Tag Archives: server

April, 2010

• 6 April

  Secure user accounts with Jailkit

  No, it is not something to help you break out of jail. Jailkit is a suite of free and open source software that limits user accounts to a limited portion of the filesystem, utilizing a tool called chroot. It can also be used to limit users to specific commands or …
• 5 April

  Troubleshooting website connectivity issues

  Nothing is worse than waking up and finding out your website is down. The immediate reaction is to grab the phone and drop an anger bomb on your web hosting provider. While it certainly could be a problem with your server, there are a few things to check before going …
• 1 April

  To chmod or not to chmod

  When installing scripts on a server, there is a tendency of both developers (in their instructions) and users to be overly generous in dishing out file permissions. In Linux, file permissions can be manipulated with the “chmod” command. For example, a script may require write access to a temporary directory, …

March, 2010

• 31 March

  How to create a tmp partition in Linux

  As we mentioned in a previous post, setting up extra partitions beyond the standard Linux partitions can have certain security and performance benefits. One of the major directories that you should consider partitioning is the /tmp directory. In Linux, temporary files are stored there and accessed when applications need to …
• 30 March

  How to fix common compiling problems in Linux

  In a previous post, I gave you a little intro to compiling software from source code in Linux. What I might not have mentioned is that it does not always go smoothly without a hitch. If you are on a short timeline with your server and need software X immediately …
• 30 March

  What people should know about Windows servers

  Aside from writing, I also develop websites for clients on a freelance basis. In the ideal scenario, I get contacted by an interested client who has neither a domain name nor a current web hosting company. I can then steer that client to the host and domain provider I think …
• 29 March

  Understanding Linux partitions

  On a typical Linux server, the hard drive will be divided into partitions. It is very important to know what the main partitions are and what they do. / – Known as the root partition, this is where all of the system files belong. You will find /usr, /lib, /etc, …
• 29 March

  Sudo vs. SU

  The “su” command is what a Linux user with proper permissions uses to ascend to the root administrator account. A secure SSH server will not allow direct root login, so the user must gain root after initial login. The “sudo” command is an alternative to using a separate root user …
• 29 March

  Dell designs new servers for cloud computing

  dell poweredge c1100Dell revealed a new line of “CloudEdge” servers this week designed specifically for cloud computing. Dell is hoping to sell quite a few of these systems as server demand increases and more and more firms move to the cloud. The new models include the PowerEdge C1100, C2100 and …
• 25 March

  Database management with MySQL Workbench

  MySQL is one of the most popular databases for web servers. The MySQL website offers a free download of MySQL Workbench, a GUI database management program. I decided to download it and give it a try. It is available for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and several versions of Linux. …