LinuxCareer.com - Linux Howtos & Tutorials

Understanding Regular Expressions

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:05:51 GMT

Learning and understanding Regular Expressions may not be as straight forward as learning ls command. However, learning Regular Expressions and effectively implementing them in your daily work will doubtlessly reward your learning effort by greater work efficiency and time savings. Regular Expressions is a topic which can easily fill up entire 1000 pages long book. In this article, we only try to explain the basics of Regular Expressions in a concise, non-geeky and example driven manner. Therefore, if you ever wanted to learn Regular Expression basics now you have a viable chance.

C development on Linux - Building a program - X.

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:50:02 GMT

After all that theory and talking, let's start by building the code written through the last nine parts of this series. This part of our series might actually serve you even if you learned C someplace else, or if you think your practical side of C development needs a little strength. We will see how to install necessary software, what said software does and, most important, how to transform your code into zeros and ones. Before we begin, you might want to take a look at our most recent articles about how to customize your development environment:

Learning Linux Commands: nice & renice

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:39:52 GMT

User's ability to attach a priority value to its own process upon execution determines whether you are being nice to your fellow users on the same system. Are you being nice or you simply abuse system resources for no apparent reason? In this article you will learn how to manage your processes in terms of how much processing power they consume and how to change a priority value of your processes using nice & renice Linux command. We will start with some basic theory about what is process, process scheduling, how to fork new process and then we move to nice command and explain how to change process priority value.

Customizing vim for development

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:41:27 GMT

Of course, we wouldn't have had it any other way: we wanted to be fair, as pledged, so here is the vim article, which is a counterpart of our last one on how to make your editor the perfect programming environment. So you must have the following profile for this article to be really useful to you: you know your way around programming, so you subsequently know what you would like in an editor, and you also know your way around vim, preferably more than what we talked about in the article dedicated to it. If you read the customizing emacs article, you already have a good idea on how this article is going to be structured.

Customizing emacs for development

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:53:46 GMT

First and foremost, a word of warning: while the previous articles were centered around the beginner, this article is for more advanced users, that already "speak" a programming language or two, and want to customize their editor towards it being ideal for the task. So you are expected to be more or less proficient in the ways of emacs, to be able to use it for day to day tasks and have the ability and desire to learn something new. After all, it will be for your own reward, and your programming tasks will become more efficient.

Programmer's friend - the editor: Part 2 - emacs

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:00:10 GMT

In part one we introduced you to Linux editors and gave a storm course on vim. It's now time to dismantle the rumors that we're subjective and talk about the other side, emacs. In some ways, the two editors are opposite one another, mainly from historical reasons, as you will see. We hope you will enjoy this tour and that we'll help you make up your mind.

Programmer's friend - the editor: Part 1 - Introduction and vim

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:58:28 GMT

As we're nearing the end of the C series it becomes more and more obvious that we need to learn more about the tools, about the practical side of programming. And one essential aspect is the editor. Of course, that's not to say that the editor is only needed when programming. While Linux has GUIs more and more advanced, given its' heritage you will sooner or later have to use the command line and an editor you are comfortable with to edit some config file. So choosing and knowing at least one editor that's available for Linux is more than important. Here's what our article is here to do, and the only thing expected from the reader is patience and some free time.
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C development on Linux - Coding style and recommendations - IX.

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:18:41 GMT

You may wonder what is meant by the title. Code is code, right? It's important to be bug-free and that's that, what else? Development is more than writing code and testing/debugging it. Imagine you have to read someone else's work, and I suppose you already done that, and all the variables are named foo, bar, baz, var, etc. And the code isn't commented nor documented. You will probably feel the sudden urge to invoke unknown gods, then go to the local pub and drown your sorrows. They say that you should not do unto others what you don't want done unto you, so this part will focus of general coding guidelines, plus GNU-specific ideas that will help you have your code accepted. You are supposed to have read and understood the previous parts of this series, as well as solve all the exercises and, preferably, read and wrote as much code as possible.

C development on Linux - Basic I/O - VIII.

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:51:05 GMT

With this part of our C development on Linux article we are getting ready to get out of the theoretical zone and enter the real life one. If you followed the series until this point and tried to solve all the exercises, you will now have some idea about what C is about, so you need to get out in the wild and so some practical stuff, without which theory doesn't have much value. Some of the concepts you'll see below are already known, but they are extremely important for any C program on any Unix-like OS. Yes, the information is valid regardless of the OS, as long as it's some kind of Unix, but if you'll stumble onto something Linux-specific, you will know. We will treat concepts like standard input, output and error, in-depth printf() and file access, among others. Are you ready?

Learning Linux Commands: join

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:16:56 GMT

Join command is yet another example of text processing utility under GNU/Linux. Join command combines two files based on the matching content lines found in each file. Using join command is quite straight forward and if used currently and in the right situation it can save lots of time and effort. This article requires very basic command line experience.

Linux command line basics for beginners: Part 3

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:48:12 GMT

Here's another installment of the Linux CLI basics series. This time we will deal with other interest-worthy tasks, like setting up your keyboard layout or using utilities to find files on your drive(s). We hope that the series will help you become a keyboard/terminal guru.When you're using some fancy desktop environment, changing the layout of your keyboard is simple and easy. A few clicks, you choose your preferred layout and maybe other localization settings and that's that. But what if you find yourself at a command-line-only machine and you have to use the machine, but the layout is set to French?

