Linux From Scratch: Installing Network Daemons

10. Installing Network Daemons

10.1 Setting up SMTP

Creating groups and user

Create the groups needed by Sendmail by running:

groupadd -g 1 bin
groupadd -g 2 kmem
groupadd -g 3 mail
useradd -u 1 -g bin -d /bin -s /bin/sh bin

Creating directory

Outgoing mail processed by Sendmail is put in the /var/spool/mqueue directory. Incoming mail is forwarded to Procmail by Sendmail so we need to have an incoming mail directory as well which is /var/mail. We'll create these directories and give them the proper permissions:

mkdir /var/spool
mkdir /var/mail
cd /var/spool; ln -s ../mail mail
chmod 700 /var/spool/mqueue
chmod 775 /var/mail
chgrp mail /var/mail
chmod 1777 /tmp

Installing Sendmail

Unpack the Sendmail archive and install it by running:

cd src
./Build; ./Build install

Configuring Sendmail

Configuring Sendmail isn't as easily said as done. There are a lot of things you need to consider while configuring Sendmail and I can't take everything into account. That's why at this time we'll create a very basic and standard setup. If you want to tweak Sendmail to your own liking, go right ahead, but this is not the right article. You could always use your existing /etc/sendmail.cf (or /etc/mail/sendmail.cf) file if you need to use certain features.

Go to the cf directory
Create a new file cf/lfs.mc containing the following:

OSTYPE(LFS)
FEATURE(nouucp)
define(`LOCAL_MAILER_PATH', /usr/bin/procmail)
MAILER(local)
MAILER(smtp)

Create an empty file ostype/LFS.m4 by running touch ostype/LFS.m4
Compile the lfs.mc file by running m4 m4/cf.m4 cf/lfs.mc > cf/lfs.cf
Copy the cf/lfs.cf to /etc/sendmail.cf
Create an empty /etc/aliases file by running touch /etc/aliases
Initialize this (empty) alias database by running sendmail -v -bi

Installing Procmail

Unpack the Procmail archive and install it by running:

make; make install; make install-suid

Creating /etc/init.d/sendmail bootscript

Create a new file /etc/init.d/sendmail containing the following:

#!/bin/sh
# Begin /etc/init.d/sendmail
 
check_status()
{
  if [ $? = 0 ]
  then
    echo "OK"
  else
    echo "FAILED"
  fi
}
 
case "$1" in
  start)
    echo -n "Starting Sendmail..."
    start-stop-daemon -S -q -o -x /usr/sbin/sendmail -- -bd
    check_status
    ;;
 
  stop)
    echo -n "Stopping Sendmail..."
    start-stop-daemon -K -q -o -p /var/run/sendmail.pid
    check_status
    ;;
 
  reload)
    echo -n "Reloading Sendmail configuration file..."
    start-stop-daemon -K -q -s 1 -p /var/run/sendmail.pid
    check_status
    ;;
 
  restart)
    echo -n "Stopping Sendmail..."
    start-stop-daemon -K -q -o -p /var/run/sendmail.pid
    check_status
 
    sleep 1
 
    echo -n "Starting Sendmail..."
    start-stop-daemon -S -q -o -x /usr/sbin/sendmail -- -bd
    check_status
    ;;
 
  *)
    echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|reload|restart}"
    exit 1
    ;;
 
esac
 
# End /etc/init.d/sendmail

Setting up permissions and symlinks

Set the proper permissions by running chmod 755 /etc/init.d/sendmail
Create the proper symlinks by running:

cd /etc/init.d/rc2.d; ln -s ../init.d/sendmail S20sendmail
cd ../rc0.d; ln -s ../init.d/sendmail K20sendmail
cd ../rc6.d; ln -s ../init.d/sendmail K20sendmail

