Linux: The Sustainable Choice for Computing and Environmental Responsibility
Sustainability is an increasingly important problem in computing. Reduce, reuse, and recycle is a famous motto for environmentally responsible consumption, but applying it to computer...
Complete Kickstart: How to Save Time Installing Linux
Author's note: This article first appeared in the June 2008 issue of Linux Magazine but is no longer maintained there. I republish it here with...
Windows security just got worse
Well, it didn't really get any worse, we just found another way in which it's already horrible. Like you, I woke up Friday morning to...
Signal: The Pinnacle of Secure Messaging
In a time of increasing digital privacy threats, Signal has emerged as a hope for those seeking secure and private communication. It has garnered praise...
Visual brand and identity
A user interface has a visual identity. See how simple shapes can represent several common interfaces.
How to do fast, repeatable Linux installations #3 — Ansible
In previous articles about my use of automation in performing post-install tasks for new Linux installations, Those approaches worked well for the times I used them, but as the requirements of my network and the hosts connected to it grew and became more complex, the capabilities of those tools couldn’t keep up.
I needed a new method for doing post-install tasks. I also needed new ways to perform other tasks, too. I started working with Ansible to first familiarize myself with it and then to perform more complex tasks such as Fedora updates and my post-install tasks.
How to create and use Public/Private/KeyPairs with SSH
SSH is an important mechanism for secure connections between Linux hosts. SSH is a software-based virtual private network (VPN) tool that can create a secure connection whenever needed. It can be used to securely login to any remote host so long as you have proper credentials, and it can be used to enhance tools such as tar and other backup programs like rsync so that remote hosts can be easily backed up to a local system. The scp (secure copy) program uses the SSH encrypted tunnel to copy files between a local host and a remote one.
Why I Use Linux
I use Linux for many reasons. These best reasons may help you understand why..
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.
Am I a SysAdmin?
Wikipedia defines a system administrator as “a person who is responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and reliable operation of computer systems, especially multiuser computers, such as servers.” In my experience, this can include computer and network hardware, software, racks and enclosures, computer rooms or space, and much more.
The Linux Truth
Unix was not designed to stop its users from doing stupid things, as that would also stop them from doing clever things. Doug Gwyn This...
My favorite Vim color schemes
Customize Vim to use the color scheme that works best for you.
What is the Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins?
The Unix Philosophy is an important part of what makes Unix unique and powerful. Much has been written about the Unix Philosophy and the Linux philosophy is essentially the same as the Unix philosophy because of its direct line of descent from Unix.
3 steps to identifying Linux system automation candidates
How do you know what to automate first on your network? Here are three steps to put you on the right path. Automating the tasks we perform is one of the most important parts of our jobs as sysadmins.
How to do fast, repeatable Linux installations #2 — Bash scripts + RPM
In Episode 1, How to do fast, repeatable Linux installations #1 -- Bash scripts, I discussed how I used a Bash script after performing a...
Tips for using the ‘ls’ command in Linux
One of the first commands I learned in Linux was ls. Knowing what’s in a directory where a file on your system resides is important....