Linux command line basics for beginners: Part 2

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:45:22 GMT

Hello, and welcome to part two of our Linux command line series. You will learn some more interesting tips that you can use to master your system, so hold on to your seats, because here we go. I must confess, this was a task that I had to do a long time ago in front of a terminal and had no idea how to do it. That is because I was used to the Gnome way of doing that but at the time I had no Gnome. So what to do?

Ubuntu command line basics for beginners: Part 1

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:08:58 GMT

You may consider this article as somewhat of a "part two" of the article I wrote a few days ago. It's all about going step-by-step to get you, the user, proficient at the command-line and become envy material for your friends. The distribution chosen for this is Ubuntu, but these commands that are about to be exposed will work on any other Linux system you might encounter, and you will be warned when there are exceptions. What you will get is a how-to about how to accomplish various tasks using the command-line. And one of the advantages is that you can use these commands regardless of desktop environment or lack thereof. You are only required to have a minimal Linux knowledge base for this article, so get to your terminals and let's start.

Learning Linux Commands: ls

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:17:40 GMT

If you ever tried to work with Linux command line, ls command was surely one of the first commands you have executed. In fact, ls command is so frequently used, that its name is often considered as the best choice to name a Trojan Horse. Even though you use ls command on daily basis, its wast number of options always makes you to reach for ls's manual page. Doing so you learn something new every time you open ls's manual page . This guide will try to do the same. ls command belongs to a group of core utilities on your Linux system and it was written by Richard M. Stallman and David MacKenzie many years ago.

C development on Linux - Structures - VII.

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:18:56 GMT

We will continue in this part of our tutorial with the complex data types in C, and we will talk about structures. Many modern programming languages offer them, one shape or another, and so does C. As you will see later, structures allow you to manipulate data easier, by allowing you to store different variables of (possibly) different types under one single "roof".

How to setup a basic firewall in Ubuntu Linux

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:47:18 GMT

The first question you will ask yourself (probably) is "why on earth would I need a firewall? Linux is secure, right?" Right, and I know lots of desktop Linux users that never had to touch the subject or don't know what iptables or Netfilter is. Which is probably just fine, but that doesn't mean Linux is 100% safe from any attacks. Any sufficiently complex software has bugs, and many bugs can be exploited and become a security issue. So in the end it's all about some bored enough cracker to take advantage of some vulnerability (one example that springs to mind is the recently discovered sudo bug). What you will need in this case is a better protection than the default (I know Linux is a tough game to crack, but that doesn't make it impossible) while trying not to change in any way on how you use your computer. Consequently, this article will focus on the casual Ubuntu user that has some knowledge of security and networks (what a vulnerability is, what a port scan is, etc.) that wants to secure his/her system.

Command-line programs for everyday use in Linux

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:02:35 GMT

I must admit, I'm a command line geek. Whenever I have the chance, regardless of desktop environment or distribution, I open a terminal and start fiddling something. This does not mean everyone must be like me, of course. If you're the person who is mouse and GUI-oriented, no problems. However, there are situations when all you have at your disposal for a while is the command line. One of those situations might be an upgrade of your kernel/graphics drivers that leave you high and dry until the bug is reported and the developers look at the issue. You have to send a very important e-mail or you have to check the evolution of prices of your favorite laptop. All the essential desktop tasks (with some exceptions, though) that you do on a GUI-enabled machine can be done on a CLI-only machine as well, so if you're interested...

Using DeVeDe to create DVDs on Linux

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:06:59 GMT

Your daughter's birthday was beautiful and you have lots of videos and pictures from the event that have to be organized in a nice-looking way. Your graduation party was a blast and you want to remember it properly. Whatever the occasion, whatever the content, a custom-created DVD will pack your memories nicely and will spike your geek cred because you created it and hey, it looks so cool. But what tool should you use? There are professional, paid-for programs that can help you in creating a DVD, but why use another OS and pay when you have free OSs and free software to do this? You can use the command-line approach from start to finish, but sometimes a GUI that will wrap around these utilities looks like a nicer solution. Such a solution is DeVeDe, and it even has a Windows version if you insist, but I will focus on Linux (of course!) in this article. If you have minimal video/multimedia knowledge, you can easily use DeVeDe. Let's see how to get it and be efficient with it.

Customize your Cinnamon desktop with Javascript

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:27:42 GMT

We've seen, in the last years at least, a big rise of the Web in everything we do and everywhere we do it. Now, lots of people need only a browser window for work or for fun, making lots of previously-used pieces of software obsolete. With the launch of the Gnome 3 desktop environment, the Web made it's way inside our installed software in a very smart way: parts of the UI are actually writen in Javascript, a Web language by excellence. Or...maybe not that much. Fabrice Bellard wrote a PC emulator in Javascript, and here's another example: a desktop environment having important parts written in this language. So if you're feeling hacky and have some knowledge of Javascript, or even general programming concepts, this article is for you. Of course, you're expected to have access to a Gnome 3 and/or Cinnamon desktop machine.

Learning Linux Commands: top

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:03:12 GMT

System monitoring is an important aspect of any more-or-less advanced Linux user, because there comes a time when you want to know what is taking precious resources or simply how much it does take. And despite what some people think, this is not applicable only to server systems. Desktop applications go haywire too, and you find your system slowed down to a crawl because some "rogue" app decided to eat up all your memory. For enterprise users there are lots of potent free or commercial solutions for monitoring, but for the old-school Linux user and/or someone that prefers to keep it simple, there is always top(1). If you're somewhat familiar with the command line, you will probably benefit more from this article, but that doesn't mean GUI-centric users won't.

