Configuring Service on Linux

Linux comes with such many services and daemons.
If you confuse -just like me- about services / daemons in linux world, here are list some services / daemons that common use by default by Linux system.

* ConsoleKit
The ConsoleKit maintains a list of sessions and therefore is useful if you use Fast User Switching. If you use gdm and Gnome leave this enabled.

* NetworkManager, NetworkManagerDispathcer
NetworkManager provides automatic network detection and configuration for the system. It is useful for modern laptops, where the user may move between wireless networks, and plug in to a variety of wired networks. Unless you are such a user disable it.

* anacron
Anacron can be used to execute commands periodically. Unlike cron, it does not assume that the machine is running continuously. Hence, it can be used on machines that aren’t running 24 hours a day, to control daily, weekly, and monthly jobs that are usually controlled by cron. Leave it enabled.

* atd
atd runs jobs queued for later execution.

* auditd
auditd starts the Linux Auditing System Daemon. Leave it enabled especially if you are using SELinux.

* autofs
If you use removable disks such as usb sticks and usb hard drives leave this enabled to allow them be automounted.

* avahi-daemon
Unless you use ZeroConf stuff disable this.

* bluetooth
Unless you use bluetooth devices disable this.

* capi
Unless you have ISDN hardware disable this.

* cpuspeed
If your cpu allows throttling leave this enabled.

* crond
Scheduled tasks similar to anacron. Leave this enabled.

* cups
This controls Common UNIX Printing System. If you have a printer leave this enabled.

* dund
This is a Bluetooth Dial-Up-Networking Daemon. Unless you use one of that disable it.

* firstboot
Well, you have done your first boot, haven’t you? So disable it.

* gpm
Mouse support in terminal. Unless you use it disable it.

* haldaemon
Daemon for collecting and maintaing information about hardware. It should be enabled.

* httpd
Unless you run an apache HTTP web server, disable this.

* ip6tables
IPv6 firewall. Unless you run using IPv6 (most users don’t) disable this.

* iptables
This is the Linux Firewall. If you are contected to a Network/Internet leave this enabled.

* irda
This controls infrared adaptors. Unless you have one disable it.

* irqbalance
If you have a multi-core cpu, such as Core2Duo or AMD X2 leave this enabled.

* isdn
Unless you have ISDN hardware disable it.

* kudzu
This checks for new hardware pluged into your computer. Unless you change your hardware set it disabled.

* lisa
It provides something like a “network neighbourhood”, but only relying on the TCP/IP protocol stack. If you use Samba or NFS set this disabled.

* lm_sensors
Monitors motherboard sensor values. Leave it enabled.

* mdmonitor
If you use software RAID or LVM leave it enabled.

* messagebus
System messenger that communicates with dbus. Leave it enabled.

* nasd
Network Audio System Deamon. Leave it enabled.

* netconsole
Initializes network console logging. Leave it disabled.

* netfs
Mounts and unmounts network filesystems such as NFS and Samba automatically. Unless you use Shared Files set it disabled.

* netplugd
netplugd is a daemon for managing non-static network interfaces. Leave it disabled.

* network
It controles ethernet and wireless network devices. Leave it enabled unless you are not using any of these cards.

* nfs, nfslock
Unless you have a Linux-Linux LAN disable those.

* nscd
It handles passwd and group lookups for running programs. You should start this daemon if you use slow naming services like NIS, NIS+, LDAP, or hesiod. In any other case leave it disabled.

* ntpd
The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is used to synchronize the time of a computer to reference time source. Leave this enabled unless you have a dual boot system in which Windows controls system time.

* nvidia
This script will check if a nvidia kernel module is present for the running kernel and modify the xorg.conf to the appropriate configuration. If you have an nVidia card this should be enabled.

* pand
Bluetooth Personal Area Networking Daemon. Provides network services over Bluetooth. Unless you use such services disable it.

* pcscd
Resource manager for the PC/SC lite and Musclecard frameworks. Unless you use such cards disable it.

* rdisc
This discovers routers on the local subnet. Disable it.

* readahead_early, readahead_later
Loads into memory programs before they are needed. Leave it enabled if you want applications to start faster.

* restorecond
restorecond uses inotify to look for creation of new files listed in the /etc/selinux/restorecond.conf file, and restores the correct security context. If you use SELinux leave it enabled.

* rpcbind, rpcgssd, rpcidmapd, rpcsvcgssd
Unless you use NFS v4 set those services disabled.

* rsyslog
It logs system messages. Leave it enabled.

* saslauthd
Handles plaintext authentication requests on behalf of the cyrus-sasl library. If you don’t need something like that set it disabled.

* sendmail
Unless you want to run a Mail Server set it disabled.

* setroubleshoot
This starts the SELinux Troubleshooting Daemon. If you use SELinux leave it enabled.

* smartd
Self Monitoring and Reporting Technology (SMART) Daemon. It is recommended this to be enabled but it won’t harm you if you disable it.

* smolt
It enables monthly update of Smolt. If you are willing to help Fedora with your system statiscs leave it enabled. Otherwise disable this.

* sshd
SSH Server. It allows users to remotely log into your computer. Unless you need this set it disabled.

* wpa_supplicant
This is a wap supplicant with support for WPA and WPA2 (IEEE 802.11i / RSN). If you have a wireless card leave this enabled. Otherwise disable it.