10.2 Setting up FTP

Creating groups and users

Create the necessary groups by running:

groupadd -g 65534 nogroup
groupadd -g 4 ftp

Create the necessary users by running:

useradd -u 65534 -g nogroup -d /home nobody
useradd -u 4 -g ftp -s /bin/sh -m ftp

Installing Proftpd

Unpack the Proftpd archive and install it by running:

./configure
make; make install

Creating the /etc/init.d/proftpd bootscript

Create a new file /etc/init.d/proftpd containing the following:

#!/bin/sh
# Begin /etc/init.d/proftpd
 
check_status()
{
  if [ $? = 0 ]
  then
    echo "OK"
  else
    echo "FAILED"
  fi
}
 
case "$1" in
  start)
    echo -n "Starting Pro FTP daemon..."
    start-stop-daemon -S -q -o -x /usr/sbin/proftpd
    check_status
    ;;
 
  stop)
    echo -n "Stopping Pro FTP daemon..."
    start-stop-daemon -K -q -o -x /usr/sbin/proftpd
    check_status
    ;;
 
  restart)
    echo -n "Stopping Pro FTP daemon..."
    start-stop-daemon -K -q -o -x /usr/sbin/proftpd
    check_status
 
    sleep 1
 
    echo -n "Starting Pro FTP daemon..."
    start-stop-daemon -S -q -o -x /usr/sbin/proftpd
    check_status
    ;;
 
  *)
    echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart}"
    ;;
 
esac
 
# End /etc/init.d/proftpd

Setting up permissions and symlinks

Set the proper permissions by running chmod 755 /etc/init.d/proftpd
Create the necessary symlinks by running:

cd /etc/rc2.d; ln -s ../init.d/proftpd S40proftpd
cd ../rc0.d; ln -s ../init.d/proftpd K40proftpd
cd ../rc6.d; ln -s ../init.d/proftpd K40proftpd

10.3 Setting up HTTP

Installing Apache

Unpack the Apache archive and install it by running:

./configure
make; make install

Configuring Apache

There's not much that needs to be configured. The only thing we need to do is to add the /usr/apache/man path to /usr/share/misc/man.conf

Edit the /usr/share/misc/man.conf file
Add this line underneath the other lines that start with MANPATH: MANPATH /usr/apache/man

Creating /etc/init.d/apache bootscript

Create a new file /etc/init.d/apache containing the following:

#!/bin/sh
# Begin /etc/init.d/apache
 
case "$1" in
  start)
    echo -n "Starting Apache HTTP daemon..."
    /usr/apache/bin/apachectl start
    ;;
 
  stop)
    echo -n "Stopping Apache HTTP daemon..."
    /usr/apache/bin/apachectl stop
    ;;
 
  restart)
    echo -n "Restarting Apache HTTP daemon..."
    /usr/apache/bin/apachectl restart
    ;;
 
  force-restart)
    echo -n "Stopping Apache HTTP daemon..."
    /usr/apache/bin/apachectl stop
 
    sleep 1
 
    echo -n "Starting Apache HTTP daemon..."
    /usr/apache/bin/apachectl start
    ;;
 
  *)
    echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart|force-restart}"
    ;;
 
esac
 
# End /etc/init.d/apache

Setting up permissions and symlinks

Set the proper permissions by running chmod 755 /etc/init.d/apache
Create the necessary symlinks by running:

cd /etc/rc2.d; ln -s ../init.d/apache S50apache
cd ../rc0.d; ln -s ../init.d/apache K50apache
cd ../rc6.d; ln -s ../init.d/apache K50apache

10.4 Setting up Telnet

Installing telnet daemon + client

Unpack the Netkit-telnet archive and install it by running:

./configure
make; make install

Creating the /etc/inetd.conf configuration file

Create a new file /etc/inetd.conf containing the following:

# Begin /etc/inetd.conf
 
telnet stream tcp nowait root /usr/sbin/in.telnetd
 
# End /etc/inetd.conf

Creating the /etc/init.d/inetd bootscript

Create a new file /etc/init.d/inetd containing the following:

