| Inside the Kernel by Emmett Dulaney |
 | 3/26/08 -- Sendmail Simplified
Take better advantage of of your Linux system's mail server capabilities by brushing up on sendmail. |
| | 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. |
| | 1/11/08 -- My Favorite Linux Tool
Emmett gets a belated Christmas gift in the form of news-feed reader Akregator. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 9/15/07 -- Setting the Stage with Stream Editing
Emmett walks you through an exercise using the "sed" tool. |
| | 8/15/07 -- Linux Miscellany
A grab-bag of pet peeves, praise and more. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 3/14/07 -- Working with Ulimit
Use this command to help control individual users -- or an entire network. |
| | 1/17/07 -- The Mind of Innovation
If Linux really wants to grow, it needs to move beyond imitation. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 10/12/05 -- Living on *Nix Time
Simplify admininstration of your Linux or Unix system by scheduling automated tasks. |
| | 6/29/05 -- Working with YaST
Configure a range of system admin settings with this handy tool for Novell Linux. |
| | 3/16/05 -- Is the World Ready for OES?
Novell's latest software is a novel combination of OS and NOS. |
| | 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.
|
| | 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 |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 7/16/03 -- DNS Caching for Fun and Profit
James walks you through configuring a caching-only BIND nameserver. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 3/6/02 -- Log Analysis 101
The what, where, why and how of setting up logs on your Unix system. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 7/10/01 -- The Elements of Performance
Tuning your Linux/Unix system with style. |
| | 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? |
| | 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. |
| | 3/9/01 -- Understanding, Evaluating and Integrating Directory Services
DNS, LDAP, X.500, directory-enabled applications, DEN, data stores, DSML and more... |
| | 1/22/01 -- Religious Conversion
How to make Windows a bit more friendly for Unix admins. |
| | 11/29/00 -- OpenAFS
Network file systems, righteous indignation and you. |
| | 10/1/00 -- Unclean!
The dawning of a new age in Linux journaling filesystems. |
