Unix as a Second Language

RSS Link

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

Follow Sandra on Google+

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.

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
Unix: Chopping up CSV files

Posted Jul 13, 2013 - 08:31 pm

CSV (comma-separated values) files represent a common standard for transmitting data between applications. Like the more generic "flat files", each line in a CSV file represents a record. Exporting or importing data from and to applications such as Excel in CSV format is standard practice for a lot of applications. Hand a CSV file to a tool such as awk, however, and you may run into some problems. Let's look at the problems and at a handy Perl module that takes the stress out of working with CSV files on Unix systems.
CSV, module
Moving files between Unix and Windows systems

Posted Jun 03, 2012 - 10:20 am

Need to move files between Unix and Windows? No problem. There are several different ways of doing just that. One will surely meet your need.
copy, file transfer
Unix: Looking for evil in your firewall logs

Posted Jul 20, 2013 - 01:55 pm

Firewall logs. There's never enough time to review them, but you can't ignore them. Here's one way to look for malicious connections without spending a lot of time at it.
Connections, firewall
Making sense of memory usage on Linux

Posted Jun 10, 2012 - 12:24 pm

There are several useful commands for looking at memory use on Linux systems, but if you don't know what the numbers mean, you may think your systems are in bad shape when they're really OK.
free, memory
How (and why) to celebrate Sysadmin Day

Posted Jul 25, 2013 - 07:32 am

Friday, July 26th,2013 is Sysadmin Day or "Systems Administrator Appreciation Day" -- a good reason to celebrate those individuals who devote themselves to keeping our servers available, usable and secure, but how do you go about thanking these geeky superheroes? First, you have to disentangle them from whatever tasks they're currently juggling and then you have to get and hold their attention long enough to express your appreciation.
appreciation, holiday
Never login or backup

Posted Oct 29, 2012 - 03:39 pm

I call this blog "Unix as a Second Language" for a reason. I spoke English long before I became a Unix geek and a well crafted sentence can still bring a thrill to my geeky little heart. The problem is that I find myself increasingly surrounded by people who just don't get some of the basic principles of the language.
backup, cleanup
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
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: Rootkit detection and prevention

Posted Mar 10, 2013 - 03:47 pm

You could have a rootkit infection right now and be totally unaware. One of the key goals of a rootkit is, after all, to go undetected. If the rootkit is hiding files, processes, logins, etc., how would you know? If you can't see it, how would you remove it?
damage, Data Loss Prevention

October is...
Unified Communications Month

BY THE NUMBERS: UC&C

HOW-TO: Look alive and professional in Web meetings

TIP: Use your cell phone as a WiFi VOIP phone

TOOLBOX: Six alternative tools for small business collaboration

CASE STUDY: Enterprise social network moves ad agency into the future

Microsoft's Security Essentials isn't the best antivirus program, according to Microsoft

2 comments
AMD pushes forward with new video cards and a few surprises

2 comments
Build interactive HTML5 sites and graphics with Google's free Web Designer tool

1 comment
What to do after your email account is compromised

1 comment
See - and hear - what it was like to surf the web 20 years ago

1 comment

White Papers & Webcasts

White Paper

Join today!

Get FREE access to premium content, in-depth reviews, practical tips

How it works: The basic tech behind the Internet
You may think you know, but do you really know?
Free and cheap ways to study for IT certifications
Helpful tips for finding inexpensive study resources and getting hands-on experience
iOS vs. Android vs. BlackBerry vs. Windows Phone
Which platform provides the security you need?