mands

System calls (functions provided by the

Kernel)

Library calls (functions within program

libraries)

Special les (usually found in /dev)

Help and Troubleshooting 239

DescriptionNumber

File formats and conventions (/etc/

fstab)

Games6

Miscellaneous (including macro pack-

ages and conventions), for example,

man(7), gro(7)

System administration commands

(usually only for root)

Kernel routines (nonstandard)9

Each man page consists of several parts labeled NAME , SYNOPSIS , DESCRIPTION ,

SEE ALSO , LICENSING , and AUTHOR . There may be additional sections available

depending on the type of command.

A.1.3 Info Pages

Info pages are another important source of information on your system. Usually, they

are more detailed than man pages. To view the info page for a certain command,

enter info followed by the name of the command, for example, info ls. You can

browse an info page with a viewer directly in the shell and display the dierent sec-

tions, called “nodes”. Use [Space] to move forward and [<—] to move backwards.

Within a node, you can also browse with [Page ↑] and [Page ↓] but only [Space] and

[<—] will take you also to the previous or subsequent node. Press [Q] to end the

viewing mode. Not every man page comes with an info page and vice versa.

A.1.4 Online Resources

In addition to the online versions of the openSUSE manuals installed under /usr/

share/doc, you can also access the product-specic manuals and documentation on

the Web. For an overview of all documentation available for openSUSE check out

your product-specic documentation Web page at http://doc.opensuse.org.

If you are searching for additional product-related information, you can also refer to

the following Web sites:

openSUSE Wiki

Detailed information about lots of dierent aspects of the openSUSE system can

be found in our Wiki at http://en.opensuse.org. You may also contribute to each

Wiki page and change or add new pages.

240 Start-Up

openSUSE Support Database

The openSUSE Support Database (SDB) can be found at http://en.opensuse.org/

Portal:Support_database. It features articles written as solutions for technical

problems with openSUSE. They cover issues from installation and conguration,

to workarounds for bugs and missing features.

openSUSE Forums

There are several openSUSE forums where you can dive in on discussions about

openSUSE, or get support. See http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Forums_list

for a list.

KDE Documentation

Find documentation for many aspects of KDE suitable for users and administrators

at http://www.kde.org/documentation/.

GNOME Documentation

Documentation for GNOME users, administrators and developers is available at

http://library.gnome.org/.

The Linux Documentation Project

The Linux Documentation Project (TLDP) is run by a team of volunteers who write

Linux-related documentation (see http://www.tldp.org). It's probably the most

comprehensive documentation resource for Linux. The set of documents contains

tutorials for beginners, but is mainly focused on experienced users and profes-

sional system administrators. TLDP publishes HOWTOs, FAQs, and guides (hand-

books) under a free license. Parts of the documentation from TLDP is also available

on openSUSE

You may also want to try general-purpose search engines. For example, use search

terms Linux CD-RW help or OpenOffice file conversion problem if you have trouble

with burning CDs or LibreOce le conversion. Google™ also has a Linux-specic

search engine at http://www.google.com/linux that you might nd useful.

A.2 Common Problems and Their Solutions

This chapter describes a range of potential problems and their solutions. Even if your

situation is not precisely listed here, there may be one Even if your situation is not

precisely listed here, there may be one similar enough to oer hints to the solution

of your problem.

A.2.1 Finding and Gathering Information

Linux reports things in a very detailed way. There are several places to look when

you encounter problems with your system, most of which are standard to Linux sys-

tems in general, and some of which are relevant to openSUSE systems. Most log les

can be viewed with YaST (Miscellaneous > Start-Up Log).

A list of the most frequently checked log les follows with the description of their

typical purpose. Paths containing ~ refer to the current user's home directory.

Help and Troubleshooting 241

Table A.2: Log Files

DescriptionLog File

Messages from the desktop applications

currently running.

~/.xsession-errors

Log les from AppArmor, see

Part “Conning Privileges with App-

/var/log/apparmor/

Armor” (↑Security Guide) for detailed

information.

Messages from the kernel reported

during the boot process.

/var/log/boot.msg

Messages from the mail system.

/var/log/mail.*

Ongoing messages from the kernel and

system log daemon (when running).

/var/log/messages

Log le from NetworkManager to collect

problems with network connectivity

/var/log/NetworkManager

Directory containing Samba server and

client log messages.

/var/log/samba/

Hardware messages from the SaX dis-

play and KVM system.

/var/log/SaX.log

All messages from the kernel and sys-

tem log daemon with the “warning”

level or higher.

/var/log/warn

Binary le containing user login records

for the current machine session. View

it with last.

/var/log/wtmp

Various start-up and runtime logs from

the X Window system. It is useful for

debugging failed X start-ups.

/var/log/Xorg.*.log

Directory containing YaST's actions and

their results.

/var/log/YaST2/

242 Start-Up

DescriptionLog File

Log le of zypper.

/var/log/zypper.log

Apart from log les, your machine also supplies you with information about the running

system. See Table A.3: System Information With the /proc File System

Table A.3: System Information With the /proc File System

DescriptionFile

Contains processor information, includ-

ing its type, make, model, and perfor-

mance.

/proc/cpuinfo

Shows which DMA channels are current-

ly being used.

/proc/dma

Shows which interrupts are in use, and

how many of each have been in use.

/proc/interrupts

Displays the status of I/O (input/output)

memory.

/proc/iomem

Shows which I/O ports are in use at the

moment.

/proc/ioports

Displays memory status.

/proc/meminfo

Displays the individual modules.

/proc/modules

Displays devices currently mounted.

/proc/mounts

Shows the partitioning of all hard disks.

/proc/partitions

Displays the current version of Linux.

/proc/version

Apart from the /proc le system, the Linux kernel exports information with the sysfs

module, an in-memory lesystem. This module represents kernel objects, their at-

tributes and relationships. For more information about sysfs, see the context of udev

in Chapter 12, Dynamic Kernel Device Management with

udev

(↑Reference). Table A.4

contains an overview of the most common directories under /sys.

Help and Troubleshooting 243

Table A.4: System Information With the /sys File System

DescriptionFile

Contains subdirectories for each block

device discovered in the system. Gener-

ally, these are mostly disk type devices.

/sys/block

Contains subdirectories for each physi-

cal bus type.

/sys/bus

Contains subdirectories grouped togeth-

er as a functional types of devices (like

graphics, net, printer, etc.)

/sys/class

Contains the global device hierarchy.

