You have now become familiar with many important features of the Java Desktop System. Your next step is to explore JDS maintenance and support. In this chapter, you will learn how to:
Update your operating system software using the the Sun Java Update Service
Add or Remove software using either Sun’s Desktop Configurator or the Linux text-based package management system
Back up your important files and folders
While JDS is quite powerful out of the box, you may run into the need for software that is not loaded by default. You should know how to upgrade software when security fixes are announced or when new software features and improvements are available.
Constant improvement is a basic feature of the computer field. Sun Microsystems provides, after extensive testing, easy online updates to software that runs on JDS. New software performance features, enhanced security, and ease of use are a few of the reasons for these periodic updates. While it’s unnecessary to upgrade a piece of software every time a new release appears, consider particularly installing security fixes, because publicly known security problems could render your system vulnerable without the update.
The Launch → Applications → Systems Tools menu shows a number of important applications you may need to support JDS. Figure 5-1 shows the menu items on the System Tools Menu in JDS Release II. Although the menu differs slightly from JDS Release I, Figure 5-1 provides you with an inclusive view.
Most of these tools have names that describe what they do. Earlier, we discussed the terminal tool and how it is used to deliver text-based commands to the system. This chapter focuses on the following items from the menu:
Online Update
Install/Remove Software
File Backups and File Restores (in Release I this is a single item called Backup)
Tip
We have found that the first version of JDS’s Online Update (Yast Online Update) appeared to work better than the Sun Online Update Service available from the menu in Release II. Both versions come in JDS Release II, so we’re using the Yast Online Update to demonstrate this important function.
In JDS Release I, selecting Online Update brought up a window similar to the screenshot in Figure 5-2. In JDS Release II, you’ll see instead the Sun Java System Update screen in Figure 5-3. The tool that came with the first release of JDS is still available in Release II; you have to use your terminal to reach it. We’re going to demonstrate the use of the earlier tool for the reason noted above, and because it provides a richer set of options. Both tools, however, have identical functionality.
Open a terminal by selecting Launch → Applicatons → System Tools → Terminal.
In the terminal, enter su, provide the system administrator’s (root) password, and enter yast2. Then from the Yast2 console, select Online Update.
Online Update calls up the Sun Desktop Configurator utility, which helps you install patches and security fixes online from a Sun server. Sun tends to use patches to upgrade the Linux kernel and applications rather than replace the entire package. This increases the speed of installing upgrades, especially if you have a slow Internet connection.
Notice in Figure 5-2 that you have two options under the heading “Choice of update mode.” You can have JDS install the most recent patches automatically or you can choose the Manual Update option. You can choose manual or automatic each time you launch OnLine Update to check for patches.
The manual option allows you to determine which patches you want installed on your JDS, in case you have a reason to be selective. In the example shown in Figure 5-2, Manual Update was the chosen update mode.
The installation source dialog box is preset to the JDS update site by default. To begin the Update process, push the Next button at the bottom right of the screen.
Notice in Figure 5-4 that a pop-up screen requests your Registation data. The Code refers to your JDS serial number.
Your JDS came with a media kit, in which you received a colorful document called the Sun Java Desktop System Support Entitlement Certificate. In the upper-lefthand column, you will find a Serial Number that has 16 digits divided into blocks of four, such as 2149 8716 9973 1040.
Online Update may want you to place dashes between the blocks of four digits when you enter it as the Code, such as 2149-8716-9973-1040. Enter your serial number and choose a password. Make sure to remember or record this password for future use. If desired, check the box “Keep registration data.” to save the Code and password for use of Online Updates.
Once you select Login, you will receive a message saying “Initializing for FTP/HTTP Update. One Moment Please...”.
This opens a new screen, as depicted in Figure 5-5. On the top left corner is a drop- down menu called Filter. From there, you can select one of the following:
YOU (Yast2 Online Update)
Package Groups
Search
Online Update opens in the YOU view. If you want to see which packages the patches affect, you can choose Package Groups. Finally, you can use the Search option if the list of patches is lengthy, and you wish to find out if you have applied specific patches previously.
In Figure 5-5, the list of patches previously applied contains check marks in the boxes to the left of their descriptions. Security patches have red lettering, and Recommended patches contain blue lettering.
To help you decide if you want to download any uninstalled patches, highlight the line containing the patch, and a description will appear in the window pane below the patch list. To the right are two panes with additional patch information. (Technical data and dependencies are described in the next section.) To apply the patch, if you consider it appropriate, check the box to its left and push the Accept button on the bottom-right of the screen.
The patches will begin downloading. As each download completes, a check mark in the right window pane will appear. Next, the Sun Configurator will begin installing the other selected patches. Once the installation completes, a check mark will appear to the left of the patch description again. When all patches have check marks, the process is completed, and a dialog box will say “Installation successful.”
Press the Next button at the bottom of the screen, and a list of activities being performed by the installation procedure will appear under the “Writing the system configuration” window, similar to that shown in Figure 5-6. Select Finish to save the system configuration.
The Online Update window closes automatically.
After an online update, some users should log out of JDS, while others should reboot. If you do not receive a message to reboot, your system will not require you to. You might find rebooting a good practice if Online Update made any patches to the Linux kernel. The Online Update will tell you if a kernel patch needs to be installed. (If something interrupts the installation, your system software will not be affected and you can restart at another time.)