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.
The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, Tenet 06 — Be the Lazy SysAdmin
I am a lazy SysAdmin. I am also a very productive SysAdmin. Those two seemingly contradictory statements are not mutually exclusive, rather they are complementary in a very positive way. This article is about working hard at the right tasks to optimize our own efficiency. It’s about finding a few of the myriad ways to use the short cuts already built into Linux.
Top Five reasons I use Dolphin as my file manager
Linux has many file managers, and all of us have our favorites. I’m currently using Dolphin. Find out why.
Top Five reasons to use KDE Plasma desktop
As many of my readers know, I have had problems with KDE Plasma in the past. I won’t bore you with a rehash of those problems, but for many years I used KDE and was very happy with it. While it was having problems I tried several other desktops but finally switched to Xfce.
KDE Plasma 6.1 is included with Fedora 40 and I always try new major releases of KDE Plasma and other desktops. I did this time, too and I’m very happy to report that all the problems I’ve experienced in the past have been completely resolved.
Top Five things you can do with nano
In the early stages of my experience with Linux servers, I had to learn how to edit text files using the command line. While there are other powerful text editors in Linux, such as vi and vim, I found Nano to be particularly useful.
The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, Tenet 05 — Embrace the CLI
Author's note: This article is excerpted in part from chapter 6 of my book, The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, with some changes. The Force is...
Check spelling at the command line
Check spelling at the command line like old-school Unix with this cool script.
Getting a hand from Handbrake
I have dozens of VHS tapes recorded, in some cases nearly 30 years ago, of our children when they were young. About ten years ago, I used a Linux computer and dvgrab to capture the video using a Firewire port on the computer and an aging digital video camera.
My usual file transfer method, QRCP, has been reliable for moving files between my Linux desktop and iOS devices. Disappointment with that method led me to consider using Handbrake as a potential solution.
Balancing Performance, Compliance, and Cost with Linux and Open-Source Solutions
My recent task involved assisting a healthcare professional in upgrading their computer system. The goal was to provide a more robust solution that offers redundant...
Happy Birthday to the IBM PC
The IBM PC turned 43 on the 12th of August and I, for one, have fond and interesting memories of its birth. I’m a bit behind the curve on writing this article, but better late than never. You can read the public history and the original specifications on Wikipedia, but this is my story — at least part of it.
Guess the number in FORTRAN 77
Explore classic programming in FORTRAN 77 with this sample program.
Count magic bunnies in LibreOffice Calc
Use this tutorial to learn about AutoFill in LibreOffice Calc.
When STEM becomes STEAM
For the last two years I've been invited to staff a table at a local STEM Saturday event for school kids, and to present at...
Contributing to open source
I started using Linux and open-source software in the late 1990s, and the more familiar I became with it, the more uses I saw for...
System76’s Cosmic Desktop: A New Era in Linux UX
Last week, System76 unveiled COSMIC, a groundbreaking desktop for Linux computers. This isn't an iteration of Gnome, Cinnamon, XFCE, or KDE. It's a paradigm shift...