This section contains packages that are required to provide the Red Hat Linux system environment.
This section contains packages that are required for the basic system environment.
The /dev directory contains important files which correspond to the hardware on your system, such as sound cards, serial or printer ports, tape and CD-ROM drives and more. MAKEDEV is a script which helps you create and maintain the files in your /dev directory.
These are the files needed to install MAKEDEV.
The SysVinit package contains a group of processes that control the very basic functions of your system. SysVinit is the first program started by the Linux kernel when the system boots, controlling the startup, running and shutdown of all other programs.
Adjtimex is a kernel clock management program, which the superuser may use to correct any drift in the system's clock. Users can use adjtimex to view the time variables.
Authconfig is a terminal mode program for setting up Network Information Service (NIS) and shadow (more secure) passwords on your system. Authconfig also configures the system to automatically turn on NIS at system startup.
Basesystem defines the components of a basic Red Hat Linux system (for example, the package installation order to use during bootstrapping). Basesystem should be the first package installed on a system, and it should never be removed.
Chkconfig is a basic system utility. It updates and queries runlevel information for system services. Chkconfig manipulates the numerous symbolic links in /etc/rc.d, so system administrators don't have to manually edit the symbolic links as often.
This is a simple terminal mode program for adding, removing and listing the directories contained in the X font server's path. It is mostly intended to be used 'internally' by RPM when packages with fonts are added or removed, but it may be useful as a stand-alone utility in some instances.
The crontabs package contains root crontab files. Crontab is the program used to install, uninstall or list the tables used to drive the cron daemon. The cron daemon checks the crontab files to see when particular commands are scheduled to be executed. If commands are scheduled, it executes them.
Crontabs handles a basic system function, so it should be installed on your system.
The Red Hat Linux operating system uses file system entries to represent devices (CD-ROMs, floppy drives, etc.) attached to the machine. All of these entries are in the /dev tree (although they don't have to be). This package contains the most commonly used /dev entries.
The dev package is a basic part of your Red Hat Linux system and it needs to be installed.
The e2fsprogs package contains a number of utilities for creating, checking, modifying and correcting any inconsistencies in second extended (ext2) filesystems. E2fsprogs contains e2fsck (used to repair filesystem inconsistencies after an unclean shutdown), mke2fs (used to initialize a partition to contain an empty ext2 filesystem), debugfs (used to examine the internal structure of a filesystem, to manually repair a corrupted filesystem or to create test cases for e2fsck), tune2fs (used to modify filesystem parameters) and most of the other core ext2fs filesystem utilities.
You should install the e2fsprogs package if you need to manage the performance of an ext2 filesystem.
The eject program allows the user to eject removable media (typically CD-ROMs, floppy disks or Iomega Jaz or Zip disks) using software control. Eject can also control some multi- disk CD changers and even some devices' auto-eject features.
Install eject if you'd like to eject removable media using software control.
The etcskel package is part of the basic Red Hat system. Etcskel provides the /etc/skel directory's files. These files (.Xdefaults, .bash_logout, .bash_profile, .bashrc) are then placed in every new user's home directory when new accounts are created.
The filesystem package is one of the basic packages that is installed on a Red Hat Linux system. Filesystem contains the basic directory layout for a Linux operating system, including the correct permissions for the directories.
Genromfs is a tool for creating romfs filesystems, which are lightweight, read-only filesystems supported by the Linux kernel.
The GNU project uses the texinfo file format for much of its documentation. The info package provides a standalone TTY-based browser program for viewing texinfo files.
You should install info, because GNU's texinfo documentation is a valuable source of information about the software on your system.
The initscripts package contains the basic system scripts used to boot your Red Hat system, change run levels, and shut the system down cleanly. Initscripts also contains the scripts that activate and deactivate most network interfaces.
Linux IP Firewalling Chains is an update to (and hopefully an improvement upon) the normal Linux Firewalling code, for 2.0 and 2.1 kernels. It lets you do things like firewalls, IP masquerading, etc.
The isapnptools package contains utilities for configuring ISA Plug-and-Play (PnP) cards/boards which are in compliance with the PnP ISA Specification Version 1.0a. ISA PnP cards use registers instead of jumpers for setting the board address and interrupt assignments. The cards also contain descriptions of the resources which need to be allocated. The BIOS on your system, or isapnptools, uses a protocol described in the specification to find all of the PnP boards and allocate the resources so that none of them conflict.
Note that the BIOS doesn't do a very good job of allocating resources. So isapnptools is suitable for all systems, whether or not they include a PnP BIOS. In fact, a PnP BIOS adds some complications. A PnP BIOS may already activate some cards so that the drivers can find them. Then these tools can unconfigure them or change their settings, causing all sorts of nasty effects. If you have PnP network cards that already work, you should read through the documentation files very carefully before you use isapnptools.
Install isapnptools if you need utilities for configuring ISA PnP cards.
