| Inside the Kernel by Emmett Dulaney |
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11/2/10 -- Working with RSS Feeds
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS is a format for syndicating -- gathering and making available -- the content of Web sites, primarily news-oriented sites and blogs. |
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9/22/10 -- Linux Graphics and Imaging Apps
You can use graphics and imaging applications with Linux to work with images and graphics (line drawings and shapes). This month, we will take a look at two. |
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8/24/10 -- Linux GUI File Manager
Both GNOME and KDE desktops come with GUI file managers that enable you to easily browse the file system and perform tasks such as copying or moving files. |
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7/14/10 -- Going Wireless, Part Two
In part one, we looked at the encryption technology used with wireless networking. In this part, we'll look at the actual configuration on the Linux machine. |
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6/29/10 -- Going Wireless, Part One
In the first part of this series on going wireless, we'll look at the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) standard to lay some groundwork before tacking the implementation in part two. |
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5/7/10 -- Working with Debian Packages
As discussed last month, most software packages for Linux are distributed in one of two special file formats: Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) files or Debian (DEB) files. While the previous month focused on working with RPM files, this one spotlights the format and tools used with DEB files. |
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3/11/10 -- A System Monitoring Tool Primer
Here are a handful of helpful utilities for viewing and analyzing performance information for your Linux system. |
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2/17/10 -- A Bash Primer
There's so much power and possibility within the Linux shell that to steer clear of it is to overlook a mighty gem. |
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1/11/10 -- Establishing a Security Framework
An effective security policy should strike a balance between users' needs and the need to protect the system. |
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12/15/09 -- Changing the Root Password
The unthinkable has happened: You can't obtain root access on one of your Linux servers! Keep calm, because this problem can be solved fairly easily by following a few steps. |
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11/19/09 -- A Linux Security Primer
Need to make sense of all that security jargon? Here's a cheat sheet. |
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10/27/09 -- Encrypting with GNU Privacy Guard
While the best way to learn how to use GPG is to actually use it, Emmett shows you a how to perform a few typical tasks. |
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9/28/09 -- Linux and the Licensing Two-Step
When it comes to writing Linux applications, there are two licenses you need to be aware of: the GPL and the LGPL. |
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8/31/09 -- Secrets the Shadow Knows
The /etc/shadow file, which stores users' authentification information, is a holy grail for hackers and a massive security liability for administrators. |
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7/29/09 -- Get Your System 'Proc'-nosis
The /proc filesystem can give you valuable insight into your Linux system. The trick, as Emmett shows, is knowing exactly what you're looking at. |
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6/30/09 -- Linux House-Cleaning
Here are some Linux-related tidbits from the "In Case You Missed It" department, including Ubuntu's continued awesomeness and Linux's netbook and desktop woes. |
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5/19/09 -- Before You Take Out the Trash
Don't toss out your old Linux machine without first clearing it out. Here are the steps to follow to make sure your data doesn't fall into the wrong hands. |
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4/27/09 -- Linux Certification Snapshot
Emmett rounds up the usual suspects, from CompTIA to Novell, to examine the recent changes in some of the most popular Linux certifications. |
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3/17/09 -- NFS Examined
Emmett walks you through exporting then mounting a file system using the latest version of the Network File System. |
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2/18/09 -- Exploring Ubuntu 9.04
"Jaunty Jackalope" has plenty of things going for it, but foremost is the added support for the ext4 filesystem. |
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1/15/09 -- Using Obscure Command Line Utilities
Emmett solves a child's homework assignment the best way he knows how -- by using a couple of Unix/Linux utilities that rarely see the light of day. |
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10/15/08 -- Linux for the Holidays
