Book excerpt: Linux is a fast-growing operating system with power and appeal, and enterprises worldwide are quickly adopting the system to utilize its benefits. But as with all operating systems, performance problems do occur causing system administrators to scramble into action. Finally, there is a complete reference for troubleshooting Linux–quickly! Linux Troubleshooting for System Administrators and Power Users is THE book for locating and solving problems and maintaining high performance in Red Hat® Linux and Novell® SUSE® Linux systems. This book not only teaches you how to troubleshoot Linux, it shows you how the system works–so you can attack any problem at its root. Should you reinstall if Linux does not boot? Or can you save time by troubleshooting the problem? Can you enhance performance when Linux hangs or runs slowly? Can you overcome problems with printing or accessing a network? This book provides easy-to-follow examples and an extensive look at the tools, commands, and scripts that make Linux run properly. A troubleshooting guide for all Linux users: Focuses on common problems with start-up, printing, login, the network, security, and more Restore Linux when boot, startup, or shutdown fails–and reinstall Linux properly when all troubleshooting fails Explains how to use some of the most popular Linux performance tools, including top, sar, vmstat, iostat, and free Handle storage problems and CPU slamming to ensure high Linux performance Solve hardware device problems by deciphering error messages and using the lspci tool Use backup/recover commands and tape libraries to create proper backups Identify and correct remote and network printing problems using spooler commands Gone are the days of searching online for solutions that are out of date and unreliable. Whether you are a system admin, developer, or user, this book is an invaluable resource for ensuring that Linux runs smoothly, efficiently, and securely.