System Tools

Introduction> Introduction # In recent years, Linux distributions have increasingly transitioned from other init systems to systemd. The systemd suite of tools provides a fast and flexible init model for managing an entire machine from boot onwards.

Introduction> Introduction # Package management is one of the fundamental features of a Linux system. The packaging format and the package management tools differ from distribution to distribution, but most distributions use one of two core sets of tools.

Introduction> Introduction # Cron is a time-based job scheduling daemon found in Unix-like operating systems, including Linux distributions. Cron runs in the background and operations scheduled with cron, referred to as “cron jobs,” are executed automatically, making cron useful for automating maintenance-related tasks.

Introduction> Introduction # Warning: As with almost any upgrade between major releases of an operating system, this process carries an inherent risk of failure, data loss, or broken software configuration. Comprehensive backups and extensive testing are strongly advised.

Status: Deprecated> Status: Deprecated # This article covers a version of Ubuntu that is no longer supported. If you are currently operate a server running Ubuntu 12.04, we highly recommend upgrading or migrating to a supported version of Ubuntu:

Introduction> Introduction # LDAP is a protocol for managing and interacting with directory services. The OpenLDAP project provides an LDAP-compliant directory service that can be used to store and provide an interface to directory data.

The author selected the Free and Open Source Fund to receive a donation as part of the Write for DOnations program. Introduction> Introduction # In this two-part tutorial, you will learn how to configure a Linux service to restart automatically after a reboot or crash using systemd.

Introduction> Introduction # LVM, or Logical Volume Management, is a storage device management technology that gives users the power to pool and abstract the physical layout of component storage devices for easier and flexible administration.

Introduction> Introduction # Increasingly, Linux distributions are adopting the systemd init system. This powerful suite of software can manage many aspects of your server, from services to mounted devices and system states.

[*]Status: Deprecated[*] This article covers a version of Ubuntu that is no longer supported. If you are currently operate a server running Ubuntu 12.04, we highly recommend upgrading or migrating to a supported version of Ubuntu:

Introduction> Introduction # Linux is known for having a great number of mature, useful command line utilities available out of the box in most distributions. Often, system administrators can do much of their work using the built-in tools without having to install additional software.

Introduction> Introduction # Some of the most compelling advantages of systemd are those involved with process and system logging. When using other tools, logs are usually dispersed throughout the system, handled by different daemons and processes, and can be fairly difficult to interpret when they span multiple applications.

Introduction> Introduction # Linux utilities often follow the Unix philosophy of design. Tools are encouraged to be small, use plain text files for input and output, and operate in a modular manner.

Introduction> Introduction # Collecting and visualizing data is an important way to make informed decisions about your servers and projects. In a previous guide, we discussed how to install and configure Graphite to visualize data on our servers.

Status: Deprecated> Status: Deprecated # This article is deprecated and no longer maintained. Reason> Reason # This article duplicates more recent, accurate content. See Instead> See Instead # This article may still be useful as a reference, but may not work or follow best practices.

Introduction> Introduction # OpenLDAP provides an LDAP directory service that is flexible and well-supported. However, out-of-the-box, the server itself communicates over an unencrypted web connection. In this guide, we will demonstrate how to encrypt connections to OpenLDAP using STARTTLS to upgrade conventional connections to TLS.

Introduction> Introduction # Most modern Unix-like operating systems offer a centralized mechanism for finding and installing software. Software is usually distributed in the form of packages, kept in repositories. Working with packages is known as package management.

Introduction> Introduction # After setting up the bare minimum configuration for a new server, there are some additional steps that are highly recommended in most cases. In this guide, we’ll continue the configuration of our servers by tackling some recommended, but optional procedures.

Introduction> Introduction # SSH, or secure shell, is an encrypted protocol used to administer and communicate with servers. When working with an Ubuntu server, chances are you will spend most of your time in a terminal session connected to your server through SSH.

Introduction> Introduction # A large part of being a system administrator is collecting accurate information about your servers and infrastructure. There are a number of tools and options for gathering and processing this type of information.