/sys/device

Linux comes with a number of tools for system analysis and monitoring. See Chap-

ter 2, System Monitoring Utilities (↑System Analysis and Tuning Guide) for a selection

of the most important ones used in system diagnostics.

Each of the following scenarios begins with a header describing the problem followed

by a paragraph or two oering suggested solutions, available references for more

detailed solutions, and cross-references to other scenarios that are related.

A.2.2 Installation Problems

Installation problems are situations when a machine fails to install. It may fail entirely

or it may not be able to start the graphical installer. This section highlights some of

the typical problems you may run into, and oers possible solutions or workarounds

for these kinds of situations.

A.2.2.1 Checking Media

If you encounter any problems using the openSUSE installation media, check the in-

tegrity of your installation media. Boot from the media and choose Check Installation

Media from the boot menu. In a running system, start YaST and choose Software >

Media Check. Media problems are more probable with the media you burn yourself.

Burning the media at a low speed (4x) helps avoiding problems.

A.2.2.2 Hardware Information

Display detected hardware and technical data using Hardware > Hardware Informa-

tion. Click any node of the tree for more information about a device. This module is

especially useful, when submitting a support request for which you need information

about your hardware.

Save the displayed hardware information to a le by clicking Save to File. Select the

desired directory and lename then click Save to create the le.

244 Start-Up

A.2.2.3 No Bootable DVD Drive Available

If your computer does not contain a bootable DVD-ROM drive or if the one you have

is not supported by Linux, there are several options you can install your machine

without a built-in DVD drive:

Using an External Boot Device

If it is supported by your BIOS and the installation kernel, boot from external DVD

drives or USB storage devices.

Network Boot via PXE

If a machine lacks a DVD drive, but provides a working ethernet connection,

perform a completely network-based installation. See Section “Remote Installation

via VNC—PXE Boot and Wake on LAN” (Chapter 2, Remote Installation, ↑Refer-

ence) and Section “Remote Installation via SSH—PXE Boot and Wake on LAN”

(Chapter 2, Remote Installation, ↑Reference) for details.

External Boot Devices

Linux supports most existing DVD drives. If the system has neither a DVD drive nor

a oppy disk, it is still possible that an external DVD drive, connected through USB,

FireWire, or SCSI, can be used to boot the system. This depends mainly on the inter-

action of the BIOS and the hardware used. Sometimes a BIOS update may help if

you encounter problems.

When installing from a KDE or GNOME Live CD, you can also create a “Live USB stick”

to boot from. Refer to http://en.opensuse.org/Live_USB_stick for detailed instruc-

tions.

A.2.2.4 Booting from Installation Media Fails

One reason why a machine does not boot the installation media can be an incorrect

boot sequence setting in BIOS. The BIOS boot sequence must have DVD drive set as

the rst entry for booting. Otherwise the machine would try to boot from another

medium, typically the hard disk. Guidance for changing the BIOS boot sequence can

be found the documentation provided with your motherboard, or in the following

paragraphs.

The BIOS is the software that enables the very basic functions of a computer. Moth-

erboard vendors provide a BIOS specically made for their hardware. Normally, the

BIOS setup can only be accessed at a specic time—when the machine is booting.

During this initialization phase, the machine performs a number of diagnostic hard-

ware tests. One of them is a memory check, indicated by a memory counter. When

the counter appears, look for a line, usually below the counter or somewhere at the

bottom, mentioning the key to press to access the BIOS setup. Usually the key to

press is one of [Del], [F1], or [Esc]. Press this key until the BIOS setup screen appears.

Procedure A.1: Changing the BIOS Boot Sequence

1 Enter the BIOS using the proper key as announced by the boot routines and

wait for the BIOS screen to appear.

Help and Troubleshooting 245

2 To change the boot sequence in an AWARD BIOS, look for the BIOS FEATURES

SETUP entry. Other manufacturers may have a dierent name for this, such

as ADVANCED CMOS SETUP. When you have found the entry, select it and

conrm with [Enter].

3 In the screen that opens, look for a subentry called BOOT SEQUENCE or BOOT

ORDER. The boot sequence looks something like C,A or A,C. In the former

case, the machine rst searches the hard disk (C) then the oppy drive (A) to

nd a bootable medium. Change the settings by pressing [PgUp] or [PgDown]

until the sequence is A,CDROM,C.

4 Leave the BIOS setup screen by pressing [Esc]. To save the changes, select

SAVE & EXIT SETUP, or press [F10]. To conrm that your settings should be

saved, press [Y].

Procedure A.2: Changing the Boot Sequence in a SCSI BIOS (Adaptec Host Adapter)

1 Open the setup by pressing [Ctrl] + [A].

2 Select Disk Utilities. The connected hardware components are now displayed.

Make note of the SCSI ID of your DVD drive.

3 Exit the menu with [Esc].

4 Open Congure Adapter Settings. Under Additional Options, select Boot Device

Options and press [Enter].

5 Enter the ID of the DVD drive and press [Enter] again.

6 Press [Esc] twice to return to the start screen of the SCSI BIOS.

7 Exit this screen and conrm with Yes to boot the computer.

Regardless of what language and keyboard layout your nal installation will be using,

most BIOS congurations use the US keyboard layout as depicted in the following

gure:

Figure A.1: US Keyboard Layout

246 Start-Up

A.2.2.5 Fails to Boot

Some hardware types, mainly very old or very recent ones, fail to install. In many

cases, this may happen because support for this type of hardware is missing in the

installation kernel, or due to certain functionality included in this kernel, such as

ACPI, that can still cause problems on some hardware.

If your system fails to install using the standard Installation mode from the rst in-

stallation boot screen, try the following:

1 With the DVD still in the drive, reboot the machine with [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Del]

or using the hardware reset button.

2 When the boot screen appears, press [F5], use the arrow keys of your keyboard

to navigate to No ACPI and press [Enter] to launch the boot and installation

process. This option disables the support for ACPI power management tech-

niques.

3 Proceed with the installation as described in Chapter 1, Installation with YaST

(↑Reference).

If this fails, proceed as above, but choose Safe Settings instead. This option disables

ACPI and DMA support. Most hardware will boot with this option.

If both of these options fail, use the boot options prompt to pass any additional pa-

rameters needed to support this type of hardware to the installation kernel. For more

information about the parameters available as boot options, refer to the kernel doc-

umentation located in /usr/src/linux/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt.

TIP: Obtaining Kernel Documentation

Install the kernel-source package to view the kernel documentation.

