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The Linux DevOps Handbook

Customize and scale your Linux distributions to accelerate

your DevOps workflow

Damian Wojsław

Grzegorz Adamowicz

BIRMINGHAM—MUMBAI
The Linux DevOps Handbook
Copyright © 2023 Packt Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case
of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.
Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information
presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express
or implied. Neither the authors, nor Packt Publishing or its dealers and distributors, will be held liable
for any damages caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly by this book.
Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and
products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot
guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Group Product Manager: Preet Ahuja

Publishing Product Manager: Preet Ahuja
Senior Editor: Runcil Rebello
Technical Editor: Nithik Cheruvakodan
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First published: November 2023

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To my wife, my kids, and all the people who have helped me on my journey to become the best version
of me.

– Damian Wojsław

To my mum and dad, who supported me with all my interests, including computers. To my wife and
daughter, who are my biggest supporters and motivation in all endeavors.

– Grzegorz Adamowicz
 Contributors

About the authors

Damian Wojsław has been working in the IT industry since 2001. He specializes in the administration
and troubleshooting of Linux servers. Being a system operator and support engineer, he has found
the DevOps philosophy to be a natural evolution of the way SysOps work with developers and other
members of the software team.

I would like to thank my wife and kids for their patience and support.

Grzegorz Adamowicz has been working in the IT industry since 2006 in a number of positions,
including systems administrator, backend developer (PHP and Python), systems architect, and site
reliability engineer. Professionally, he is focused on building tools and automations for the projects
he is involved in. He also engages with the professional community by organizing events such as
conferences and workshops. Grzegorz has worked in many industries, including oil and gas, hotel,
Fintech, DeFI, automotive, and space.

I want to thank my wife, Agnieszka, for her never-ending support, and everyone I’ve had the pleasure
of working with throughout my career – most of what I know professionally, I’ve learned from you.
About the reviewer
Marcin Juszkiewicz is a seasoned software engineer on a journey since 2004. Over the years, he has
worked on building and optimizing code in various projects. His career has spanned from embedded
Linux systems to ARM servers. In his spare time, Marcin dons the hat of a system admin, a role he
embraces with the same enthusiasm as his daily job. Through his extensive journey as a software
engineer and part-time system administrator, Marcin has garnered a wealth of knowledge and a
reputation for his meticulous approach to coding and system optimization.
 Table of Contents
Prefacexv

Part 1: Linux Basics

1
Choosing the Right Linux Distribution 3
Technical requirements 3 Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10
What exactly is a Linux distribution? 3 Fedora Linux 11
CentOS12
What makes distributions different? 4
Rocky Linux 12
Introducing the distributions 8 Alpine13
Debian8
Summary14
Ubuntu Linux 9

2
Command-Line Basics 15
Technical requirements 15 Interacting with the system 31
The Linux command line – shell 16 Process this 32
Getting to know your shell 16 Looking for something? 37
I call to thee 18 Let’s be manipulative 40
The filesystem structure 18 Summary42
Running a program 21
Exercises42
The command to teach you all commands 22
Know your environment 25
Resources43
Where in the PATH am I? 26

Know your rights 27

viii Table of Contents

3
Intermediate Linux 45
Technical requirements 45 Adding users 59
Globs46 Modifying users 59
Removing users 60
Automating repetitive tasks 48
Managing groups 60
Cron jobs 48
Systemd timer 49 Secure Shell (SSH) protocol 61
Configuring OpenSSH 62
Software installation 49
Creating and managing SSH keys 64
Debian and Ubuntu 50
CentOS, RHEL, and Fedora 53 Summary66
Alpine Linux 54 Exercises66
Managing users 58

4
Automating with Shell Scripts 67
Technical requirements 67 Loops72
Backing up a database 67 Conditional execution – if statement 73

Understanding scripting 68 Understanding the backup script –

Understanding Bash built-ins and first steps 75
grammar69 Handling errors and debugging 80
Variables70 Summary87
Parameters71 Exercises88

Part 2: Your Day-to-Day DevOps Tools

5
Managing Services in Linux 91
Technical requirements 91 systemd92
Understanding Linux services in detail 91 OpenRC97
SysV init 100
The history of Linux service management 92
 Table of Contents ix

A few words about Upstart, an Summary106

alternative106

6
Networking in Linux 107
Networking in Linux 107 nftables132
ISO/OSI as a networking standard 108 ufw133
firewalld134
Physical layer 108
Data link layer – MAC, VLAN 109 Advanced topics 134
Network layer – IPv4 and IPv6 110 NAT134
Transport layer – TCP and UDP 118 Port forwarding 135
Session layer 122 Interface bonding 136
Presentation layer – SSL and TLS 123 TCP multipath 136
Application layer – HTTP and FTP 126 BGP137
Firewalls129 Summary138
iptables130

7
Git, Your Doorway to DevOps 139
Technical requirements 139 Branching150
Basic Git commands 140 Squashing commits using an interactive rebase 151
Solving Git conflicts 152
Configuring the local Git environment 141
Setting up a local Git repository 141 GitFlow and GitHub Flow 153
Local versus remote Git repositories 144 Global git configuration – .gitconfig 154
Ignoring some files using a .gitignore
Interacting with remote repositories 145
configuration file 156
What’s the git diff command? 147
Viewing the commit history 148 Summary158

8
Docker Basics 159
Technical requirements 159 Virtualization160
Virtualization versus containerization159 Containerization161
x Table of Contents

Anatomy of Docker 162 docker volume 177

OverlayFS163
Dockerfile178
What is an image? 164
FROM178
What is a container runtime? 165
COPY and ADD 179
cgroups166
EXPOSE179
Docker commands 167 ENTRYPOINT and CMD 180
docker build 168 RUN180
docker run 168 LABEL181
docker start 169 ENV and ARG 181
docker stop 170 VOLUME182
docker ps 170 USER182
docker login 171 WORKDIR183
docker pull 172
Docker image registries 183
docker push 173
Docker networking 184
docker image 173
None network 184
docker exec 174
Bridge mode 185
docker logs 175
Host mode 186
docker rm 175
Overlay187
docker rmi 175
docker network 176 Summary187

9
A Deep Dive into Docker 189
Docker advanced use cases 189 Multi-stage build 212
Running public images 190 ADD command use cases 213
Running a debugging container 191 Secrets management 214
Cleaning up unused containers 192 Docker orchestration 216
Docker volumes and bind mounts 194
Docker Swarm 216
Docker networking advanced use cases 195
Kubernetes and OpenShift 220
Security features of Docker 197
Docker for CI/CD pipeline integration 205 Summary221
Docker Compose 207
Advanced Dockerfile techniques 212
 Table of Contents xi

Part 3: DevOps Cloud Toolkit

10
Monitoring, Tracing, and Distributed Logging 225
Differences between monitoring, SaaS solutions 245
tracing, and logging 226 Datadog245
Cloud solutions 227 New Relic 246
CloudWatch Logs and metrics 228 Ruxit247
AWS X-Ray 238 Splunk248

