GUI tools that can make life much easier for a Linux administrator

In the recent times, many organizations have migrated from Windows, where everything is regulated with a point-and-click GUI. Thankfully, Linux has plenty of GUI tools that can help you keep away from the command line. Linux-based security tools and distributions can be used for penetration testing, reverse engineering, forensics and so on.

Here’s a look at some of the good  GUI tools that can make your Linux sysadmin tasks simpler.
 1. MySQL Workbench 

               MySQL Workbench is a visual database design tool that integrates SQLdevelopment, administration, database design, creation and maintenance into a single integrated development environment for the MySQL database system. MySQL Workbench is one of the best tools for working with MySQL databases. Besides managing databases, it also helps you design, develop, and administer MySQL databases. There is a new addition to the MySQL Workbench set of tools, which is the ability to easily migrate Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Sybase ASE, and other RDBMS tables, objects, and data to MySQL, that alone makes MySQL Workbench worth using.

 

2. cPanel

      cPanel is a Linux based web hosting control panel that provides a GUI and automation tools designed to simplify the process of hosting a web site. It allows you to configure sites, customers’ sites and services, and a lot more. You can also use this tool to configure/manage mail, apps, security, files, domains, apps, databases, logs and many more. However, the only flipside is that cPanel is not available for free. You need to pay to use cPanel.

 

3. Shorewall

       Shorewall is an open source firewall tool for Linux that builds upon the Netfilter (iptables/ipchains) system built into the Linux kernel, making it easier to manage more complex configuration schemes by providing a higher level of abstraction for describing rules using text files. Shorewall is one of the best tops for the server. This security GUI allows you to configure gateways, traffic controlling, VPNs, blacklisting, and much more.

4. Apache Directory
       Apache Directory is an open source project of the Apache Software Foundation. Though it is designed particularly for Apache Directory Server, it is the only solid GUI tool for managing any LDAP server. It is an Eclipse RCP application and can serve as your LDAP browser, ApacheDS configuration editor, schema editor, ACI editor, LDIF editor and more. The app also contains the latest ApacheDS, which means you can use it to create a DS server in no time.

5. YaST (Yet another Setup Tool) 

       YaST (Yet another Setup Tool) is a Linux operating system setup and configuration tool for enterprise-grade SUSE and openSUSE. With this all easy-to-use, attractive GUI, you can configure network, hardware, services and tune system security. By default, YaST is installed in all SUSE and openSUSE platforms.