Advice for everyday Unix systems administration and some clever ways to approach more challenging problems.
The at command makes it easy to schedule Linux tasks to be run at any time or date you choose. Check out what it can do for you.
The cd command is probably one of the first 10 that any Linux user learns, but it's not the only way to navigate the Linux file system.Here are some other ways.
We take a look at ufw - the uncomplicated firewall - on Linux, providing some insights and commands for making changes.
Linux system log files are by default set to rotate. Depending on the age or size, a sequence of files moves back a step, the oldest being removed and a new one taking over as the current log file. When needed, however, you can manually invoke the ....
With proper settings, Linux users can be forced to periodically change their passwords. Here's how to view password aging settings and how to configure some of the settings.
Linux systems offer a number of easy commands for sending messages to other logged in users. In this post, we examine some very handy messaging tools.
The watch and tail commands can help monitor activity on Linux systems. This post looks at some helpful ways to use these commands.
Converting text between uppercase and lowercase can be very tedious, especially when you want to avoid inadvertent misspellings. Fortunately, Linux provides a handful of commands that can make the job very easy.
The find command has a huge array of options to help you locate exactly the files you're looking for on a Linux system. This post explores a series of extremely useful commands.
The dig command is extremely versatile both for retrieving information from domain name servers and for troubleshooting.
The man pages on a Linux system can do more than provide information on particular commands. They can help discover commands you didn't realize were available.
Here are some warm-up exercises for anyone just starting to use the Linux command line. Warning: It can be addictive.
There are several commands for checking up on memory usage in a Linux system, and here are some of the better ones.
Using a set of public/private keys to allow you to log into a remote Linux system or run commands using ssh without a password can be very convenient, but setup is just tad tricky. Here's how and a script to help.
There are times when locking a Linux user account is necessary and times when you need to reverse that action. Here are commands for managing account access and what's behind them.
The Linux seq command can generate lists of numbers and at lightning speed. It's easy to use and flexible, too.
Unix time, also known as 'epoch time,' is the number of seconds that have passed since Jan 1, 1970. As Unix turns 50, let's take a look at what worries kernel developers.
A built-in is a Linux command that's part of whatever shell you're using. Can you tell what commands are built-ins and which are not?
Linux commands run from the nearly obvious to the very complicated, but there are many ways that you can easily remember and use even the most obscure commands.
Need to know how many days there are before some important event? Let bash and the date command help with that!
The Linux date command provides more options for displaying dates and times than you can shake a stick at (without hurting your wrist anyway). Here are some of the more useful choices.
Most of us with Debian-based systems use apt-get routinely to install packages and upgrades, but how often do we pull out the cleaning tools? Let's check out some of the tool's options for cleaning up after itself.
There are many ways to loop through data in a bash script and on the command line. Which way is best depends on what you're trying to do.
Introducing bmon, a monitoring and debugging tool that captures network statistics and makes them easily digestible.
Multitail allows you to watch multiple files as they are being updated -- like a split-window tail -f display. Let's check out how you can use it to monitor system activity and your files.
A look at three Linux commands - ps, pstree and tree - for viewing files and processes in a tree-like format.
The Linux screen command can be a life-saver when you need to ensure long-running tasks don't get killed when an SSH session is interrupted. Here's how to use it.
Linux provides lots of commands for finding, counting, and renaming files. Here's a look at some useful choices.
When carriage returns (also referred to as Ctrl+M's) get on your nerves, don't fret. There are several easy ways to remove them.
What it means to freeze a terminal window and lock a screen -- and how to manage these activities on your Linux system.
Providing an option for multiple GNOME terminals within a single window frame, terminator lets you flexibly align your workspace to suit your needs.
To rename a group of files with a single command, use the rename command. It requires the use of regular expressions and can tell you what changes will be made before making them.
Linux file systems have evolved over the years, and here's a look at file system types
Getting an idea how often your users are logging in and how much time they spend on a Linux server is pretty easy with a couple commands and maybe a script or two.
The pdftk command for Linux systems provides many options for working with PDFs, including merging pages, encrypting files, applying watermarks, compressing files, and even repairing PDFs.
Log files on Linux systems contain a LOT of information — more than you'll ever have time to view. Here are some tips on how you can make use of it without ... drowning in it.
Linux built-ins are commands that are part of a user’s shell. Sandra Henry-Stocker explains how to recognize them and get help on their use.
Managing user groups on Linux systems is easy, but the commands can be more flexible than you might be aware.
Library injections are less common on Linux than they are on Windows, but they're still a problem. Here's a look at how they work and how to identify them.
There's been a small but significant change in how Linux systems work with respect to runtime data. Here's an overview of the change to /run.
Linux offers several commands that allow you to send email from the command line. Here's look at some that offer interesting options.
Whether you're struggling with one elusive word or checking a report before you send it off to your boss, Linux can help with your spelling.
Sometimes you see more than just the ordinary r, w, x and - designations when looking at file permissions on Linux. How can you get a clearer view of what the uncommon charactrers are trying to tell you and how do these permissions work?
Memory management on Linux systems is complicated. Seeing high usage doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem. There are other things you should also consider.
The lsmod command can tell you which kernel modules are currently loaded on your system, along with some interesting details about their use.
Copies of files sometimes represent a big waste of disk space and can cause confusion if you want to make updates. Here are six Linux commands to help you identify these files.
Some files on a Linux system can appear in more than one location. Follow these instructions to find and identify these "identical twins" and learn why hard links can be so advantageous.
Variables often look like $var, but they also look like $1, $*, $? and $$. Let's take a look at what all these $ values can tell you.
Linux user environments simplify your use of the system in many ways. Viewing your settings and modifying them can be tricky, though. Here’s how to do it.
The lp command on Linux systems provides numerous options for printing, such as multiple pages per sheet and page borders, but also just a few quirks to keep you on your toes.