There are various other ACPI-related kernel parameters that can be entered at the

boot prompt prior to booting for installation:

acpi=off

This parameter disables the complete ACPI subsystem on your computer. This

may be useful if your computer cannot handle ACPI at all or if you think ACPI in

your computer causes trouble.

acpi=force

Always enable ACPI even if your computer has an old BIOS dated before the year

2000. This parameter also enables ACPI if it is set in addition to acpi=off.

acpi=noirq

Do not use ACPI for IRQ routing.

acpi=ht

Run only enough ACPI to enable hyper-threading.

Help and Troubleshooting 247

acpi=strict

Be less tolerant of platforms that are not strictly ACPI specication compliant.

pci=noacpi

Disable PCI IRQ routing of the new ACPI system.

pnpacpi=off

This option is for serial or parallel problems when your BIOS setup contains wrong

interrupts or ports.

notsc

Disable the time stamp counter. This option can be used to work around timing

problems on your systems. It is a recent feature, if you see regressions on your

machine, especially time related or even total hangs, this option is worth a try.

nohz=off

Disable the nohz feature. If your machine hangs, this option may help. Otherwise

it is of no use.

Once you have determined the right parameter combination, YaST automatically

writes them to the boot loader conguration to make sure that the system boots

properly next time.

If unexplainable errors occur when the kernel is loaded or during the installation,

select Memory Test in the boot menu to check the memory. If Memory Test returns

an error, it is usually a hardware error.

A.2.2.6 Fails to Launch Graphical Installer

After you insert the medium into your drive and reboot your machine, the installation

screen comes up, but after you select Installation, the graphical installer does not

start.

There are several ways to deal with this situation:

• Try to select another screen resolution for the installation dialogs.

• Select Text Mode for installation.

• Do a remote installation via VNC using the graphical installer.

Procedure A.3: Change Screen Resolution for Installation

1 Boot for installation.

2 Press [F3] to open a menu from which to select a lower resolution for installa-

tion purposes.

3 Select Installation and proceed with the installation as described in Chapter 1,

Installation with YaST (↑Reference).

248 Start-Up

Procedure A.4: Installation in Text Mode

1 Boot for installation.

2 Press [F3] and select Text Mode.

3 Select Installation and proceed with the installation as described in Chapter 1,

Installation with YaST (↑Reference).

Procedure A.5: VNC Installation

1 Boot for installation.

2 Enter the following text at the boot options prompt:

vnc=1 vncpassword=

some_password

Replace

some_password

with the password to use for VNC installation.

3 Select Installation then press [Enter] to start the installation .

Instead of starting right into the graphical installation routine, the system

continues to run in a text mode, then halts, displaying a message containing

the IP address and port number at which the installer can be reached via a

browser interface or a VNC viewer application.

4 If using a browser to access the installer, launch the browser and enter the

address information provided by the installation routines on the future open-

SUSE machine and hit [Enter]:

http://

ip_address_of_machine

:5801

A dialog opens in the browser window prompting you for the VNC password.

Enter it and proceed with the installation as described in Chapter 1, Installation

with YaST (↑Reference).

IMPORTANT

Installation via VNC works with any browser under any operating system,

provided Java support is enabled.

Provide the IP address and password to your VNC viewer when prompted. A

window opens, displaying the installation dialogs. Proceed with the installation

as usual.

A.2.2.7 Only Minimalistic Boot Screen Started

You inserted the medium into the drive, the BIOS routines are nished, but the system

does not start with the graphical boot screen. Instead it launches a very minimalistic

text-based interface. This may happen on any machine not providing sucient

graphics memory for rendering a graphical boot screen.

Help and Troubleshooting 249

Although the text boot screen looks minimalistic, it provides nearly the same func-

tionality as the graphical one:

Boot Options

Unlike the graphical interface, the dierent boot options cannot be selected using

the cursor keys of your keyboard. The boot menu of the text mode boot screen

oers some keywords to enter at the boot prompt. These keywords map to the

options oered in the graphical version. Enter your choice and hit [Enter] to launch

the boot process.

Custom Boot Options

After selecting a boot option, enter the appropriate keyword at the boot prompt

or enter some custom boot options as described in Section A.2.2.5, “Fails to

Boot” (page 247). To launch the installation process, press [Enter].

Screen Resolutions

Use the F keys to determine the screen resolution for installation. If you need to

boot in text mode, choose [F3].

A.2.3 Boot Problems

Boot problems are situations when your system does not boot properly (does not

boot to the expected runlevel and login screen).

A.2.3.1 Fails to Load the GRUB Boot Loader

If the hardware is functioning properly, it is possible that the boot loader is corrupted

and Linux cannot start on the machine. In this case, it is necessary to repair the boot

loader. To do so, you need start the Rescue System as described in Section A.2.7,

“Recovering a Corrupted System” (page 263) and follow the instructions at Section

“Modifying and Reinstalling the Boot Loader” (page 266).

Other reasons for the machine not booting may be BIOS-related:

BIOS Settings

Check your BIOS for references to your hard drive. GRUB may simply not be

started if the hard drive itself cannot be found with the current BIOS settings.

BIOS Boot Order

Check whether your system's boot order includes the hard disk. If the hard disk

option was not enabled, your system may install properly, but fails to boot when

access to the hard disk is required.

A.2.3.2 No Graphical Login

If the machine comes up, but does not boot into the graphical login manager, antic-

ipate problems either with the choice of the default runlevel or the conguration of

the X Window System. To check the runlevel conguration, log in as the root user

and check whether the machine is congured to boot into runlevel 5 (graphical

desktop). A quick way to check this is to examine the contents of /etc/inittab, as

follows:

250 Start-Up

tux@mercury:~> grep "id:" /etc/inittab

id:5:initdefault:

The returned line indicates that the machine's default runlevel (initdefault) is set

to 5 and that it should boot to the graphical desktop. If the runlevel is set to any

other number, use the YaST Runlevel Editor module to set it to 5.

IMPORTANT

Do not edit the runlevel conguration manually. Otherwise SuSEcong (run by

YaST) will overwrite these changes on its next run. If you need to make manual

changes here, disable future SuSEcong changes by setting

CHECK_INITTAB

/etc/sysconfig/suseconfig to no.

If the runlevel is set to 5, your desktop or X Windows software is probably miscong-

ured or corrupted. Examine the log les at /var/log/Xorg.*.log for detailed messages

from the X server as it attempted to start. If the desktop fails during start, it may log

error messages to /var/log/messages. If these error messages hint at a conguration

problem in the X server, try to x these issues. If the graphical system still does not

come up, consider reinstalling the graphical desktop.

