If you’re looking for a tool for really simple and quick backups Flyback might just be the tool for you. Compared to Apples Time Machine (on the web site at least), Flyback allows you to create specific backs that can be run manually or automagically with a very simple GUI and not much time or [...]

Tags: automatic backup, backup, desktop backup, scheduled backups
Categories: Linux, Open Source, Tutorials Basic, software

The Linux operating system has a really nice tool for testing and optimizing your hard drive. This tool is called hdparm and can work with both IDE and ATA drives. NOTE: hdparm does NOT work with SATA drives. The hdparm tool is a command line only tool, and even though it should be only used [...]

Tags: ATA drives, drive throughput, IDE drives
Categories: Advice, Hardware, Linux, Open Source, Tutorials Advanced

Of all the Linux distributions, the consensus is beginning to become clear that Ubuntu is, hands down, the most user friendly of the Linux distributions. Naturally there are people that claim other distributions like PCLinuxOS, and Linux Mint are even more user-friendly than Ubuntu. But what exactly makes a Linux distribution user-friendly?
I have been using Linux [...]

Tags: desktop, end user, Linux, ubuntu, user friendly
Categories: Desktop Manager, Linux, Open Source, Operating Systems, ask the readers

Recently I previewed the up and coming release of Ubuntu, Karmic Koala (”Ubuntu Karmic Koala Preview“.) In that article I covered some of the new features in the upcoming release. Once of those features is the new Ubuntu One. Ubuntu One is much like the familar DropBox that people of nearly all platforms enjoy. Ubuntu [...]

Tags: dropbox, file syncing, ubuntu, Ubuntu One
Categories: Desktop Manager, Linux, Networks, Online Services, Open Source, Tutorials Basic, software

If you’ve been following the Ubuntu release cycle you know that the .10 release is forth coming. Slated to hit the bandwidth October 29th, 2009, 9.10 promises to have quite a number of new features that should please even the most discerning of Linux users.
But what can you expect and how should it run? In [...]

Tags: Karmic Koala, ubuntu, Ubuntu One, Updating Ubuntu
Categories: Advice, Desktop Manager, Linux, Open Source, Operating Systems, Spyware

Security. Ah, security. It’s the make or break for administrators on so many levels. For the Linux operating system you could go in so many directions with your security. You could go the graphical front-end and make life easy but lose some flexibility. Or you could go the far more challenging route and use the [...]

Tags: firewall, iptables, ubuntu server
Categories: Linux, Networks, Open Source, Security, Server, Tutorials Basic

Let’s face it, sometimes it’s just too hard to get work done with so many distractions coming at you on your computer. Email, youtube, facebook, shopping – it all adds up to one huge time suck and threaten to perpetually keep you from your work.  There are times when I need to concentrate on work [...]

Tags: console, text editor, text processing, writing
Categories: Advice, Desktop Manager, Linux, Open Source, Security, Tutorials Basic