Open source solutions for self-hosting 239 Log and metrics retention 248
Prometheus240 Full retention 249
Grafana241 Time-based retention 249
SigNoz242 Event-based retention 249
New Relic Pixie 242 Selective retention 249
Graylog243 Tiered retention 249
Sentry244 Summary250

11
Using Ansible for Configuration as Code 251
Technical requirements 251 Ansible Vault 277
CM systems and CaC 251 SOPS278
Other solutions 280
SaltStack253
Chef254 Ansible Tower and alternatives 280
Puppet256 Advanced topics 281
CFEngine257
Debugging281
Ansible258 Linting Ansible playbooks 283
Basics of using Ansible 261 Speeding up SSH connections 285
Tasks263 Dynamic inventory 286
Roles263 Summary287
Plays and playbooks 264
Further reading 287
Ansible Galaxy 275
Handling secrets 277
xii Table of Contents

12
Leveraging Infrastructure as Code 289
Technical requirements 290 Terraform state 302
What is IaC? 290 Terraform CLI 305

IaC versus Configuration as Code 290 HCL in depth 317

IaC projects worth knowing 290 Variables317
AWS CloudFormation 291 Comments318
AWS Cloud Development Kit 293 Terraform meta-arguments 319
Terraform294 Terraform examples with AWS 322
Cloud Development Kit for Terraform 294
EC2 instance module 323
Pulumi296
Summary333
Terraform298
Exercises333
Terraform modules 300

13
CI/CD with Terraform, GitHub, and Atlantis 335
Technical requirements 335 Deployment354
What is CI/CD? 336 CI/CD with Atlantis 356
An example of CI/CD pipelines 337 Deploying Atlantis to AWS 356
Continuously integrating and Running Terraform using Atlantis 362
deploying your infrastructure 342 Summary365
Integration testing 342 Exercises365

14
Avoiding Pitfalls in DevOps 367
Technical requirements 367 Tasks with version control integration 369
Too much or not enough automation 368 Tasks with repeatable patterns 369
Tasks with well-defined APIs or interfaces 369
Repetitive tasks 368
Tasks with clear and well-defined requirements370
Time-consuming tasks 369
Manual and error-prone tasks 369 Not understanding the technology 370
 Table of Contents xiii

Stay curious and proactive 371 Actionable380

Start with the basics 371 Continuously improving 380
Hands-on learning 372
Inadequate security and compliance
Collaborate and share knowledge 372
measures380
Stay updated 372
What are security measures? 381
Failure to adopt a collaborative Characteristics of good security measures 381
culture372
Lack of scalability and flexibility 382
Lack of leadership 373
DevOps is only for small teams or projects 383
Siloed organizational structure 373
Inability to scale infrastructure 383
Lack of trust and communication 374
Flexibility compromises stability 383
Tool-centric approach 375
Lack of flexibility in release management 384
Neglecting testing and QA 376
Lack of proper documentation and
Increased software defects 377
knowledge sharing 384
Deployment failures 377
Technical documentation 385
Security vulnerabilities 377
API documentation 385
Lack of documentation 378
User documentation 385
Inadequate test coverage 378
Process documentation 386
Lack of continuous improvement 378
Operational documentation 386
Poor monitoring and feedback loops 378 Release notes and changelogs 386
Real-time379
Overcoming resistance to change 387
Comprehensive379
Scalable380
Summary387

Index389

Other Books You May Enjoy 404

 Preface
DevOps has become a critical component of modern software development and delivery. It has
revolutionized the way we build, test, deploy, and operate software systems. DevOps is not just a set
of tools and practices but also a culture and mindset that focuses on collaboration, communication,
and automation.
This book is designed to be a comprehensive guide to DevOps, covering everything from choosing
the right Linux distribution to avoiding pitfalls in DevOps. Each chapter in this book provides
detailed information and practical examples to help you understand the concepts and apply them to
real-world scenarios.

Who this book is for

This book is designed for individuals who have already gained some knowledge and experience in
the field of software development and IT operations and are now seeking to further expand their
knowledge of DevOps and Linux systems.
If you are not well versed in Linux systems, this book will provide you with the necessary guidance
and tools to quickly learn and become proficient in managing Linux-based infrastructures. You will
gain an understanding of the Linux operating system, its architecture, and its fundamental concepts.
Furthermore, this book emphasizes learning about public cloud technologies with a focus on AWS.
If you are interested in learning how to use AWS to build and manage scalable and reliable systems,
this book will provide you with the necessary knowledge and tools to get started.
Whether you are new to DevOps or have already gained some experience, this book provides a solid
foundation for learning more complex concepts. It covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of
Linux systems to more advanced DevOps practices such as configuration and infrastructure as code
and CI/CD.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, Choosing the Right Linux Distribution, discusses the GNU/Linux history, and the differences
between popular distributions.
Chapter 2, Command-Line Basics, guides you through the usage of a command line and common
tools we’ll be using throughout the book.
xvi Preface

Chapter 3, Intermediate Linux, describes more advanced features of GNU/Linux that you will find useful.
Chapter 4, Automating with Shell Scripts explains how to start writing your own scripts using the
Bash shell.
Chapter 5, Managing Services in Linux, discusses different ways of managing services in Linux and
shows you how to define your own services using systemd.
Chapter 6, Networking in Linux, describes how networking works, how to control different aspects of
network configurations, and how to use command-line tools.
Chapter 7, Git, Your Doorway to DevOps, discusses what Git is and how to use Git’s version control
system, including less commonly known Git features.
Chapter 8, Docker Basics, explores the containerization of your services or tools, and running and
managing containers.
Chapter 9, A Deep Dive into Docker, discusses the more advanced features of Docker, including Docker
Compose and Docker Swarm.
Chapter 10, Monitoring, Tracing, and Distributed Logging, discusses how to monitor your services,
what tools you can use in the cloud, and how to do a basic setup.
Chapter 11, Using Ansible for Configuration as Code, looks at Configuration as Code with the use of
Ansible; it’ll guide you through the basic setup and more advanced features of Ansible.
Chapter 12, Leveraging Infrastructure as Code, discusses what Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is, what
the popular tools are, and how to manage your infrastructure using Terraform.
Chapter 13, CI/CD with Terraform, GitHub, and Atlantis, takes IaC one step further with the use of
the Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) of infrastructure with the use
of Terraform and Atlantis.
Chapter 14, Avoiding Pitfalls in DevOps, discusses challenges you may encounter with your work
in DevOps.

To get the most out of this book

You will need Debian Linux or Ubuntu Linux installed on a virtual machine or as your main operating
system on your computer. Other software we use is either already installed as a default toolset, or we
will show you where to get it to install it on your system.
It is assumed that you have some basic knowledge of Linux and its command-line interface. Familiarity
with shell scripting and basic programming concepts would also be helpful. Additionally, some
understanding of IT infrastructure and how it is managed is recommended, as well as some exposure
to software development practices.
 Preface xvii

This book is aimed at beginners in the DevOps world, and it assumes that you are eager to learn
about the tools and concepts that are commonly used in this field. By the end of this book, you will
have gained a solid understanding of how to manage infrastructure using IaC tools such as Terraform
and Atlantis, as well as how to automate repetitive tasks using Ansible and Bash scripting. You will
also learn how to set up logging and monitoring solutions to help you maintain and troubleshoot
your infrastructure.

