For many of us, the days following the fresh install of a new Linux distribution are like starting your life over. It’s a time for new beginning – new choices for programs, new configurations, new icons. You have a clean slate, and it’s time to explore the possibilities the unknown distro brings with it. Naturally, [...]

Categories: Linux, Tutorials Basic

As most of you know, Samba allows your Linux machine to work with Windows machines (and vice versa). Without Samba Linux would be locked in an unable to play nicely on heterogeneous networks. So what most Linux users do is install Samba to allow file/folder sharing and network browsing. Typically speaking, Samba is very easy to install [...]

Categories: Linux, Networks, Online Services, Open Source, Security, Tutorials Basic

Most PC users have no idea what a boot loader is. Yet all PCs have them. Most Linux users, by nature, do know what a boot loader is because they have had to deal with them one on one for a long time. Of course times have changed and gone are the days when you [...]

Categories: Advice, Linux, Open Source, Software, Tutorials Advanced, Tutorials Basic

“In the beginning was the command line” is not the just name of a great book by Neil Stephensen (read the text here), but a way of life for many Linux users. The command line is the tool for just about any level user. However, the power user takes the command line to newer and [...]

Categories: Advice, Linux, Open Source, Tutorials Basic

On my phone (Android based) I use Google maps like crazy (I’d get lost in my own house I’m convinced). It keeps me from getting lost and misdirected. When at home, however, I like to refer to Google Earth to aid me in my quest to know my surroundings a bit better. Now, Google Earth [...]

Categories: Google, Linux, Online Services, Software, Tutorials Basic

I had been hoping to accomplish this for some time now. At work we work under a Windows domain and I have a Ubuntu test machine that I have been hoping to join to that domain. Finally, thanks to Likewise-Open5, it happened. And, believe it or not, it’s not all that difficult. Oh sure you [...]

Categories: Linux, Networks, Open Source, Security, Software, Tutorials Advanced

If you’ve worked with a Linux long enough, you will have come in contact with the sudo utility. What is sudo? Sudo has been brilliantly described by the XKCD comic here. What sudo does is allow a user to run commands and applications with the security privileges of another user. Most often this is used [...]

Categories: Advice, Linux, Open Source, Security

If you’re new to Linux chances are you know about Ubuntu. Ubuntu has done a great job making a distribution of Linux new-user friendly. One of the ways they have done this is by making the root user (the super user) somewhat transparent. The user can not log in as the root user in a [...]

Categories: Advice, Linux, Open Source, Security, Tutorials Basic

So you’ve just installed Ubuntu and you’re ready to tackle all those great administrative tasks you’ve heard about with Linux. You’ve even been briefly tempted to try the old rm -rf / command just to see if it’s really true that it will wipe away your entire computer as you watch it happen. Only problem [...]

Categories: Advice, Linux, Open Source, Security, Software, Tutorials Basic