Other Linux Distributions

Managing Debian, Ubuntu, Red Hat, Alpine, and Devuan systems

0. Specs

0.1. The What

Although my tutorials (and my learning journey) focus on Debian and Ubuntu Linux distributions, administrators may occasionally need to work with other Linux distributions as well.

This tutorial aims to help Debian/Ubuntu administrators adapt to other Linux distributions, specifically Red Hat, Alpine, and Devuan.

Main topics covered:

Package Management
Network Configuration
Installing LAMP Stack
Service Management

Distributions covered:

Debian 13 and 12
Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04 LTS
RHEL (CentOS, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux) 10.x, 9.x
Alpine 3.23
Devuan 6 and 5

0.2. Resources:

1. Debian 13 & 12

1.1. Package Management

Commands require root or sudo privileges.

1.1.1. Update Cache

sudo apt update

1.1.2. Upgrade Packages

sudo apt upgrade

1.1.3. Install a Package

sudo apt install apache2

1.1.4. Remove a Package

sudo apt remove apache2

1.1.5. Search for a Package

sudo apt search apache2

1.1.6. Clean Unused Packages

sudo apt autoremove

1.1.7. Show Package Information

sudo apt show apache2

1.2. Network Configuration

1.2.1. Identify Network Adapter Name

Network adapter names typically follow patterns like enp0s3. To find the exact name:

ls /sys/class/net

The interface with an en* format is usually your network adapter. If unsure, use:

ip a

1.2.2. IP configuration.

Edit the network interfaces file (replace enp0s3 with your actual interface name):

sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

Static IP configuration:

auto enp0s3
iface enp0s3 inet static
   address 192.168.1.135/24
   broadcast 192.168.1.255
   network 192.168.1.0
   gateway 192.168.1.1

DHCP configuration:

auto enp0s3
iface enp0s3 inet dhcp

1.2.3. DNS Addresses

sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf

Add DNS servers:

nameserver 46.196.235.35
nameserver 178.233.140.110
nameserver 46.197.15.60

1.2.4. Restart Network Adapter

Replace enp0s3 with your interface name:

sudo ifdown enp0s3 && sudo ifup enp0s3

Alternatively:

sudo systemctl restart networking.service

Note: If connected via SSH, your connection will drop. Reconnect using the new IP address.

1.3. Installing LAMP Stack

1.3.1. Install Packages

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --yes apache2 mariadb-server php \
   libapache2-mod-php php-mysql

1.3.2. Test LAMP Stack

We’ll create a test database, table, and PHP file to verify all components work together.

Create test database and user:

sudo mariadb

Run in MariaDB shell:

CREATE DATABASE mysampledb;
USE mysampledb;
CREATE TABLE Employees (Name char(15), Age int(3), Occupation char(15));
INSERT INTO Employees VALUES ('Joe Smith', '26', 'Ninja');
INSERT INTO Employees VALUES ('John Doe', '33', 'Sleeper');
INSERT INTO Employees VALUES ('Mariadb Server', '14', 'RDBM');
GRANT ALL ON mysampledb.* TO 'appuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
exit

Create test PHP file:

sudo nano /var/www/html/test.php

Add the following content:

<?php
   $mycon = new mysqli("localhost", "appuser", "password", "mysampledb");
   if ($mycon->connect_errno)
   {
      echo "Connection Error";
      exit();
   }
   $mysql = "SELECT * FROM Employees";
   $result = ($mycon->query($mysql));
   $rows = [];
   if ($result->num_rows > 0)
    {
        $rows = $result->fetch_all(MYSQLI_ASSOC);
    }
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
    <table>
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Name</th>
                <th>Age</th>
                <th>Occupation</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <?php
               if(!empty($rows))
               foreach($rows as $row)
              {
            ?>
            <tr>
                <td><?php echo $row['Name']; ?></td>
                <td><?php echo $row['Age']; ?></td>
                <td><?php echo $row['Occupation']; ?></td>
            </tr>
            <?php } ?>
        </tbody>
    </table>
</body>
</html>
<?php
    mysqli_close($conn);
?>

Test: Access http://[your-server-ip]/test.php from a browser to verify the LAMP stack is working.

1.4. Service Management

In Debian, services are typically enabled and started automatically upon installation.

1.4.1. Check Service Status

systemctl status apache2

1.4.2. Start/Stop a Service

sudo systemctl stop apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2

Force stop:

sudo systemctl kill apache2

1.4.3. Reload a Service

Reloads configuration without stopping:

sudo systemctl reload apache2

1.4.4. Restart a Service

sudo systemctl restart apache2

1.4.5. Enable/Disable a Service

sudo systemctl enable apache2
sudo systemctl disable apache2

2. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS & 22.04 LTS

2.1. Package Management

Commands require root or sudo privileges.