TIP: Starting X Window System Manually

One quick test: the startx command should force the X Window System to start

with the congured defaults if the user is currently logged in on the console. If

that does not work, it should log errors to the console.

A.2.4 Login Problems

welcome screen or login prompt, but refuses to accept the username and password,

or accepts them but then does not behave properly (fails to start the graphic desktop,

produces errors, drops to a command line, etc.).

A.2.4.1 Valid Username and Password Combinations Fail

This usually occurs when the system is congured to use network authentication or

directory services and, for some reason, is unable to retrieve results from its cong-

ured servers. The root user, as the only local user, is the only user that can still log

in to these machines. The following are some common reasons why a machine ap-

pears functional but is unable to process logins correctly:

• The network is not working. For further directions on this, turn to Section A.2.5,

“Network Problems” (page 257).

• DNS is not working at the moment (which prevents GNOME or KDE from working

and the system from making validated requests to secure servers). One indication

that this is the case is that the machine takes an extremely long time to respond

Help and Troubleshooting 251

to any action. Find more information about this topic in Section A.2.5, “Network

Problems” (page 257).

• If the system is congured to use Kerberos, the system's local time may have

drifted past the accepted variance with the Kerberos server time (this is typically

300 seconds). If NTP (network time protocol) is not working properly or local

NTP servers are not working, Kerberos authentication ceases to function because

it depends on common clock synchronization across the network.

• The system's authentication conguration is miscongured. Check the PAM

conguration les involved for any typographical errors or misordering of direc-

tives. For additional background information about PAM and the syntax of the

conguration les involved, refer to Chapter 2, Authentication with PAM (↑Secu-

rity Guide).

• The home partition is encrypted. Find more information about this topic in Sec-

tion A.2.4.3, “Login to Encrypted Home Partition Fails” (page 255).

In all cases that do not involve external network problems, the solution is to reboot

the system into single-user mode and repair the conguration before booting again

into operating mode and attempting to log in again. To boot into single-user mode:

1 Reboot the system. The boot screen appears, oering a prompt.

Enter 1 at the boot prompt to make the system boot into single-user mode.

Enter the username and password for root.

4 Make all the necessary changes.

Boot into the full multiuser and network mode by entering telinit 5 at the

command line.

A.2.4.2 Valid Username and Password Not Accepted

This is by far the most common problem users encounter, because there are many

reasons this can occur. Depending on whether you use local user management and

authentication or network authentication, login failures occur for dierent reasons.

Local user management can fail for the following reasons:

• The user may have entered the wrong password.

• The user's home directory containing the desktop conguration les is corrupted

or write protected.

• There may be problems with the X Window System authenticating this particular

user, especially if the user's home directory has been used with another Linux

distribution prior to installing the current one.

To locate the reason for a local login failure, proceed as follows:

252 Start-Up

1 Check whether the user remembered his password correctly before you start

debugging the whole authentication mechanism. If the user may not remember

his password correctly, use the YaST User Management module to change

the user's password. Pay attention to the [Caps Lock] key and unlock it, if

necessary.

process and of PAM.

3 Try to log in from a console (using [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [F1]). If this is successful,

the blame cannot be put on PAM, because it is possible to authenticate this

user on this machine. Try to locate any problems with the X Window System

or the desktop (GNOME or KDE). For more information, refer to Section A.2.4.4,

“Login Successful but GNOME Desktop Fails” (page 255) and Section A.2.4.5,

“Login Successful but KDE Desktop Fails” (page 256).

4 If the user's home directory has been used with another Linux distribution,

remove the Xauthority le in the user's home. Use a console login via [Ctrl]

+ [Alt] + [F1] and run rm .Xauthority as this user. This should eliminate X

authentication problems for this user. Try graphical login again.

5 If graphical login still fails, do a console login with [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [F1]. Try to

start an X session on another display—the rst one (:0) is already in use:

startx -- :1

This should bring up a graphical screen and your desktop. If it does not, check

the log les of the X Window System (/var/log/Xorg.

displaynumber

.log) or

the log le for your desktop applications (.xsession-errors in the user's home

directory) for any irregularities.

6 If the desktop could not start because of corrupt conguration les, proceed

with Section A.2.4.4, “Login Successful but GNOME Desktop Fails” (page 255)

or Section A.2.4.5, “Login Successful but KDE Desktop Fails” (page 256).

The following are some common reasons why network authentication for a particular

user may fail on a specic machine:

• The user may have entered the wrong password.

• The username exists in the machine's local authentication les and is also pro-

vided by a network authentication system, causing conicts.

• The home directory exists but is corrupt or unavailable. Perhaps it is write pro-

tected or is on a server that is inaccessible at the moment.

• The user does not have permission to log in to that particular host in the authen-

tication system.

• The machine has changed hostnames, for whatever reason, and the user does

not have permission to log in to that host.

Help and Troubleshooting 253

• The machine cannot reach the authentication server or directory server that

contains that user's information.

• There may be problems with the X Window System authenticating this particular

user, especially if the user's home has been used with another Linux distribution

prior to installing the current one.

To locate the cause of the login failures with network authentication, proceed as

follows:

1 Check whether the user remembered their password correctly before you

start debugging the whole authentication mechanism.

2 Determine the directory server which the machine relies on for authentication

and make sure that it is up and running and properly communicating with the

other machines.

3 Determine that the user's username and password work on other machines

to make sure that his authentication data exists and is properly distributed.

4 See if another user can log in to the misbehaving machine. If another user

can log in without diculty or if root can log in, log in and examine the /var/

log/messages le. Locate the time stamps that correspond to the login attempts

and determine if PAM has produced any error messages.

5 Try to log in from a console (using [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [F1]). If this is successful,

the problem is not with PAM or the directory server on which the user's home

is hosted, because it is possible to authenticate this user on this machine. Try

to locate any problems with the X Window System or the desktop (GNOME or

KDE). For more information, refer to Section A.2.4.4, “Login Successful but

GNOME Desktop Fails” (page 255) and Section A.2.4.5, “Login Successful but

KDE Desktop Fails” (page 256).

6 If the user's home directory has been used with another Linux distribution,

remove the Xauthority le in the user's home. Use a console login via [Ctrl]

+ [Alt] + [F1] and run rm .Xauthority as this user. This should eliminate X

authentication problems for this user. Try graphical login again.

7 If graphical login still fails, do a console login with [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [F1]. Try to

start an X session on another display—the rst one (:0) is already in use:

startx -- :1

This should bring up a graphical screen and your desktop. If it does not, check

the log les of the X Window System (/var/log/Xorg.

displaynumber

.log) or

the log le for your desktop applications (.xsession-errors in the user's home

directory) for any irregularities.