The kbdconfig utility is a terminal mode program for setting the keyboard map for your system. Keyboard maps are necessary for using any keyboard besides the US default keyboard. Kbdconfig will load the selected keymap before exiting and configure your machine to use that keymap automatically after rebooting.
You should install kbdconfig if you need a utility for changing your keyboard map.
This package contains the shared library configuration tool, ldconfig, which is required by many packages. It also includes the shared library loader and dynamic loader for Linux libc 5.
Ldconfig is a basic system program which determines run-time link bindings between ld.so and shared libraries. Ldconfig scans a running system and sets up the symbolic links that are used to load shared libraries properly. It also creates a cache (/etc/ld.so.cache) which speeds the loading of programs which use shared libraries.
LILO (LInux LOader) is a basic system program which boots your Linux system. LILO loads the Linux kernel from a floppy or a hard drive, boots the kernel and passes control of the system to the kernel. LILO can also boot other operating systems.
The logrotate utility is designed to simplify the administration of log files on a system which generates a lot of log files. Logrotate allows for the automatic rotation compression, removal and mailing of log files. Logrotate can be set to handle a log file daily, weekly, monthly or when the log file gets to a certain size. Normally, logrotate runs as a daily cron job.
Install the logrotate package if you need a utility to deal with the log files on your system.
Linux supports a special block device called the loop device, which maps a normal file onto a virtual block device. This allows for the file to be used as a "virtual file system" inside another file. Losetup is used to associate loop devices with regular files or block devices, to detach loop devices and to query the status of a loop device.
The mailcap file is used by the metamail program. Metamail reads the mailcap file to determine how it should display non-text or multimedia material. Basically, mailcap associates a particular type of file with a particular program that a mail agent or other program can call in order to handle the file.
Mailcap should be installed to allow certain programs to be able to handle non-text files.
The man package includes three tools for finding information and/or documentation about your Linux system: man, apropos and whatis. The man system formats and displays on-line manual pages about commands or functions on your system. Apropos searches the whatis database (containing short descriptions of system commands) for a string. Whatis searches its own database for a complete word.
The man package should be installed on your system because it is the primary way for finding documentation.
The mgetty package contains a "smart" getty which allows logins over a serial line (i.e., through a modem). If you're using a Class 2 or 2.0 modem, mgetty can receive faxes. If you also need to send faxes, you'll need to install the sendfax program.
If you'll be dialing in to your system using a modem, you should install the mgetty package. If you'd like to send faxes using mgetty and your modem, you'll need to install the mgetty-sendfax program. If you need a viewer for faxes, you'll also need to install the mgetty-viewfax package.
The mingetty program is a lightweight, minimalist getty program for use only on virtual consoles. Mingetty is not suitable for serial lines (you should use the mgetty program instead for that purpose).
The mkbootdisk program creates a standalone boot floppy disk for booting the running system. The created boot disk will look for the root filesystem on the device mentioned in /etc/fstab and includes an initial ramdisk image which will load any necessary SCSI modules for the system.
Mkinitrd creates filesystem images for use as initial ramdisk (initrd) images. These ramdisk images are often used to preload the block device modules (SCSI or RAID) needed to access the root filesystem.
In other words, generic kernels can be built without drivers for any SCSI adapters which load the SCSI driver as a module. Since the kernel needs to read those modules, but in this case it isn't able to address the SCSI adapter, an initial ramdisk is used. The initial ramdisk is loaded by the operating system loader (normally LILO) and is available to the kernel as soon as the ramdisk is loaded. The ramdisk image loads the proper SCSI adapter and allows the kernel to mount the root filesystem. The mkinitrd program creates such a ramdisk using information found in the /etc/conf.modules file.
The mkkickstart program writes a kickstart description from the host machine. The kickstart description can then be used, during a CD-ROM or NFS installation, to automatically build that machine's configuration of Red Hat Linux on one or more other machines.
Install mkkickstart if you want to use the kickstart method to automatically install Red Hat Linux.
The mktemp utility takes a given file name template and overwrites a portion of it to create a unique file name. This allows shell scripts and other programs to safely create and use /tmp files.
Install the mktemp package if you need to use shell scripts or other programs which will create and use unique /tmp files.
The mount package contains the mount, umount, swapon and swapoff programs. Accessible files on your system are arranged in one big tree or hierarchy. These files can be spread out over several devices. The mount command attaches a filesystem on some device to your system's file tree. The umount command detaches a filesystem from the tree. Swapon and swapoff, respectively, specify and disable devices and files for paging and swapping.
Mouseconfig is a text-based mouse configuration tool. Mouseconfig sets up the files and links needed for configuring and using a mouse on a Red Hat Linux system. The mouseconfig tool can be used to set the correct mouse type for programs like gpm, and can be used with Xconfigurator to set up the mouse for the X Window System.
