Question: How do I find out how memory is used by a particular process in Linux? Answer: On a Linux server, a nifty little command called “pmap” will do just what you want. The command string that you will need to enter as root is: # pmap -d PID But …
January, 2010
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22 January
Using virtualization to host multiple operating systems
This week we have learned about several different server-ready operating systems. But what should you do if you need to run multiple operating systems? Should you fork out the cash for multiple servers? It really depends on your needs, but if you know you will not need an entire dedicated …
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18 January
WampServer on Windows
We have spent a great deal of blog space learning about Linux servers and how to optimize them, but Linux is certainly not the only kid on the block. This week we will look at some other operating systems and how they interact with the Web. First up is Microsoft …
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15 January
Disable unused services on your server
Unused services may seem like a non-issue, but they cause your server to take longer at boot, and they eat up RAM that could be used for critical services. This is a cross-platform issue, so Linux, Windows, BSD, and Solaris servers could all potentially have unused services running in the …
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14 January
How to prevent users from reusing old passwords in Linux
In a previous blog post, we learned how to force users to change their passwords on a regular basis. This prevents them from keeping the same password forever, but it does not prevent them from alternating between the same two passwords or between a handful of them. Fortunately, PAM, Linux‘s …
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12 January
How to manually install stubborn APT packages
Question: What do I do when I get the following error with apt-get: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/packagename_0.80.1-1_all.deb : trying to overwrite ‘libsomething.1.0.so, which is also in “libotherpackage”? Answer: These types of errors can be very annoying when trying to upgrade packages on a Linux server with apt-get. Sometimes these can be …
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12 January
How to delete multiple files in various directories in Linux
Question: When uploading files to my Linux server from my windows computer, I have accumulated WS_FTP.log files and thumbs.db files in multiple directories. Is there an easy way to delete all of them at once without navigating through each directory? Answer: With Linux, of course there is. You can accomplish …
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8 January
How to configure password aging in Linux
If you have ever worked for a corporation or used IT services at a university, you have undoubtedly been prompted at one time to change your password. It is annoying and seems like a waste of time, but it is important. Running a web server that gives all or some …
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7 January
PHP module vs PHP CGI binary
Question: What are the differences between running PHP as an Apache module and running it as a CGI binary on a Linux server? Answer: One of the biggest differences between a PHP Apache module and a PHP CGI binary is that the Apache module is just that: a module of …
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7 January
How to force YUM to exclude certain packages
Question: Is there a way to tell YUM to ignore certain packages when performing updates on a CentOS Linux server? Answer: There certainly is, and in some cases it can save your server from an unfortunate mishap. When running a dedicated server, particularly one with multiple websites, you run the …