8 If the desktop could not start because of corrupt conguration les, proceed

with Section A.2.4.4, “Login Successful but GNOME Desktop Fails” (page 255)

or Section A.2.4.5, “Login Successful but KDE Desktop Fails” (page 256).

254 Start-Up

A.2.4.3 Login to Encrypted Home Partition Fails

It is recommended to use an encrypted home partition for laptops. If you cannot log

in to your laptop, the reason is usually simple: your partition could not be unlocked.

During the boot time, you have to enter the passphrase to unlock your encrypted

partition. If you do not enter it, the boot process continues, leaving the partition

locked.

To unlock your encrypted partition, proceed as follows:

1 Switch to the text console with [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [F1].

Become root.

3 Restart the unlocking process again with:

/etc/init.d/boot.crypto restart

4 Enter your passphrase to unlock your encrypted partition.

5 Exit the text console and switch back to the login screen with [Alt] + [F7].

6 Log in as usual.

A.2.4.4 Login Successful but GNOME Desktop Fails

If this is the case, it is likely that your GNOME conguration les have become cor-

rupted. Some symptoms may include the keyboard failing to work, the screen geom-

etry becoming distorted, or even the screen coming up as a bare gray eld. The im-

portant distinction is that if another user logs in, the machine works normally. It is

then likely that the problem can be xed relatively quickly by simply moving the

user's GNOME conguration directory to a new location, which causes GNOME to

initialize a new one. Although the user is forced to recongure GNOME, no data is

lost.

1 Switch to a text console by pressing [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [F1].

2 Log in with your user name.

3 Move the user's GNOME conguration directories to a temporary location:

mv .gconf .gconf-ORIG-RECOVER

mv .gnome2 .gnome2-ORIG-RECOVER

4 Log out.

5 Log in again, but do not run any applications.

Help and Troubleshooting 255

6 Recover your individual application conguration data (including the Evolution

e-mail client data) by copying the ~/.gconf-ORIG-RECOVER/apps/ directory

back into the new ~/.gconf directory as follows:

cp -a .gconf-ORIG-RECOVER/apps .gconf/

If this causes the login problems, attempt to recover only the critical application

data and recongure the remainder of the applications.

A.2.4.5 Login Successful but KDE Desktop Fails

There are several reasons why a KDE desktop would not allow users to login. Corrupt-

ed cache data can cause login problems as well as corrupt KDE desktop conguration

les.

Cache data is used at desktop start-up to increase performance. If this data is cor-

rupted, start-up is slowed down or fails entirely. Removing them forces the desktop

start-up routines to start from scratch. This takes more time than a normal start-up,

but data is intact after this and the user can login.

To remove the cache les of the KDE desktop, issue the following command as root:

rm -rf /tmp/kde-

user

/tmp/ksocket-

user

Replace

user

with your username. Removing these two directories just removes the

corrupted cache les. No real data is harmed using this procedure.

Corrupted desktop conguration les can always be replaced with the initial congu-

ration les. If you want to recover the user's adjustments, carefully copy them back

from their temporary location after the conguration has been restored, using the

default conguration values.

To replace a corrupted desktop conguration with the initial conguration values,

proceed as follows:

1 Switch to a text console by pressing [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [F1].

2 Log in with your username.

Move the KDE conguration directory and the .skel les to a temporary loca-

tion:

• For KDE3 use these commands:

mv .kde .kde-ORIG-RECOVER

mv .skel .skel-ORIG-RECOVER

• For KDE4 use these commands:

mv .kde4 .kde4-ORIG-RECOVER

mv .skel .skel-ORIG-RECOVER

256 Start-Up

4 Log out.

5 Log in again.

6 After the desktop has started successfully, copy the user's own congurations

back into place:

cp -a

KDEDIR

/share .kde/share

Replace

KDEDIR

with the directory from Step 3 (page 256).

IMPORTANT

If the user's own adjustments caused the login to fail and continue to do

so, repeat the procedure as described above, but do not copy the .kde/

share directory.

A.2.5 Network Problems

Many problems of your system may be network-related, even though they do not

seem to be at rst. For example, the reason for a system not allowing users to log

in may be a network problem of some kind. This section introduces a simple check

list you can apply to identify the cause of any network problem encountered.

Procedure A.6: How to Identify Network Problems

When checking the network connection of your machine, proceed as follows:

1 If you use an ethernet connection, check the hardware rst. Make sure that

your network cable is properly plugged into your computer and router (or hub,

etc.). The control lights next to your ethernet connector are normally both be

active.

If the connection fails, check whether your network cable works with another

machine. If it does, your network card causes the failure. If hubs or switches

are included in your network setup, they may be faulty, as well.

2 If using a wireless connection, check whether the wireless link can be estab-

lished by other machines. If not, contact the wireless network's administrator.

3 Once you have checked your basic network connectivity, try to nd out which

service is not responding. Gather the address information of all network servers

needed in your setup. Either look them up in the appropriate YaST module or

ask your system administrator. The following list gives some of the typical

network servers involved in a setup together with the symptoms of an outage.

DNS (Name Service)

A broken or malfunctioning name service aects the network's functional-

ity in many ways. If the local machine relies on any network servers for

authentication and these servers cannot be found due to name resolution

issues, users would not even be able to log in. Machines in the network

Help and Troubleshooting 257

managed by a broken name server would not be able to “see” each other

and communicate.

NTP (Time Service)

A malfunctioning or completely broken NTP service could aect Kerberos

authentication and X server functionality.

NFS (File Service)

If any application needs data stored in an NFS mounted directory, it will

not be able to start or function properly if this service was down or miscon-

gured. In the worst case scenario, a user's personal desktop conguration

would not come up if their home directory containing the .gconf or .kde

subdirectories could not be found due to a faulty NFS server.

Samba (File Service)

If any application needs data stored in a directory on a faulty Samba

server, it will not be able to start or function properly.

NIS (User Management)

If your openSUSE system relies on a faulty NIS server to provide the user

data, users will not be able to log in to this machine.

LDAP (User Management)

If your openSUSE system relies on a faulty LDAP server to provide the user

data, users will not be able to log in to this machine.

Kerberos (Authentication)

Authentication will not work and login to any machine fails.

CUPS (Network Printing)

Users cannot print.

4 Check whether the network servers are running and whether your network

setup allows you to establish a connection:

IMPORTANT

The debugging procedure described below only applies to a simple network

server/client setup that does not involve any internal routing. It assumes

both server and client are members of the same subnet without the need

for additional routing.