The net-tools package contains the basic tools needed for setting up networking: arp, rarp, ifconfig, netstat, ethers and route.
ntsysv updates and queries runlevel information for system services. ntsysv relieves system administrators of having to directly manipulate the numerous symbolic links in /etc/rc.d.
PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) is a system security tool which allows system administrators to set authentication policy without having to recompile programs which do authentication.
The passwd package contains a system utility (passwd) which sets and/or changes passwords, using PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules).
To use passwd, you should have PAM installed on your system.
The pwdb package contains libpwdb, the password database library. Libpwdb is a library which implements a generic user information database. Libpwdb was specifically designed to work with Linux's PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules). Libpwdb allows configurable access to and management of security tools like /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow and network authentication systems including NIS and Radius.
The quota package contains system administration tools for monitoring and limiting users' and or groups' disk usage, per filesystem.
This package includes the tools you need to set up and maintain a software RAID device under Linux. It only works with Linux 2.2 kernels and later, or 2.0 kernel specifically patched with newer raid support.
The rootfiles package contains basic required files that are placed in the root user's account. These files are basically the same as the files found in the etcskel package, which are placed in regular users' home directories.
The Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) is a powerful command line driven package management system capable of installing, uninstalling, verifying, querying, and updating software packages. Each software package consists of an archive of files along with information about the package like its version, a description, etc.
The setup package contains a set of very important system configuration and setup files, such as passwd, group, profile and more.
You should install the setup package because you will find yourself using its many features for system administration.
The shadow-utils package includes the necessary programs for converting UNIX password files to the shadow password format, plus programs for managing user and group accounts. The pwconv command converts passwords to the shadow password format. The pwunconv command unconverts shadow passwords and generates an npasswd file (a standard UNIX password file). The pwck command checks the integrity of password and shadow files. The lastlog command prints out the last login times for all users. The useradd, userdel and usermod commands are used for managing user accounts. The groupadd, groupdel and groupmod commands are used for managing group accounts.
The Shapecfg program configures and adjusts traffic shaper bandwidth limiters. Traffic shaping means setting parameters to which traffic should conform - setting the standards for bandwidth consumption.
To use Shapecfg, you must have also installed the kernel which supports the shaper module (kernel versions 2.0.36 or later and late 2.1.x kernels).
Install the shapecfg package if you want to set traffic bandwidth parameters, and if you have the appropriate kernel.
The termcap package provides the /etc/termcap file. /etc/termcap is a database which defines the capabilities of various terminals and terminal emulators. Certain programs use the /etc/termcap file to access various features of terminals (the bell, colors, and graphics, etc.).
The tmpwatch utility recursively searches through specified directories and removes files which have not been accessed in a specified period of time. Tmpwatch is normally used to clean up directories which are used for temporarily holding files (for example, /tmp). Tmpwatch ignores symlinks, won't switch filesystems and only removes empty directories and regular files.
Utempter is a utility which allows programs to log information to a privledged file (/var/run/utmp), without compromising system security. It accomplishes this task by acting as a buffer between root and the programs.
The util-linux package contains a large variety of low-level system utilities that are necessary for a Linux system to function. Among many features, Util-linux contains the fdisk configuration tool and login program.
You should install util-linux for its essential system tools.
The vixie-cron package contains the Vixie version of cron. Cron is a standard UNIX daemon that runs specified programs at scheduled times. Vixie cron adds better security and more powerful configuration options to the standard version of cron.
The Network Information Service (NIS) is a system which provides network information (login names, passwords, home directories, group information) to all of the machines on a network. NIS can enable users to login on any machine on the network, as long as the machine has the NIS client programs running and the user's password is recorded in the NIS passwd database. NIS was formerly known as Sun Yellow Pages (YP).
This package's NIS implementation is based on FreeBSD's YP and is a special port for glibc 2.x and libc versions 5.4.21 and later. This package only provides the NIS client programs. In order to use the clients, you'll need to already have an NIS server running on your network. An NIS server is provided in the ypserv package.
Install the yp-tools package if you need NIS client programs for machines on your network. You will also need to install the ypbind package on every machine running NIS client programs. If you need an NIS server, you'll need to install the ypserv package on one machine on the network.
This section contains packages associated with the daemon processes that run under Red Hat Linux.
ORBit is a high-performance CORBA ORB (object request broker). It allows programs to send requests and receive replies from other programs, regardless of the locations of the two programs.
You will need to install this package and the related header files, libraries and utilities if you want to write programs that use CORBA technology.
This is a font server for XFree86. You can serve fonts to other X servers remotely with this package, and the remote system will be able to use all fonts installed on the font server, even if they are not installed on the remote computer.
Am-utils includes an updated version of Amd, the popular BSD automounter. An automounter is a program which maintains a cache of mounted filesystems. Filesystems are mounted when they are first referenced by the user and unmounted after a certain period of inactivity. Amd supports a variety of filesystems, including NFS, UFS, CD-ROMS and local drives.
You should install am-utils if you need a program for automatically mounting and unmounting filesystems.
