Unix tools

These are some non-standard Unix system administration tools that might be useful. Some of these are actually installed.

cluster tools

see cluster.

conserver [1]

gives remote access to consoles over serial port or network

network diagnostic tools

nc (netcat)

copy data to or from any network port

Installed onto Biot, Arcadius, and Cesar)

iperf / netperf

(?) test network bandwidth

nmap

port scanner

fping

probe multiple ip's at once efficently

ntop

3000

wireshark

sniffer and packet analyzer (available for windows too, previously ethereal)

dnstracer

dig back to source for DNS records

disk and file tools

unison

rsync, zsync

tsyncd

xdu, xdiskusage, sun filemanager pie graph

iostat

shows disk activity, part of sysstat RPM

kpartx

creates /dev/mapper/ entries for the partitions on an image; try kpartx -av file.img

instant messaging tools

• servers
  • spark / wildfire jabberd
  • lily?? [2]
  • gadu-gadu
• clients
  • gaim Pidgin
  • centericq
  • simpleAIM

Live boot cds

• redhat install and rescue (PXE, etc.)
• Plop boot loader/manager -- boots anything w/o bios assistance
• system rescue cd
• Trinity rescue kit
• knoppix
  • USB knoppix
• SLAX, slackware live cd
• Backtrack, nework security tools
• bootable USB kits

Performance monitoring

• system tools: iostat, vmstat, top, ps
• pksh : pcap shell, network monitoring tool
• collectd
• http://collectl.sourceforge.net/ replaces most of the above for long term performance monitoring [3]
• nmon
• dstat
• freshmeat System::Monitoring

multiple machine monitoring

see also wikipedia:Comparison of network monitoring systems

• help:ganglia
• Argus

Not tried:

• OpenNMS (large, mature, requires postgres, tomcat)
• Survivor
• moodss
• hobbit (bb clone)
• Big Sister Network monitor (bb clone)
• mon (not enough test modules)
• spong
• rrd poller
• openSMART
• nagios
• Centreon (based on nagios)
• big brother (commercial, unmaintained)

Test suites and benchmarks

• http://linuxquality.sunsite.dk/articles/testsuites/
• linux benchmark suite
• bandwidth: linux memory bandwidth tester
• stresslinux [4] bootable cdrom

hardware tests

• cpuburn
• memtester
• prime search

Management tools

• openipmi , ipmitools
• ipt sysrq

See Also

• Windows tools

External links

• http://freshmeat.net/
• http://sourceforge.net/
• http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html
• ubuntu: HOWTO: Purge and Reinstall Grub 2 from the Live CD