Another reason I like Linux
I like and prefer Linux for may reasons. Today provides one example. I like to install updates on all my Linux systems ( I don't...
sync — The command you never heard of
Have you ever heard of the sync command? Have you heard of it but then forgotten all about it -- like me? The sync command...
Essential steps for creating a USB boot drive for Linux
I usually keep a bootable Linux USB drive with me because I never know when I will need to use one to rescue a crashed...
How I reverted from firewalld to iptables — and why
First, let's get something straight. Linux has only one firewall. One. Netfilter is a part of the Linux kernel and it implements the logic contained...
What does it mean to be a SysAdmin?
A lot of us call ourselves SysAdmins (aka System Administrators1) and, sometimes, that's what our job title might be. You might not even realize that...
Fastfetch: system information tool
Recently, I wrote about Neofetch, which is a tool that I have used in the past on Linux systems I owned. It was an easy way to...
How to share your system configuration visually
Many individuals find it beneficial to disseminate their tailored Linux setup. This could be out of a desire for troubleshooting assistance, or because they wish...
What are load averages — and what do they mean?
Most system monitoring tools like top, htop, atop, glances, and others display individual processes and information about them. These tools also display three numbers called,...
The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, Tenet 11 — Store data in open formats
Image by Opensource.com: CC-by-SA 4.0 Author’s note: This article is excerpted in part from chapter 13 of my book, The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, with...
Perfctl malware infects thousands of Linux hosts since 2021
ArsTechnica has an article about the thousands of Linux systems infected by this well-designed malware that's been dubbed Perfectl. The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2023-33246, is...
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...
Secure electronic document disposal with Linux
We can't be too careful about ensuring that our personal data is safe, both paper documents and electronic ones. I'm sure I don't need to...
How to access Rescue mode (runlevel 1) in Linux
I frequently find need to perform maintenance on the filesystem of one of my dozen or so physical computers. Many maintenance tasks require the system to be running the Rescue.target, formerly, runlevel 1. There are two methods you can use to enter Rescue mode.
How to remove existing traditional swap partitions
Swap space is a common and important aspect of computing today regardless of operating system. Linux uses swap space to substitute for RAM when it becomes too full to effectively support additional programs or data. It is a way to temporarily enable the system to keep running albeit at the cost of reduced performance. However the use of zram for swap space has provided an interesting, if counter-intuitive, method for providing a reasonable amount of swap space while significantly improving swap performance.
Getting started on the command line
As a SysAdmin, the Linux command line is typically my happy place. The command line interface, the CLI, is the closest I can get to the raw power of my computers. It gives me access to tools that make my work easy, fast, and even fun. I use the command line so much that I sometimes forget how much power I have to manage my computers.
I also forget that it took me a long time to really understand the terminology that applies to the various tools that I use to access that command line. This article is about those tools and the sometimes confusing terminology necessary to function on the CLI.
Automate Raspberry Pi tasks with crontab
If you need to do a task on a regular schedule, explore how you can use crontab to do the repetitive work for you.