The anonftp package contains the files you need in order to allow anonymous FTP access to your machine. Anonymous FTP access allows anyone to download files from your machine without having a user account. Anonymous FTP is a popular way of making programs available via the Internet.
You should install anonftp if you would like to enable anonymous FTP downloads from your machine.
Apache is a powerful, full-featured, efficient and freely-available Web server. Apache is also the most popular Web server on the Internet.
This package will install the Apache Web server on your machine.
This is a Advanced Power Management daemon and utilities. It can watch your notebook's battery and warn all users when the battery is low.
Patches to Rik Faith's original version have been added for shutting down the PCMCIA sockets before a suspend.
At and batch read commands from standard input or from a specified file. At allows you to specify that a command will be run at a particular time (now or a specified time in the future). Batch will execute commands when the system load levels drop to a particular level. Both commands use /bin/sh to run the commands.
You should install the at package if you need a utility that will do time-oriented job control. Note: you should use crontab instead, if it is a recurring job that will need to be repeated at the same time every day/week/etc.
Autofs controls the operation of the automount daemons. The automount daemons automatically mount filesystems when you use them and unmount them after a period of inactivity. Filesystems can include network filesystems, CD-ROMs, floppies and others.
Install this package if you want a program for automatically mounting and unmounting filesystems. If your Red Hat Linux machine is on a network, you should install autofs.
The bdflush process starts the kernel daemon which flushes dirty buffers back to disk (i.e., writes all unwritten data to disk). This helps to prevent the buffers from growing too stale.
Bdflush is a basic system process that must run for your system to operate properly.
Bind includes the named name server, which resolves host names to IP addresses (and vice versa), and a resolver library (a set of routines in a system library that provide the interface for programs to use when accessing domain name services). A name server is a network service which enables clients to name resources or objects and share this information with other network machines. The named name server can be used on workstations as a caching name server, but is generally only needed on one machine for an entire network. Note that the configuration files for making bind act as a simple caching nameserver are included in the caching-nameserver package.
Install the bind package if you need a name server for your network. If you want bind to act a caching name server, you will also need to install the caching-nameserver package.
The bootparamd process provides bootparamd, a server process which provides the information needed by diskless clients in order for them to successfully boot. Bootparamd looks first in /etc/bootparams for an entry for that particular client; if a local bootparams file doesn't exist, it looks at the appropriate Network Information Service (NIS) map. Some network boot loaders (notably Sun's) rely on special boot server code on the server, in addition to the rarp and tftp servers. This bootparamd server process is compatible with SunOS bootparam clients and servers which need that boot server code.
You should install bootparamd if you need to provide boot information to diskless clients on your network.
The caching-nameserver package includes the configuration files which will make bind, the DNS name server, act as a simple caching nameserver. Many users on dialup connections use this package along with bind for such a purpose.
If you would like to set up a caching name server, you'll need to install the caching-nameserver package; you'll also need to install bind.
Cleanfeed is an automatic spam filter for Usenet news servers and routers (INN, Cyclone, Typhoon, Breeze and NNTPRelay). Cleanfeed is highly configurable, easily modified and very fast. It can be configured to block binary posts to non-binary newsgroups, to cancel already-rejected articles, and to reject some spamming from local users.
Install the cleanfeed package if you need a spam filter for a Usenet news server.
The biff client and comsat server are an antiquated method of asynchronous mail notification. Although they are still supported, most users use their shell's MAIL variable (or csh shell's mail variable) to check for mail, or a dedicated application like xbiff or xmailbox. If the comsat service is not enabled, biff won't work and you'll need to use either the MAIL or mail variable.
You may want to install biff if you'd like to be notified when mail arrives. However, you should probably check out the more modern methodologies of mail notification (xbiff or xmailbox) instead.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is a protocol which allows individual devices on an IP network to get their own network configuration information (IP address, subnetmask, broadcast address, etc.) from a DHCP server. The overall purpose of DHCP is to make it easier to administer a large network. The dhcp package includes the DHCP server and a DHCP relay agent.
You should install dhcp if you want to set up a DHCP server on your network. You will also need to install the dhcpcd package, which provides the DHCP client daemon, on client machines.
EsounD -- the Enlightened Sound Daemon -- is a server process that allows multiple applications to share a single sound card. For example, when you're listening to music from your CD and you receive a sound-related event from ICQ, your applications won't have to jockey for the attention of your sound card.
EsounD mixes several audio streams for playback by a single audio device.
Install esound if you'd like to allow for such event sharing by your audio device.
GateD is a modular software program consisting of core services, a routing database, and protocol modules which support multiple routing protocols (RIP versions 1 and 2, DCN HELLO, OSPF version 2, EGP version 2, BGP versions 2 through 4). GateD is designed to handle dynamic routing with a routing database built from the information exchanged by routing protocols.
Install gated if you need a routing daemon.