If all you wanted for Christmas was a new Linux release, then you're in luck -- three major distributions are scheduled for updates near the end of the year. Here's a rundown of what to expect from each one. |
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9/15/08 -- Working with LiveUSB
Once a live CD loyalist, Emmett is now a bootable USB believer. Here are the steps to try it out for yourself. |
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6/6/08 -- Pondering Ubuntu 8.04
Did the few minor tweaks included in the latest version of Ubuntu actually warrant a new release? Emmett's not so sure. |
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3/26/08 -- Sendmail Simplified
Take better advantage of of your Linux system's mail server capabilities by brushing up on sendmail. |
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2/20/08 -- 5 Steps to a Quick Security Check
Emmett walks you through the process of performing a security audit, using Fedora as an example. |
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1/11/08 -- My Favorite Linux Tool
Emmett gets a belated Christmas gift in the form of news-feed reader Akregator. |
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12/15/07 -- Networking Software Tools and Sites
Got a Linux networking dilemma? Here are some go-to resources -- both online and off -- that can help you locate and diagnose the problem. |
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11/15/07 -- Trends in New Releases
It's a busy time of the year for Linux distributions. Emmett gives you a preview of what changes to expect. |
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10/15/07 -- Fun With 'sed' and 'awk'
Last week, Emmett walked you through stream editing using "sed." This time, "awk" gets a little more face time in a scripting exercise using ISBN numbers. |
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9/15/07 -- Setting the Stage with Stream Editing
Emmett walks you through an exercise using the "sed" tool. |
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8/15/07 -- Linux Miscellany
A grab-bag of pet peeves, praise and more. |
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7/15/07 -- De Facto Linux Winners
And then, there was Red Hat. Emmett looks at what has contributed to Red Hat's rise as the de facto Linux server standard. |
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6/18/07 -- Moodle: Open Source Done Right
Once in a while, you may stumble across a tool that makes you say "Aha!" Here's one. |
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4/15/07 -- Should Red Hat Start Selling Oracle Support?
Emmett thinks there's a hole in the support-services market -- and only a third party can properly fill it. |
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3/14/07 -- Working with Ulimit
Use this command to help control individual users -- or an entire network. |
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1/17/07 -- The Mind of Innovation
If Linux really wants to grow, it needs to move beyond imitation. |
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12/13/06 -- Mainstreaming Linux?
Emmett wonders what the Novell-Microsoft deal really gets for Novell, and what might be left for the company if this fails. |
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10/15/06 -- 'Try Before You Buy' Sets Linux Apart...But Is That a Good Thing?
What was once a necessary marketing move to encourage the growth of Linux may now be the thing that holds it back. |
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9/6/06 -- Filling Up the 2006 Bookshelf
Looking for a few good IT books covering Linux, Unix, security and more? Emmett shares the ones he picked up in 2006. |
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7/17/06 -- What the Linux World REALLY Needs...
Emmett looks at the excuses for Linux's lack of widespread adoption, shares his take and invites you to post your own. |
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5/10/06 -- Novell’s "Newest" Linux Desktop Move
The company's lack of a coherent Linux strategy is hurting its products -- and the community. |
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3/8/06 -- Ubuntu: Getting Back to Linux Basics
Despite some difficulties with the root account, Emmett finds the simplicity and true openness of this Linux distro very appealing. |
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1/4/06 -- A Look at SUSE Linux 10
Novell's latest rev packs a bevy of new features like VoIP and enhanced security for the Linux desktop. |
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11/30/05 -- Linux Remote Administration Simplified
Remote Linux administration is easier than ever before! Emmett walks you through the set-up process using SuSE as an example. |
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10/12/05 -- Living on *Nix Time
Simplify admininstration of your Linux or Unix system by scheduling automated tasks. |
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6/29/05 -- Working with YaST
Configure a range of system admin settings with this handy tool for Novell Linux. |
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3/16/05 -- Is the World Ready for OES?
Novell's latest software is a novel combination of OS and NOS. |
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1/19/05 -- Does SuSE Stand a Chance?