2.1.1. Update Cache

sudo apt update

2.1.2. Upgrade Packages

sudo apt upgrade

2.1.3. Install a Package

sudo install apache2

2.1.4. Remove a Package

sudo remove apache2

2.1.5. Search for a Package

sudo search apache2

2.1.6. Clean Unused Packages

sudo autoremove

2.1.7. Show Package Information

sudo show apache2

2.2. Network Configuration

2.2.1. Get the name of the network adapter

Network adapter names typically follow patterns like enp0s3. To find the exact name:

ls /sys/class/net

The interface with an en* format is usually your network adapter. If unsure, use:

ip a

2.2.2. Network configuration.

Ubuntu uses Netplan for network configuration. Edit the configuration file (filename may vary):

sudo nano /etc/netplan/00-installer-config.yaml

Replace enp0s3 with your interface name and adjust IP settings:

network:
  ethernets:
    enp0s3:
      addresses:
      - 192.168.1.182/24
      routes:
      - to: default
        via: 192.168.1.1
      nameservers:
        addresses:
        - 8.8.8.8
        - 192.168.1.1
        search:
        - x11.xyz
  version: 2

2.2.3. Apply Netplan Configuration

sudo netplan apply

Note: SSH connections may drop; reconnect using the new IP.

2.3. Installing LAMP Stack

2.3.1. Install Packages

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --yes apache2 mariadb-server php \
    libapache2-mod-php php-mysql

2.3.2. Test LAMP

Use the test scenario from section 1.3.2.

2.4. Service Management

As a Debian derivative, Ubuntu behaves similarly for service management.

2.4.1. Check Service Status

systemctl status apache2

2.4.2. Start/Stop a Service

sudo systemctl stop apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2

Force stop:

sudo systemctl kill apache2

2.4.3. Reload a Service

Reads configuration file again

sudo systemctl reload apache2

2.4.4. Restart a Service

sudo systemctl restart apache2

2.4.5. Enable/Disable a Service

sudo systemctl enable apache2
sudo systemctl disable apache2

3. RHEL (AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux) 10.x, 9.x

AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux are RHEL-compatible distributions, meaning commands and configurations for RHEL work on these distributions as well.

3.1. Package Management

Commands require root or sudo privileges.

3.1.1. Check for Updates

sudo dnf check-update

It is always called when installing or updating packages. So it is not necessary before installing or upgrading packages.

3.1.2. Upgrade Packages

sudo dnf upgrade

3.1.3. Install a Package

sudo dnf install httpd

3.1.4. Remove a Package

sudo dnf remove httpd

3.1.5. Search for a Package

sudo dnf search httpd

3.1.6. Clean Unused Packages

sudo dnf autoremove

3.1.7. Show Package Information

sudo dnf info httpd

3.2. Network Configuration

3.2.1. Identify Network Adapter Name

Network adapter names typically follow patterns like enp0s3. To find the exact name:

ls /sys/class/net

The interface with an en* format is usually your network adapter. If unsure, use:

ip a

3.2.2. IP and DNS Configuration

Replace enp0s3 with your interface name:

sudo nmcli con modify 'enp0s3' ifname enp0s3 ipv4.method manual \
   ipv4.addresses 192.168.1.156/24 gw4 192.168.1.1
sudo nmcli con modify 'enp0s3' ipv4.dns 8.8.8.8

3.2.3. Restart Network Connection

sudo nmcli con down 'enp0s3' && sudo nmcli con up 'enp0s3'

3.3. Installing LAMP Stack

Note: Package names differ from Debian/Ubuntu (e.g., httpd instead of apache2).

3.3.1. Install Packages

sudo dnf -y install httpd mariadb-server php php-mysqlnd

3.3.2. Enable and Start Services

sudo systemctl enable --now httpd
sudo systemctl enable --now mariadb

3.3.3. Configure Firewall

RHEL enables the firewall by default. Open HTTP and HTTPS ports:

sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=http --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=http --add-service=https --permanent

3.3.4. Test

Use the test scenario from section 1.3.2. Note: For RHEL 9, use sudo mysql instead of sudo mariadb.

3.4. Service Management

Unlike Debian-based systems, RHEL does not automatically enable or start services after installation.