Software/hardware covered in the book Operating system requirements

Bash Linux OS has it preinstalled
Ansible Python 3 or newer
Terraform Linux OS
AWS CLI Python 3 or newer
Docker Linux OS
If you are using the digital version of this book, we advise you to type the code yourself or access the
code from the book’s GitHub repository (a link is available in the next section). Doing so will help
you avoid any potential errors related to the copying and pasting of code.

Download the example code files

You can download the example code files for this book from GitHub at https://github.com/
PacktPublishing/The-Linux-DevOps-Handbook. If there’s an update to the code, it will
be updated in the GitHub repository.
We also have other code bundles from our rich catalog of books and videos available at https://
github.com/PacktPublishing/. Check them out!

Conventions used
There are a number of text conventions used throughout this book.
Code in text: Indicates code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file
extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles. Here is an example: “While
logged in as root, your prompt will end with the # sign. When logged in as a normal user, it will
present you with $.”
A block of code is set as follows:

docker build [OPTIONS] PATH | URL | -

xviii Preface

When we wish to draw your attention to a particular part of a code block, the relevant lines or items
are set in bold:

docker build [OPTIONS] PATH | URL | -

Any command-line input or output is written as follows:

chmod ug=rx testfile

Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words that you see onscreen. For instance, words
in menus or dialog boxes appear in bold. Here is an example: “Ansible Galaxy is a community-driven
platform that hosts an extensive collection of Ansible roles and playbooks.”

Tips or important notes

Appear like this.

Get in touch
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packtpub.com and mention the book title in the subject of your message.
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 xix

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xx

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 Part 1: Linux Basics

In this opening part of the book, we will focus on Linux distributions and the basic skills you will
need to efficiently use Linux operating systems. You will also learn about the basics of shell scripting
to automate day-to-day tasks.
This part has the following chapters:

• Chapter 1, Choosing the Right Linux Distribution

• Chapter 2, Command-Line Basics
• Chapter 3, Intermediate Linux
• Chapter 4, Automating with Shell Scripts
 1
Choosing the
Right Linux Distribution
In this chapter, we will dive into the Linux world from the very beginning. We will briefly touch on
Linux history, explain what a distribution is, and explain what to take into account when choosing
one for production use. You are not expected to know anything about Linux, its administration, or
the cloud. If you don’t understand some words that we use, worry not. There shouldn’t be a lot of
confusing terminology in this chapter, and if there is, we will explain it in later chapters. When you
finish reading this chapter, you should be able to understand why there are so many Linuxes out there,
how much you should expect to pay for it, and how to think about choosing the right Linux for yourself.
In this chapter, we will cover the following main topics:

• What is Linux and what is a Linux distribution?

• What can you use to help you make the right decision?
• Several major Linux distributions that are quite popular today

Technical requirements
This chapter doesn’t have any technical requirements. We won’t run any commands or install any
software yet. This will come in the later chapters.
The code we’re presenting in the book is available in the public GitHub repository for your consideration
at this address: https://github.com/PacktPublishing/The-Linux-DevOps-Handbook.

What exactly is a Linux distribution?

Linux is the standard operating system for cloud workloads. However, there is not a single Linux
operating system that goes by that name. Its ecosystem is quite complex. This comes from how it
came to be originally.
4 Choosing the Right Linux Distribution

Long before Linux was conceived by its creator, Linus Torvalds, there was Unix. Unix source code
was – for legal reasons – licensed to anyone who bought it, thus making it very popular among many
institutions. This included universities. The code, however, was not entirely free. This didn’t sit well
with many people, who believed that software should be free – as in speech or beer – including source
code. In the 1980s, a completely free and open implementation of Unix was born under the aegis of the
GNU Project. Its goal was to develop an operating system that gave complete control over a computer
to the user. The project was successful in that it was able to produce all the software required to run
an operating system, except one thing – the kernel.
A kernel of the operating system is, in short, the core that operates hardware and manages the hardware
and programs for the user.
In 1991, Finnish student Linus Torvalds famously announced his hobby kernel – Linux. He called it
at that time “just a hobby – won’t be big and professional like GNU.” It wasn’t supposed to get big and
popular. The rest is history. The Linux kernel became popular among developers and administrators
and became the missing piece of the GNU Project. Linux is the kernel, the GNU tools are the so-called
userland, and together they make the GNU/Linux operating system.
The preceding short story is important to us for two reasons:

• While the GNU userland and the Linux kernel is the most popular combination, you’ll see it
is not the only one.
• Linux delivers a kernel and the GNU Project delivers userland tools, but they have to be
somehow prepared for installation. Many people and teams had separate ideas on how to do
it best. I will expand on this thought next.

The way that a team or a company delivers a GNU/Linux operating system to end users is called a
distribution. It facilitates operating system installation, the means to manage software later on, and
general notions on how an operating system and the running processes have to be managed.

What makes distributions different?

The open nature of Linux and the GNU Project made it possible for almost anyone to create their
own distribution. One of the things that made new users dizzy was the sheer amount of Operating
System (OS) versions they could use. The surefire way to start a holy war between Linux users is by
asking which distribution is the best.
One of the ways we can group Linux distributions is the format in which they deliver the software
(packages) and additional software used to install and remove that software (package managers).
There are a number of them, but the two most prevalent are RPM (RPM Package Manager) and
DEB packages. Packages are more than just an archive with binaries. They contain scripts that set the
software up for use – creating directories, users, permissions, log rules, and a number of other things
that we will explain in later chapters.
 What exactly is a Linux distribution? 5

The RPM family of distributions starts with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), created and maintained
by the Red Hat company. Closely related is Fedora (a free community distribution sponsored by Red
Hat). It also includes CentOS Linux (a free version of RHEL) and Rocky Linux (another free version
of RHEL).
The DEB distributions include Debian (where the DEB packages originate from) – a technocracy
community project. From the Debian distribution arose a number of distributions based on it, using
most of its core components. Most notable is Ubuntu, a server and desktop distribution sponsored
by Canonical.
There are also distributions that use packages with minimum automation, most notably Slackware,
one of the oldest existing Linux distributions.
There are distributions that give the user a set of scripts that compile actual software on the hardware
it will be used on – most notably, Gentoo.
Finally, there is a distribution that is actually a book with a set of instructions that a user can follow
to build the whole OS by hand – the Linux From Scratch project.
Another way of grouping distributions is by their acceptance of closed software – software that limits
the distribution of source code, binaries, or both. This can mean hardware drivers, such as the ones
for NVIDIA graphic cards, and user software, such as movie codecs that allow you to play streamed
media and DVD and Blu-Ray discs. Some distributions make it easy to install and use them, while
some make it more difficult, arguing that we should strive for all software to be open source and free
(as in speech and as in beer).
Yet another way to differentiate them is the security framework a given distribution uses. Two of the most
notable ones are AppArmor, used mainly by Ubuntu, and SELinux (from the USA’s National Security
Agency), used by, among others, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (and its derivatives) and Fedora Linux.
It’s also worth noting that while most Linux distributions use the GNU Project as the userland, the
popular one in the cloud Alpine Linux distribution uses its own set of software, written especially
with minimum size in mind.
Looking at how the distribution is developed, it can be community-driven (without any commercial
entity being an owner of any part of the process and software – Debian being one prime example),
commercial (wholly owned by a company – RHEL being one example and SuSE another), and all the
mixes in between (Ubuntu and Fedora being examples of a commercially owned distribution with a
large body of independent contributors).
6 Choosing the Right Linux Distribution