Gpm provides mouse support to text-based Linux applications like the emacs editor, the Midnight Commander file management system, and other programs. Gpm also provides console cut-and-paste operations using the mouse and includes a program to allow pop-up menus to appear at the click of a mouse button.
Gpm should be installed if you intend to use a mouse with your Red Hat Linux system.
The imap package provides server daemons for both the IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) and POP (Post Office Protocol) mail access protocols. The POP protocol uses a "post office" machine to collect mail for users and allows users to download their mail to their local machine for reading. The IMAP protocol provides the functionality of POP, but allows a user to read mail on a remote machine without downloading it to their local machine.
Install the imap package if you need a server to support the IMAP or the POP mail access protocols.
The inews program is used by some news programs (for example, inn and trn) to post Usenet news articles to local news servers. Inews reads an article from a file or standard input, adds headers, performs some consistency checks and then sends the article to the local news server specified in the inn.conf file.
Install inews if you need a program for posting Usenet articles to local news servers.
INN (InterNetNews) is a complete system for serving Usenet news and/or private newsfeeds. INN includes innd, an NNTP (NetNews Transport Protocol) server, and nnrpd, a newsreader that is spawned for each client. Both innd and nnrpd vary slightly from the NNTP protocol, but not in ways that are easily noticed.
Install the inn package if you need a complete system for serving and reading Usenet news. You may also need to install inn-devel, if you are going to use a separate program which interfaces to INN, like newsgate or tin.
The intimed package contains a server (in.timed), which keeps networked machines' clocks correctly synchronized to the server's time.
Install intimed if you need a network time server.
This is the *new* kernel NFS server and related tools. It provides a much higher level of performance than the traditional Linux user-land NFS server.
The lpr package provides the basic system utility for managing printing services. Lpr manages print queues, sends print jobs to local and remote printers and accepts print jobs from remote clients.
If you will be printing from your system, you'll need to install the lpr package.
The mars_nwe (MARtin Stover's NetWare Emulator) package enables Linux to provide both file and print services for NetWare clients (i.e., providing the services of a Novell NetWare file server). Mars_nwe allows the sharing of files between Linux machines and Novell NetWare clients, using NetWare's native IPX protocol suite.
Install the mars_nwe package if you need a Novell NetWare file server on your Red Hat Linux system.
The Midnight Commander file management system will allow you to manipulate the files on a remote machine as if they were local. This is only possible if the remote machine is running the mcserv server program. Mcserv provides clients running Midnight Commander with access to the host's file systems.
Install mcserv on machines if you want to access their file systems remotely using the Midnight Commander file management system.
Mod_perl incorporates a Perl interpreter into the Apache web server, so that the Apache web server can directly execute Perl code. Mod_perl links the Perl runtime library into the Apache web server and provides an object-oriented Perl interface for Apache's C language API. The end result is a quicker CGI script turnaround process, since no external Perl interpreter has to be started.
Install mod_perl if you're installing the Apache web server and you'd like for it to directly incorporate a Perl interpreter.
PHP is an HTML-embedded scripting language. PHP attempts to make it easy for developers to write dynamically generated web pages. PHP also offers built-in database integration for several commercial and non-commercial database management systems, so writing a database-enabled web page with PHP is fairly simple. The most common use of PHP coding is probably as a replacement for CGI scripts. The mod_php module enables the Apache web server to understand and process the embedded PHP language in web pages.
This package contains PHP/FI, or PHP version 2.01. Unless you use applications which specifically rely on PHP/FI, you should instead install the mod_php3 package, which contains PHP3. PHP3 is an improved and more capable update to PHP/FI.
PHP is an HTML-embedded scripting language. PHP attempts to make it easy for developers to write dynamically generated web pages. PHP also offers built-in database integration for several commercial and non-commercial database management systems, so writing a database-enabled web page with PHP is fairly simple. The most common use of PHP coding is probably as a replacement for CGI scripts. The mod_php module enables the Apache web server to understand and process the embedded PHP language in web pages.
This package contains PHP3, or PHP version 3.05. If you use applications which specifically rely on PHP/FI, you should instead install the PHP/FI module contained in the mod_php package. If you're just starting with PHP, you should install this package. You'll also need to install the Apache web server.
The netkit-base package contains the basic networking tools ping and inetd. The ping command sends a series of ICMP protocol ECHO_REQUEST packets to a specified network host and can tell you if that machine is alive and receiving network traffic. Inetd listens on certain Internet sockets for connection requests, decides what program should receive each request, and starts up that program.
The netkit-base package should be installed on any machine that is on a network.
nscd caches name service lookups; it can dramatically improve performance with NIS+, and may help with DNS as well.
You cannot use nscd with 2.0 kernels, due to bugs in the kernel-side thread support. nscd happens to hit these bugs particularly hard.
The pidentd package contains identd, which implements the RFC1413 identification server. Identd looks up specific TCP/IP connections and returns either the user name or other information about the process that owns the connection.
