Unix as a Second Language

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Sandra Henry-Stocker has been administering Unix systems for more than 25 years. She describes herself as "USL" (Unix as a second language) but remembers enough English to write books and buy groceries. She currently works for TeleCommunication Systems -- a company that builds innovative technologies to make critical connections happen -- where no one else necessarily shares any of her opinions. This blog offers advice for everyday Unix systems administration and some clever ways to approach more challenging problems. Send comments and suggestions to mailto:bugfarm@gmail.com.

by Sandra Henry-Stocker

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Sandra Henry-Stocker has been administering Unix systems for more than 25 years. She describes herself as "USL" (Unix as a second language) but remembers enough English to write books and buy groceries. She currently works for TeleCommunication Systems -- a company that builds innovative technologies to make critical connections happen -- where no one else necessarily shares any of her opinions. Send comments and suggestions to bugfarm@gmail.com.

Python for kids ... and adults intimidated by the very idea of programming

Posted Dec 29, 2012 - 05:32 pm

If you love Unix but fear programming or have a kid who you'd like to convince that programming is fun, here's a book you really should consider.
book, easy
Solaris How To: Logging for FTP on Solaris 10

Posted Dec 16, 2009 - 07:24 pm

If you're still using ftp and would like to log your transfers, you might have to look around to figure out how to do this on Solaris 10. The answer lies with a command called svccfg (for "service config").
ftp logging, Sandra Henry-Stocker
Unix Commands to Try When You're Bored

Posted Jun 09, 2010 - 04:47 pm

Not every Unix command sparks with novelty. After all, the OS has now been around for roughly forty years and the spark wears off. But there are some commands that pick up from where the basics run out of steam. Jump on a Linux box and try these out when you have a little free time. You might surprise yourself with some new tricks for your bag of Unix goodies.
comm, grep
Unix How To: Using nmap to Map Your Network

Posted Feb 17, 2010 - 02:20 pm

It is certainly well known that "hacker tools" can be used for many legitimate purposes. Nmap, the Network Mapper and security scanner is no exception. These days, it is used routinely to identify the operating systems, applications and software versions running on targeted systems.
list scan, nmap
Unix How-To: Counting Anything

Posted Sep 15, 2010 - 11:23 am

A reader recently asked whether it was possible on Unix systems to count how many times a particular character appears on each line of text. "On Unix", I answered, "not only is just about anything possible, but there are usually half a dozen ways to do it".
awk, count characters
Unix tip: Monitor disk arrays with sccli commands

Posted Dec 04, 2008 - 11:13 am

Disk arrays take a lot of worry about disk failure off your shoulders, but that's no reason not to notice when one goes bad. The sccli command can tell you a lot about what's happening with your StorEdge arrays. Let it warn you about disks gone bad.
array, failure
Unix tip: Useful Unix aliases

Posted Dec 17, 2008 - 02:46 pm

Unix aliases provide an easy way to customize your working environment. Let's look at some especially useful aliases that you might like.
aliases, favorite
Unix: Rewriting history

Posted Jun 16, 2013 - 03:35 pm

The history feature in Unix shells can save you a lot of time when typing long, fairly repetitious commands, but don't count on it to accurately represent history.
.bash_profile, bash
Why SELinux is more work, but well worth the trouble

Posted Dec 24, 2012 - 05:09 pm

Complexity isn't all bad. Sometimes it comes with a tremendous boon to security. Are you ready to cozy up to SELinux? Maybe it's time.
Access, labelling
Cheat sheets galore: Everything you wanted to know about everything ... almost

Posted Apr 14, 2013 - 09:22 pm

A treasure trove of cheat sheets is yours for the clicking. Visit OverAPI.com for help with nearly any language or tool imaginable.
cheat sheets, help

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