Chapter 16.
Maintaining a System Remotely
Remote access tools like those discussed in href="http:// /?xmlid=0-201-77423-2/ch13#ch13"> Chapters 13 and href="http:// /?xmlid=0-201-77423-2/ch14#ch14"> 14 allow ordinary
users to use a computer from a distance. You can also use these tools to log on
to the system and administer it from a distance. There are, however, more
specialized tools that are designed for remote system administration. Some of
these provide interfaces that are more friendly to new administrators, or they
may be simpler to use than conventional administration through editing text
files. All provide at least minimal help and configuration hints that can be
useful even for experienced administrators. This chapter covers two
general-purpose remote administration tools (Linuxconf and Webmin) and one tool
that's specific to a single server (the Samba Web Administration Tool, or
SWAT). This chapter concludes with a look at the unique security issues
surrounding remote administration tools.