After much consideration, Emmett gives Novell's acquisition of SuSE Linux his thumbs up. Here's why. |
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11/10/04 -- 'Nix Password Administration 101
Your guide to understanding everything from basic files and user accounts to more advanced tasks to changing a lost root password. |
| Notes from Underground by James Ervin |
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1/20/04 -- Secure Shell Tips and Tricks
James shows you how you can take OpenSSH beyond the standard telnet-style uses to perform common administration tasks and more. |
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12/9/03 -- *Nix: The Year In Review
James shares his take on the events in the Linux and Unix world over the past year, plus some speculation on future. |
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9/24/03 -- Introductory Database Access with PHP
This tutorial walks you through using PHP with the various vendor extensions of SQL, including Microsoft SQL Server 2000. |
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7/16/03 -- DNS Caching for Fun and Profit
James walks you through configuring a caching-only BIND nameserver. |
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4/2/03 -- Endmail Part I: The War on Spam
James offers this overview of the methods for fighting Spam before diving into tools for Linux administrators. |
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2/26/03 -- An Introduction to the BSDs
BSD operating systems have a part in the open source community. This overview offers a history, comparison of major offerings, and what role BSDs can play despite the proliferation of Linux. |
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1/15/03 -- Closing Up Open Source
Decades-old copyright and patent law and current, pending court battles could push open source development to its knees. |
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11/6/02 -- Storage Consolidation and Virtualization, Part 3: Inside the Server
In this final installment of a three-part series, James explains SATA vs. PATA, how Infiniband and PCI-X will impact the future of storage, and why, sometimes, confusion is good. |
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9/4/02 -- Storage Consolidation and Virtualization, Part 2: Storage Horizons
This article, the second on a series on storage, looks at the new Internet protocols -- FCIP, iFCP, and iSCSI.
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7/10/02 -- Storage Consolidation and Virtualization: Part 1
First in a series of columns where James looks at storage issues for Linux/Unix admins. |
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6/12/02 -- Monitoring Network Integrity with Nmap
Is your network vulnerable? Can't afford NIDS? Level the playing field with this open-source tool. |
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4/17/02 -- Understanding Apache 2.0
Apache's first major update in five years says no to bloatware, yes to flexibility and increased scalability. |
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3/6/02 -- Log Analysis 101
The what, where, why and how of setting up logs on your Unix system. |
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1/23/02 -- Fast, Cheap and Partially Effective: Do-It-Yourself Open-Source Tools for System Management
Got more machines to manage but less money to spend on a wholesale management solution? Our Unix guru James Ervin offers this guide to creating your own. |
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1/1/02 -- Unto the Breach: Unix for NT Admins, Part IV
In the final installment of this series, James explains shells and the user environment. |
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11/6/01 -- Unix for NT Admins, Part III: Users and Groups
Using Unix's /etc/passwd and /etc/group files to set up groups and permissions. |
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9/18/01 -- Unix for NT Admins, Part II: The Unix Filesystem and Security Model
Last time, James looked at the philosophies behind the two OSes. Here, he gets into the nitty-gritty with Unix directories, file types and permissions. |
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8/14/01 -- Unto the Breach: Unix for NT Admins, Part I
In this, the first in a series of columns, James looks at the philosophy behind the two OSes, how to access UNIX documentation and NT practices that can be deadly for a UNIX system. |
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7/10/01 -- The Elements of Performance
Tuning your Linux/Unix system with style. |
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5/29/01 -- Computer Security: a Digital Grail Quest
Why are operating systems growing less secure, and why aren't vendors doing more to help? |
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4/23/01 -- The Public Sphere and Peer-to-Peer
When you hear the term P2P, do you think Napster? Freenet? Annoying buzzword? Maybe a common definition would help -- if only everyone could agree on one. |
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3/9/01 -- Understanding, Evaluating and Integrating Directory Services
DNS, LDAP, X.500, directory-enabled applications, DEN, data stores, DSML and more... |
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1/22/01 -- Religious Conversion
How to make Windows a bit more friendly for Unix admins. |
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11/29/00 -- OpenAFS
Network file systems, righteous indignation and you. |
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10/1/00 -- Unclean!
The dawning of a new age in Linux journaling filesystems. |
