Contents

Preface xxiii
1 Available documentation xxiii
2 Improving the documentation xxiv
3 Documentation conventions xxv
4 Support xxvii
Support statement for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server xxvii • Technology
previews xxviii
I COMMON TASKS 1
1 Bash and Bash scripts 2
1.1 What is “the shell”? 2
Bash configuration files 2 • The directory structure 5
1.2 Writing shell scripts 9
1.3 Redirecting command events 10
1.4 Using aliases 11
1.5 Using variables in Bash 12
Using argument variables 13 • Using variable substitution 14
1.6 Grouping and combining commands 15
1.7 Working with common flow constructs 16
The if control command 16 • Creating loops with the for command 16
1.8 More information 17
2 sudo basics 18
2.1 Basic sudo usage 18
Running a single command 18 • Starting a shell 19
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2.2 Configuring sudo 20
Editing the configuration files 20 • Basic sudoers configuration
syntax 21 • Basic sudoers rules 22
2.3 sudo use cases 24
Using sudo without root password 24 • Using sudo with X.Org
applications 25
2.4 More information 26
3 Using YaST 27
3.1 YaST interface overview 27
3.2 Useful key combinations 27
4 YaST in text mode 29
4.1 Navigation in modules 30
4.2 Advanced key combinations 31
4.3 Restriction of key combinations 32
4.4 YaST command line options 32
Installing packages from the command line 33 • Working with individual
modules 33 • Command line parameters of YaST modules 33
5 Changing language and country settings with
YaST 58
5.1 Changing the system language 58
Modifying system languages with YaST 59 • Switching the default
system language 61 • Switching languages for standard X and GNOME
applications 62
5.2 Changing the country and time settings 62
6 Managing users with YaST 66
6.1 User and group administration dialog 66
6.2 Managing user accounts 68
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6.3 Additional options for user accounts 70
Automatic login and passwordless login 70 • Enforcing password
policies 71 • Managing quotas 71
6.4 Changing default settings for local users 74
6.5 Assigning users to groups 75
6.6 Managing groups 75
6.7 Changing the user authentication method 77
6.8 Default system users 78
6.9 Default system groups 80
7 YaST online update 82
7.1 The online update dialog 83
7.2 Installing patches 84
7.3 Viewing retracted patches 85
7.4 Automatic online update 86
8 Installing or removing software 89
8.1 Definition of terms 89
8.2 Registering an installed system 91
Registering with YaST 91 • Registering with SUSEConnect 91
8.3 Using the YaST software manager 91
Searching software 92 • Installing and removing packages
or patterns 94 • Updating packages 95 • Package
dependencies 97 • Handling of package recommendations 98
8.4 Managing software repositories and services 99
Adding software repositories 99 • Managing repository
properties 101 • Managing repository keys 102
8.5 The GNOME package updater 102
8.6 Updating packages with GNOME Software 105
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9 Managing software with command line tools 107
9.1 Using Zypper 107
General usage 107 • Using Zypper subcommands 109 • Installing
and removing software with Zypper 109 • Updating
software with Zypper 114 • Identifying processes and
services using deleted files 119 • Managing repositories
with Zypper 121 • Querying repositories and packages with
Zypper 123 • Showing lifecycle information 125 • Configuring
Zypper 126 • Troubleshooting 126 • Zypper rollback feature on Btrfs file
system 126 • More information 127
9.2 RPM—the package manager 127
Verifying package authenticity 128 • Managing packages: install, update, and
uninstall 128 • Delta RPM packages 129 • RPM queries 130 • Installing
and compiling source packages 133 • Compiling RPM packages with
build 135 • Tools for RPM archives and the RPM database 135
10 System recovery and snapshot management with
Snapper 136
10.1 Default setup 137
Default settings 138 • Types of snapshots 138 • Directories that are
excluded from snapshots 139 • Customizing the setup 139
10.2 Using Snapper to undo changes 143
Undoing YaST and Zypper changes 144 • Using Snapper to restore files 149
10.3 System rollback by booting from snapshots 151