#!/bin/sh
# Begin /etc/init.d/inetd
 
check_status()
{
  if [ $? = 0 ]
  then
    echo "OK"
  else
    echo "FAILED"
  fi
}
 
case "$1" in
  start)
    echo -n "Starting Internet Server daemon..."
    start-stop-daemon -S -q -o -x /usr/sbin/inetd
    check_status
    ;;
 
  stop)
    echo -n "Stopping Internet Server daemon..."
    start-stop-daemon -K -q -o -p /var/run/inetd.pid
    check_status
    ;;
 
  reload)
    echo -n "Reloading Internet Server configuration file..."
    start-stop-daemon -K -q -s 1 -p /var/run/inetd.pid
    check_status
    ;;
 
  restart)
    echo -n "Stopping Internet Server daemon..."
    start-stop-daemon -K -q -o -p /var/run/inetd.pid
    check_status
 
    sleep 1
 
    echo -n "Starting Internet Server daemon..."
    start-stop-daemon -S -q -o -x /usr/sbin/inetd
    check_status
    ;;
 
  *)
    echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|reload|restart}"
    ;;
 
esac
 
# End /etc/init.d/inetd

Setting up permissions and symlinks

Set the proper permissions by running chmod 755 /etc/init.d/inetd
Create the necessary symlinks by running

cd /etc/rc2.d; ln -s ../init.d/inetd S30inetd
cd ../rc0.d; ln -s ../init.d/inetd K30inetd
cd ../rc6.d; ln -s ../init.d/inetd K30 inetd

10.5 Setting up PPP

Configuring the Kernel

Before you can logon to the Internet, the kernel must be ppp-aware. You can accomplish this by compiling ppp-support directly into the kernel, or compiling the ppp drivers are modules which you load when you need them. Whatever you prefer, do it now by re-configuring the kernel if necessary. If your LFS kernel is already ppp-aware than you don't have to re-configure the kernel.

Creating group

Create the daemon group by running groupadd -g7 daemon

Installing PPP

Unpack the PPP archive and install it by running:

./configure
make; make install

Creating /etc/resolv.conf

Create a new file /etc/resolv.conf containing the following:

# Begin /etc/resolv.conf
 
nameserver <IP address of your ISP's primary DNS server>
nameserver <IP address of your ISP's secundary DNS server>
 
# End /etc/resolv.conf

Creating /etc/ppp/peers/provider

Create the /etc/ppp/peers directory
Create a new file /etc/ppp/peers/provider containing the following:

# Begin /etc/ppp/peers/provider
 
noauth
connect "/usr/sbin/chat -v -f /etc/chatscripts/provider"
/dev/ttyS1
115200
defaultroute
noipdefault
 
# End /etc/ppp/peers/provider

Creating /etc/chatscripts/provider

Create the /etc/chatscripts directory
Create a new file /etc/chatscripts/provider containing the following:

# Begin /etc/chatscripts/provider
 
ABORT BUSY
ABORT "NO CARRIER"
ABORT VOICE
ABORT "NO DIALTONE"
ABORT "NO ANSWER"
"" ATZ
OK ATDT <ISP's phonenumber>
TIMEOUT 35
CONNECT ''
TIMEOUT 10
ogin: \q<username>
TIMEOUT 10
assword: \q<mysecretpassword>
 
# End /etc/chatscripts/provider

Note on password authentication

As you see from the sample scripts (these are the actual scripts I use when I'm not using X) above I logon to my ISP using this chatscripts in stead of authenticating via pap or chap. Though my ISP supports pap, I choose to do it this slightly different way which has it's disadvantages and advantages. In my case the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. This way I have more control over my logon procedure and I can see closer what is happening when.

For example most times when I connect I have a window running tail -f /var/log/syslog so I can keep an eye on when (with my provider it's mostly 'if') things like the username and password are sent.

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