Use ping

IP address

hostname

(replace

hostname

with the host-

name of the server) to check whether each one of them is up and

responding to the network. If this command is successful, it tells you

that the host you were looking for is up and running and that the

name service for your network is congured correctly.

If ping fails with destination host unreachable, either your system

or the desired server is not properly congured or down. Check

258 Start-Up

whether your system is reachable by running ping

IP address

your_hostname

from another machine. If you can reach your machine

from another machine, it is the server that is not running at all or not

congured correctly.

If ping fails with unknown host, the name service is not congured

correctly or the hostname used was incorrect. For further checks on

this matter, refer to Step 4b (page 259). If ping still fails, either your

network card is not congured correctly or your network hardware

is faulty.

Use host

hostname

to check whether the hostname of the server you

are trying to connect to is properly translated into an IP address and

vice versa. If this command returns the IP address of this host, the

name service is up and running. If the host command fails, check all

network conguration les relating to name and address resolution

on your host:

/etc/resolv.conf

This le is used to keep track of the name server and domain you

are currently using. It can be modied manually or automatically

adjusted by YaST or DHCP. Automatic adjustment is preferable.

However, make sure that this le has the following structure and

all network addresses and domain names are correct:

fully_qualified_domain_name

nameserver

ipaddress_of_nameserver

This le can contain more than one name server address, but at

least one of them must be correct to provide name resolution to

your host. If needed, adjust this le using the YaST Network Set-

ting module (Hostname/DNS tab).

If your network connection is handled via DHCP, enable DHCP to

change hostname and name service information by selecting

Change Hostname via DHCP and Update Name Servers and Search

List via DHCP in the YaST DNS and Hostname module.

/etc/nsswitch.conf

This le tells Linux where to look for name service information. It

should look like this:

...

hosts: files dns

networks: files dns

...

The dns entry is vital. It tells Linux to use an external name server.

Normally, these entries are automatically managed by YaST, but

it would be prudent to check.

Help and Troubleshooting 259

If all the relevant entries on the host are correct, let your system

administrator check the DNS server conguration for the correct

zone information. For detailed information about DNS, refer to

Chapter 15, The Domain Name System (↑Reference). If you have

made sure that the DNS conguration of your host and the DNS

server are correct, proceed with checking the conguration of

your network and network device.

4c If your system cannot establish a connection to a network server and

you have excluded name service problems from the list of possible

culprits, check the conguration of your network card.

Use the command ifconfig

network_device

(executed as root) to

check whether this device was properly congured. Make sure that

both inet address and Mask are congured correctly. An error in the

IP address or a missing bit in your network mask would render your

network conguration unusable. If necessary, perform this check on

the server as well.

4d If the name service and network hardware are properly congured

and running, but some external network connections still get long

time-outs or fail entirely, use traceroute

fully_qualified_domain_name

(executed as root) to track the network

route these requests are taking. This command lists any gateway

(hop) that a request from your machine passes on its way to its

destination. It lists the response time of each hop and whether this

hop is reachable at all. Use a combination of traceroute and ping to

track down the culprit and let the administrators know.

Once you have identied the cause of your network trouble, you can resolve it

yourself (if the problem is located on your machine) or let the system administrators

of your network know about your ndings so they can recongure the services or

repair the necessary systems.

A.2.5.1 NetworkManager Problems

If you have a problem with network connectivity, narrow it down as described in

Procedure A.6, “How to Identify Network Problems” (page 257). If NetworkManager

seems to be the culprit, proceed as follows to get logs providing hints on why Net-

workManager fails:

Open a shell and log in as root.

2 Restart the NetworkManager:

rcnetwork restart -o nm

Open a web page, for example, http://www.opensuse.org as normal user to

see, if you can connect.

260 Start-Up

Collect any information about the state of NetworkManager in /var/log/

NetworkManager.

For more information about NetworkManager, refer to Chapter 25, Using Network-

Manager (↑Reference).

A.2.6 Data Problems

Data problems are when the machine may or may not boot properly but, in either

case, it is clear that there is data corruption on the system and that the system needs

to be recovered. These situations call for a backup of your critical data, enabling you

to recover the system state from before your system failed. openSUSE oers dedi-

cated YaST modules for system backup and restoration as well as a rescue system

that can be used to recover a corrupted system from the outside.

A.2.6.1 Managing Partition Images

Sometimes you need to perform a backup from an entire partition or even hard disk.

Linux comes with the dd tool which can create a exact copy of your disc. Combined

with gzip you save some space.

Procedure A.7: Backing up and Restoring Harddisks

Start a Shell as user root.

Select your source device. Typically this is something like /dev/sda (labeled

SOURCE

Decide where you want to store your image (labeled as

BACKUP_PATH

). It must

be dierent from your source device. In other words: if you make a backup

from /dev/sda, your image le must not to be stored under /dev/sda.

4 Run the commands to create a compressed image le:

dd if=/dev/

SOURCE

| gzip > /

BACKUP_PATH

/image.gz

5 Restore the hard disk with the following commands:

gzip -dc /

BACKUP_PATH

/image.gz | dd of=/dev/

SOURCE

If you only need a partition to backup, replace the

SOURCE

placeholder with your re-

spective partition. In this case, your image le can lie on the same hard disk, but on

a dierent partition.

A.2.6.2 Backing Up Critical Data

System backups can be easily managed using the YaST System Backup module:

As root, start YaST and select System > System Backup.

Help and Troubleshooting 261

2 Create a backup prole holding all details needed for the backup, lename of

the archive le, scope, and type of the backup:

2a Select Prole Management > Add.

2b Enter a name for the archive.

2c Enter the path to the location of the backup if you want to keep a

local backup. For your backup to be archived on a network server

(via NFS), enter the IP address or name of the server and the direc-

tory that should hold your archive.

2d Determine the archive type and click Next.

2e Determine the backup options to use, such as whether les not be-

longing to any package should be backed up and whether a list of

les should be displayed prior to creating the archive. Also determine

whether changed les should be identied using the time-consuming

MD5 mechanism.

Use Expert to enter a dialog for the backup of entire hard disk areas.

Currently, this option only applies to the Ext2 le system.

2f Finally, set the search constraints to exclude certain system areas

from the backup area that do not need to be backed up, such as lock

les or cache les. Add, edit, or delete items until your needs are

met and leave with OK.

3 Once you have nished the prole settings, you can start the backup right

away with Create Backup or congure automatic backup. It is also possible

to create other proles tailored for various other purposes.