The portmapper program is a security tool which prevents theft of NIS (YP), NFS and other sensitive information via the portmapper. A portmapper manages RPC connections, which are used by protocols like NFS and NIS.
The portmap package should be installed on any machine which acts as a server for protocols using RPC.
The ppp package contains the PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) daemon and documentation for PPP support. The PPP protocol provides a method for transmitting datagrams over serial point-to-point links.
The ppp package should be installed if your machine need to support the PPP protocol.
The procmail program is used by Red Hat Linux for all local mail delivery. In addition to just delivering mail, procmail can be used for automatic filtering, presorting and other mail handling jobs. Procmail is also the basis for the SmartList mailing list processor.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) and BOOTP (Boot Protocol) are protocols which allow individual devices on an IP network to get their own network configuration information (IP address, subnetmask, broadcast address, etc.) from network servers. The overall purpose of DHCP and BOOTP is to make it easier to administer a large network.
Pump is a combined BOOTP and DHCP client daemon, which allows your machine to retrieve configuration information from a server. You should install this package if you are on a network which uses BOOTP or DHCP.
The routed routing daemon handles incoming RIP traffic and broadcasts outgoing RIP traffic about network traffic routes, in order to maintain current routing tables. These routing tables are essential for a networked computer, so that it knows where packets need to be sent.
The routed package should be installed on any networked machine.
The rusers program allows users to find out who is logged into various machines on the local network. The rusers command produces output similar to who, but for the specified list of hosts or for all machines on the local network.
Install rusers if you need to keep track of who is logged into your local network.
The rwall command sends a message to all of the users logged into a specified host. Actually, your machine's rwall client sends the message to the rwall daemon running on the specified host, and the rwall daemon relays the message to all of the users logged in to that host. The rwall daemon is run from /etc/inetd.conf and is disabled by default on Red Hat Linux systems (it can be very annoying to keep getting all those messages when you're trying to play Quake--I mean trying to get some work done).
Install rwall if you'd like the ability to send messages to users logged in to a specified host machine.
The rwho command displays output similar to the output of the who command (it shows who is logged in) for all machines on the local network running the rwho daemon.
Install the rwho command if you need to keep track of the users who are logged in to your local network.
Samba provides an SMB server which can be used to provide network services to SMB (sometimes called "Lan Manager") clients, including various versions of MS Windows, OS/2, and other Linux machines. Samba also provides some SMB clients, which complement the built-in SMB filesystem in Linux. Samba uses NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) protocols and does NOT need NetBEUI (Microsoft Raw NetBIOS frame) protocol.
Samba-2 features an almost working NT Domain Control capability and includes the new SWAT (Samba Web Administration Tool) that allows samba's smb.conf file to be remotely managed using your favourite web browser. For the time being this is being enabled on TCP port 901 via inetd.
Please refer to the WHATSNEW.txt document for fixup information. This binary release includes encrypted password support. Please read the smb.conf file and ENCRYPTION.txt in the docs directory for implementation details.
NOTE: Red Hat Linux 5.X Uses PAM which has integrated support for Shadow passwords. Do NOT recompile with the SHADOW_PWD option enabled. Red Hat Linux has built in support for quotas in PAM.
The Sendmail program is a very widely used Mail Transport Agent (MTA). MTAs send mail from one machine to another. Sendmail is not a client program, which you use to read your email. Sendmail is a behind-the-scenes program which actually moves your email over networks or the Internet to where you want it to go.
If you ever need to reconfigure Sendmail, you'll also need to have the sendmail.cf package installed. If you need documentation on Sendmail, you can install the sendmail-doc package.
This package includes the configuration files which you'd need to generate the sendmail.cf file distributed with the sendmail package. You'll need the sendmail-cf package if you ever need to reconfigure and rebuild your sendmail.cf file. For example, the default sendmail.cf file is not configured for UUCP. If someday you needed to send and receive mail over UUCP, you'd need to install the sendmail-cf package to help you reconfigure Sendmail.
Install the sendmail-cf package if you need to reconfigure your sendmail.cf file.
Squid is a high-performance proxy caching server for web clients, supporting FTP, gopher, and HTTP data objects. Unlike traditional caching software, Squid handles all requests in a single, non-blocking, I/O-driven process.
Squid keeps meta data and especially hot objects cached in RAM, caches DNS lookups, supports non-blocking DNS lookups, and implements negative caching of failed requests.
Squid supports SSL, extensive access controls, and full request logging. By using the lightweight Internet Cache Protocol, Squid caches can be arranged in a hierarchy or mesh for additional bandwidth savings.
Squid consists of a main server program squid, a Domain Name System lookup program dnsserver, a program for retrieving FTP data ftpget, and some management and client tools. When squid starts up, it spawns a configurable number of dnsserver processes, each of which can perform a single, blocking Domain Name System (DNS) lookup. This reduces the amount of time the cache waits for DNS lookups.