Linux Desktop new goodies: Razor-Qt and Cinnamon

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:58:44 GMT

While there's no doubt that the leaders in the Linux desktop contest are GNOME and KDE, that does not mean they are catered for everyone. Different people have different needs and there were and still are voices in the community that criticize some of the choices the designers of the two desktops made. We, as always, prefer not to take sides, but we noticed that, as it often happens in Open Source, alternatives started to appear, addressing the aforementioned issues. Today we'll talk about two of the alternatives, so you know you always have a choice. So, for GTK and/or Qt fans that know how to install software on their distro of choice, we give you Cinnamon, an alternative to Gnome3, and Razor-Qt, a lightweight alternative to KDE4.

SysAid - IT helpdesk installation on Linux system

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:49:36 GMT

This article describes an installation of SysAid software on a Linux system using tomcat and Apache. SysAid is a commercial web-based help desk software and if you were thinking to install either its free or paid version in your organization this guide should help you to achieve it. The default installation of SysAid IT help desk is quite very straight forward. On top of this basic installation this guide will provide you with some extra settings on how to configure Sysaid with apache's https service using AJP proxy.

Learning Linux Commands: cut

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:15:59 GMT

If you think that you can do Linux System administration without cut command, then you are absolutely right. However, mastering this fairly simple command line tool will give you a great advantage when it comes to the efficiency of your work on a user as well administration level. To simply put, cut command is one of many text-filtering command line tools that Linux Operation System has to offer. It filters standard STDIN from another command or input file and sends the filtered output to STDOUT.

C development on Linux - Pointers and Arrays - VI.

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:17:24 GMT

We have come to a crucial point in our series of articles regarding C development. It's also, not coincidentally, that part of C that gives lots of headaches to beginners. This is where we come in, and this article's purpose (one of them, anyway), is to debunk the myths about pointers and about C as a language hard/impossible to learn and read. Nonetheless, we recommend increased attention and a wee bit of patience and you'll see that pointers are not as mind-boggling as the legends say.

Remote GUI administration over SSH

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:55:02 GMT

If you've ever been in charge of a network you've definitely had the need for a secure remote connection. Maybe you just need to keep an eye on employees or kids. Doing so can be a hassle to some while crossing networks and subnets. On top of that, many businesses may have Internet but no DHCP to more protected machines. Many do this to network machines while keeping employees from surfing the Web. Whatever the case, Linux has many great tools to enable remote encrypted GUI administration. Even better, we will get everything we need for free for accessing a Linux or Windows client.

C development on Linux - Functions - V.

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:42:13 GMT

The C standard library offers a plethora of functions for many usual tasks. Also there are lots of libraries for extra functionality, like GUI design (GTK+) or database interfacing (libpq). However, as you advance in the C programming world, you will soon find yourself repeating the same instructions in the same order over and over again and that will become time-consuming and inefficient. So you can just wrap all those instructions in a function and just call said function when you need it. Here's what you're gonna learn by reading this article, plus some useful tips that will make your life easier. Any suggestions or problems go to the forums, as before.

Dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 7

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:30:21 GMT

You need Windows for a program you use for work, your favorite game runs only on Windows or you are a developer that works on some cross-platform project. And of course, you can't even think about giving up your favorite OS. Whatever the reason, you need Windows and a virtual machine won't cut it so all you're left with, if you don't have a spare machine, is dual-boot. I usually recommend against multiple-boot machines, but I can't argue with the fact that here are situations when the idea is very useful. So this is what this article is about: making sure you need a dual-boot system, acknowledging the requirements, making backups if need be and proceed.

Automating Linux installations with Kickstart

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:33:22 GMT

Red Hat, and their community effort, Fedora, are more or less enterprise-oriented. That being said, it's only natural they offer enterprise-specific tools that don't quite make sense on other desktop oriented operating systems. In the enterprise environment, where the system administrator has to manage lots of machines and installations, one tool that helps a lot is one that facilitates automated installations on several computers, using the same options for each of them. Instead of installing each system separately, the administrator just boots the installation media, tells the system where to find the options for installation and comes back after an hour to check on the system. It's a tremendous advantage in terms of time and effort, especially when dealing with lots of systems.

Guide to rsnapshot and incremental backups on Linux

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:51:02 GMT

rsnapshot is a backup tool written in Perl that utilizes rsync as its back-end. rsnapshot allows users to create customized incremental backup solutions. This article will discuss the following: the benefits of an incremental backup solution, rsnapshot's installation, its configuration, and usage examples.

C development on Linux - Flow Control - IV.

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:04:09 GMT

You have already been exposed to a small part of what flow control is in our previous part, namely the section about relational operators. As you start writing more complex programs, you will feel the need to control the order in which your program executes various parts. Flow control is present in most programming languages in one form or another, and what you're about to read here is essential to writing C programs.Everything you might want to ask or discuss you can take to our new forums, as before.

Password cracking with John the Ripper on Linux

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:54:20 GMT

For those of you who haven't yet heard about John the Ripper (hereby called John for brevity), it is a free password cracking tool written mostly in C. Before going any further, we must tell you that although we trust our readers, we do not encourage or condone any malicious activities that may be performed using this tool or any other tools we talked about in the past. Security-related tools are often like a double-edged sword, in that they can be used for good but also for bad things. So although it might sound tempting, we recommend you to refrain from any damaging activities, if for nothing else, just because you have great chances to land in a jail cell.

