A browser-based management tool
Level: primary
Chris Walden (cmwalden-at-us.ibm.com) e-commerce architect, IBM Developer Relations 2004 January
IBM e-commerce architect Chris Walden will pass him
The nine series of articles published on DeveloperWorks guides you how to use your Windows operation skills in your Linux environment. This section describes the installation and use of Webmin. It is a browser-based management tool that can be applied to Linux and other platforms that provide a graphical interface that can complete a lot of management and operation tasks.
One of the challenges faced from the management of the Windows environment to the Linux environment is that you need to learn from the new tool. As an administrator, you want to understand the details of the operating system to exert its maximum efficiency. However, when you are still in the learning phase, you need to complete the specific work.
To accelerate your progress of Linux, we will install a program called Webmin. As WEBMIN.com (see the link in the reference), "Webmin is a web-based Unix system management interface. You can use any browser that supports tables and forms (Java required for File Manager modules). Set user account, Apache, DNS, file sharing, etc ..Webmin includes a simple web server and many CGI programs that can directly modify system files, such as /etc/inetd.conf and /etc/passwd.Web servers and All CGI programs are written in Perl 5 without any non-standard Perl module. "
Webmin actually runs on all class UNIX platforms, including Linux, AIX, HPUX, Solaris, OS X, and more. It has a web front end that can complete many management tasks in Linux. It can operate in any graphical browser in a local or remote manner. Webmin uses SSL to ensure safe and prevent listening. WEBMIN will save you a lot of time when you learn Linux management. Webmin also can help you complete the cumbersome tasks that you can't do automatically.
Webmin is scalable. The author provides a development guide and has already appeared a third party module. You can also design your module to make Webmin can always adjust it according to your needs.
The first step of installing webmin uses Webmin is installation. Webmin has been included in a few release versions, but the download from the Webmin website is also very simple (see links in the reference).
When writing this article, the latest version of Webmin is 1.90. The correct installation method is not the same depending on the Linux distribution of the Linux you use. If you use Red Hat Linux or a UnitedLinux release (SUSE, TURBO, CONNECTIVA, or CALDEAR), then the easiest is to use the RPM installation method. If you are using other release versions, you need to read your distribution of documents and webmin installations to choose the best installation. The following we assume that it is installed in an RPM mode.
First check if Webmin has been installed on your system. Enter: in the text terminal:
RPM -Q Webmin
If your system has already installed webmin, you will get its version number:
WEBMIN-1.090-1
Otherwise you will see the prompt that you don't have to install Webmin:
Package Webmin Is Not Installed
Installing the installation of most packages on Linux is simple to install Webmin this article. To learn more about the installation and 缷 缷 缷缷 - Even information about self-source code compiling applications, see Part 9 of this Series. Even if Webmin has been installed, its version may be lower than the latest version available. In this case, you can use the following command to upgrade or reinstall:
RPM -UVH Webmin-1.090-1.Noarch.rpm
The progress bar with a # tag is output when performing lengthy updates.
RPM Noarch you will notice that Webmin is listed as "Noarch" software. Since rpm is binary file, they are typically compiled, such as i386 or PPC. Installing a package on a wrong architecture can result in errors. Because Webmin is written in Perl, and Perl is independent of the architecture, so the webmin is identified as "noarch".
When Webmin is installed, it is enabled by default. But this is installed and does not enable SSL. SSL needs to install a Perl module called Net :: SSLEAY. If this module is not installed, Webmin is only safe when running from the local console. The final introduction to Webmin is safe to use in this article.
PRACTICAL EXTRACTION AND Reporting Language (Perl) Perl is a multi-platform interpretative programming language that appears in 1987. It can be used in a variety of platforms, including Windows, with mature and perfect scripting features. Perl's strength is text processing, widely used in web CGI programming. Perl can be extended by adding a module, which is actually a library, but also written with Perl. Most modules, in fact, including Perl itself, can follow the Artistic license for free access (see links in the reference).
Use Webmin to use your favorite web browser to access Webmin. One of the two tools of the file browser and Telnet / SSH client are applet, requiring Java Runtime Environment on your browser. These two tools bring convenience, but is not indispensable. There is no special requirement for all other modules.
Point your browser to the 10000 port of the system to start using Webmin. In the local system's browser, you should enter http: //localhost.localdomain: 10000 /. First of all, you will see a login interface.
Webmin users are separate from users of the operating system. This allows you to manage managed users without the regular UNIX verification mechanism. However, if you want some users to use Webmin, you can join the webmin user list, allowing Webmin to verify it through UNIX tools without using WEMIN's internal verification mechanism. You can control access to the Webmin module for each user. For example, Helpdesk staff can only use password capabilities, while other staff members can access all modules.
