[1619] in linux-announce channel archive
Linuxconf 1.1 available
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lars Wirzenius)
Fri Jan 26 22:27:20 1996
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 22:52:52 +0200
From: Lars Wirzenius <wirzeniu@cc.helsinki.fi>
To: linux-announce@vger.rutgers.edu
From: Jacques Gelinas <jack@solucorp.qc.ca>
Subject: Linuxconf 1.1 available
Approved: linux-announce@news.ornl.gov (Lars Wirzenius)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce
Followup-to: comp.os.linux.development.apps
Organization: ?
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Linuxconf 1.1 has been upload to sunsite.unc.edu. It is still sitting in
/pub/Linux/Incoming. It should move to /pub/Linux/system/admin.
I have upload
linuxconf-1.1-src.tar.gz (Source)
linuxconf-1.1.bin-aout.tar.gz (A.out for Slackware 2.x)
linuxconf-1.1.bin-elf.tar.gz (ELF release running on Slackware 3.0)
Here are a list of changes since 1.1. I am also including a longer
announce since the 1.0 one was broken (my mistake) and somewhat difficult
to read.
What's new
==========
LILO support
All configuration file path can be changes dynamicly using the
<edit> button of the screen "List all configuration files". This
is handy for /etc/lilo.conf which has to be moved sometime.
Cleanup to compile with GCC 2.7.0 and run on Slackware 3.0
Some more work to PPP support. Add PLIP support. connect and disconnect
feature work. Does not use the command line anymore to pass information
to pppd to avoid showing password (using ps -axl).
default runlevel configuration were changed to accomodate the new
Slackware inittab (xdm mode has moved from runlevel 6 to 4).
No longer need a special /sbin/init. Just place the line
/sbin/askrunlevel at the end of /etc/rc.d/rc.S.
It still work for with the modified /sbin/init (which was calling
/sbin/askrunlevel directly). Even with this modified /sbin/init, you
can safely place /sbin/askrunlevel at the end of rc.S.
Start kerneld automaticly (on demand module loading now available
since kernel 1.3.57)
Load ethx devices as needed using modprobe
Configure RARP and load the module as needed.
Some bug fix in DNS management.
Support CNAME field.
Propagate glue record for subdomain into domain definition.
Creation of POP mail only user accounts.
What is it anyway ?
===================
Linuxconf 1.1
Introduction
This is the second release of Linuxconf, a new admin tool for Linux.
After a year of development at Solucorp, we are quite proud of it. It
is available from sunsite.unc.edu as
/pub/Linux/system/Admin/linuxconf-1.1.src.tar.gz
/pub/Linux/system/Admin/linuxconf-1.1.bin-aout.tar.gz
/pub/Linux/system/Admin/linuxconf-1.1.bin-elf.tar.gz
1. What is Linuxconf
Linuxconf is a new admin tool for Linux. It goes much further than the
simple set of user interface dialogs and script based utilities. It is
a fully integrated utility which help you maintain a working Linux
system without difficulties.
Linuxconf knows how to manage quite a few things in your system.
2. Why is it "hot"
Linuxconf is both a configurator and an activator. It is the one which
decide if ...
o A daemon must be started.
o A configuration command must be executed.
o A daemon must be killed/restarted.
o A daemon must be signaled (kill -HUP ...).
o A network interface must be (re)configured.
o A network route must be set/remove.
Linuxconf act based on configuration files. It knows about most Linux
configuration files and can compare their status with what is running
currently. Based on this query, Linuxconf can bring your system
"current".
Whether you use Linuxconf's user interface or edit the configuration
files by hand is unimportant. The following command
linuxconf --status
will give you a report of what has to be done to bring the system
"current".
linuxconf --update
will do it for you!
Rebooting is simply not an option anymore. This is really its main
goal. Every time you quit Linuxconf, it will probe all configuration
files and make sure your workstation is "current". If it is not, it
will tell you what have to be done and do it (you are allowed not to
do it).