Finally, a way we can group distributions is by how well they facilitate the cloud workload. Here, we
can look at different aspects:

• The server side: How well a given distribution works as an underlying OS for our infrastructure,
virtual machines, and containers
• The service side: How well a given distribution is suited to run our software as a container or
a virtual machine

To make things even more confusing and amusing for new adopters, each distribution can have many
variants (called flavors, variants, or spins, depending on the distribution lingo) that offer different
sets of software or default configurations.
And to finally confuse you, dear reader, for use on a desktop or laptop, Linux offers the best it can
give you – a choice. The number of graphical interfaces for the Linux OS can spin the head of even
the most experienced user – KDE Plasma, GNOME, Cinnamon Desktop, MATE, Unity Desktop
(not related to the Unity 3D game engine), and Xfce. The list is non-exhaustive, subjective, and very
limited. They all differ in the ease of use, configurability, the amount of memory and CPU they use,
and many other aspects.
The number of distributions is staggering – the go-to site that tracks Linux distributions (https://
distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=popularity) lists 265 various Linux distributions
on its distribution popularity page at the time of writing. The sheer number of them makes it necessary
to limit the book to three of our choosing. For the most part, it doesn’t make a difference which one
you choose for yourself, except maybe in licensing and subscription if you choose a commercial one.
Each time the choice of distribution makes a difference, especially a technical one, we will point it out.
Choosing a distribution is more than just a pragmatic choice. The Linux community is deeply driven
by ideals. For some people, they are the most important ideals on which they build their lives. Harsh
words have been traded countless times over which text editor is better, based on their user interface, the
license they are published with, or the quality of the source code. The same level of emotion is displayed
toward the choice of software to run the WWW server or how to accept new contributions. This will
inevitably lead to the way the Linux distribution is installed, what tools there are for configuration
and maintenance, and how big the selection of software installed on it out of the box is.
Having said that, we have to mention that even though they have strong beliefs, the open-source
community, the Linux community included, is a friendly bunch. In most cases, you’ll be able to find
help or advice on online forums, and the chances are quite high that you will be able to meet them
in person.
 What exactly is a Linux distribution? 7

To choose your distribution, you need to pay attention to several factors:

• Is the software you wish to run supported on the distribution? Some commercial software
limits the number of distributions it publishes packages for. It may be possible to run them on
unsupported versions of Linux, but this may be tricky and prone to disruptions.
• Which versions of the software you intend to run are available? Sometimes, the distribution of
choice doesn’t update your desired packages often enough. In the world of the cloud, software
a few months old may already be outdated and lack important features or security updates.
• What is the licensing for the distribution? Is it free to use or does it require a subscription plan?
• What are your support options? For community-driven free distributions, your options are
limited to friendly Linux gurus online and in the vicinity. For commercial offerings, you can
pay for various support offerings. Depending on your needs and budget, you can find a mix of
support options that will suit your requirements and financial reserves.
• What is your level of comfort with editing configuration files and running long and complex
commands? Some distributions offer tools (both command-line and graphical) that make the
configuration tasks easier and less error-prone. However, those tools are mostly distribution-
specific, and you won’t find them anywhere else.
• How well are cloud-related tools supported on a given distribution? This can be the ease of
installation, the recency of the software itself, or the number of steps to configure for use.
• How well is this distribution supported by the cloud of your choosing? This will mean how
many cloud operators offer virtual machines with this distribution. How easy is it to obtain a
container image with this distribution to run your software in it? How easy do we suspect it to
be to build for this distribution and deploy on it?
• How well is it documented on the internet? This will not only include the documentation
written by distribution maintainers but also various blog posts and documentation (mainly
tutorials and so-called how-to documents) written by its users.

So far, you’ve learned what a Linux distribution is, how distributions differentiate from one another,
and what criteria you can use to actually choose one as the core of the system you will manage.
In the next section, we will look deeper into each distribution to get to know the most popular ones
better, giving you a first glimpse of how each one works and what to expect.
8 Choosing the Right Linux Distribution

Introducing the distributions

After that bit of a lengthy but condensed history of the Linux OS, it is time to finally explore the few
we have chosen to cover in this book. In this section, we will cover the factors we just listed, as we
believe they are important in making a decision. Please remember though that while we strive to
present you with objective facts and valuations, we cannot escape our own subjective views. Always
evaluate on your own before you choose, as it’s highly possible that you will stick with this distribution
for many years to come.
A point to note is that we won’t be covering distributions comprehensively. We will only try to create
a foundation on which you, dear reader, must build through research.
Also, while you are learning, do not be afraid to hop from distribution to distribution. Only through
real-life experiences will you fully understand which one covers your needs best.