Snapshots after rollback 153 • Accessing and identifying snapshot boot
entries 154 • Limitations 155
10.4 Enabling Snapper in user home directories 157
Installing pam_snapper and creating users 157 • Removing
users 158 • Manually enabling snapshots in home directories 158
10.5 Creating and modifying Snapper configurations 158
Managing existing configurations 160
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10.6 Manually creating and managing snapshots 163
Snapshot metadata 164 • Creating snapshots 165 • Modifying snapshot
metadata 167 • Deleting snapshots 167
10.7 Automatic snapshot clean-up 168
Cleaning up numbered snapshots 169 • Cleaning up timeline
snapshots 171 • Cleaning up snapshot pairs that do not
differ 172 • Cleaning up manually created snapshots 173 • Adding disk
quota support 173
10.8 Showing exclusive disk space used by snapshots 174
10.9 Frequently asked questions 176
11 Live kernel patching with KLP 178
11.1 Advantages of Kernel Live Patching 178
11.2 Kernel Live Patching overview 178
Kernel Live Patching scope 180 • Kernel Live Patching limitations 180
11.3 Activating Kernel Live Patching using YaST 180
11.4 Activating Kernel Live Patching from the command line 181
11.5 Performing Kernel Live Patching 182
Checking expiration date of the live patch 183
11.6 Troubleshooting Kernel Live Patching issues 183
Manual patch downgrade 183
12 User space live patching 185
12.1 About user space live patching 185
Prerequisites 185 • Supported libraries 186 • Using libpulp 186
12.2 More information 188
13 Transactional updates 189
13.1 Limitations of technology preview 189
13.2 Enabling transactional-update 191
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13.3 Managing automatic updates 191
13.4 The transactional-update command 192
13.5 Troubleshooting 194
14 Remote graphical sessions with VNC 195
14.1 The vncviewer client 195
Connecting using the vncviewer CLI 195 • Connecting using the vncviewer
GUI 196 • Notification of unencrypted connections 196
14.2 Remmina: the remote desktop client 196
Installation 196 • Main window 197 • Adding remote
sessions 197 • Starting remote sessions 199 • Editing, copying, and
deleting saved sessions 200 • Running remote sessions from the command
line 200
14.3 Configuring one-time sessions on the VNC server 201
Available configurations 202 • Initiating a one-time VNC
session 203 • Configuring one-time VNC sessions 203
14.4 Configuring persistent VNC server sessions 204
VNC session initiated using vncserver 205 • VNC session initiated using
vncmanager 206
14.5 Configuring encryption on the VNC server 210
14.6 Compatibility with Wayland 211
15 File copying with RSync 212
15.1 Conceptual overview 212
15.2 Basic syntax 212
15.3 Copying files and directories locally 213
15.4 Copying files and directories remotely 214
15.5 Configuring and using an rsync server 214
15.6 More information 217
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II BOOTING A LINUX SYSTEM 218
16 Introduction to the boot process 219
16.1 Terminology 219
16.2 The Linux boot process 220
The initialization and boot loader phase 220 • The kernel phase 221 • The
init on initramfs phase 224 • The systemd phase 226
17 UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) 227
17.1 Secure boot 227
Implementation on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 228 • MOK (Machine
Owner Key) 230 • Booting a custom kernel 231 • Using non-inbox
drivers 233 • Features and limitations 234
17.2 More information 235
18 The boot loader GRUB 2 236
18.1 Main differences between GRUB legacy and GRUB 2 236
18.2 Configuration file structure 236
The file /boot/grub2/grub.cfg 237 • The file /etc/default/
grub 238 • Scripts in /etc/grub.d 241 • Mapping between BIOS
drives and Linux devices 242 • Editing menu entries during the boot
procedure 243 • Setting a boot password 244 • Authorized access to boot
menu entries 245
18.3 Configuring the boot loader with YaST 247
Boot loader location and boot code options 248 • Adjusting the disk
order 249 • Configuring advanced options 250
18.4 Differences in terminal usage on IBM Z 253
Limitations 253 • Key combinations 254
18.5 Helpful GRUB 2 commands 256
18.6 Rescue mode 257
18.7 More information 258
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