Squid is derived from the ARPA-funded Harvest project.
The sysklogd package contains two system utilities (syslogd and klogd) which provide support for system logging. Syslogd and klogd run as daemons (background processes) and log system messages to different places, like sendmail logs, security logs, error logs, etc.
The tcp_wrappers package provides small daemon programs which can monitor and filter incoming requests for systat, finger, ftp, telnet, rlogin, rsh, exec, tftp, talk and other network services.
Install the tcp_wrappers program if you need a security tool for filtering incoming network services requests.
The Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) is normally used only for booting diskless workstations. The tftp package provides the user interface for TFTP, which allows users to transfer files to and from a remote machine. This program, and TFTP, provide very little security, and should not be enabled unless it is expressly needed. The TFTP server is run from /etc/inetd.conf, and is disabled by default on Red Hat Linux systems.
The timed package contains the timed daemon and the timedc program for controlling the timed program. Timed synchronizes its host machine's time with the time on other local network machines. The timedc program is used to control and configure the operation of timed.
Install the timed package if you need a system for keeping networked machines' times in synchronization.
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is a protocol used for network management (hence the name). The UCD-SNMP project includes various SNMP tools: an extensible agent, an SNMP library, tools for requesting or setting information from SNMP agents, tools for generating and handling SNMP traps, a version of the netstat command which uses SNMP, and a Tk/Perl mib browser. This package contains the snmpd and snmptrapd daemons, documentation, etc.
Install the ucd-snmp package if you need network management tools. You will probably also want to install the ucd-snmp-utils package, which contains UCD-SNMP utilities.
The wu-ftpd package contains the wu-ftpd FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server daemon. The FTP protocol is a method of transferring files between machines on a network and/or over the Internet. Wu-ftpd's features include logging of transfers, logging of commands, on the fly compression and archiving, classification of users' type and location, per class limits, per directory upload permissions, restricted guest accounts, system wide and per directory messages, directory alias, cdpath, filename filter and virtual host support.
Install the wu-ftpd package if you need to provide FTP service to remote users.
The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is used to synchronize a computer's time with another reference time source. The xntp3 package contains utilities and daemons which will synchronize your computer's time to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) via the NTP protocol and NTP servers. Xntp3 includes ntpdate (a program for retrieving the date and time from remote machines via a network) and xntpd (a daemon which continuously adjusts system time).
Install the xntp3 package if you need tools for keeping your system's time synchronized via the NTP protocol.
The Network Information Service (NIS) is a system which provides network information (login names, passwords, home directories, group information) to all of the machines on a network. NIS can enable users to login on any machine on the network, as long as the machine has the NIS client programs running and the user's password is recorded in the NIS passwd database. NIS was formerly known as Sun Yellow Pages (YP).
This package provides the ypbind daemon. The ypbind daemon binds NIS clients to an NIS domain. Ypbind must be running on any machines which are running NIS client programs.
Install the ypbind package on any machines which are running NIS client programs (included in the yp-tools package). If you need an NIS server, you'll also need to install the ypserv package to a machine on your network.
The Network Information Service (NIS) is a system which provides network information (login names, passwords, home directories, group information) to all of the machines on a network. NIS can enable users to login on any machine on the network, as long as the machine has the NIS client programs running and the user's password is recorded in the NIS passwd database. NIS was formerly known as Sun Yellow Pages (YP).
This package provides the NIS server, which will need to be running on your network. NIS clients do not need to be running the server.
Install ypserv if you need an NIS server for your network. You'll also need to install the yp-tools and ypbind packages onto any NIS client machines.
This section contains packages that are related to the Linux kernel on which Red Hat Linux is based.
The kernel package contains the Linux kernel (vmlinuz), the core of your Red Hat Linux operating system. The kernel handles the basic functions of the operating system: memory allocation, process allocation, device input and output, etc.
This package includes a trimmed down version of the Linux 2.2.5 kernel. This kernel is used on the installation boot disks only and should not be used for an installed system, as many features in this kernel are turned off because of the size constraints.
Many laptop machines (and some non-laptops) support PCMCIA cards for expansion. Also known as "credit card adapters," PCMCIA cards are small cards for everything from SCSI support to modems. PCMCIA cards are hot swappable (i.e., they can be exchanged without rebooting the system) and quite convenient to use. The kernel-pcmcia-cs package contains a set of loadable kernel modules that implement an applications program interface, a set of client drivers for specific cards and a card manager daemon that can respond to card insertion and removal events by loading and unloading drivers on demand. The daemon also supports hot swapping, so that the cards can be safely inserted and ejected at any time.
Install the kernel-pcmcia-cs package if your system uses PCMCIA cards.
This package includes a SMP version of the Linux 2.2.5 kernel. It is required only on machines with two or more CPUs, although it should work fine on single-CPU boxes.
The modutils packages includes the kerneld program for automatic loading of modules under 2.0 kernels and unloading of modules under 2.0 and 2.2 kernels, as well as other module management programs.
