linuxconf(8) · carta

NAME

linuxconf - System configuration/administration tool

SYNOPSIS

linuxconf [ --help ]
linuxconf [ UI options ] [ options ... ]

DESCRIPTION

linuxconf is a sophisticated administration tool for Linux. It provides a complete framework so modules can concentrate on the task to perform. The framework provides

User interface independance.
Fine grain privileges granting.
Multiple modules co-working on the same dialog.
Module providing generic interface to other modules.
Extensive configurability (file path, command path).

Linuxconf has also extensive command line options. Each module may add its own set.

User interface options (UI options)

linuxconf supports 3 user interfaces: Text, graphical and WEB. The WEB interface is triggered by an http request on port 98. The other interfaces are selected based on context. But one may force linuxconf to pick on or the other.

User interface options must be presented before any other options on the command line. The following options are provided:

--gui: forces the graphical mode. In general, there is no point to force the graphical mode. It is possible, using the feature dialog found in Linuxconf main menu to disable the graphical mode (useful on less capable machine). The --gui option override this.

--guiproto

is used to tell Linuxconf it is being called by its GUI front-end. In general, Linuxconf calls the front-end itself, but it is sometime useful to do the reverse, especially when doing remote administration. For example, the following command provides a very efficient and secure remote administration solution:

remadmin --exec ssh some-host linuxconf --guiproto

--mono: force the monochrome color scheme in text mode.

--silent: disable messages printing on the console in text mode.

--text: forces the text mode interface. Linuxconf is built using the ncurses library, so obey the TERM variable to handle screen drawing properly.

WEB interface

By default, on most installation, the WEB interface is disabled. When active, it provides access to pretty much every feature found in Linuxconf.

The WEB interface is listening on TCP port 98. Linuxconf does not requires any WEB server. As such, it can configure even a non active Apache server for example. Linuxconf own WEB server is started from inetd or xinetd, on demand. See networking / misc / network access for more details.

Linuxconf in WEB mode starts a single process. The process goes away after 10 minutes of inactivity (configurable from the features dialog in the main menu).

OPTIONS

--archive file_path/sub-system ...

copies some configuration files to the archive (/etc/linuxconf/archive). The files are recorded using RCS if available. The option expect a list of sub-systems and absolute file paths. For example:

linuxconf --archive /etc/smb.conf
linuxconf --archive netclient

--demo

This triggers a special http mode. Linuxconf does a change root to the directory /demo_linuxconf and executes from there. All system sensible updates are stopped. http://www.solucorp.qc.ca/linuxconf/demo.html has been running this live demo for several years now.

See the script install-demo.sh to build a demo directory.

--diff file_path/sub-system ...: produce a "diff" output of various configuration files. It compares the current state with the last archived version. Like --archive, it expects a list of sub-systems and file paths.

--extract file_path/sub-system ...: will replace the current version of some configuration file with the last version in the archive. Like --archive, the option expects a list of sub-systems and absolute file paths.

--help: presents the various command line options, for Linuxconf and all components and modules. This is always presented in text mode.

--helpfile: presents the list of all help files known to Linuxconf (including all modules). Lines starting with *** indicate a missing (not written) help file.

--hint: is an option used by some service to help them perform their task. This is never used directly by the system administrator.

--history file_path/sub-system ...: presents the revision of the various configuration files. It is currently presenting the output of the rlog command (RCS system). It expects the same extra parameters as --archive.

--http: triggers the WEB mode. When started from inetd or xinetd, Linuxconf used the supplied socket. When started from the command line, Linuxconf binds to port 8000 (see the --port option below).

--listconfig: presents all configuration files known to Linuxconf. Each file path is presented with a set of flags and the sub-system name owning it. The 3 informations are separated by tabs. Consult the control/control files and systems/all configuration files help screen for the definition of those flags.

--md5sum file_path/sub-system ...: produces the MD5 digest of configurations files and sub-systems.

