Is there a linux alternative to System Mechanic?

[teensicle]

Is there a program on Linux similar to System Mechanic??

[Krems]

by default, Linux has no need for such a program

assuming you mean this program

http://www.iolo.com/sm/7/

[ferronrsmith]

I don't see the need for system mechanic in linux

[jamrock]

Linux is a more stable operating system. All of these functions are handled internally by the operating system.

I shutdown or reboot my Linux servers at work when power is being removed from the building or when I want to upgrade the kernel. This happens maybe two or three times per year.

I reboot my Windows servers at least once a month when I apply patches.

Right now my Linux domain controller has been up for around 3 months. I had to shut it down 3 months ago because they were working on the backup generator. Power was removed from the building for a weekend.

It is unlikely that I will reboot it for the next few months unless a hurricane is headed towards the island.

Linux and Unix servers running internet applications will run for years without a reboot.

[Krems]

i envy you

..if only they would make a linux version/wine would support the applications that the people i help out use

[Gillion]

Is there a program on Linux similar to System Mechanic??

No.

There isn't a need.

The issues that system mechanic deals with for Windows are already solved by default on Linux / Unix and OSX systems.

System health is checked by running any number of GUI tools that come built into GNOME or KDE or from the command line you can type dmesg

Linux computers constantly self monitor and update logs which you can check periodically if you want or in real time using GUI or Text.

Hardware problems are also dumped and sent to log files long before they become a problem... for example... if you run the SMART daemon on your Linux install... it will test the hard drive for you at intervals, and will let you know if the drive is nearing old age predicted failure or if it is going to die even sooner.

For security issues...

Vanilla Spyware does not affect Linux computers

Vanilla Viruses do not affect Linux computers because you have to be duped into installing them or someone has to crack into you computer to install it.

Some Trojans may work but are limited in scope because again you have to be duped into installing them or a cracker has to break into the machine, gain root access and install it.

Most distros, such as SuSE, Mandriva, Ubuntu and Debian, activate firewall services by default and shut down any ports that you will not be using and with this setup 8/10 times if you did a GRC scan you Linux comptuer will be in stealth mode.

Data protection and recovery are built into the EXT3 and ReiserFS file systems that are the standard file systems used on Linux, which also presents a problem to virus coders, since the files system is locked down with a better permission system and can be enhanced with access control lists.

If you choose you can use the IBM or SUN donated file systems (which they use on their server products ) which are enterprise level F systems... blazing fast and highly reliable. JFS and XFS for example.

Linux file systems do not fragment to the point where it affects system performance

The other layer of data security comes with permissions.

As such, you can't move around the file systems or do anything to it if you do not have permission.... which is why old blokes like myself will tell you "never run your comouter on unix/linux/osx as root."

Unlike registry on windows, all configuration files are individualised and kept as text files XML or PLAIN, as such there is a low risk of a cascade level failure if something breaks... as what happens to registry if one section gets currupt.

Overall... aside for clicking the install update icon on your desktop (SuSE or Ubuntu/Kubuntu) ever so often (Linux updates more frequently than windows... microsoft says its because we have more bugs... maybe) you don't have to worry about the mantainance and upkeep of the system.

Let me know if this helped.

[Gillion]

My personal desktop clocked 11 months (SuSE 9.3) no shutdown (on a ups) save for when the RAM went bad and it slowed down drastically... but the kernel kept bugging me about being unable to read memory bla bla. I used the grub memory test at boot up and it told me I had lost my 512 stick... and I was only using the 128 stick.

[kilaj1]

My personal desktop clocked 11 months (SuSE 9.3) no shutdown (on a ups) save for when the RAM went bad and it slowed down drastically... but the kernel kept bugging me about being unable to read memory bla bla. I used the grub memory test at boot up and it told me I had lost my 512 stick... and I was only using the 128 stick.

ha, most windows tools dont tell you that, they tell you it MIGHT be your memory or it MIGHT be some newly installed hardware...MIGHT MIGHT MIGHT