Learning Linux Commands: awk

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:57:45 GMT

In this case, the title might be a little misleading. And that is because awk is more than a command, it's a programming language in its own right. You can write awk scripts for complex operations or you can use awk from the command line. The name stands for Aho, Weinberger and Kernighan (yes, Brian Kernighan), the authors of the language, which was started in 1977, hence it shares the same Unix spirit as the other classic *nix utilities. If you're getting used to C programming or know it already, you will see some familiar concepts in awk, especially since the 'k' in awk stands for the same person as the 'k' in K&R, the C programming bible.

Ubuntu Linux desktop tips

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:14:28 GMT

You might be surprised by the above title. Well, don't be, because we felt that we neglected desktop users and this is our first move in this direction. Every system administrator has a desktop or a laptop at home, and there's time for work and time for play. This article refers to the play part, but not only, and what distribution could we choose if not Ubuntu? Well, Xubuntu, actually, but the steps involved in our article are exactly the same for any *buntu. Another first for us is that what you're about to read is practically an article made out of more small articles, each one containing a tip for the casual home Linux user. There might be tips that you already know, in which case it's practical to have a small list, and if you didn't know about any of these, we hope you'll find them useful.

Learning Linux Commands: sed

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:07:20 GMT

Welcome to the second part of our series, a part that will focus on sed, the GNU version. As you will see, there are several variants of sed, which is available for quite a few platforms, but we will focus on GNU sed versions 4.x. Many of you have already heard about sed and already used it, mainly as a substitution tool. But that is just a segment of what sed can do, and we will do our best to show you as much as possible of what you can do with it. The name stands for Stream EDitor, and here "stream" can be a file, a pipe or simply stdin.

Comparison of major Linux package management systems

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:11:34 GMT

One of the major differences between various Linux distributions is package management. Many times, this is the reason somebody steers away from one distribution to another, because he/she doesn't like the way software is installed or because there is software needed that isn't available in the distro's repositories. If you are a beginner in the Linux world and are wondering about the differences between distributions, this will be a good start. If you've only used one or two distributions for some time and you want to see what's on the other side of the fence, this article also might be for you. Finally, if you need a good comparison and/or a reminder about major PM systems, you'll find something interesting too.

Introduction to LaTeX on Linux

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:30:54 GMT

LaTeX is the typesetting system and a markup language that allows for the creation of documents. LaTeX is heavily utilized by the academic and scientific community. LaTeX produces beautiful type and is written in a language that is fairly intuitive. This article will discuss a brief history, introductory usage examples, front-ends, and further readings.

Learning Linux commands: dd

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:05:33 GMT

What you're reading is only the first of the many articles from the "Learning Linux commands" series. Why would we want to do such a thing? Because it's useful to you to have every option and possible use of a widely used command all in one place. You will find some options or even some commands that you didn't even knew existed, and your life as a Linux user / admin will become easier. If you're not afraid of opening a terminal and know the basics of using a Linux system, this article is for you. If you seek further help or information consult manual pages or visit our new Linux forum.

Unix and Linux: a bit of history

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:04:29 GMT

If you don't like history, don't worry, I'm not a big fan either. But this kind of history is different: it's (supposedly) fun, educative, and right on time. Right on time because not so long ago one of the founding fathers of Unix, Dennis Ritchie, passed away, so we felt this article was in order. This is not the kind of article where you're supposed to have some knowledge about this and that. Many people don't know the origins of their operating system of choice, and in order to understand it better, you should know where it's coming from.

C development on Linux - Types, variables, operators - III.

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 21:33:29 GMT

As promised, starting with this part of our C development article, we will get started with learning, without further introduction. I couldn't find no better way to start other than this, because types, operators and variables are an essential part of C and you will use them all the time when writing your own programs. For example, you can write a simple C program without defining your own functions, but it's harder to do that without some variables, unless you wanna stick to "Hello, world!". A variable is nothing more than a location in memory holding a value that can be altered (hence the name). But before you declare a variable you must know what kind of value you want it to hold, and here you will use types. And in order to operate on those variables, you'll need...operators, of course. I intend to make this course as concise as possible, so I recommend attention and as usual, practice. Any questions can be addressed on our forums, and we will do our best to answer them.

Using Adminer to Manage your Databases

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:13:17 GMT

If you find yourself interacting with a database system such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL, Oracle, or even SQLite, sometimes you find that some of the tasks you perform are more conveniently executed using a GUI rather then using the default management utility (usually run from a CLI) provided by the database system itself. Some of you may already use other tools such as phpMyAdmin, or phpPgAdmin. This article will talk about another web based database management tool known as Adminer. Adminer allows for the management of all the database systems mentioned above.This article covers Debian (& Ubuntu), Fedora, and ArchLinux.

The Monkey HTTP daemon

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:12:42 GMT

Yes, I know: why another webserver tutorial when there are so many good Apache howtos on the Internet? Because this is about what we've been saying for a while: use the right tool for the right job. And while we don't want to badmouth Apache, which is indeed a quality webserver, it offers lots of capabilities that aren't needed on a small scale machine. That's like using a Hummer for commuting, when a Smart would do just fine, if not better. So, if you need to quickly be online and offer services with a small website, Monkey might be for you. We presume that you know what a webserver is and what it is exactly that you want to set up.

