Mageia 4 Configuration

UBC Physics & Astronomy
Mageia 4 Configuration Guide

Install Mageia 4 (64bit)
Mageia 4 can be downloaded from https://www.mageia.org/en/downloads/
Custom Install, select Workstation: Network Client & Development, and Gnome packages

First time boot, Ctrl+Alt+F2, login as root,

vi /var/lib/mageia/kde4-profiles/Default/share/config/kdm/kdmrc
change AllowRootLogin=true
systemctl restart dm

Then switch back to GUI, Ctrl+Alt+F1, login as root.

Configure Update:

Open Mageia Control Center -> Software Management -> Configure media sources for install and update
Remove CD-ROM Core Release & CD-ROM Nonfree Release
File -> Add a specific media mirror
Choose a mirror under US, then close the window
Open Mageia Control Centre -> Software Management -> Update your system

Or run urpmi --auto-update from Terminal

Modify /etc/fstab

# Entry for /dev/sda2 :
UUID=c80e35c4-6b89-401b-8424-b60770d92b64 / ext4 acl,relatime 1 1
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda1 :
UUID=729b0784-e8f3-441e-b9cf-25d795291e9f swap swap defaults 0 0
# Network mount
filesvr.phas.ubc.ca:/home       /home     nfs     noauto,x-systemd.automount,x-systemd.device-timeout=10,timeo=14,hard,intr,noatime 0 0
filesvr.phas.ubc.ca:/home2      /home2     nfs     noauto,x-systemd.automount,x-systemd.device-timeout=10,timeo=14,hard,intr,noatime 0 0
filesvr.phas.ubc.ca:/ahome      /ahome     nfs     noauto,x-systemd.automount,x-systemd.device-timeout=10,timeo=14,hard,intr,noatime 0 0
# phys210 mount
142.103.234.164:/home/phys210    /phys210     nfs     noauto,x-systemd.automount,x-systemd.device-timeout=10,timeo=14,hard,intr,noatime 0 0

Move local home folder and create nfs folders

mv /home /lhome
vi /etc/passwd, change phasadmin home directory from /home to /lhome
mkdir /home
mkdir /home2
mkdir /ahome
mkdir /phys210

Install openssh server and enable ssh as root

urpmi openssh-server
Open Mageia Control Centre -> Security -> Set up your personal firewall
  Enable SSH server & Echo request (ping)
vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config
  PermitRootLogin yes
service sshd restart

Add phasadmin to sudoers list

# Create file /etc/sudoers.d/01wheel to enable members of wheel group to access root via sudo
  # (copy & paste, run as root)

$ echo "%wheel ALL=(ALL)  ALL" > /etc/sudoers.d/01wheel
$ chmod 440 /etc/sudoers.d/01wheel

$ vi /etc/group
  wheel:x:10:phasadmin

Install cups

urpmi cups
vi /etc/cups/client.conf, add the following line:
    ServerName print.phas.ubc.ca
service cups restart

Edit /etc/hosts.allow

# allow ssh from all our servers except hyper
sshd: 142.103.236. EXCEPT 142.103.236.100
# spyder (Ron's workstn)
sshd: 142.103.235.1
sshd: 142.103.235.80
# glitch (Hongyun's workstn)
sshd: 142.103.237.135
# wraith (Gerry's workstn)
sshd: 142.103.239.1
# karhusen (Gerry's workstn)
sshd: 142.103.239.193
# allow any access from alpha and kratos
ALL: 142.103.236.32
ALL: 142.103.236.15
# bh0 (Matt Choptuik's workstn) 
sshd: 142.103.234.164
ALL: localhost
ALL: ALL: DENY

Install the following packages:

urpmi thunderbird
urpmi bluefish
urpmi spyder
urpmi rsyslog

Phys210 required packages:

run install-seamonkey-64
run install-xforms-no-check
urpmi --auto --force `cat rpms.txt`

$ cat /usr/share/applications/seamonkey.desktop 
[Desktop Entry]
Version=2.26
Name=SeaMonkey
Exec=/usr/local/bin/seamonkey
Icon=/usr/local/seamonkey/chrome/icons/default/seamonkey.png
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Application;Development;

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Remove/disable unneeded packages/daemons ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   for s in postgresql bluetooth mysqld hsqldb smbd nagios autofs; do
      systemctl stop $s
      systemctl disable $s
      systemctl status $s
   done

Nepomuk can use a lot of resources ... perhaps leave for now, but may want to
remove it and dependent packages in the future

urpme --force nepomuk-core-4.11.4-1.mga4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Programs/libraries built from source ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cp ~choptuik/bin/* /usr/local/bin
cp ~choptuik/lib/* /usr/local/lib
cp ~choptuik/include/* /usr/local/include

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Maple ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Add /opt/maple18/bin to default path (or make links from /usr/local/bin?)

