If you are an Apache user for the hosting of either internal or external web sites then you know how flexible this web server can be. But did you know you can […]
NTP is the Network Time Protocol. This protocol allows servers (or desktops) to communicate to very reliable sources to keep their time synchronized. There are two reasons why you would want to […]
There are many naysayers out there who say Linux is not ready for the main stream desktop. For those naysayers I offer up for review one of the many applications that proves […]
If you administer a Linux system or you need to troubleshoot an issue, you know that the Linux /var/log directory can quickly overwhelm you. Where do you look and what are you […]
Those of you who are thinking of giving Linux a try, but are worried that you won't know how to do simple tasks such as controlling network devices, can let out a […]
If you've ever had to create labels for mailings or any other reason you know how complicated labels can be (when using either a word processor or desktop publishing application). If you […]
If you are new to Linux you might be wondering how you can find out how much free memory your system has or how your memory is being used. For this there […]
I have a young step daughter at home and I know that curiosity can get the best of a young teen. I had been looking for an easy solution to deal with […]
If you use a Debian-based Linux distribution then you probably use Synaptic. And if you use Synaptic enough you may have come across an application that it can not find. When you […]
If you use Firefox you probably have had to enter the address about:plugins to see if the plugin you just installed actually did install. But did you know there is another "about" […]
I grew up with old-school email tools in Linux. The primary tool I used was Pine. Pine was simple, elegant, reliable, and insanely fast and lightweight. Of course Pine was a text-based […]
As far as PC desktops are concerned the Linux operating system runs the gamut of look and feel. But like most user-space applications, there are certain elements of the desktop that users […]
If you have used Linux at all you have seen what is called the Pager. Many new users have no idea what this is and many experienced users don't necessarily know how […]
It may sound like we've stepped back to Computers 101, but copy and pasting in Linux can sometimes be a bit different than it is in either Windows or Mac. The good […]
Sometimes email contains sensitive data which must be encrypted. You can handle this two ways, manually encrypt the data or use an exceptional Thunderbird Extension called Enigmail. This extension uses gpg and […]
There are a number of reasons you would need to an archive. You might need to create backup archives of files, or you might want to be able to store project files […]
I administer a LOT of Linux systems. Most of those systems information are in a file I keep that tells me what their passwords are. I normally either do not forget a […]
Previously I wrote about using GUI tools for Linux process management (Get To Know Linux: Process Management.) Both the GNOME and the KDE tools are outstanding, user-friendly solutions to an issue that […]
If you use Windows than the three-finger salute Ctrl-Alt-Delete means quite a bit to you. You use it and, in some instances, you use it frequently. But if you are new to […]
Recently I installed the amazing desktop Elive Compiz. After getting it up and running I decided I needed to get some screencasts of the desktop in order to show off what it […]
If you've been reading me long enough you know I am a fan of Enlightenment. I've always loved the melding of a clean desktop and all of the eye candy you could […]
Normally you will hear me professing to always install using your Linux distributions' package management system. This is true for most cases. There is one case, however, that defies that philosophy: Installing […]
I have mentioned, many times, various Live CDs to use for giving Linux a try or installing Linux. I have had some feedback asking to explain just what a Live CD is. […]
If you spend enough time with Linux at some point you are going to want (or need) to log on to a remote machine. And logging on to a remote machine is […]
If you are serious about learning Linux then one aspect you will want to familiarize yourself with is log files. This concept will help you to understand why when you go to […]
I back up a lot. I have scripts that do automated backups and I often backup to CD. But there are times when I want to be able to do a quick […]
If you use Linux you most likely use Firefox. And if you use Firefox on Linux you might know there are some differences than when using it on Windows. I know I […]
Being able to search for files is a fairly important aspect of using a computer. Naturally there are a number of ways to accomplish this task. You can use a powerful tool […]
Professional PDF documents can make or break a marketing campaign, or advertising promotion, or even seal the deal with a client. For most people this job is done with either QuarkXPress or […]
If you work in a business environment then you know the value of the office application. And if you have ever thought about using Linux in your office you know there are […]
Drupal is one of the most popular of all the Content Management Systems (CMS). Drupal can power: Community portals, discussion forums, corporate sites, personal sites, blogs, e-commerce, and more. Drupal is open […]
For many users, Outlook is the de facto standard email client...if you're on Windows. And why not? It's an all-in-one groupware suite that can manage your email, your calendar, your tasks, your […]
Next to the xorg.conf file (read my Get To Know Linux: Understanding xorg.conf for more) the smb.conf file might be the most misunderstood of all files. Part of the reason for this […]
If you use Linux for any amount of time, then most likely you have experienced the command line. And if you use the GNOME desktop environment then you know gnome-terminal. As far […]
For most Linux users the xorg.conf file is one of those files that makes many Linux users cringe with fear upon the threat of having to configure. There is a reason for […]
If you are new to Linux than most likely you are going to have to get to know a new file manager. Coming from Windows you will have known the Explorer file […]
As many of you know I am a fan of alternative desktops. My favorite being E16. The only downfall of E16 is that the epplets, tiny applications that monitor, launch applications, and […]
There are many reasons why you would want to employee the aid of an application to clean up after yourself (or your users). Following this advice can save space, retain your privacy, […]
Recently I wrote a simple how-to for burning CDs in GNOME (Easy CD Burning in GNOME.) From that article a request came in to illustrate how to burn from the command line. […]
The ability to burn CDs is one of those issues that often perplexes many new users (to any operating system). For Windows users it's about finding software to do the job. For […]
