Issue #80 / Jul 2007

REVIEWS: Books

Linux System Administration The Linux Programmer’s Toolbox Building a Monitoring Infrastructure with Nagios...

REVIEWS: Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 “Etch”

A look at Debian’s new version 4.0 “Etch” release

You’ll find a new graphical installer and plenty of intersting tools in the latest from the famous Debian Project.

KNOW-HOW: Wireshark

Practical uses for the Wireshark traffic sniffer

If you know your way around network protocols, you can get to the source of a problem quickly with Wireshark.

KNOW-HOW: 3D Animation

Maya 8.5

Realistic computer-animated movie scenes have been around for years, but hair, water, and fire are still difficult for 3D programs to handle. The new Maya 8.5 stands above the crowd.

KNOW-HOW: Partimage

Backing up partitions with Partimage

Protect your system and preserve your configuration with this powerful backup tool.

KNOW-HOW: ASK KLAUS!

Klaus Knopper is the creator of Knoppix and co-founder of the LinuxTag expo. He currently works as a teacher, programmer, and consultant. If you have a configuration problem, or if you just want to learn more about how Linux works, send your questions to: klaus@linux-magazine. com

SYSADMIN: Charly's Column

The sys admin’s daily grind: P3Scan

Checking email for viruses is typically the domain of the SMTP gateway or a server directly downstream of it. In this month’s column, Charly decides to move this protection to the other side – that is, to the client connections
with their SMTP and POP servers.

SYSADMIN: Zeus Load Balancer

Exploring the Linux-based Zeus load balancer

On today’s networks, distributing requests in a cluster of web servers requires more than just assigning the requests in a round robin. The Zeus ZXTM 7400 appliance demonstrates the technical finesse necessary to keep busy websites running.

PROGRAMMING: Perl: Uninterruptible Power Supply

Power through power outages

An uninterruptible power supply can help get you through a short power outage without losing data or damaging hardware. A Nagios script written in Perl checks UPS health and initiates a controlled powerdown if the unit exhausts its battery capacity.

LINUXUSER: WiFi-Radar

Managing wireless connections with WiFi-Radar

The fast and easy WiFi-Radar is a handy Python-based tool for finding and automatically launching wireless connections.