To congure automatic backup for a given prole, proceed as follows:

1 Select Automatic Backup from the Prole Management menu.

2 Select Start Backup Automatically.

3 Determine the backup frequency. Choose daily, weekly, or monthly.

4 Determine the backup start time. These settings depend on the backup fre-

quency selected.

5 Decide whether to keep old backups and how many should be kept. To receive

an automatically generated status message of the backup process, check

Send Summary Mail to User root.

6 Click OK to apply your settings and have the rst backup start at the time

specied.

262 Start-Up

A.2.6.3 Restoring a System Backup

Use the YaST System Restoration module to restore the system conguration from

a backup. Restore the entire backup or select specic components that were corrupted

and need to be reset to their old state.

1 Start YaST > System > System Restoration.

2 Enter the location of the backup le. This could be a local le, a network

mounted le, or a le on a removable device, such as a oppy or a DVD. Then

click Next.

The following dialog displays a summary of the archive properties, such as

the lename, date of creation, type of backup, and optional comments.

3 Review the archived content by clicking Archive Content. Clicking OK returns

you to the Archive Properties dialog.

4 Expert Options opens a dialog in which to ne-tune the restore process. Return

to the Archive Properties dialog by clicking OK.

5 Click Next to open the view of packages to restore. Press Accept to restore

all les in the archive or use the various Select All, Deselect All, and Select

Files buttons to ne-tune your selection. Only use the Restore RPM Database

option if the RPM database is corrupted or deleted and this le is included in

the backup.

6 After you click Accept, the backup is restored. Click Finish to leave the module

after the restore process is completed.

A.2.7 Recovering a Corrupted System

There are several reasons why a system could fail to come up and run properly. A

corrupted le system following a system crash, corrupted conguration les, or a

corrupted boot loader conguration are the most common ones.

A.2.7.1 Using the Rescue System

openSUSE contains a rescue system. The rescue system is a small Linux system that

can be loaded into a RAM disk and mounted as root le system, allowing you to access

your Linux partitions from the outside. Using the rescue system, you can recover or

modify any important aspect of your system:

• Manipulate any type of conguration le.

• Check the le system for defects and start automatic repair processes.

• Access the installed system in a “change root” environment.

• Check, modify, and reinstall the boot loader conguration.

• Recover from a badly installed device driver or unusable kernel.

Help and Troubleshooting 263

• Resize partitions using the parted command. Find more information about this

tool at the GNU Parted website http://www.gnu.org/software/parted/parted

.html.

The rescue system can be loaded from various sources and locations. The simplest

option is to boot the rescue system from the original installation medium:

1 Insert the installation medium into your DVD drive.

2 Reboot the system.

3 At the boot screen, press [F4] and choose DVD-ROM. Then choose Rescue

System from the main menu.

Enter root at the Rescue: prompt. A password is not required.

If your hardware setup does not include a DVD drive, you can boot the rescue

system from a network source (including the openSUSE FTP server). The following

example applies to a remote boot scenario—if using another boot medium, such

as a DVD, modify the info le accordingly and boot as you would for a normal in-

stallation.

1 Enter the conguration of your PXE boot setup and add the lines

install=

protocol

://

instsource

and rescue=1. If you need to start the repair

system, use repair=1 instead. As with a normal installation,

protocol

stands

for any of the supported network protocols (NFS, HTTP, FTP, etc.) and

instsource

for the path to your network installation source.

2 Boot the system using “Wake on LAN”, as described in Section “Wake on LAN”

(Chapter 2, Remote Installation, ↑Reference).

Enter root at the Rescue: prompt. A password is not required.

Once you have entered the rescue system, you can make use of the virtual consoles

that can be reached with [Alt] + [F1] to [Alt] + [F6].

A shell and many other useful utilities, such as the mount program, are available in

the /bin directory. The sbin directory contains important le and network utilities

for reviewing and repairing the le system. This directory also contains the most

important binaries for system maintenance, such as fdisk, mkfs, mkswap, mount,

mount, init, and shutdown, and ifcong, ip, route, and netstat for maintaining the

network. The directory /usr/bin contains the vi editor, nd, less, and ssh.

To see the system messages, either use the command dmesg or view the le /var/

log/messages.

264 Start-Up

Checking and Manipulating Conguration Files

As an example for a conguration that might be xed using the rescue system,

imagine you have a broken conguration le that prevents the system from booting

properly. You can x this using the rescue system.

To manipulate a conguration le, proceed as follows:

1 Start the rescue system using one of the methods described above.

To mount a root le system located under /dev/sda6 to the rescue system,

use the following command:

mount /dev/sda6 /mnt

All directories of the system are now located under /mnt

3 Change the directory to the mounted root le system:

cd /mnt

4 Open the problematic conguration le in the vi editor. Adjust and save the

conguration.

5 Unmount the root le system from the rescue system:

umount /mnt

6 Reboot the machine.

Repairing and Checking File Systems

Generally, le systems cannot be repaired on a running system. If you encounter

serious problems, you may not even be able to mount your root le system and the

system boot may end with a “kernel panic”. In this case, the only way is to repair

the system from the outside. The rescue system provides all tools needed for a

manual le system check or repair. It contains the utilities to check and repair the

btrfs, ext2, ext3, ext4, reiserfs, xfs, dosfs, and vfat le systems.

Accessing the Installed System

If you need to access the installed system from the rescue system, you need to do

this in a change root environment. For example, to modify the boot loader congura-

tion, or to execute a hardware conguration utility.

To set up a change root environment based on the installed system, proceed as fol-

lows:

1 First mount the root partition from the installed system and the device le

system (change the device name to your current settings):

Help and Troubleshooting 265

mount /dev/sda6 /mnt

mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev

2 Now you can “change root” into the new environment:

chroot /mnt

Then mount /proc and /sys:

mount /proc

mount /sys

4 Finally, mount the remaining partitions from the installed system:

mount -a

5 Now you have access to the installed system. Before rebooting the system,

unmount the partitions with umount -a and leave the “change root” environ-

ment with exit.

WARNING: Limitations

Although you have full access to the les and applications of the installed system,

there are some limitations. The kernel that is running is the one that was booted

with the rescue system, not with the change root environment. It only supports

essential hardware and it is not possible to add kernel modules from the installed

system unless the kernel versions are exactly the same. Always check the version

of the currently running (rescue) kernel with uname -r and then nd out if a

matching subdirectory exists in the /lib/modules directory in the change root

environment. If yes, you can use the installed modules, otherwise you need to

supply their correct versions on other media, such as a USB stick. Most often the

rescue kernel version diers from the installed one — then you cannot simply

access a sound card, for example. It is also not possible to start a graphical user

interface.

