i am using suse 9 pro.


ok, u know how on windows, every once awhile u gotta disk cleanup, compact registry, get rid of useless registry files, get rid of junk files, either manulally, or most likely using some program, u know the usual computer maintenance stuff

what about on linux? r there programs that help me maintain my OS? like clean up, etc

Linux needs its patching when a security exploit is found, and logs check if you run a server, but for the most part, it stays clean if you keep it clean

well iam not really sure if i keep it clean or not...

Santasballz (hehe),

People write books about the question you just asked.

Check out a program called Webmin. It can help you navigate and utilize the power of Linux.

Enjoy,
Slappy

You could go that way, or you could ditch the 'GUI help' programs altogether and just learn some basic *nix admin skills. Webmin has some serious security problems anyway. I have been using linux for a year and a half, and worked my way through several Linux System Administration books, and really darkangel was right when he said there really isn't anything to clean up. We don't have a registry(synonomous with abortion), and open source software doesn't install tons of B.S. adware/spyware throughout your system. Everything about it is also more efficient. No need to defragment... For a scandisk like util, do 'man fsck' though as long as you shutdown your system properly you shouldn't need it.

I can recommend two books: If you are a complete newb then Marcel Gagne's Linux System Administration is a terrific book and a fun read. After you know your way around a bit, O Reilly's LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell is a killer Administration book that goes into more depth. Ok, three: Essential System Administration (also O Reillys) is THE book, but it's huge and costs around $50 usd.

The two most common cleanup tasks involve files in the $TMP directories (usually /var/tmp and /tmp) and log files (mostly in /var/log). Typically a daily cron job set up in /etc/crontab and run from /etc/cron.daily takes care of this (see suse.de-clean-tmp and logrotate in that directory - note that redhat/fedora uses tmpwatch). These tasks are, of course, highly configurable, see /etc/sysconfig/cron, /etc/logrotate.conf and the files in /etc/logrotate.d and edit them to your liking (there may be a GUI for this task, could not tell you). Occasionally it is worth checking to make sure things are working properly -- e.g. some logfiles do not make it in /etc/logrotate.conf particularly if you write your own scripts for tasks and log output.

Also, system updates (rpms) are often stored somewhere in /var and depending on the update system used and configuration, they may or may not get deleted in a timely manner after installation. I think Yast has a checkbox concerning this.

Otherwise, if you roll your own software, old versions can be left behind. For example, I build my own mozilla using cvs source, so currently I have a /usr/local/lib/mozilla-1.6b and and /usr/local/lib/mozilla-1.7b. The /usr/local/lib/mozilla-1.6b is obsolete, and will be deleted manually once I make sure the current version is working fine (which it certainly appears to be). I also have a /usr/src/lib/j2re1.4.1 and a /usr/src/lib/j2re1.4.2 since I just got a newer runtime java. The old 1.4.1 version is no longer needed.

alright, thx guyz for the info. i'll look into the books and your quick guides!

I have never read anything on that. Could you provide a link? Thanks in advance.

Slappy

Man, I have never heard the name Webmin without some mention of it's security issues. Just type 'webmin security' in Google. I got a ton of results. Anything web based is just not going to be very secure for serious admin tasks.