Horror stories are full of scary characters knocking on doors at night. On Linux, we just call this port knocking, and it can actually be quite useful.

Several free game engines are available for Linux users, but programming with them is often less than intuitive. Panda3D is an easy-to-use engine that is accessible enough for newcomers but still powerful enough for the pros at Disney Studios.

While cron doggedly keeps to a fixed schedule, Incron monitors directories and runs commands when changes occur.

Klaus Knopper is the creator of Knoppix and co-founder of the LinuxTag expo. He currently works as a teacher, programmer, and consultant. If you have a configuration problem, or if you just want to learn more about how Linux works, send your questions to: klaus@linux-magazine. com

Debian fans appreciate the ability to update their systems to a new release without having to reinstall. The Deborphan tool takes care of the victims of the upgrade by searching for orphaned packages on which no other packages depend.

The CuteFlow document circulation system supports cross-platform document exchanges. CuteFlow is easy to install and configure but still has a couple of weak areas.

If your laptop multimedia keys aren’t working in Linux, the fix could be easier than you think. We’ll show you how to manage multimedia applications from the keyboard using ReMoot.

The Parted Magic Linux Live System gives users the ability to manipulate hard disk partitions in various formats. Version 2.0 is the first to rely on the Visparted GUI tool .