--modulemain modulename [ options ]

triggers the main function/menu of a module. In general, using --modulemain will present the module main menu. For example, doing

linuxconf --modulemain dnsconf

bring the DNS configurator main menu. A short cut mechanism exist. For a given module fooconf one may do the following:

ls -s /bin/linuxconf /bin/fooconf

and calling the fooconf command will be equivalent to using the longer --modulemain syntax. Several modules are installed using this short cut notation. This includes dnsconf, mailconf, vregistry, viewlog, modemconf, managerpm, and uucpconf.

--services: triggers the control service activity dialog.

--setkeymap keymapfile: records the keymap. This option is only used on distribution lacking a well defined configuration file to store this information.

--setmod module: enables this module (found in /usr/lib/linuxconf/module). If the user has disabled this module using the dialog found in control / control files and systems / linuxconf modules this option has no effect.

--shutdown: triggers the shutdown dialog found in the control panel sub-menu.

--status: probes the system and present the list of action needed to brings the system current with its configuration. Linuxconf does this probing everytime you quit from an interactive session. See --update below.

--selectprofile profile

archive the current profile and extract the configuration files of the new profile. Only the files belonging to different archiving familty are archived/extracted. See the help screen in control / control files and systems / linuxconf profiles to get more information on this topic.

A profile switch may be triggered at boot time by passing the option PROFILE=profile at the LILO prompt. The boot time menu (askrunlevel) must be installed though.

--unsetmod module: disables the module.

--update: executes the various actions found by the --status option.

--vdb: is obsolete. It was the key to the virtual database. It is now replaced by the vregistry module.

--version: prints Linuxconf version and exits.

The treemenu interface

Linuxconf has several user interfaces and even several ways to present its menus. Users usually pick the one they prefer. The default interface in most installation is the tree menu. You have a tree on the left side and dialogs are poping up on the right side.

The presentation is done by a special module called treemenu. One may disable it either interactivly in control/ control files and systems / linuxconf modules. or by executing the following command:

linuxconf --unsetmod treemenu

The content of the tree menu is built dynamically by inspecting all modules. They are run in a simulation mode, travelling from one menu to the other. This may take few seconds on slower systems. When Linuxconf builds its treemenu, a popup inform you. Linuxconf will redo its menu if something has changed: A module has been added or removed, linuxconf was upgraded, or the operation language has changed.

The treemenu date is stored in the file /var/state/linuxconf/treemenu.cache. If the file is missing, linuxconf will redo it. The file also hold the state of the tree menu from one session to the other (it remembers which branches are open or collapsed).

This dynamic way of building the tree menu has a drawback. To build the menu, linuxconf has to walk every module. If a module has a flaw, it may very well fail, making linuxconf unusable. While building its menu, linuxconf produces a file /var/run/treemenu.log. This file shows which menu option was processed last. This may help diagnose which module is the problem. To fix this issue (after having send a bug report to linuxconf mailing list), one may either disable the offending module or disable the treemenu module as shown above.

FILES

/etc/conf.linuxconf

Linuxconf edits configuration files in place. There is no intermediate registry or database. It reads and update various configurations. For some information, there is no standard place (or no place at all) to store it. Linuxconf saves this in /etc/conf.linuxconf. This file has a simple text of the form:

key.subkey value ...

The file is splitted in numerous section identified like this

[ section-name ]

/etc/linuxconf/archive

When linuxconf updates a configuration file, it archives the original copy in /etc/linuxconf/archive. This is done by the utility /usr/lib/linuxconf/lib/cfgarchive (changeable by the admin, see control / control files and systems / all commands and daemons).

cfgarchive uses RCS to archive the file if available. If not, it keeps the last copy only. To understand the archiving mechanism, one should consult the help screen for control / control files and systems / system profiles.

/etc/linuxconf/control: Yhis directory contains the linuxconf addons. These are control file used to start/stop/restart a given service. Addons can be seen as a friendly way to add custom services to a host. For more information consult control / control files and systems / linuxconf addons.

Linuxconf references

The home site for linuxconf is http://www.solucorp.qc.ca/linuxconf.

You can register to linuxconf mailing list at http://www.solucorp.qc.ca/linuxconf/mailinglist.html

A bug tracking system is available at http://www.solucorp.qc.ca/bug.