VirtualBox failures
I just tried to update VirtualBox and encountered some strange problems. It started when a student of mine tried to update their Fedora 40 host...
How I create Linux device files — and why
First, what the heck is a Linux device file -- and why should I care? Linux handles almost everything as a file. This has some...
How to untangle the systemd-resolved DNS mess
The change from the venerable nsswitch and NetworkManager to systemd-resolved has damaged and slowed name services. The result of this resolver change was apparent in a number of symptoms. Inability to find the addresses of most remote servers resulting in timeouts was the most noticeable. When the connections were made, They were very slow to respond. I didn’t really understand how much slower until after I fixed the problem.
Beachy thoughts: Many ways to solve a problem
I'm always thinking about solving problems and the beach doesn't change that. It's kind of the way my mind works. It's also the way life...
The Art of Problem Solving
Image by: Opensource.com Although it would be nice to believe that cars, home theater systems, computers, and Linux never break, the reality is that they...
Problem solving strategies for SysAdmins
Solving complex problems is not a straightforward proposition.
I’ve participated in plenty of technical interviews with people who had passed many certification tests and who had fine resumes. I also participated in many interviews in which we were looking for Linux skills, but very few of those applicants had certifications. Very few of the Linux applicants were yet certified.
Few of the Windows certificate owners could reason their way through the scenarios we presented while a very large percentage of the Linux applicants were able to do so.
How I fixed Random Reboots on One of My Laptops
I have three laptops that I've purchased from System76 out of Denver Colorado. They design and build exceptional laptops and install Pop!_OS, their own mix...
Use ‘grep’ to solve a 2-dimensional word puzzle
Regular expressions match patterns and help you solve problems.
A little programming goes a long way
It helps to know some programming to solve these little problems.
System statistics with sar and the /proc filesystem
SAR, the System Activity Reporter, is my starting place for accessing historical performance data to solve problems.
SysAdmin careers: Curiosity is an asset
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it helps the sysadmin grow and thrive.
How curiosity helped me solve a hardware problem
Curiosity fuels the quest for knowledge and truth, whether it's about hardware, open source software, programming, building a PC, optimizing settings, or just learning a...
When Does a Power Cord Fail?
When it's junk. I have a self-imposed limit of 12 working computers in my house. Said limit being strongly suggested by my sweetie. It's really...
Strange Windows Failure Explained
Back in August I wrote a post about helping a friend who had a problem with her laptop. I had determined that a strange but...
Saving Another Computer with Linux: Updated
Last week a friend from church asked me if I could help her with an Acer Aspire 5 (A515-56 ) laptop which was causing problems....
Fedora 33 name resolution fails
I just installed Fedora 33 today, the first day it became available. One of the major changes, a switch from the ancient nss resolver to...