* ypbind
This is a daemon which runs on NIS/YP clients and binds them to a NIS domain. It must be running for systems based on glibc to work as NIS clients. If you are not using NIS disable it.

* yum-updatesd
This daemon periodically checks for updates. If you want to be notified for new updates leave it enabled. However many times that you try to use yum you may get an error about another pid running because of that service.

Source :
http://www.my-guides.net/en/content/view/30/26/1/1/

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Novell - On the way to becoming a Linux business?

Novell's recently released figures for the second quarter of 2009 showed an 8.5 per cent drop in sales compared to the previous year – not a big surprise in light of the much debated economic crisis. Even so, the latest figures are in line with the broad trend at Novell. Sales have been falling for years – from just shy of $300 million per quarter in late 2004 to around $216 million now. However, one area of the business has enjoyed constant, indeed double-digit, growth over the last few years – Linux. Three years ago, sales from the Linux business were around $10 million; this year they have already hit $37 million .

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Inbox Innovation: Zimbra Adds New Gadgets and Gallery

Process-maker-in-ZimbraZimbra’s open source roots have always been of great importance to both the company and the Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS). When we set out to build a new collaboration system over five years ago, we wanted to bring a fresh perspective to the market, and a big part of that was our commitment to being open source. We understood sharing ideas within the open source community keeps you a one step ahead of competitors by iterating faster to give users what they want. A great example demonstrating how the community has flourished is the Zimlet development program.

Zimlets are simple but powerful extensions of ZCS that connect users’ email, calendar, and contacts with any number of outside services (for a couple of recent examples see Alfresco and Peru and TripIt). Zimlet development growth in the community has been strong and steady, and we are excited to continue supporting the community’s work by providing a place where developers can feature the best of their integrations to share with other Zimbra users. So, today we are launching an updated Zimlet Gallery where you can pick and choose from many handy new ZCS extensions.

At the same time, we also love seeing our Yahoo! friends continue to embrace openness as part of the Yahoo! Open Strategy. In addition to this announcement today, a number of our Yahoo! brethren are extending their platforms to become more open. Today, Yahoo! Mail is introducing applications which enable people to make online payments, access personal photos and more easily send large files directly from their inbox. In addition, My Yahoo! is adding even more third-party applications, driving enhanced personal productivity for users directly from their My Yahoo! start page. You can read more about the Mail and My Yahoo! updates on the Yodel and YDN blogs.

As part of the Zimlet Gallery launch today, we’d like to introduce you to a few new third-party Zimlets, including:

Xythos Zimlet - The Xythos Zimlet allows you to drag and drop email messages and file attachments directly into Xythos’ Enterprise Document Management System. Secure document management is popular in the enterprise and universities; integration in email is key for ubiquitous adoption.

Processmaker Zimlet - The Processmaker Zimlet helps streamline workflows, like time-off requests, all within Zimbra email (see above). This Zimlet is already becoming popular and is being deployed at Access America Transport and Ministerio de Vivienda by our Zimbra Partners.

Sticky-Notes-in-ZimbraIn addition, Zimbra developers have created a handful of new Zimlets, including:

Place Sticky Notes on Email - The new Sticky Notes Zimlet allows you to attach and tag emails with “notes.” One can leave comments, reminders, additional info about the email and more. And Zimbra’s powerful search can search through emails based on the contents of the tags/notes attached to the email.

Email Highlighter - The Colored Emails Zimlet allows you to apply personally assigned colors to emails from specific senders such as a family member, your boss, etc. You can identify senders by color, but you can also create colored emails through tags, making it easier to prioritize any inbox.

Save Email as Documents - With one click, the Email-2-Doc Zimlet lets you save an important email as a Zimbra Document; it will automatically save any attachments as links in the Document as well. The email can then be edited and shared with others.

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Untangle 6.2

Untangle 6.2 will be available later this month, with upgrades starting as early as May 18th!

Key highlights of the 6.2 release:

1. WAN Failover
Prevent downtime due to your ISP. WAN Failover allows the Untangle server to detect if the primary internet link goes down and switch traffic to a backup connection. Each WAN requires a dedicated network card in the Untangle Server. WAN Failover starts at $5/mo and is now included as part of the Professional Package and Education Package Subscriptions.


2. WAN Balancer
Improve network performance and uptime by spreading traffic across multiple internet connections. Each external interface requires a dedicated network card in the Untangle Server. WAN Balancer starts at $10/mo and includes WAN Failover.

3. Ad Blocker
Eliminate annoying advertisements, increase page download times, and reduce traffic with Untangle Ad Blocker. Based on the open source project AdBlock Plus (http://adblockplus.org), Untangle Ad Blocker lets you to easily block ads at the gateway for all users or by policy when used with Untangle Policy Manager (http://www.untangle.com/Policy-Manager). Ad Blocker is free and available for install on any Untangle Server.

4. Super Bundle
Have it all for one low price! Super Bundle represents the best value for customers who want all commercially available products and services from Untangle. Highlights include Live Support, eSoft Web Filter, Commtouch Spam Blocker, Kaspersky Virus Blocker, WAN Balancer, Policy Manager, Active Directory Connector, Branding Manager and more. If you want the best products and big savings, Super Bundle is for you.

In addition to all the new applications, a number of issues were also fixed.

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