Web Hosting

There are many situations when you may need to change the ownership of files, especially if you are operating a virtual private server or dedicated server. For example, you may install something for a website as root but then need to set ownership of the file to the local user. …

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 …

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 …

This week, I will be featuring several Linux/Unix commands that are very useful and important to know if you have a virtual private server or dedicated server. All of the commands can be executed from an SSH connection. If you have Mac OS X or Linux, you can use the …

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 …

Question: What are symbolic links in Linux? Answer: Linux has a convenient feature that allows you to link a virtual file to a real one. For example, if you have a directory called “images” and you also want one called “photos” to point to the same place, you need to …

Question: How do I manually setup email aliases in Linux? Answer: Generally speaking, there is probably no reason for you to modify your aliases file manually. In some cases, however, a script will require you to edit the file, and it is important to know where it is and how …

Many hosts, especially VPS and dedicated server providers, charge new customers a setup fee. The charge is often waived for users who prepay for several months of service, but for those who don’t wish to go this route, what is a fair setup fee? For a shared web host, I …

Question: The gallery software I want to install on my website says that it requires ImageMagick. What is it and why do I need it? Answer: ImageMagick is free and open source software that allows the user to create and edit over 100 different image file formats. Its tools are …

Question: I have a shared hosting account and need an easy way to manage my databases. What can I use? Answer: Chances are, if you are using a server that has both PHP and MySQL, your web hosting provider has given you some type of tool to manage your databases. …