Comparison of Audio Codecs and Conversion Utilities on Linux

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:33:50 GMT

If you like music as much as me you may find yourself taking time pondering to yourself what would be the best way of creating lossy backups of your cd collection?. This article will discuss standard audio codecs and briefly cover common conversion tools available to *NIX Operating Systems. Article written for Debian & Ubuntu, Fedora, and ArchLinux.

The other side of Intrusion detection on Linux: Snort

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:25:28 GMT

You may wonder why the title contains the words " the other side". In our Tripwire article we've shown that there are two major types of Intrusion Detection Systems: network-based and host-based. While Tripwire is host-based, this time we will show you how to install and configure Snort, a network-based IDS/IPS. We will not repeat the theoretical introduction, because we already exposed it in the previous article. We'll go directly to installing and configuring snort for your needs. What we expect from you in terms of knowledge is thorough understanding of networks, security and system administration.

Steganography Made Easy in Linux

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 02:46:55 GMT

Steganography is the art of hiding messages within other messages or data. Most commonly we see this utilized with pictures. This is probably encryption at its finest. Mostly because it doesn't look like usual garbled text that we are used to seeing with encryption. The changes made by Steganography are so slight the human eye cannot perceive them. Even trained cryptographers may have an encoded message inside a picture and be unaware of it.

Writing manual pages on Linux

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:29:27 GMT

It's a very common fact that nobody likes to write documentation. Heck, nobody likes to read it either. But there are times when we have to read it in order to, say, finish the project on time, or, especially when working in software development, even write it. If you only have to read it, we always encouraged you to do so, but if you'll have to write the manual pages and need a kickstart, here's the article for you. If you worked previously with HTML your life will be easier, but if not it's alright. Writing manual pages for Linux is not that hard, despite the look of the pages when read in plain-text. So basically you'll need some Linux knowledge and the ability to use a text editor. You will learn (with examples, of course) the main concepts in text formatting as applied to man pages and how to write a simple manual page.

C development on Linux - Comparison between C and other programming languages - II.

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:11:09 GMT

Since in our first part of this article we said we expected you, the reader, to have some programming knowledge, in this part we want to help you get a on where C stands in comparison to other programming languages you might know. The choice of those languages was pretty tough because of various criteria, but in the end we stopped at C++, Perl and Python. Since programming languages can be classified in lots of ways (depending on paradigm, syntax or style, for example), we didn't try to find languages that are in the same category as C. Instead, since the aforementioned languages are pretty popular in the Linux world, we chose them, mentioning what every language's place is in the great scheme, what it's generally used for and of course, the differences between them and C. This article will be structured as follows: we'll start with important elements of every language, like variable declaration, typing or structure and compare that with how it's done with C.

Alternatives to KDE and GNOME on Linux systems

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:02:46 GMT

Before anything, this article is for those using KDE and GNOME and start feeling the need for more, or something else. This is not a trolling article (we hate that), nor is a rant against the two DEs. We respect the freedom of choice, and the Open Source world is all about freedom of choice. With this article we only want to show you what other options you have, the pluses and the minuses, with no bias whatsoever. We'll go less than technical with this article, and we hope we'll widen your perspective and help you use something that's really fit for your needs. All you need is a working Linux machine and the minimal knowledge of knowing how to install software on it, plus the use of an editor of choice.

Making use of your older hardware with Linux/BSD

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:26:22 GMT

Some of you may wonder what is the purpose of this article. First, because hardware nowadays is pretty cheap, you don't need older hardware anymore. Second, there are some articles across the Internet dealing with this already. The answer to the first problem is: well, you'll see in the article. The answer to the second is we have some experience with older hardware first-hand, and we found it to be very useful to this day, so we want to share this with you.

How to Make a Basic Intrusion Detection System with Bash

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:44:03 GMT

As most of us already WEP encryption has become a joke. WPA is quickly going the same way thanks to many tools such as Aircrack-ng. On top of this, wired networks are no strangers to unwanted guests as well. Anyone serious about security should have a good Intrusion Detection system in their toolbox.

There are already some very good IDS's (Intrusion Detection Systems) available. Why would anyone want to re-invent the wheel in Bash??? There are a couple of reasons for this. Obviously Bash scripts can be very light weight. Especially compared to some of the GUI programs that are out there.

How can you help the Linux community

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:59:16 GMT

The whole Linux community is based on the concept of community and collaboration. Without it, Linus Torvalds' e-mail sent out 20 years ago would have been forgotten and none of us would have known about Linux. As time went by, it became easier and easier for users, regardless of experience and knowledge, to contribute to his/her favorite distribution. While we're at it, it's a common misconception that you have to be a programmer in order to help the Linux community. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone can help, provided he or she has Internet access, and, more importantly, the will to help.

Linux system and hardware monitoring made efficient

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:30:30 GMT

Whether you're a home user or a system/network administrator at a large site, monitoring your system helps you in ways you possibly do not know yet. For example, you have important work-related documents on your laptop and one fine day, the hard drive decides to die on you without even saying goodbye. Since most users don't make backups, you'll have to call your boss and tell him the latest financial reports are gone. Not nice. But if you used a regularly started (at boot or with cron) disk monitoring and reporting piece of software, like smartd for example, it will tell you when your drive(s) start to become weary. Between us, though, a hard drive may decide to go belly up without warning, so backup your data.