3. Linuxconf takes control very early
One component of linuxconf is called "askrunlevel". It takes control
very early. A call to /sbin/askrunlevel must be placed at the end of
your /etc/rc.d/rc.S file. This utility allows you to select a proper
runlevel (logical operation mode) or to completly reconfigured your
system even before the boot sequence is finished.
From this utility, you are allowed to ...
o Start Linux in graphical mode (xdm) and fully activate the
networking.
o Go graphic, without networking.
o Run as an X terminal.
o Start in text mode, full networking.
o Text mode, no network.
o Configure the workstation.
Linuxconf allows you to configure the workstation even before it is
fully booted. This is a winner as it saves you from false start boot
(often with an invalid network configuration).
4. What Linuxconf knows so far
Linuxconf knows how to configure and managed the following things.
o System time, time zone, CMOS clock.
o LILO management.
o Basic networking configuration (IP numbers and net mask) of the
four Ethernets adaptors.
o Static routing. Default route.
o Filesystems (/etc/fstab).
o Routed daemon.
o NIS client (ypbind).
o NFS server.
o PPP client configuration and activation.
o Users and groups.
o The named daemon. Yes Linuxconf provides a friendly interface to
configure and maintain a DNS. Check this out!
o Sendmail. Check this out!
o Fire-walling (Packet filtering).
o RARP setup.
Further, Linuxconf provide a friendly interface to configure theses
files.
o /etc/fstab
o /etc/host.conf
o /etc/hosts
o /etc/networks
o /etc/resolv.conf
5. Command line mode
Linuxconf provide a command line mode allowing better integration with
shell scripts. Here is a sample
o netconf --runlevel local | client | server
o netconf --status
o netconf --update
o netconf --connect pppaccount
o dnsconf --set host ip-number ...
o dnsconf --unset host
The dnsconf utility should be easily integrated with the DHCP daemon,
allowing full synchronization with the DNS.
6. Current state
Linuxconf is now usable and already a big time saver.
Linuxconf install over any standard Slackware system includind the
latest 3.0. Just UN-tar linuxconf-1.1.bin-aout.tar.gz (or bin-elf) in
the root and execute /install/doinst.sh. Read carefully what is
written.
Linuxconf may work with other distribution (it should in fact). I
have no experience with other than Slackware (2.x and 3.0) at this
point, so I can only recommend Linuxconf to really experienced users
(Using something different than Slackware).
This is the second public release. Many glitches has been cured.
7. Documentation
Linuxconf has online help (context) for most screen. (45 out of 52
help screen are done). This represent a lot of work. Comments and some
help are welcome.
8. Technology
Linuxconf is written in C++. It currently has a ncurses interface. It
scores at around 30,000 lines of code.
It currently compiled with GCC 2.6.2 and GCC 2.7.0. For GCC 2.6.2,
define the environement variable OLDGCC
export OLDGCC=on
9. Future
Many more things are expect to be included in Linuxconf. Here are few
of them.
o Graphical user interface..
o Inittab, and getty/mgetty management.
o inetd.conf
o Samba management.
o sudo management.
o bootp, DHCP, rarp.
o uucp configuration.
o httpd server configuration (Apache probably).
10. Licensing
Linuxconf is distributed under the GNU GPL license. See the file
LICENSE included in the distribution.
Like most other Linux components, there are very little restrictions
about usage and redistribution. We would like to hear from
distribution maintainers. Linuxconf is certainly a key candidate to
ease Linux acceptance. Comments are welcome!
11. Author
Linuxconf was written at Solucorp by Jacques Gelinas
(jacques@solucorp.qc.ca). Solucorp is installing Linuxconf to customer
site for some time now. Solucorp is a consulting company doing work
in the following fields.
o Linux!
o Networking (Internet services, fire-walling).
o Multi-platform software development.
- --------------------------------------------------------
Jacques Gelinas (jacques@solucorp.qc.ca)
Use Linux without reformating: Use UMSDOS.
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