Help, never used Redhat before.

metomeyametomeya New
edited June 2006 in Science & Tech
Hey I'm troubleshooting some computer problems in an office. No problem for me, thats what I do, until i found out there server is in Redhat Linux.

I still thought no problem, until i found out that operating system (atleast that version) is command line! NOT a graphical interface. :eek3:

I thought REDHAT was a graphical (GUI? spelling) OS. After i logged in with the username and password I get something like [root@somethingelse]. Is it like old school windows where I had to launch the graphical part of the OS? Or is it call command line?

If so, where is a good website for learning redhat linux command lines? I need to create file sharing accounts, and email accounts.

thanks

Comments

  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited May 2006
    Welcome to the console its way more powerful then any gui and doesn't waste all your ram.

    Im no help for deadrat but im sure google is :).
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited June 2006
    Most servers don't run with a GUI unless they're terminal servers because it's a waste of resources. RedHat ships with one by default but like all things in Linux it can be disabled or removed. Odds are a GUI hasn't been installed but if there is one typing startx will get you there for all the good it will do you. In all liklihood the GUI tools to do the tasks you want aren't installed either.

    As far as command lines go, nearly all Linuxes including RedHat ship with bash as the default shell (command line). Unless the guy that set this machine up for you is uber-hardcore, the shell is probably still bash. Short-Media has a decent bash primer here. Of course, this won't tell you exactly how to accomplish the tasks you want but it should help you understand the basics.

    Getting back to your main problem, I take it from your surprised reaction to finding a Linux server that it's providing file sharing and e-mail for a Windows network? If so, is the file sharing configured as Windows File and Printer sharing or some other kind? What kind of e-mail server does it provide (POP, IMAP, Exchange, etc)? Just like Windows, there are multiple software packages that provide similar functionality so we're going to need to figure out what you're using.

    -drasnor :fold:
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2006
    Sidenote...

    Don't log in as root. Log in as a normal level user and then su ... by typing

    su -

    and then it will prompt for the root password :)

    For those who are not so up on *nix, it's a safe way of making sure you don't make any accidental distructive moves!
  • metomeyametomeya New
    edited June 2006
    but if i don't log in as root, can i still add email accounts and ftp accounts?
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited June 2006
    You will need an account with root priveleges or one with e-mail and file server administrator priveleges. The simplest and least safe and secure way to do this is to simply log in as root. It's generally a bad security practice for reasons covered above and linked to in the shell primer.

    As long as you have a user account in the wheel group you can use su to gain temporary root priveleges and perform system administration tasks. If root is the only user on your system you should seriously consider adding normal users. Type 'man useradd' in your terminal to get the skinny on how that works.

    -drasnor :fold:
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