Summary and Resources

Webmin is a browser-based administration application written in Perl. Webmin is extensible and available for other Unix-like operating systems besides Linux. Once installed, Webmin is accessed through a special port, typically 10000, either locally or from a remote browser. It provides point-and-click interfaces to a variety of Linux administration tasks, including user management, network firewalling, and network device configuration.

Webmin is free to install and use, and is a good way to manage a working Linux environment while you are making a transition from the graphical tools of Windows. Webmin tools are a front end to the console-based tools, so configuration is consistent, and administration can be done from either set of tools safely.

Resources

• Check out the other parts in the Windows-to-Linux roadmap series.
  
  
• See the Webmin home page for general information and to download the Webmin tool.
  
  
• Before using Webmin remotely, you should read Securing Webmin with SSL.
  
  
• Learn more about Perl at Perl.org.
  
  
• The CPAN network is the home of many useful Perl modules and like software.
  
  
• Perl is released under the free Artistic License, which allows you to publish or keep private your changes to the source code.
  
  
• Learn more about Perl and keep up with developments in the Perl community with the IBM developerWorks Cultured Perl column.
  
  
• RPMFind is an RPM repository where you will find scads of useful (and many less-useful, but fun) programs.
  
  
• "Understanding Linux configuration files" (developerWorks, ) explains user permissions, daemons and services, and much more.
  
  
• "Using the xinetd program for system administration" and "Automating UNIX system administration with Perl" offer other alternatives for simplifying administration of your system or systems. Similar issues are also covered in "Administer Linux on the fly".
  
  
• Useful tutorials include: "LPI certification 101 (release 2) exam prep, Part 2: Basic administration," which gives an introduction to shell pipelines and text processing commands; "LPI certification 101 (release 2) exam prep, Part 3: Intermediate Administration," which covers documentation, user account management, and permissions; and "LPI certification 101 (release 2) exam prep, Part 4: Advanced administration," covering filesystems and system logs.
  
  
• For getting started with IBM software on Linux, there's no better resource than the Speed-start your Linux app page. You'll find installation tips and links to resources for DB2, Lotus Domino, WebSphere Application Server, WebSphere Studio, and more. You can also sign up to receive a free Linux Software Evaluation Kit, containing trial software and training resources.
  
  
• Find more resources for Linux developers in the developerWorks Linux zone.