Debian
Debian (https://www.debian.org/) is one of the oldest active Linux distributions. Its
development is led by the community-supported Debian Project. It is known for two things – the
sheer number of packages that the distribution provides and the slow release of stable versions. The
latter has improved in recent years and stable releases are published every two years. Software is
delivered in archives called packages. Debian packages’ names have a .deb file extension and are
colloquially called debs. They are kept online in repositories and repositories are broken down into
pools. Repositories offer almost 60,000 packages with software in the latest stable release.
Debian always has three versions available (so-called branches) – stable, testing, and unstable. The
releases are named after characters from the Toy Story movie franchise. The latest stable release –
version 11 – is called Bullseye.
The unstable branch is the rolling branch for developers, people who like living on the edge, or
those who require the newest software more than they require stability. Software is accepted into the
unstable branch with minimal testing.
The testing branch is where, as the name implies, the testing happens. A lot of testing happens here,
thanks to the end users. Packages come here from the unstable branch. The software here is still newer
than in the stable branch but not as fresh as in the unstable branch. A few months before the new
stable release, the testing branch is frozen. It means that no new software will be accepted, and new
versions of the already accepted packages are allowed only if they fix bugs.
After a few months, testing becomes the stable branch. The software is updated only for security fixes.
This distribution is available for many hardware platforms – Intel, ARM, PowerPC, and so on. Along
with unofficial ports, there are a multitude of hardware platforms on which you can install it.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 For the peace that is from above....
For the peace of the whole world....
For this holy temple, and for them that with faith....
That this oil may be blessed by the might, and operation, and
descent of the Holy Ghost, let us pray to the Lord.
For the servant of God, name, and for his visitation by God, and
for the coming upon him of the grace of the Holy Ghost, let us pray
to the Lord.
For his deliverance and ours from every affliction, passion, and
want.
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God....
Commemorating our most holy, most pure....
Then the first of the priests saith the prayer of oil over the cruet.
Note. Be it known that in the great church they pour wine instead
of water into the cruet of prayer-unction.
Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
O Lord, who, through thy mercy and compassions, healest the
infirmities of our souls and bodies; do thou thyself, O Master, sanctify
this oil, that it may be to them that are anointed therewith for healing,
and for the removal of every passion, of defilement of flesh and
spirit, and of every ill, and that thereby may be glorified thy holy
name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and
ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
And the other priests likewise read this prayer, but quietly to
themselves.
And while the prayer is being said by the priests, they sing these
troparia.
Tone iv.
 Thou that alone art quick to help, O Christ, make manifest from on
high a speedy visitation to thine ailing servant: deliver him from
sicknesses and bitter pains, and raise him up, that, without ceasing,
he may praise and glorify thee, through the God-bearing one’s
entreaties, O thou sole lover of mankind.
With blinded spiritual eyes to thee, O Christ, I come, as he that
from his birth was blind; and penitentially to thee I cry, Be merciful to
us, thou that alone the good physician art.
Tone iii.
My soul, that, Lord, by every kind of sin and unbecoming deeds is
paralys’d, O by thy godlike intervention do thou raise, as thou of old
a paralytic didst upraise, that I, being sav’d, may cry to thee, Give
healing unto me, O Christ compassionate.
Tone ii.
O just one, as the Lord’s disciple, thou the gospel didst receive; as
martyr, dost possess that which unwritten is; a daring, as God’s
brother, hast; as hierarch, hast to pray: do thou beseech Christ God
to save our souls.
Tone iv.
The Father’s sole-begotten, who is God the Word, in latter days
hath come to us, O James divine, declaring thee first pastor and
instructor of them that of Jerusalem were; a faithful steward too of
ghostly mysteries. Therefore, apostle, we all reverence thee.
Tone iii.
To them of Myra, saint, thou didst appear a hierurgist; for Christ’s
evangel, thou, O venerated one, fulfilling, didst for thy people yield
thy soul, and save the innocent from death. For this cause art thou
sanctified as a great mystic of the grace of God.
The same tone.
O pain-enduring one, that overcame the heathen, in dangers hath
the world thee found a champion great. Therefore, as thou didst
humble Lyev’s pride, and in the strife make Nestor brave, so, saint
Demetrius, pray Christ God to give great mercy unto us.
The same tone.
Thou holy pain-enduring one, physician too, O Pantelimon,
mediate with God the merciful, that he may grant our souls remission
of iniquities.
Tone viii.
Ye saints that were unmercenary and wonders wrought, make
visitation in our weaknesses. Freely ye have receiv’d: O freely give
to us.
Tone ii.
Who can narrate thy mightiness, O virgin one? for thou dost
wonders gush, and pourest cures, and prayest for our souls, O thou
divine and friend of Christ.
Warm advocate and assailless wall, the spring of mercy and the
world’s defence, to thee unceasingly we cry, God-bearing Queen,
prevent thou us, and us from dangers free, thou that alone art quick
to intercede.
Deacon. Let us attend.
The first priest. Peace to all.
Choir. And to thy spirit.
Deacon. Wisdom, let us attend.
Reader, the prokimenon, tone i.
Let thy mercy, O Lord, come upon us like as we have put our trust
in thee.
Verse.
Rejoice, O ye righteous, in the Lord, for praise becometh the
upright.
The epistle.
The lection of the catholic message of James.
 And be it known that the epistle is read by the deacon, section lvii,
Brethren, take for an example.... ending, availeth much.[15]
The first priest. Peace to thee. Alleluia.
Tone viii. Verse. I will sing unto thee of mercy and judgment, O
Lord.
The gospel from Luke, section liii.
At that time, a certain lawyer.... ending, do thou likewise.[16]
Then, Have mercy upon us, O God, according to thy great mercy,
we pray thee, hear and have mercy.
Lord, have mercy, thrice.
Furthermore let us pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation,
visitation, and forgiveness of sins for the servant of God, name.
Lord, have mercy, thrice.
That to him may be remitted every iniquity, voluntary and
involuntary, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy, thrice.
And the exclamation.
For a merciful and man-loving God thou art, and to thee we
ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,
now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Deacon. Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
Priest, the prayer.
O thou that art unbeginning, eternal, and in the holy of holies, who
didst send down thine only-begotten Son, who healeth every infirmity
and every wound of our souls and bodies; do thou send down thy
Holy Ghost, and sanctify this oil, and let it be unto thine anointed
servant, name, for a perfect deliverance from his sins, and for the
inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.
 Be it known that some say this prayer only thus far, with the
exclamation,
For it is thine to have mercy.....
But others say even unto the end,
For thou art God great and wonderful, who keepest thy testament
and thy mercy unto them that love thee, granting deliverance from
sins through thy holy child, Jesus Christ, who regenerateth us from
sin, enlighteneth the blind, setteth up them that are cast down, loveth
the righteous, and is merciful to sinners, who hath called us out of
darkness and the shadow of death, saying unto them that are in
bonds, Come forth, and to them that are in darkness, Be ye unveiled.
For he hath shined in our hearts the light of the knowledge of his
countenance, in that for our sake he was made manifest upon earth,
and dwelt among men; and to them that accepted thee gave he
power to become the children of God; and hath bestowed upon us a
sonship through the laver of regeneration, and made us to have no
participation in the domination of the devil. For thou wast not pleased
that we should be cleansed through blood, but hast given, through
holy oil, an image of his cross, that we may be a flock of Christ, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, cleansing us by water, and
sanctifying us by thy holy spirit. Do thou thyself, O Master Lord, give
grace unto us in this thy service, as thou didst give unto Moses, thine
accepted, and unto Samuel, thy beloved, and unto John, thine elect,
and unto all who in every generation have been acceptable unto
thee. And so make us to be ministers of thy new testament upon this
oil, which thou hast made thine own through the precious blood of
thy Christ, that, putting away worldly lusts, we may die unto sin and
live unto righteousness, so that we may be led of the proposed oil to
be invested in him with the anointing of sanctification. May this oil, O
Lord, be an oil of gladness, an oil of sanctification, a royal investiture,
a cuirass of power, an averting of every diabolical operation, an
inviolable seal, a rejoicing of the heart, an eternal joy, that they that
are anointed with this oil of regeneration may be terrible to
adversaries, and may shine in the brightness of thy saints, having no
spot or wrinkle; and may they attain unto thine eternal rest, and gain
the prize of the calling from on high.
 For it is thine to have mercy, and to save us, O our God, and to
thee we ascribe glory, with thine only-begotten Son, and with thy
most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to
ages of ages, Amen.
And after the prayer; the priest taketh a twig, and, dipping it in the
holy oil, anointeth the sick person in the form of a cross, on the
forehead, on the nostrils, on the cheeks, on the lips, on the breast,
on the hands on both sides, saying this prayer.
Holy Father, physician of souls and bodies, who didst send thine
only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who healeth every
infirmity, and delivereth from death; do thou heal thy servant, name,
from the bodily and spiritual weakness that presseth upon him, and
quicken him by the grace of thy Christ; through the prayers of our
most holy Lady, the God-bearing and ever-virgin Mary; through the
intercession of the honourable, heavenly bodiless powers; through
the power of the precious and life-effecting cross; of the honourable
glorious prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John; of the holy, glorious,
and all-praised apostles; of the holy glorious, and excellently
victorious martyrs; of our venerable and god-bearing fathers; of the
holy and unmercenary physicians, Cosmas and Damian, Cyrus and
John, Pantelimon and Hermolaus, Sampson and Diomed, Photius
and Anicetas; of the holy and righteous god-progenitors, Joakim and
Anna, and of all the Saints.
For thou art the fount of healing, O our God, and to thee we
ascribe glory, with thine only-begotten Son, and with thy
consubstantial Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
This prayer is said by each priest after he hath said his gospel and
prayer, while he anointeth the sick person with oil.
Deacon. Let us attend.
The second priest. Peace to all.
Prokimenon, tone ii.
The Lord is my strength and song, and is become for salvation
unto me.
 Verse. When thou chastenest, thou hast chastened me, O Lord;
but thou hast not given me up unto death.
The epistle to the Romans, section cxvi.
Brethren, we that are strong ought.... ending, received us to the
glory of God.[17]
The second priest. Peace to thee.
Alleluia, tone v.
Verse. I will sing of thy mercy, O Lord, for ever.
The second priest.
The gospel from Luke, section xciv.
At that time, Jesus passed through.... ending, to save that which
was lost.[18]
And the deacon.
Have mercy upon us, O God.... Page 98.
Furthermore let us pray for mercy, life....
That to him may be remitted....
For a merciful and man-loving God....
Priest, the prayer.
O God, great and most high, who art worshipped by all creation, thou
true fountain of wisdom, and impenetrable depth of goodness, and
boundless ocean of benignity; do thou thyself, O man-loving Master,
O God of things eternal and wonderful, whom none among men by
thinking can comprehend, look upon us, and hearken unto us, thine
unworthy servants, and wheresoever in thy great name we bring this
oil, do thou send down thy gift of healing, and the remission of sins,
and heal him in the plentitude of thy mercy. Yea, O Lord, thou good
physician, thou sole merciful one and lover of mankind, who
repentest thee concerning our ills, who knowest that the intention of
man inclineth unto evil from his youth up, who desirest not the death
of a sinner, but that he should return and live, who for the salvation
of sinners, being God, becamest man, and for thy creature wast
thyself created: thou art he that hath said, I came not to call the
righteous but sinners to repentance: thou art he that hath sought the
lost sheep: thou art he that hath diligently sought the lost drachma,
and found it: thou art he that hath said, He that cometh unto me I will
in no wise cast out: thou art he that did not loathe the sinful woman,
who watered thy revered feet with tears: thou art he that hath said,
As often as thou fallest, arise, and be saved: thou art he that hath
said, There is joy in heaven over, one sinner that repenteth: do thou
thyself, O benign Master, look down from the height of thy sanctuary,
visiting us, thy sinful and unworthy servants, at this hour, with the
grace of thy Holy Ghost, and be present with thy servant, name, who
acknowledgeth his iniquities, and in faith draweth nigh unto thee;
and, accepting him in thine own love to man, in whatsoever he hath
offended, by word, or deed, or intention, making remission, do thou
cleanse him, and make him pure from every sin, and, being ever
present with him, keep the remaining time of his life, that walking in
thy statutes, he may never become a derision to the devil, so that in
him may be glorified thy most holy name.
Exclamation.
For it is thine to have mercy, and to save us, O Christ God, and to
thee we ascribe glory, with thine unbeginning Father, and with thy
most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to
ages of ages. Amen.
And after the prayer the second priest straightway taketh a second
twig, and, dipping it in the holy oil, anointeth the sick person, saying
the prayer,
Holy Father, physician of souls and bodies....
Vide page 101.
And the deacon. Let us attend.
The third priest. Peace to all.
Prokimenon, tone iii.
The Lord is my light, and my Saviour, whom shall I fear?
 Verse. The Lord is the defence of my life, of whom shall I be
afraid.
The epistle to the Corinthians, section cliii.
Brethren, ye are the body of Christ.... ending, Charity never faileth.
[19]