Creating packages for Pardus Linux with pisido

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:02:45 GMT

Pardus Linux is a relative newcomer to the Linux scene. Version 1.0 was released at the end of 2005, and since then, the project started using version numbers that remind us of what Mandriva uses for some time. So, the latest stable version is 2011.2, which means it's the second release for 2011. Pardus Linux is a distribution sponsored and developed by the Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey. It's a easy to use distribution, with a series of unique tools like Pisi (Packages Installed Successfully as Intended), which is the package manager. We will not give you a Pardus review, instead we'll assume you have the distro already installed and running and we'll tell you about a tool named PiSiDo.

Using MySQL to manage your music collection on Amarok

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:33:11 GMT

If you use Amarok and have a large music collection have you ever thought about using a database to manage your collection? This article will describe how to configure MySQL and Amarok to allow for the integration of one of the world's most popular databases to one of Linux's most popular media players.Works on any Linux Distro! This article covers Debian & Ubuntu, Fedora and ArchLinux.

C development on Linux - Introduction - I.

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:32:06 GMT

What you're just reading is the beginning of series of articles dedicated to development on Linux systems. However, with minor modifications (if any), you will be able to use this knowledge you will get by reading our series on any other system that uses the same tools (OpenIndiana, BSD...). This first article will deal gradually with the intricacies of writing C code on Linux. You are expected to have basic programming knowledge, either on Linux/Unix systems or on other platforms. The idea is that you should know the basics of programming, like what a variable is or how to define a structure. Even though, you will get this information from this article, we won't insist very much on beginner-level concepts.

Linux process scheduling made easier: lance

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 22:15:53 GMT

I guess many old school admins reading this will "crucify" me for trying to say that there is another process scheduling system besides cron. While cron does its' job and does it well, other more recent systems offer new capabilities that might help the administrator one way or the other. One example is lance, a young project written in Python which offers, among others, remote task administration and web-based control.

Creating a package repository on Linux : Fedora and Debian

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 03:43:49 GMT

This article at LinuxCareer.com is the logical continuation of our PXE article, because after reading this you will be able to network boot AND actually install the distribution of your choice. But there are other uses of creating your own repository. For example, bandwidth. If you manage a network and all the systems (or some) are running the same distribution, it's easier for you to just rsync in conjunction with a nearby mirror and serve updates yourself. Next, maybe you have some packages created by you that your distro won't accept in the main tree, but the users find them useful. Get a domain name, set up a webserver and there you go. We will not detail the setup of a webserver here, just basic installation tasks and the basic setup of a repository for Fedora or Debian systems. Hence you are expected to have the necessary hardware (the server and the necessary network equipment, depending on the situation) and some knowledge about Linux and webservers.

Network booting with Linux - PXE

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 23:48:54 GMT

This article here is somewhat related to our previous one, in that it treats the subject of booting and installing Linux using the network, be it local or not. This time we will treat installing Linux without optical, floppy or other removable media, by just using the LAN. You are expected to have at least two computers in your network, and the client will need a NIC and a BIOS capable of using PXE. We will guide you from beginning to end, but some basic networking and Linux configuration knowledge, plus the use of an editor of your choice are required. You will learn what PXE is, how to configure a DHCP server, how to configure a TFTP server so the client can have access to the files, plus lots of interesting things, as usual.

One CD disk, multiple Linux distributions: Netboot CD

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:59:06 GMT

Every Linux user, after a while, starts creating a toolbox that he/she takes with him/her everywhere. However, that depends on the task at hand. You might need to install a distribution, you might just need a livecd, doing security-related work or just backup. And so the toolbox gets bigger and bigger, thus becoming less and less convenient. The subject of today's article is NetbootCD. NetbootCD is not a supplement for a live Linux environment, but rather it is designed to help you to install multiple Linux distributions using a single multiboot disk as oppose to requirement of 7 Linux installation disks.

Intrusion detection systems : Using tripwire on Linux

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 21:38:40 GMT

Whether you're an experienced system administrator or a Linux beginner, whether you're managing an enterprise-grade network or just your home network, you must be aware of security issues. One common mistake is to think that if you're a home user with few world-facing machines you're exempt from malicious attacks. The attacker will not get from you what (s)he can get from a large corporate network, but that does not mean you're safe. The earlier you become security-aware, the better. While the subject of network security is huge, today we chose an interesting piece of software named tripwire, a HIDS (Host-based Intrusion Detection System).

Using cron scheduler on Linux systems

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:12:12 GMT

If you already have some experience as a Linux system administrator, chances are you know what cron is and what it does. If you're just starting working with Linux, it's essential knowledge that will certainly serve you later. Either way, if you already have the knowledge, this article will refresh it. If not, you will get a guide to start you up. So you're only expected to have some basic knowledge of Linux systems and, as usual, a desire to learn.

Getting your hands dirty : installing and using Gentoo

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:05:25 GMT

If you ask around about Gentoo, chances are you will get mixed reviews : some will say it's a waste of time, others will say it's only for ubergeeks, yet others will tell you it's the only way, but no one can deny the power that Gentoo offers in terms of choices and speed. Gentoo is a rolling release distribution, which means it has no release numbers and it's updated continuously.Gentoo is also a source-based distribution, which means that everything you install you must compile first.

How to fetch NYSE prices with a simple bash script

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 07:17:24 GMT

Do you have a stock exchange portfolio with shares that you need to monitor on daily basis? With command line and your shell nothing can be easier. In this article we will show you how to download all NYSE stock exchange ticker symbols in matter of minutes using few lines of bash script. With some light modification this method can be applied to any stock exchange and any number of ticker symbols. This script can also be altered to behave as a monitoring tool and act upon your predefined instructions if combined with a website which displays intraday data.

