My house is slowly but surely becoming a Windows free zone. The kids computer still has XP Pro as well as my wifes computer. I have three computers I use on a regular basis: one with CentOS (RedHat Linux), one with Ubuntu Linux and the other with XP Pro.

I have used Linux off and on for the past 10 years and have seen it grow from a great OS for techies to an OS that anyone can use. I am always amazed by at the software you can get for free that makes using Linux even easier. Something new, at least for me, that I started using recently is a wonderful application called Webmin.

I run an Apache/MySQL/PHP (commonly referred to as LAMP) combo on my laptop and desktop to run test versions of my site designs before I put them on the “real web”. I have never been an expert user when it comes to these programs but I am proficient enough to get what I need to do, done. Webmin has not made me an instant expert but it has put all the tools I normally stray from using at my fingertips in an easy to use and easy to understand format.

So what is Webmin?

Webmin is a web-based interface for system administration for Unix. Using any modern web browser, you can setup user accounts, Apache, DNS, file sharing and much more. Webmin removes the need to manually edit Unix configuration files like /etc/passwd, and lets you manage a system from the console or remotely. (from http://www.webmin.com)

Webmin allows you to configure Apache; SSH; MySQL; PostgreSLQ; FTP; Virtual Hosts; run backups; kill, start, suspend or trace processes; add/edit users and groups and so much more.

If you run an form for Linux and you are not using Webmin I recommend highly that you start.

Get it at the official Webmin site, www.webmin.com. There you can download the software, view a demo, find documentation and peruse forums. It makes using an already great OS even better.

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Filed under: F.Y.I.