Troubleshooting File Operations in Linux: Cannot Delete, Copy, Rename, or Move a File

Encountering issues when trying to delete, copy, rename, or move a file in Linux can be frustrating. This guide outlines common causes and solutions to help you troubleshoot and resolve these problems efficiently. Common Causes and Solutions 1. Does the File Actually Exist? Sometimes, the file you are trying to manipulate might not exist, or the … Read more

10 Handy Linux Command Tricks to Save You Time

Mastering Linux commands can significantly improve your efficiency in the terminal. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, these handy tips will help you navigate, manage files, and optimize your workflow. 1. Switch Back to the Last Directory If you need to quickly return to the last directory you were in, use: This command … Read more

Linux Tips: 10 Things You Shouldn’t Do (And What to Do Instead)

Avoid common pitfalls in Linux administration by following these practical tips. Learn how to handle permissions, troubleshoot errors, and secure your system effectively. 1. Avoid Running Commands That Change Multiple Properties Instead of running commands that change a large number of properties, focus on specific files or directories related to the issue you are troubleshooting. … Read more

Getting Started with awk: A Powerful Text-Processing Tool for Linux

awk is a versatile text-processing tool used to manipulate and analyze data in text files. It is especially useful for tasks like pattern scanning, extracting data, and generating reports. This guide introduces the basics of awk and provides practical examples to help you get started. Introduction to awk awk is a scripting language designed for text processing and data extraction. … Read more

Troubleshooting with strace: A Linux Debugging Guide

Discover how to use strace to diagnose and resolve application issues in Linux environments. This powerful tool provides detailed insights into system calls, helping developers, system administrators, and support engineers troubleshoot performance bottlenecks, crashes, and network problems effectively. What is strace? strace is a diagnostic, debugging, and instructional utility for Linux. It intercepts and records the system calls … Read more

Linux Tip: Stop the /bin/cat Abuse!

When it comes to searching for specific strings in files on Linux, many users unnecessarily use cat in combination with grep. This practice—commonly referred to as /bin/cat abuse—is inefficient and can negatively impact system performance. Instead, you can directly use grep to simplify your workflow and improve efficiency. Let’s explore why this matters and how to implement the correct approach. Why Avoid cat … Read more

Linux Tip of the Day: Understanding Available vs Free Memory in Linux

Efficient memory management is crucial for Linux system administrators, especially when working with virtual machines (VMs) or servers. On Linux, understanding the difference between free memory and available memory is key to optimizing system performance. This guide explains how Linux uses memory, how to interpret the free command output, and why “unused” memory is not necessarily wasted. How Linux Handles Memory … Read more

Chattr and Lsattr Commands in Linux: A Guide to File Attributes

Introduction In Linux, certain file and directory attributes can only be accessed or modified using specific commands. These attributes allow you to restrict file operations, such as preventing deletion or modification, even by the root user. This functionality is particularly helpful for securing critical files and directories. In this guide, we’ll cover two essential commands: … Read more

Understanding the Wheel Group in RHEL

The wheel group is a special user group commonly used on Unix-based systems, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), to manage access to privileged commands. Users in the wheel group are granted the ability to execute commands as the superuser (root) by using the sudo command. This guide explains how to add a user to the wheel group and … Read more

How to Manage User Account Password Expiry in Linux

Managing user account password expiration is an essential task for Linux system administrators to ensure system security and compliance with organizational policies. The chage command is a powerful tool that allows you to view and modify password expiration settings for user accounts. In this guide, we’ll explore how to check password expiration details, set expiration dates, and … Read more