Re: Configurable files and functions
On Fri, 2007-03-02 at 12:33 -0600, Dave Walker wrote:
> I am looking for an explanatory list of configuration files used in
> sarge 3.1. The information I am looking for would give the location
> (path), function (what the system uses it for), and whether the file
> can be successfully changed by editing.
>
> Does such a list exist?
>
> I have in mind such files as .bashrc and .bash_profile and I am sure
> there are many others that I will encounter.
>
> Is it time for me to buy a reference book containing this info? If so,
> which one? I do plan to upgrade to Etch as soon as it is the stable
> release, so if a book is available for sarge, would it be useful for
> etch?
There's no comprehensive list of configuration files because there are
17,000 packages available for Debian, many of which have their own
configurations, some of which over-ride others in certain cases. No one
person is going to use or need to know about configurations for software
he's never going to install.
If you want a solid, comprehensive reference for common, standard
commands and configurations, check out "Unix in a Nutshell, Fourth
Edition" by Arnold Robbins (O'Reilly). It's not Debian-specific, but
has a lot of information useful for anyone running Unix variants
including Linux. It has chapters on the various shells and their
specific features, overviews of package management (apt, rpm, Mac OS X,
etc.), usage summaries of vim & emacs, sed & awk, and a handy
alphabetical summary of commands for GNU/Linux, Solaris, OS X, and Java.
And more.
Another very useful book for learning the basics is "A Practical Guide
to Linux Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming" by Mark G. Sobel
(Prentice Hall), which is more of a tutorial-based type book than a
reference work. But it does have a great glossary and a command
reference, which provides a detailed overview of utilities sorted by
function ("Utilities That Display & Manipulate Files," "Network
Utilities," etc.). It gives arguments, options and usage examples for
each of these. That's in addition to more in-depth coverage of shells,
editors, and shell programming functions.
Finally, "The Debian System: Concepts & Techniques" by Martin F. Krafft
(Open Source Press/No Starch Press) is an excellent overview of how
Debian works. Yes, some of it is a little dated at this point, but
Krafft includes some information about features new to Etch even though
it was published after Sarge's release, and for most of the material,
not much has changed. Since it really does focus on "concepts" and
"techniques" rather than, say, how to configure XF86 (which has been
replaced by xorg in Etch), most of what he explains carries over to Etch
and beyond. It's really a "here's how Debian does things" kind of book
and will provide all but the most advanced/experienced users with a
solid understanding of Debian fundamentals.
IMO, either the first or second book, plus the third, will teach you a
great deal about Unix/Linux in general and Debian specifically, so that
you won't miss not having a comprehensive list of config files. You'll
know where to look for them and how to configure them if you spend time
with these books. You'll certainly learn all about .bashrc
& .bash_profile, and much more.
A really nice feature for the newbie documentation project many have
been discussing on this list would be "essential Debian bookshelf"
recommendations.
--
Michael M. ++ Portland, OR ++ USA
"No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions
of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to
dream." --S. Jackson
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