After the installation is complete, the root user will be automatically created, password is the system's root password. Webmin is based on login logging logs, so that in a multi-administrator's environment, you may create an administrators group with root user privileges and create users to each person using this system. You must log in as root for the first time.
Root users are in Linux, the primary administrator user is called root. Root users have complete control over the entire system. You can't abuse root.
The first screen you see will be Webmin Configuration Section. Here you can configure webmin users, configuration modules, and view activity logs. The top icon can be switched between different module forms in Webmin. All modules are configurable, you can reorganize them according to your needs. Figure 1. Webmin configuration screen
Users can also use webmin to have an icon to configure an optional usermin package. This package provides a web-based tool, users can use it to complete tasks such as change passwords, manage system messages. Use Usermin to not access the system configuration file. Usermin and Webmin will be free products.
The System Form can make an overall configuration of the operating system. Here you can configure file systems, users, groups, and systems typically boot behavior. You can control the service running in the system, determine whether they are automatically started by selecting the Bootup and ShutDown icons. However, the specific configuration of those services is done by the Servers form. Especially pay attention to the "Software Package" tool, it can easily view the package already installed in your system, and the interface to the release upgraded library and rpmfind.net, rpmfind.net is a public RPM library on the Internet (see Link in the reference information).
Servers Forms can be configured for each service you might run in the system. Bind and DHCP tools are very convenient. At the same time, Samba tools are also very easy to use for Windows and other client profiles and printers. The SMTP server Sendmail is known as its extremely complex profile. Webmin Sendmail tools have solved this problem for you.
Figure 2. Webmin server screen
The tool provided by the networking form can be used to configure network hardware and some complex network controls, such as firewalls. All tools are to modify the standard configuration file, so any work you have made in Webmin can be done by the corresponding console tool.
Hardware form is used to configure physical devices, mainly printers and storage devices. It is especially concerned about the Logical Volume Management, LVM tool, which helps you visualize dynamic volumes on your Linux system.
The tool in the Cluster form is used to manage the cluster system. The cluster is here that it is a set of related systems that require synchronization. The system can synchronize users, groups, packages, etc. when performing system failure detection. These tools can help you build a thermal error recovery system and other systems that need to be synchronized. The cluster is a senior topic that may need to install some packages that have not been included in your Linux distribution.
There are a variety of tools in the Others Form, you may find them very useful. "SSH / Telnet Login" and "File Manager" tools require Applet support, which can only be run after JRE installed on your browser. "Perl Modules" tool allows you to keep up with the development of the Perl module, which can be directly connected to the CPAN on the Internet. "File Manager" tool provides a view like a browser's file system, if you are working remotely, then you can move and copy files without the memory of your workstation. The "SSH / Telnet Login" tool is a remote shell console that allows you to enter the console through your browser.
Conclusion Webmin is a browser-based management application written in Perl. Webmin is scalable, except for Linux, can also be used in other class UNIX operating systems. After the installation is complete, you can pass a specific port in the local or remote browser, usually 10000 to enter Webmin. It has an interface that can point and click, can complete various Linux management tasks, including user management, network firewall, and network devices. Webmin installation and use are free, it is a good tool for managing Linux Environments, if you used to use Windows graphics management tools. The webmin tool is the front end of the tool based on the console, so the configuration effect is consistent with both tools, which can reliably complete the management task.
Reference
Read the other parts of Windows to Linux Tour Series (DeveloperWorks, November 2003). View the webmin homepage to get the overall introduction of this tool, and download the webmin tool. Before using Webmin remote, you should read Securing Webmin With SSL. Learn the Perl in Perl.org. There are many useful Perl modules and similar software in the CPAN network. Perl is freely issued by Artistic license, you can open your source code or remain in private. Through the IBM DeveloperWorks Cultured Perl column, you can learn more in depth and learn about Perl development. RPMFind is an RPM library where you can find a lot of useful (there are many useful but very interesting) programs. "Understanding Linux Profiles" explains user permissions, background processes and services, and so on. "Use the XINETD program for system management" and "Using Perl Automation Unix System Management" to introduce other ways to simplify your system management. Similar content also involves "real-time management Linux". Useful tutorials include: "RELESE 2) Exam Prep, Part 2: Basic Administration" introduces the shell pipeline and text handling command; "LPI Certification 101 (Release 2) Exam preip, Part 3: Intermediate administration Document, user account management, and authorization; "LPI Certification 101 (Release 2) Exam Prep, Part 4: Advanced Administration introduces file system and system log. To start using IBM software products on Linux, develop refueling for your Linux application will provide you with the best reference. You can find installation prompts and reference information about DB2, Lotus Domino, WebSphere Application Server, WebSphere Studio, etc. You can also log in to get the free Linux Software Evaluation Kit, with trial software and training materials. More reference materials for Linux developers can be found in the developerWorks Linux zone.
