Using the dmesg command
As a SysAdmin I frequently need to access the kernel log to obtain information of various types. This can range from searching for why a...
How to do updates on the command line
Keeping your Linux computer as safe as possible from various types of cyber attacks is only possible if you perform updates regularly and upgrade to...
Using htop to manage your Linux system
I use a lot of tools in my daily SysAdmin role. One of the most important ones in my toolkit is htop. The htop program...
Linux signals — sending system-level commands to programs
A user and SysAdmin guide Let's say you've got a program running that you want to terminate. Or that you want to power off or...
How I find and kill rogue programs
As useful and important as Firefox is to my ability to interact with the outside world, create on this website, manage my money, and much...
Managing processes with kill and killall
Process management can be an important part of system maintenance.
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...