Virtualization solutions on Linux systems - KVM and VirtualBox

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:23:58 GMT

Looking at the trends in the IT industry, virtualization has seen quite a boom in the last few years, because it fits the concepts of utility computing and/or software as a service. Virtualization can be useful to you if you are an enterprise architect, developer, a home user or basically everything in between. We will begin with a short introduction about virtualization in general, then we will specifically treat VirtualBox and KVM as they seem to be most popular open source full virtualization solutions.

Using and configuring Samba under Linux/Unix

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:44:13 GMT

If you are working in a heterogeneous environment, that is Windows and Linux/Unix, chances are sooner or later you will have to deal with Samba. Samba's name comes from Microsoft's SMB (Server Message Block), which is the protocol used for Microsoft's standard network file system. We will show you how to install, configure and use Samba, and what advantages it can bring to your network, be it at home or at work.

In-depth HOWTO on Linux kernel configuration

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:24:29 GMT

While we talked before about kernel compilation and configuration, we focused on the general idea. This time we want to dig deeper into the configuration part, giving you useful advice you will need when tailoring a kernel to perfectly match your hardware. The main idea behind this is that you will need to know your hardware extremely well in order to have a kernel built exactly for it. At the beginning we will cover what you will need in order to compile your kernel and after that we move into Linux kernel configuration, compilation and installation. Please note that this time it's not very important if you compile a vanilla kernel or a distribution kernel. We will however, recommend a "modus operandi", which of course does not mean that you have to follow. After reading this guide you will be able to decide what suits you best. We expect some moderate knowledge about Linux system internals and development tools.

Review - Taking PC-BSD 9.0 BETA for a spin

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 01:43:41 GMT

You may have heard about BSD systems, especially if you've been using Linux and/or other related systems like Solaris or AIX for some time. You also might have heard that "BSD is dead" or some other fantastic stories. Our article here, besides taking PC-BSD for a ride, also serves the purpose of shedding some light on BSD systems and debunking some myths as well. If you have some experience using BSD, the better, but this is not mandatory, we'll try to help you get used to using BSD in general and, of course, PC-BSD in special.

Getting what you want on Arch and Slackware - AUR and Slackbuilds

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 01:42:43 GMT

Package management on Linux systems has always been the subject of endless discussions, flamefests and bickering. Nonetheless, regardless of what one prefers, there's something for everyone, if not in distro X, then maybe in distro Y. Some swear by binary package management, others say that the only true way is compilation from source. Today we will focus on two distributions that offer the best of both worlds : Arch Linux and Slackware.

Distro review : Dragora GNU/Linux

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 04:13:02 GMT

It's time for a review here at Linux Career and we will focus for today's article on a relative newcomer : Dragora GNU/Linux. It is a Argentina-based distribution, started in 2007 by Matias A. Fonzo, a Linux enthusiast, along with just a few contributors. It is one of the few Linux distributions comprised of 100% Free/Libre Software, and endorsed by the Free Software Foundation. If you expect bells and whistles, think again : it's a distribution that focuses on simplicity, one application per task and it's aimed at people who want to learn about how a Linux system works. If this scares you, there's no need : we installed Dragora GNU/Linux 2.1 64-bit, tinkered with it, liked it, so we'll be able to get you started. Being a small community distro, at the moment Dragora GNU/Linux doesn't have much documentation online, but the manual pages are well written and if you ask on their identi.ca group you will likely get an answer. But before we start, we think it would be best if we offer you a few more information to get you prepared.

How To backup data with rsync under Linux

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:21:22 GMT

As a system administrator or just a backup-conscious home user, sooner or later (usually sooner) you will have to deal with backups. Disasters do happen, ranging from electrical storms to drive failures, and one needs to be prepared. We cannot stress enough the importance of having copies of important data. While the whole concept of backup is too long for this article, we will focus on rsync for what's called incremental backups.

A beginners howto to compiling from source on Linux systems

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 04:12:02 GMT

When dealing with Linux/Unix systems, you will, sooner or later have to deal with source compilation. Some call it jokingly a rite of passage, others call it necessary knowledge. Whatever way you look at it, it's good-to-have. We will presume that you have little to no knowledge of how to use the command line or what a compiler is. So before we begin we will help you by listing a handful of tools you will use when living with the command line, plus the specific tools necessary when compiling source code. This tutorial is intended to be as practical as possible, so if you want to read about compiler theory or the steps necessary to get from the source code to a binary, use the documentation proposed below.

The Great Linux Migration: who’s made the move, why, and what’s in store for the future growth of Linux?

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:42:00 GMT

Many organisations are navel gazing and assessing ways of increasing productivity and decreasing costs in order to stay afloat in the current business climate. As a company’s IT spend is one of the larger costs of running a business, it makes sense to look closely at how you run your IT shop. Linux may just answer both prayers: offering increased productivity at decreased cost. So why is Linux such a successful solution, which companies have made the switch, and how will the Linux jobs landscape change in the future?

