Tag Archives: unix

November, 2009

• 9 November

  Viewing active processes in Linux

  Question: How do I find out what programs are running on my server? Answer: Linux and most Unix-like operating systems have a convenient command that allows you to view running processes in a variety of list styles. The command is called “ps”. To quickly see every process running on your …
• 3 November

  Monitoring Disk Usage in Linux

  When managing a dedicated server, few things are more important than monitoring the disk usage. Disk space can fill up very quickly, and you need to regularly make sure you have adequate space for your site or client sites. Linux and other Unix-like operating systems have a handy tool called …
• 2 November

  The Delete Command in Linux

  The second important command to know when using a Linux or Unix server is the rm command. This is the primary way to delete files from a server. Please use it with caution, as it is meant to be permanent. To delete a file, simply navigate to the directory with …

October, 2009

• 30 October

  What is named?

  Question: I keep seeing the program called “named” running on my server. What is it? Answer: Named is one of the DNS programs, also known as Bind, which is a free and open source DNS management system. Bind handles all of the DNS for your Linux server and is usually …
• 27 October

  What are "Man" pages?

  Question: What is a “man” page? Answer: Linux and other Unix-like operating systems usually have hundreds of commands that a user can execute from the command line. When running a dedicated server, there are a few that you will use regularly, but there may be instances when you need to …
• 6 October

  What is root and su?

  Question: What is root and su? Answer: On Linux and other Unix-like systems, root is the default username of the system administrator or super user (su). Typically, the root user is the only one that has complete read and write access on every file located on a server. Shared hosting …

September, 2009

• 30 September

  What is BSD?

  Question: I have heard of Unix and Linux, but what is BSD? Answer: BSD commonly refers to the the UNIX-like operating system developed at the University of California, Berkley in 1977. It predates Linux and has been used in Unix server environments for decades, in response to the licensing issues …
• 10 September

  What is a Cron Job?

  Question: What is a Cron Job? Answer: A cron job is a periodic script run using scheduling software called “cron”. Linux and other Unix-like operating systems use it. A shared web hosting provider may allow you to run local user cron jobs, and those settings are usually accessible through your …
• 9 September

  When Your Dedicated Server Goes Down

  Question: I just ordered a remote dedicated server, and I am concerned about trusting my data with someone else. What are my options if the server goes down? Answer: Generally speaking, you do not have much to worry about. You most likely did your homework before selecting your web host. …

August, 2009

• 4 August

  Sun's dying declarations

  As the setting of Sun Microsystems nears and the company prepares to be absorbed into Oracle, Sun is wheeling and dealing to make sure its server hardware survives the acquisition. IBM and HP have been busy offering Sun customers deals to leave their hardware and Unix-like operating system, Solaris for …