The third priest. Peace to thee.

Deacon. Wisdom. Alleluia, tone ii.
Verse. In thee, O Lord, have I trusted, let me never be
confounded.
The third priest readeth.
The gospel from Matthew, section xxxiv. from the paragraph,
At that time, Jesus called.... ending, freely give.[20]
And the deacon straightway saith this ectenia.
Have mercy upon us, O God....
Furthermore let us pray for mercy, life....
That to him may be remitted....
And, with a loud voice, For a merciful....
Deacon. Let us pray to the Lord.
The priest saith the prayer.
Master Almighty, holy King, who chastenest, and killest not, who
supportest them that are falling, and settest up them that are cast
down, who restorest the bodily afflictions of men; we entreat thee, O
our God, that thou wouldest send down thy mercy upon this oil, and
upon them that are anointed therewith in thy name, that it may be to
them for the healing of soul and body, and for the cleansing and
removal of every passion, and of every sickness and wound, and of
every defilement of flesh and spirit. Yea, O Lord, send down from
heaven thy healing power; touch the body; allay the fever; soothe the
suffering; and banish every lurking weakness. Be the physician of
thy servant, name, raise him from a bed of suffering, and from a
couch of ailment whole and perfectly restored, granting him in thy
church to be acceptable, and one that doeth thy will.
Exclamation.
For it is thine to have mercy and to save us, O our God, and to
thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
And after the prayer the third priest taketh a third twig, and,
dipping it in the holy oil, anointeth the sick person, saying the prayer,
Holy Father, physician of souls and bodies....
Vide page 101.
Deacon. Let us attend.
The fourth priest.
Peace to all.
Prokimenon, tone iv.
In whatsover day that I call upon thee, O hearken unto me
speedily.
Verse. O Lord, hearken unto my prayer, and unto my crying.
The epistle to the Corinthians, section clxxxii.
Brethren, ye are the temple.... ending, holiness in the fear of God.
[21]

Priest. Peace to thee.