3.4.1. Check Service Status

systemctl status httpd

3.4.2. Start/Stop a Service

sudo systemctl stop httpd
sudo systemctl start httpd

Force stop:

sudo systemctl kill httpd

3.4.3. Reload a Service

sudo systemctl reload httpd

3.4.4. Restart a Service

Stops and Starts

sudo systemctl restart httpd

3.4.5. Enable/Disable a Service

sudo systemctl enable httpd
sudo systemctl disable httpd

4. Alpine Linux 3.23

4.1. Package Management

Commands require root or sudo privileges.

4.1.1. Update Cache

sudo apk update

4.1.2. Upgrade Packages

sudo apk upgrade

4.1.3. Install a Package

sudo apk add apache2

4.1.4. Remove a Package

sudo apk del apache2

4.1.5. Search for a Package

sudo apk search apache2

4.1.6. Clean Unused Packages

Not available in Alpine’s package manager.

4.1.7. Show Package Information

sudo apk info apache2

4.2. Network Configuration

4.2.1. Identify Network Adapter Name

Alpine typically uses eth0 style names:

ls /sys/class/net

ip a

4.2.2. IP and DNS Configuration

Edit network interfaces (replace eth0 with your interface name):

sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

File contents will be like below

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

#auto eth0
#iface eth0 inet dhcp
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
        address 192.168.1.172/24
        gateway 192.168.1.1
        hostname alpine

Configure DNS:

sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf

nameserver 192.168.0.1
nameserver 8.8.8.8

4.2.3. Restart Network Adapter

sudo ifdown eth0 && sudo ifup eth0

4.3. Installing LAMP Stack

4.3.1. Install Packages

sudo apk add apache2 php php-mysqli php-apache2 mariadb mariadb-client

4.3.2. Enable and Start Apache

sudo rc-update add apache2 default
sudo rc-service apache2 start

4.3.3. Initialize and Enable Mariadb

sudo mysql_install_db --user=mysql --datadir=/var/lib/mysql
sudo rc-update add mariadb default
sudo rc-service mariadb start

4.3.4. Test

Use the test scenario from section 1.3.2. Note: Alpine’s default web directory is /var/www/localhost/htdocs.

4.4. Service Management

Alpine uses OpenRC as its init system.

4.4.1. Check Service Status

rc-service apache2 status

4.4.2. Start/Stop a Service

sudo rc-service apache2 stop
sudo rc-service apache2 start

4.4.3. Reload a Service

sudo rc-service apache2 reload

4.4.4. Restart a Service

sudo rc-service apache2 restart

4.4.5. Enable/Disable a Service

sudo rc-update add apache2 default
sudo rc-update del apache2 default

5. Devuan 6 & 5

Devuan is a Debian derivative without systemd. Devuan 6 & 5 are based on Debian 13 & 12.

5.1. Package Management

Commands require root or sudo privileges.

5.1.1. Update Cache

sudo apt update

5.1.2. Upgrade Packages

sudo apt upgrade

5.1.3. Install a Package

sudo apt install apache2

5.1.4. Remove a Package

sudo apt remove apache2

5.1.5. Search for a Package

sudo apt search apache2

5.1.6. Clean Unused Packages

sudo apt autoremove

5.1.7. Show Package Information

sudo apt show apache2

5.2. Network Configuration

5.2.1. Identify Network Adapter Name

Devuan typically uses eth0 style names:

ls /sys/class/net

ip a

5.2.2. IP configuration.

Edit network interfaces (replace eth0 with your interface name):

sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

Static IP:

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
   address 192.168.1.176/24
   broadcast 192.168.1.255
   network 192.168.1.0
   gateway 192.168.1.1

DHCP:

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

5.2.3. DNS Configuration

sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf

nameserver 46.196.235.35
nameserver 178.233.140.110
nameserver 46.197.15.60

5.2.4. Restart Network Adapter

sudo ifdown eth0 && sudo ifup eth0

Note: SSH connections may drop; reconnect using the new IP.

5.3. Installing LAMP Stack

5.3.1. Install Packages

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --yes apache2 mariadb-server php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql

5.3.2. Test LAMP

Use the test scenario from section 1.3.2.

5.4. Service Management

Devuan services are typically enabled and started automatically. During installation, you can choose from three init systems:

sysvinit (default)
runit
OpenRC

This tutorial assumes sysvinit.

5.4.1. Check Service Status

sudo service apache2 status

5.4.2. Start/Stop a Service

sudo service apache2 stop
sudo service apache2 start

5.4.3. Reload a Service

sudo service apache2 reload

5.4.4. Restart a Service

sudo service apache2 restart

5.4.5. Enable/Disable a Service

sudo update-rc.d apache2 defaults
sudo update-rc.d apache2 remove