Guide to bug submitting and bug tracking in Linux

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 02:27:40 GMT

Linux distributions and Open Source software in general are, before anything, community efforts. Every distribution lists somewhere on its' website ways to contribute and help to the effort. And it's quite an effort too, which programmers provide for free, working in their spare time. One recurrent theme on each of those "how to contribute" documents is "Submit bugs when found" although the exact wording may differ. Of course, if you can contribute in other ways back to the community that offers you a free, functional operating system, (like writing code, advocacy and so on), even better. This article however focuses on submitting bugs in some of the most popular distributions : Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, Debian and OpenSUSE. If you have any prior development experience, fine, but that's not mandatory. If you are willing to offer some of your free time that's quite enough. The usual communication channels are mailing lists (subscriptions recommended), IRC and bug tracking software, as we will see.

How to customize your Fedora packages

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:18:26 GMT

Last time, we talked about custom kernels in Debian-based systems. This time we go to "the other side" and will also talk about customizations, namely how to customize packages on Fedora systems. For this you are not required to have any prior experience on the matter in order to build packages, but a will to learn and read manual pages or other resources is always welcome.

Our article will focus on Apache as packaged by Fedora, and what we will do is modify some of its build options in order to better fit our needs. After all, Linux and Open Source are all about customization, so why not get exactly what we want? With that being said, let's start with our tutorial.

Custom kernels in Ubuntu/Debian - how, when and why

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:26:45 GMT

So, you've decided to try out this thing you heard others talk about, called 'compiling a custom kernel'. If you are trying this as a hobby, or because you want to learn a new skill, very well – read on.

However, before we start, we will try to explain situations when this need arises and how to deal with it. Note that this is an extensive subject which needs much more in terms of space than we will provide here. You will learn the basics, what you need, what to do and what you'll achieve.

Future of Python programming language on a Linux platform

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:16:16 GMT

Don’t believe the naysayer’s hype about Python! With increasing popularity among Linux communities and used by major corporations such as Google, Python is here to stay!

Some sceptics have published articles and blogs over the last few years that have doubted the future of Python. However Python has been around since 1991 and the growth in popularity of this stable and comprehensive high level programming language, especially in the Linux user domain, would indicate that it is here to stay.

Does Linux Certification cut the mustard?

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:47:15 GMT

For those pursuing a Linux career, is Linux certification a must have or an indication that you lack the real world experience that employers demand?

In the ever fast-paced and dynamic context of information technology, IT professionals need to be on their toes, constantly staying abreast of changes in the technology platforms on which they work. Operating systems are refined and improved in newer versions of technology, mandating systems administrators to constantly be on a learning curve to keep up with the changes.

Reach for the clouds! How will the Cloud affect your organisation?

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 02:34:33 GMT

If you’re an IT company that hasn’t invested resources into assessing the impact of Cloud Computing on our business, you’re already behind the eight ball. The giant integrators (Microsoft, IBM, Unisys, the list is too long) already have extensive cloud services available to meet the needs of all sizes of business. The Cloud phenomenon has also opened the door for many new and entrepreneurial start ups to flourish with rapid growth in the cloud service provision arena. If you’re a Linux shop, you’re in a good position to consider Cloud Services as an add-on service to your existing offering. Linux is shaping up to be the OS of choice of many big cloud implementations across the globe, so your Linux resources are highly prized for an expansion into cloud service provision space.

What is DHCP and how to configure DHCP server in Linux

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 02:33:55 GMT

Standard DHCP server implementation available in various Linux distributions is an Open source version maintained by ISC ( Internet System Consortium ). There are currently 3 major versions 2, 3, 4 where version 3 supports backup servers, and version 4 supports IPv6. This article deals only with ISC DHCP v3.

How to configure NFS on Linux

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 02:31:54 GMT

The Network File System is certainly one of the most widely used network services. Network file system (NFS) is based on the Remote procedure call. It allows the client to automount Network File System and therefore, transparently access the remote file systems on the network.

Linux Certification Options for IT Professionals

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 23:17:20 GMT

To certify, or not certify? That is the question! Do you need Linux Certification to boost your IT career prospects? There are now an excellent range of flexible training options available but is it really necessary, and if it is, then which of the many options is appropriate for you?

Cloud Computing and the Linux Job Market

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 08:24:13 GMT

Given that Linux was the OS of choice for the top 10 supercomputers in June
2011, Linux professionals are sitting pretty in “the cloud”.

According to an article which recently appeared on LinuxInsider, “the biggest change and impact to the Linux landscape and market to date has been the advent of cloud computing”. The IT industry is headed towards a centralised data centre model once more with cloud computing gathering momentum and a swagger of big integrators and small start ups alike are offering services in this arena. Open source solutions such as Linux naturally thrive in the current environment where multiple platforms seek solace under the same apparent cloud.

Social Media’s Impact on IT Recruitment

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:29:37 GMT

We live in a dynamic world where physical boundaries no longer bind us. In this virtual world, applications such as Facebook have revolutionised the way we interact with the people in our social circle and the way we make new connections with like minded people from around the world.

Has Google been in touch yet?

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 05:21:40 GMT

If you’re an IT person in today’s world, you are living in charmed times. The job market is finally picking up after the lull of the recession induced by the global financial crisis. Big corporations and the small business sector alike are back in expansion mode and are seeking, in fact vying, to attract quality skilled human resources to make growth possible. With unemployment low, the job seekers pool is limited, forcing organisations to be more resourceful and proactive in their recruitment strategies in order to be competitive in attracting the right skills sets. Of course, this resourcefulness comes more easily to large organisations such as Google and Facebook, who have gargantuan HR budgets, and places small business at a distinct disadvantage.