Alleluia, tone ii.
Verse. I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me.
The fourth priest.
The gospel from Matthew, section xxvi.
At that time, Jesus came into Peter’s house.... ending, his
disciples followed him.[22]
And the deacon. Have mercy upon us, O God....
 Page 98.
Furthermore let us pray for mercy, life....
That to him may be remitted....
And the exclamation, For a merciful....
Deacon. Let us pray to the Lord.
Priest, the prayer.
O good and man-loving, benign and most merciful Lord, great in
mercy and plenteous in goodness, O Father of compassions and
God of every consolation, who hast empowered us, through thy holy
apostles, to heal the weaknesses of the people by prayer with oil; do
thou thyself appoint this oil for the healing of them that are anointed
therewith, for the alleviation of every sickness and every wound, for
deliverance from evils of them that expect salvation that is from thee.
Yea, O Master, Lord our God, we beseech thee, thou almighty one,
to save us all, and, thou that alone art the physician of souls and
bodies, to sanctify us all; thou that healest every sickness, do thou
heal thy servant, name; raise him from the bed of suffering through
the mercy of thy grace; visit him through thy mercy and
compassions; remove from him every ailment and weakness, that,
being raised by thy mighty hand, he may serve thee with all
thanksgiving, as also that we, now participating in thine unspeakable
love to man, may sing and glorify thee, who doest great and
wonderful, glorious and transcendent things.
For it is thine to have mercy, and to save us, O our God....
And after the prayer the fourth priest straightway taketh a fourth
twig, and, dipping it in the holy oil, anointeth the sick person, saying
the prayer,
Holy Father, physician of souls.... Vide page 101.
Deacon. Let us attend.
The fifth priest. Peace to all.
Prokimenon, tone v.
 Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us and shalt protect us, from this
generation, and for ever.
Verse. Save me, O Lord, for the righteous are become few.
Deacon. Wisdom.
The epistle to the Corinthians, section clxviii.
Brethren, we would not have you ignorant.... ending, by many on
our behalf.[23]
Priest. Peace to thee.
Alleluia, tone v.
Verse. I will sing of thy mercy, O Lord, for ever.
The gospel from Matthew, section cvi.
The Lord spake this parable, Then shall the kingdom.... ending,
wherein the Son of man cometh.[24]
And the deacon.
Have mercy upon us, O God.... Page 98.
Furthermore let us pray for mercy, life....
That to him may be remitted....
And the exclamation.
For a merciful....
Deacon. Let us pray to the Lord.
Priest, this prayer.
O Lord our God, who chastenest and again healest, who raisest the
poor from the earth, and liftest up the beggar from the dunghill, O
Father of the orphans, and haven of the tempest-tost, and physician
of them that are sick; who painlessly bearest our weaknesses, and
takest away our sicknesses; who shewest mercy with gentleness,
overlookest transgressions, and takest away unrighteousness; who
art quick to help and slow to anger; who didst breathe upon thy
disciples, and say, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whosoever sins ye
remit, they are remitted unto them; who acceptest the repentance of
sinners, and hast power to forgive many and grievous sins, and
vouchsafest healing unto all that continue in weakness and
protracted sickness; who me also, thine humble, sinful, and unworthy
servant, involved in many sins, and overwhelmed with lusts of
pleasures, hast called to the holy and exceeding great degree of the
priesthood, and to enter in within the veil into the holy of holies,
where the holy Angels desire to stoop to look, and hear the
evangelical voice of the Lord God, and behold as eye-witnesses the
presence of the holy oblation, and be enraptured with the divine and
sacred liturgy; who hast counted me worthy to minister the sacred
rite of thy most heavenly mystery, and to offer unto thee gifts and
sacrifices for our sins, and for the ignorances of the people, and to
mediate for thy rational flock, that, through thy great and
unspeakable love to man, thou mayest cleanse their iniquities; do
thou thyself, O most good King, attend unto my prayer at this hour,
and on this holy day, and in every time and place, and accept the
voice of my prayer, and grant healing unto thy servant, name, who is
in weakness of soul and body, vouchsafing unto him remission of
sins and forgiveness of voluntary and involuntary iniquities: heal his
incurable wounds, and every sickness and every sore, bestowing
upon him spiritual healing. It was thou who didst touch the mother-in-
law of Peter, and the fever left her, and she arose and ministered
unto thee: do thou thyself, O Master, bestow a remedy upon thy
servant, name, and an alleviation of every mortal pain, and
remember thine abundant compassions, and thy mercy. Remember
that the intention of man inclineth constantly toward evil from his
youth up, and that none is to be found sinless upon earth; for thou
alone art without sin, who didst come and save the race of men, and
deliver us from the servitude of the enemy. For if thou shouldest
enter into judgment with thy servants, there is none that would be
found pure from defilement, but every mouth would be shut, not
having wherewith to answer; for all our righteousness is as filthy rags
before thee. For this cause remember not, Lord, the sins of our
youth; for thou art the hope of the hopeless, and the rest of them that
are weary and heavy-laden with transgressions, and to thee we
ascribe glory, with thine unbeginning Father, and with thy most holy,
and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages.
Amen.
And after the prayer the fifth priest straightway taketh a fifth twig,
and, dipping it in the holy oil, anointeth the sick person, saying the
prayer,
Holy Father, physician of souls and bodies....
Vide page 101.
Deacon. Let us attend.
And the sixth priest. Peace to all.
Prokimenon, tone vi.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to great mercy.
Verse. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit
within me.
The epistle to the Galatians, section ccxiii.
Brethren, the fruit of the spirit.... ending, so fulfil the law of Christ.
[25]

The sixth priest. Peace to thee.

Deacon. Wisdom, let us attend.
Alleluia, tone vi.
Verse. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, in his
commandments he rejoiceth exceedingly.
Deacon. Wisdom, standing, let us hear the holy gospel.
The gospel from Matthew, section lxii.
At that time, Jesus went.... ending, from that very hour.[26]
And the deacon.
Have mercy upon us, O God....
Furthermore let us pray for mercy, life....
That to him may be remitted....
 Exclamation. For a merciful...
Deacon. Let us pray to the Lord.
The priest, this prayer.
We give thanks unto thee, O Lord our God, thou good lover of
mankind, and physician of our souls and bodies, who painlessly
bearest our sicknesses, and by whose stripes we have all been
healed; thou good shepherd, who camest to seek the wandering
sheep; who givest consolation unto the faint-hearted, and life unto
them that are broken down; who didst heal the source of the issue of
blood that had lasted twelve years; who didst deliver the daughter of
the Chananitish woman from the ruthless demon; who didst forgive
the debt unto the two debtors, and give remission unto the sinful
woman; who didst bestow healing upon the paralytic, with the
remission of his sins; who didst justify the publican by a word, and
didst accept the thief in his last confession; who takest away the sins
of the world, and wast nailed on the cross; to thee we pray, and thee
we beseech, Do thou thyself, O God, in thy goodness, loosen,
forgive, and pardon the transgressions and sins of thy servant,
name, and his voluntary and involuntary iniquities, those in
knowledge and in ignorance, those by trespass and disobedience,
those by night and by day; or if he be under the curse of a priest, or
of a father or a mother; or if by the glance of the eye, or a movement
of the eyelid; or by the contact of adultery, or the tasting of
prodigality, or in any excitement of flesh and spirit he have estranged
himself from thy will, and from thy holiness. And if he have sinned,
and in like manner we also, as the good God that rememberest not
evil and the lover of mankind, do thou pardon, not leaving him and
us to fall into a dissolute life, neither to walk in ways of destruction.
Yea, O Master Lord, hear me, a sinner, at this hour on behalf of thy
servant, name, and overlook, as the God that rememberest not evil,
all his iniquities; deliver him from eternal torment; fill his mouth with
thy praise; open his lips to the glorification of thy name; extend his
hands to the doing of thy commandments; direct his feet in the path
of thy gospel, confirming all his members and his intention by thy
grace. For thou art our God, who, by thy holy apostles, hast
commanded us, saying, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be
bound in the heavens, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall
be loosed in the heavens; and again, Unto whomsoever ye remit
sins, they are remitted unto them, and, If ye bind them, they are
bound. And, as thou didst hearken unto Ezekias in the affliction of
his soul in the hour of his death, and didst not despise his prayer, so
hearken unto me, thine humble, and sinful, and unworthy servant at
this hour. For thou, O Lord Jesus Christ, art he that, in thy goodness
and love to man, biddeth to forgive until seventy times seven them
that fall into sins; and thou repentest thee concerning our evils, and
rejoicest over the return of the wanderer. For, as is thy greatness, so
also is thy mercy, and to thee we ascribe glory, with thine
unbeginning Father, and with thy most holy, and good, and life-
creating Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
And after the prayer the sixth priest straightway taketh a sixth twig,
and, dipping it in the holy oil, anointeth the sick person, saying the
prayer,
Holy Father, physician of souls and bodies....
Vide page 101.
Deacon. Let us attend.
And the seventh priest. Peace to all.
Prokimenon, tone vii.
O Lord, rebuke me not in thy fury, neither chasten me in thine
anger.
Verse. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak.
The epistle to the Thessalonians, section cclxxiii.
Brethren, we exhort you.... ending, the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ.[27]
And the seventh priest. Peace to thee.
Deacon. Wisdom.
Alleluia, tone vii.
 Verse. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble, the name of the
God of Jacob defend thee.
The gospel from Matthew, section xxx.
At that time, Jesus, passing by.... ending, sinners to repentance.
[28]