Also note that you leave the “change root” environment when you switch the

console with [Alt] + [F1] to [Alt] + [F6].

Modifying and Reinstalling the Boot Loader

Sometimes a system cannot boot because the boot loader conguration is corrupted.

The start-up routines cannot, for example, translate physical drives to the actual lo-

cations in the Linux le system without a working boot loader.

To check the boot loader conguration and reinstall the boot loader, proceed as fol-

lows:

266 Start-Up

1 Perform the necessary steps to access the installed system as described in

Section “Accessing the Installed System” (page 265).

2 Check whether the following les are correctly congured according to the

GRUB conguration principles outlined in Chapter 9, The Boot Loader GRUB

(↑Reference) and apply xes if necessary.

•

/etc/grub.conf

•

/boot/grub/device.map

•

/boot/grub/menu.lst

•

/etc/sysconfig/bootloader

3 Reinstall the boot loader using the following command sequence:

grub --batch < /etc/grub.conf

4 Unmount the partitions, log out from the “change root” environment, and re-

boot the system:

umount -a

exit

reboot

Fixing Kernel Installation

A kernel update may introduce a new bug which can impact the operation of your

system. For example a driver for a piece of hardware in your system may be faulty,

which prevents you from accessing and using it. In this case, revert to the last

working kernel (if available on the system) or install the original kernel from the in-

stallation media.

TIP: How to Keep Last Kernels after Update

To prevent failures to boot after a faulty kernel update, use the kernel multiversion

feature and tell libzypp which kernels you want to keep after the update.

For example to always keep the last two kernels and the currently running one,

add

multiversion.kernels = latest,latest-1,running

to the /etc/zypp/zypp.conf le.

A similar case is when you need to reinstall or update a broken driver for a device

not supported by openSUSE. For example when a hardware vendor uses a specic

device, such as a hardware RAID controller, which needs a binary driver to be recog-

Help and Troubleshooting 267

nized by the operating system. The vendor typically releases a Driver Update Disk

with the xed or updated version of the required driver.

In both cases you need to access the installed system in the rescue mode and x

the kernel related problem, otherwise the system may fail to boot correctly:

1 Boot from the openSUSE installation media.

2 If you are recovering after a faulty kernel update, skip this step. If you need

to use a driver update disk (DUD), press [F6] to load the driver update after

the boot menu appears, and choose the path or URL to the driver update and

conrm with Yes.

3 Choose Rescue System from the boot menu and press [Enter]. If you chose

to use DUD, you will be asked to specify where the driver update is stored.

Enter root at the Rescue: prompt. A password is not required.

5 Manually mount the target system and “change root” into the new environ-

ment. For more information, see Section “Accessing the Installed Sys-

tem” (page 265).

6 If using DUD, install/reinstall/update the faulty device driver package. Always

make sure the installed kernel version exactly matches the version of the

driver you are installing.

If xing faulty kernel update installation, you can install the original kernel

from the installation media with the following procedure.

Identify your DVD device with hwinfo --cdrom and mount it with

mount /dev/sr0 /mnt.

6b Navigate to the directory where your kernel les are stored on the

DVD, for example cd /mnt/suse/x86_64/.

Install required kernel-*, kernel-*-base, and kernel-*-extra pack-

ages of your avor with the rpm -i command.

6d After the installation nishes, check that a new menu entry relevant

for the newly installed kernel was added to the boot loader congu-

ration le (/boot/grub/menu.lst for grub).

7 Update conguration les and reinitialize the boot loader if needed. For more

information, see Section “Modifying and Reinstalling the Boot Load-

er” (page 266)

8 Remove any bootable media from the system drive and reboot.

268 Start-Up

A.3 Legal Notice

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the

terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or (at your option) version

1.3; with the Invariant Section being this copyright notice and license. A copy of the

license version 1.2 is included in the section entitled “GNU Free Documentation Li-

cense”.

For Novell trademarks, see the Novell Trademark and Service Mark list http://www

.novell.com/company/legal/trademarks/tmlist.html. All other third party trademarks

are the property of their respective owners. A trademark symbol (®, ™ etc.) denotes

a Novell trademark; an asterisk (*) denotes a third party trademark.

All information found in this book has been compiled with utmost attention to detail.

However, this does not guarantee complete accuracy. Neither Novell, Inc., SUSE

LINUX Products GmbH, the authors, nor the translators shall be held liable for possible

errors or the consequences thereof.

GNU Free Documentation License

copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.

0. PREAMBLE

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Help and Troubleshooting 269

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of the Modied Version to whoever possesses a copy of it. In addition, you must do these things in the Modied Version:

A. Use in the Title Page (and on the covers, if any) a title distinct from that of the Document, and from those of previous versions (which should,

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E. Add an appropriate copyright notice for your modications adjacent to the other copyright notices.

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this License, in the form shown in the Addendum below.

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H. Include an unaltered copy of this License.

270 Start-Up

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8. TRANSLATION

Translation is considered a kind of modication, so you may distribute translations of the Document under the terms of section 4. Replacing Invariant

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Help and Troubleshooting 271

notices and disclaimers. In case of a disagreement between the translation and the original version of this License or a notice or disclaimer, the

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10. FUTURE REVISIONS OF THIS LICENSE

The Free Software Foundation may publish new, revised versions of the GNU Free Documentation License from time to time. Such new versions

will be similar in spirit to the present version, but may dier in detail to address new problems or concerns. See http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/.

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may choose any version ever published (not as a draft) by the Free Software Foundation.

ADDENDUM: How to use this License for your

documents

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document

under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2

or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;

with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.

A copy of the license is included in the section entitled “GNU

Free Documentation License”.

If you have Invariant Sections, Front-Cover Texts and Back-Cover Texts, replace the “with...Texts.” line with this:

with the Invariant Sections being LIST THEIR TITLES, with the

Front-Cover Texts being LIST, and with the Back-Cover Texts being LIST.

If you have Invariant Sections without Cover Texts, or some other combination of the three, merge those two alternatives to suit the situation.

If your document contains nontrivial examples of program code, we recommend releasing these examples in parallel under your choice of free

software license, such as the GNU General Public License, to permit their use in free software.

272 Start-Up

heb open suse geinstalleerd. hoe maak ik de verbinding met het web? Gesteld op 27-2-2020 om 13:04
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