The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, Tenet 21—There is no should
Author’s note: This article is excerpted in part from chapter 23 of my book, The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, with significant changes to update the...
New Linux vulnerabilities allow access to critical data
Two new vulnerabilities in the core dump handlers for Ubuntu, RHEL, and Fedora, allow access to critical data according to The Hacker News. The problem...
I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that
When HAL 9000 went off the rails in the Stanley Kubrick film, 2001, A Space Odyssey, the surviving protagonist was forced to lobotomize the rogue...
Movie made with open source software makes history
Screenshot from the IMDb database. The Latvian movie, Flow (2024), has made history for more than one reason. Wikipedia describes Flow as "... a 2024...
Linux and Security
Image via Creative Commons, modified by Both.org Security is a critically important part of using and administering computers in our ultra-connected world. With Linux running...
5 Unix books you must read
-- That also apply to Linux as well as all operating systems. I am always learning new things. There are always new things to learn...
Redirectors — More than you think
If you use the command line at all, you're probably familiar with the basic concept of redirection using Standard IO (STDIO). One common usage is...
An interview with Jim Hall about FreeDOS
The past, present, and future of the FreeDOS Project, an open source version of DOS.
AI Malware strikes curl developers
Image by: securitybydefault.com, Creative Commons The scourge of misused AI1 (so-called) is attacking the developers of the Linux curl project in a new and so...
The case of the Borked HDD
It all started this morning when I went to start my regular Saturday yoga session. I have a room at home that has all my...
The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, Tenet 20—Follow your curiosity
I love to learn new things. I was fortunate in that my curiosity led me to a lifetime of working with my favorite toys – computers. There are many things on Earth and in this Universe to be curious about. Computers and related technology just seem to be the thing I enjoy the most.
How to get started with Linux
Many of the messages I see in the #Linux feeds on BlueSky and mastodon are Windows users lamenting the end of Support for Windows 10. Many are unable to upgrade to Win11 because their hardware won’t support it. Others are fed up with Windows in general and their efforts to force user to upgrade with suggestions like donating their old computers to purchase a new Win11 one.
How to find Open Source Software to replace your Windows software
Author's note: This article is based on Chapter 6 of my book, "Linux for Small Business Owners," with my coauthor and yoga teacher Cyndi Bulka....
Beware Fedora updates of April 28, 2025
It breaks iptables with no warning I'm rather angry right now but I promise to remain calm -- at least in this post. I just...
The duf command
The duf command is an advanced form of the df command that uses boxes to separate the storage device types into local, fuse (User space file storage), and special devices.
Five things I like about the Cinnamon desktop
I’m not a distro-hopper; I’m a desktop-hopper. But I try many different desktops just to see what they’re like. Cinnamon boasts features usually found only in desktops with much greater resource consumption, like GNOME or KDE Plasma 6.X.