I found a new way to stress-test my Linux hosts
I just discovered an important little program that allows me to stress-test my Linux hosts. Its name is -- stress -- of course. Stress has...
The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, Tenet 09 — Test Early, Test Often
You know it’s as easy to forget to write about testing the programs I write as it is to overlook testing the programs themselves. Why is that?
I wish I had a definitive answer. In some ways it is like documentation. Once the program seems to work we just want to get on with doing whatever task caused us to write the program in the first place.
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...
Unlocking the secrets of the /proc filesystem
In a previous article, 4 open source tools for Linux system monitoring, I looked at tools like top, htop, and others, that allow SysAdmins to...
My oldest computer is 19 years old; Linux keeps it going
Longevity – an interesting word. I use it here to help clarify some of the statements that I hear many people make. These statements are usually along the lines of “Linux can extend the life of existing hardware,” or “Keep old hardware out of landfills or uncertified recycling facilities.” So let me introduce you to my oldest computer.
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.
Do I really need to know how to compile the Linux kernel?
Most lists of things we do to learn Linux ignore the bits you don’t really need to do. Here is one I can suggest you...
5 Linux commands you should never run (and why)
Sometimes we run into articles on other sites that we wish we'd written. This one on ZDNET is an excellent example. There are some commands...
A little Vim trick I learned today
I learned a neat new trick today that greatly improves my work with Vim when I'm editing code. I like to copy and paste snippets...
Book Errata
There's a bit of clarification needed in Volume 1, Chapter 4, Preparation, of my book series, Using and Administering Linux – Zero to SysAdmin: 2nd...
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...
The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, Tenet 08 — Always use shell scripts
Author’s note: This article is excerpted in part from chapter 9 of my book, The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, with some changes to update the...
The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, Tenet 07 — Automate Everything
SysAdmins are most productive when creating the shell programs that automate the solutions that they have conceived while appearing to be unproductive. The more automation we have in place the more time we have available to fix real problems when they occur and to contemplate how to automate even more than we already have.
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...
Heading to the Beach
Tomorrow, Saturday as I write this, we’ll be heading to Atlantic Beach, our current favorite. By then time you read it, we’ll be there enjoying the amazing views including the one in the picture above. We do this every year.
To make my computing life as seamless as possible, I take my laptop. I always sync my home directory from my primary workstation to my laptop, named Voyager3 or vgr3 for short.