And the deacon. Have mercy upon us, O God....

Furthermore let us pray for mercy, life....
That to him may be remitted....
And the exclamation. For a merciful....
The deacon saith, Let us pray to the Lord.
The priest, this prayer.
O Master, Lord our God, physician of souls and bodies, who
restorest from long-continued sufferings, healest every sickness and
every wound among the people, willest that all men should be saved
and come to a knowledge of the truth, and desirest not the death of a
sinner, but that he should return and live. For, thou, Lord, in the old
testament didst appoint repentance unto sinners, to David, and to
the Ninevites, and to them that were before these; but during the
course of thine incarnate dispensation, didst not call the righteous
but sinners to repentance, even accepting the publican, the harlot,
the thief, and the blaspheming persecutor, the great Paul, through
repentance. Thou, through repentance, didst accept Peter, the
leader and thine apostle, who denied thee thrice, and didst make
promise unto him, saying, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I
build my church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it,
and I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Wherefore
we also, O good one and the lover of mankind, being bold according
to thine undeceiving promises, pray unto thee, and supplicate at this
hour. Hearken unto our prayer and accept it as incense offered unto
thee, and visit thy servant, name, and if he have sinned by word, or
deed, or intention, or in the night, or in the day, if he be under the
curse of a priest, or be fallen under his own curse, or be embittered
by a curse, and have forsworn himself, we supplicate thee, and to
thee we pray, Pardon, forgive, and loosen him, O God, overlooking
his transgressions, and the sins which in knowledge and in
ignorance have been done by him. And in whatsoever he have
transgressed thy commandments, or have sinned, because he
beareth flesh and liveth in the world, or because of the operation of
the devil, do thou thyself, as the good and man-loving God, loosen
him; for there is no man that liveth and sinneth not: thou only art
without sin, thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and
thy word is the truth. For thou didst not form man for destruction, but
for the keeping of thy commandments, and for the inheritance of life
incorruptible, and to thee we ascribe glory, with the Father, and with
the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
And after the prayer the seventh priest taketh a seventh twig, and,
dipping it in the holy oil, anointeth the sick person, saying the prayer,
Holy Father, physician of souls and bodies....
Vide page 101.
And after this, the sick person that receiveth the sacred unction, if
he be able, cometh himself into the midst of the priests, or, held by
his own people, standeth, or sitteth. And if he be not able, the priests
themselves stand around him lying on the bed. And the president,
taking the holy gospel and opening it, layeth the text upon the head
of the sick person, the book being held by all the priests. And he that
is the leader doth not lay on his hand, but he saith this prayer with a
loud voice.
O Holy King, O loving-kind and most merciful Lord Jesus Christ, Son
and Word of the living God, who desirest not the death of a sinner,
but that he should return and live; I lay not my sinful hand upon the
head of him that cometh to thee in sins, and beseecheth of thee
through us remission of sins, but thy strong and mighty hand which
is in this holy gospel which my fellow-ministers hold upon the head of
thy servant, name, and I pray with them and entreat thy merciful love
to man, which remembereth not evil, O God, our Saviour, who,
through thy prophet Nathan, didst grant remission of his iniquities
unto the repentant David, and didst accept the prayer of repentance
of Manasse; and do thou thyself, in thy wonted love to man, accept
thy servant, name, who bewaileth on account of his own offences,
and overlook all his iniquities. For thou art our God, who hast bidden
to forgive until seventy times seven them that have fallen into sins;
for as is thy greatness, so also is thy mercy, and to thee is due every
glory, honour, and worship, now and ever, and to ages of ages.
Amen.
And taking the gospel from the head of the sick person, they
present it to him to kiss.
And the deacon. Have mercy upon us, O God....
Furthermore let us pray for mercy, life....
And that to him may be remitted....
Exclamation.
For a merciful and man-loving....
Then they sing, Glory, idiomelon, tone iv.
Having a fountain of remedies, O holy unmercenary ones, ye
bestow healings unto all that are in need, as being counted worthy of
mighty gifts from the ever-flowing fountain of our Saviour. For the
Lord hath said unto you, as unto co-emulators of the apostles,
Behold, I have given unto you power over unclean spirits, so as to
cast them out, and to heal every sickness and every wound.
Therefore in his commandments having virtuously liv’d, freely ye
receiv’d, freely ye bestow, healing the sufferings of our souls and
bodies.
Both now, tone the same.
Attend unto the supplications of thy servants, thou altogether
undefiled one, quelling the uprisings of evils against us, and
releasing us from every affliction; for thee we have alone a sure and
certain confirmation, and we have gain’d thy mediation that we may
not be put to shame, O Queen, who call upon thee. Be instant in
supplication for them that faithfully exclaim to thee, Hail, Queen, thou
aid of all, the joy and safeguard, and salvation of our souls.
Glory. Both now. Lord, have mercy, thrice. Bless.
 And the dismissal.
Christ our true God, through the prayers of his most pure Mother,
through the power of the honourable and life-effecting cross, of the
holy, glorious, and all-praised James, apostle and first highpriest of
Jerusalem, the brother of God, and of all the Saints, save us and
have mercy upon us, as being good and the lover of mankind.
And he that receiveth the prayer oil maketh reverence, saying,
Bless me, holy fathers, and forgive me, a sinner.
Thrice.
And, having received from them blessing and forgiveness, he
departeth, thanking God.