Loaded and unloaded modules are device drivers and filesystems, as well as other things.
This section contains the packages associated with the libraries that are required to run programs under Red Hat Linux.
XFree86-libs contains the shared libraries that most X programs need to run properly. These shared libraries are in a separate package in order to reduce the disk space needed to run X applications on a machine without an X server (i.e, over a network).
If you are installing the X Window System on your machine, you will need to install XFree86-libs. You will also need to install the XFree86 package, the XFree86-75dpi-fonts package or the XFree86-100dpi-fonts package (depending upon your monitor's resolution), the Xconfigurator package and the X11R6-contrib package. And, finally, if you are going to be developing applications that run as X clients, you will also need to install XFree86-devel.
Xaw3d is an enhanced version of the MIT Athena Widget set for the X Window System. Xaw3d adds a three-dimensional look to applications with minimal or no source code changes.
You should install Xaw3d if you are using applications which incorporate the MIT Athena widget set and you'd like to incorporate a 3D look into those applications.
Library to handle various audio file formats. Used by the esound daemon.
CrackLib tests passwords to determine whether they match certain security-oriented characteristics. You can use CrackLib to stop users from choosing passwords which would be easy to guess. CrackLib performs certain tests:
* It tries to generate words from a username and gecos entry and checks those words against the password; * It checks for simplistic patterns in passwords; * It checks for the password in a dictionary.
CrackLib is actually a library containing a particular C function which is used to check the password, as well as other C functions. CrackLib is not a replacement for a passwd program; it must be used in conjunction with an existing passwd program.
Install the cracklib package if you need a program to check users' passwords to see if they are at least minimally secure. If you install CrackLib, you'll also want to install the cracklib-dicts package.
The cracklib-dicts package includes the CrackLib dictionaries. CrackLib will need to use the dictionary appropriate to your system, which is normally put in /usr/dict/words. Cracklib-dicts also contains the utilities necessary for the creation of new dictionaries.
If you are installing CrackLib, you should also install cracklib-dicts.
Fnlib is a library that provides full, scalable 24-bit color font rendering abilities for X.
The FreeType engine is a free and portable TrueType font rendering engine. It has been developed to provide TT support to a great variety of platforms and environments. Note that FreeType is a library, not a stand-alone application, though some utility applications are included.
Gd is a graphics library for drawing .gif files. Gd allows your code to quickly draw images (lines, arcs, text, multiple colors, cutting and pasting from other images, flood fills) and write out the result as a .gif file. Gd is particularly useful in web applications, where .gifs are commonly used as inline images. Note, however, that gd is not a paint program.
Install gd if you are developing applications which need to draw .gif files. If you install gd, you'll also need to install the gd-devel package.
Gdbm is a GNU database indexing library, including routines which use extensible hashing. Gdbm works in a similar way to standard UNIX dbm routines. Gdbm is useful for developers who write C applications and need access to a simple and efficient database or who are building C applications which will use such a database.
If you're a C developer and your programs need access to simple database routines, you should install gdbm. You'll also need to install gdbm-devel.
Libraries used to communicate between The GIMP and other programs which may function as "GIMP plugins".
Glib is a handy library of utility functions. This C library is designed to solve some portability problems and provide other useful functionality which most programs require.
Glib is used by GDK, GTK+ and many applications. You should install Glib because many of your applications will depend on this library.
The glib package contains a useful library of utility functions, which are necessary for the successful operation of many different programs on your Red Hat Linux system.
Contains the standard libraries that are used by multiple programs on the system. In order to save disk space and memory, as well as to ease upgrades, common system code is kept in one place and shared between programs. This package contains the most important sets of shared libraries, the standard C library and the standard math library. Without these, a Linux system will not function. It also contains national language (locale) support and timezone databases.
The gmp package contains GNU MP, a library for arbitrary precision arithmetic, signed integers operations, rational numbers and floating point numbers. GNU MP is designed for speed, for both small and very large operands. GNU MP is fast for several reasons: It uses fullwords as the basic arithmetic type, it uses fast algorithms, it carefully optimizes assembly code for many CPUs' most common inner loops and it generally emphasizes speed over simplicity/elegance in its operations.
Install the gmp package if you need a fast arbitrary precision library.
This package contains extra sound files useful for customizing the sounds that the GNOME desktop environment makes.
GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) is a user-friendly set of applications and desktop tools to be used in conjunction with a window manager for the X Window System. GNOME is similar in purpose and scope to CDE and KDE, but GNOME is based completely on Open Source software. The gnome-libs package includes libraries that are needed by GNOME.
You should install the gnome-libs package if you would like to use the GNOME desktop environment. You'll also need to install the gnome-core package. If you would like to develop GNOME applications, you'll also need to install gnome-libs-devel. If you want to use Linuxconf with a GNOME front end, you'll also need to install the gnome-linuxconf package.