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

Trusted Voice

  • Linux command: Side by side diff

    Posted Nov 26, 2008 - 01:46 pm

    Tired of looking at strings of "28,30d27" characters separating the differences between files you're comparing? Try a side by side diff listing that works the way your brain does.
    diff, diffutils

  • Why I Love Unix

    Posted Oct 27, 2010 - 08:48 am

    I love Unix because of all the wonderful things that I can do on the command line. When I first used Unix in 1983, it was love on first sight. With a list of the most basic commands by my side, I quickly discovered how much I could accomplish with several command strings strung together.
    career, loving unix

  • 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

  • Unix How To: The Linux /etc/inittab file

    Posted Apr 07, 2010 - 07:55 am

    One of the files that the average Unix sysadmin rarely looks at, almost never changes and yet depends on every time he or she reboots a system is the /etc/inittab file. This modest little file controls what happens whenever a system is rebooted or forced to change run levels. Let's take a look at the configuration lines that tell your system what it's supposed to do when you hit that power button.
    /etc/inittab, booting

  • Unix How To: Peering at a Process with lsof

    Posted Jan 27, 2010 - 12:35 pm

    You have probably used lsof from time to time, probably when tracking down some sort of problem. But maybe you haven't tried all of its permutations or looked at it just to get a deeper understanding of how some particular process works. Let's look at one particular lsof command that can provide a lot of insight into a single process.
    libaries, list open files

  • So you want to be a Unix sysadmin?

    Posted Apr 07, 2013 - 10:41 pm

    A number of people have asked recently what it takes to be a Unix systems administrator, what “core competencies” are required, and what are the best and worst aspects of the job. Here are some answers that might work once we get beyond “it depends”.
    systems administrator, Unix

  • Linux commands: Newusers adds new users ... fast and furious!

    Posted May 14, 2013 - 11:39 am

    Whether you're setting up accounts for existing users on a new server or providing accounts for a crop of new staff members on your primary server, it's nice to be able to do the job quickly and accurately. The newusers command in Linux is designed to make this process as smooth as possible, but it may not do everything you expect -- especially if your data file is, uh, sloppy. Let's take a look at what it does and where it might fall short of expectations.
    accounts, Group

  • Getting started with ISO 27001

    Posted Jul 08, 2012 - 06:44 pm

    The first step toward ISO 27001 (even before blowing your budget on the PDFs) is to establish and heartily commit to the reasons you're pursuing certification.
    27001, compliance

  • Unix & Security: 243 Days

    Posted Jun 09, 2013 - 11:03 pm

    If someone told you that, on average, an advanced attacker was on a system for 243 days before he was detected, would you fall off your seat? If so, then, fall off your seat.
    apt, attack

  • Setting limits with ulimit

    Posted Nov 18, 2012 - 05:45 pm

    Setting limits on your Linux systems can both protect against certain types of failure and ensure that critical processes keep running when systems are heavily used. Take a look at the ulimit command and see what kind of shackles are limiting you – or maybe setting you free.
    limits.conf, open files
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