   ln -s /opt/maple18/bin/{maple,xmaple} /usr/local/bin

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) Settings/configuration file for NVidia driver ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Make ~/.nvidia-settings-rc a default start up file, copy from 
~choptuik/.nvidia-settings-rc

This improves the performance of the graphics card from the default config.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) Disable lock and switch user ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
vi /var/lib/mageia/kde4-profiles/common/share/config/kdeglobals

Add

[KDE Action Restrictions]
action/lock_screen[$i]=false
switch_user[$i]=false

Remove user list from login screen

Open System Settings -> Login Screen -> Users tab
    Uncheck Show list

Install the following software:

mount //batta/software to /mnt: mount.cifs //batta/software /mnt -o user=bigcheese
Maple 18
MATLAB R2014a

Customize Menu items:

Go to /usr/share/applications folder, create the following files:
matlab.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=MATLAB R2014a
Type=Application
Comment=MATLAB R2014a
Exec=/opt/MATLAB/R2014a/bin/matlab -desktop
Terminal=false
Icon=/opt/MATLAB/R2014a/toolbox/nnet/nnresource/icons/matlab.png
GenericName=Matlab
Categories=Applications;Education;Mathematics;
MimeType=application/;

/etc/init.d/sethostname

# get our IP address
ip=`ifconfig | grep 'inet addr:'| grep -v '127.0.0.1' | cut -d: -f2 | awk '{ print $1}'`

# get our fqdn from the dhcp/dns server (dnsmasq)
fqdn=`dig -x $ip +short`

# strip off the dn
myname=${fqdn%%.*}

# voila
echo "Found my hostname is" $myname

# find current value in /etc/hostname
OLDNAME=`cat /etc/hostname`

# update /etc/hostname file
TMPFILE=/tmp/hostname
echo "Updating /etc/hostname"
sed "s/$OLDNAME/$myname/g" /etc/hostname > $TMPFILE && mv $TMPFILE /etc/hostname
/bin/rm -f $TMPFFILE

# update hostname
hostname -F /etc/hostname

# update /etc/hosts file
TMPFILE=/tmp/hostname
echo "Updating /etc/hosts"
sed "s/$OLDNAME/$myname/g" /etc/hosts > $TMPFILE && mv $TMPFILE /etc/hosts
/bin/rm -f $TMPFFILE

# strip off the dn
myname=${fqdn%.*}
myname="HOSTNAME=$myname"

# find the line number with HOSTNAMErestart openldap client
n=`awk '$0 ~ str{print NR}{b=$0}' str="HOSTNAME" /etc/sysconfig/network`
#echo $n

# update /etc/sysconfig/network file
echo "Updating /etc/sysconfig/network"
sed -i $n"s/.*/$myname/" /etc/sysconfig/network

Installed the following packages for astronomy
```
urpmi ds9
urpmi saoimage
```

Configure LDAP Client

Open Mageia Control Center -> System -> Authentication
  Select LDAP, it will install the packages needed for LDAP
  LDAP Server ipa.phas.ubc.ca
  Base dn cn=users,cn=accounts,dc=phas,dc=ubc,dc=ca
  check Use encrypt connection with TLS
    CA Certificate: /etc/openldap/cacert.asc
  The following packages need to be installed:
    nss-pam-ldapd, autofs, nss_updatedb, pam_ccreds

vi /etc/nslcd.conf
  uid nslcd
  gid nslcd
  uri ldap://ipa.phas.ubc.ca
  base dc=phas,dc=ubc,dc=ca
  scope sub
  bind_timelimit 10
  ssl start_tls
  tls_reqcert allow
  tls_cacertfile /etc/openldap/cacert.asc
  base passwd cn=users,cn=accounts,dc=phas,dc=ubc,dc=ca
  base group cn=groups,cn=accounts,dc=phas,dc=ubc,dc=ca

Create a script to restart nslcd service after boot, and run sethostname script at the same time

$ cat restartldap 
#! /bin/sh
# chkconfig:2345 95 20
# description:restart nslcd.service after system boot
# processname: restartldap

`systemctl restart nslcd.service`
/etc/init.d/sethostname

$ chmod a+x restartldap
$ chmod a+x sethostname
$ chkconfig --add restartldap
$ chkconfig --level 2345 restartldap on

Disable USB Storage

# blacklisted modules for PCI coldplug
vi /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-mga.conf
  # disable usb storage
  blacklist usb-storage
# Listing a module here prevents the hotplug scripts from loading it  
vi /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-compat.conf 
  # USB Storage
blacklist usb_storage

Remove sleep and hibernate button

Modify /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/org.freedesktop.login1.policy
Under Suspend the system section, change allow_active to No
Under Suspend the system while other users are logged in section, change allow_active to No
Under Hibernate the system section, change allow_active to No
Under Hibernate the system while other users are logged in section, change allow_active to No

For more assistance contact Ron Parachoniak, rap@phas.ubc.ca

webmaster@phas.ubc.ca

[Dept. Home Page]

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