If you frequently setup new VPSes or re-initialize them, you may find yourself typing the same commands over and over. There are various technologies to alleviate these hassles and get your environment consistently setup every time without all the manual work. Big Boy Solutions If you’re managing many systems, you may wish to invest in […]
LowEndSetup: Initializing and Reinitializing Your VPS
ansible, cloud-init, linux, sysadmin, system administration 
October 14, 2021 @ 12:00 am, by raindog308Instant Reactions to Filesystem Events with inotify
The ability to run programs automatically is one of the great liberating powers of computers. In Unix, it’s common for users to schedule jobs using cron or at (or with systemd, timers). But what if you want to run a job not based on a schedule but rather in response to an event? Imagine you […]
Guide to Understanding File Permissions in Linux
file permissions, linux, linux file permissions, Security, sysadmin, system administation, tutorial May 16, 2021 @ 7:16 am, by raindog308Since very early in its history, Unix systems have supported file and directory permissions. This security mechanism allow users to make their files private from other users, and for administrators to protect system configuration information from unauthorized changes. In this tutorial we’ll go over the basics of Unix file permissions. Users and Groups All files […]
How to Find Files in Linux
debian, files, filesystem, find, linux, sysadmin, tutorial, utilities, utility May 15, 2021 @ 7:09 am, by raindog308There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing that a file exists on your system but not knowing where it is. It’s like losing your car keys or misplacing your phone. Sometimes you’ll have contextual clues – for example, system configuration files are usually in /etc. But even there, you’ve got 253 directories and subdirectories and over […]
Resetting that Linux Root Password You Forgot
emergency, linux, linux password reset, password, rescue, sysadmin, tutorial December 5, 2020 @ 12:00 am, by raindog308You had to type it twice. You were supposed to put it in your password safe. You were going to setup sudo but didn’t get a chance. You know it’s something to do with a Scooby Doo cartoon and that one blues band you like but now you just can’t remember your Linux root password. […]
Top Ten Things That Should Be In Your Dot Files
bash, freebsd, linux, openbsd, sysadmin, systems, tutorial, Unix October 13, 2020 @ 6:49 am, by raindog308“Dot files” are Unix configuration files that live in your home directory. They’re often used to store user-specific choices and preferences. For example: .bash_profile is executed whenever you login via ssh (or any other method). It is typically used to control your Unix shell experience. .vimrc contains customizations for the Vim editor, while .emacs contains […]
