Terminal work sometimes means you need a command to keep running while you return to the shell prompt. The bg command resumes a stopped shell job in the background, returning control of the prompt. I’ll walk through resuming a stopped job with bg and checking its state. TL;DR The bg command resumes a stopped job
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A command you use often can be awkward to type whenever you open a terminal. The Linux alias command lets a shell replace a short name with fixed command text. This piece explains how to create an alias and keep it available in later Bash sessions. TL;DR The alias command in Linux gives a shell
Alias Command in Linux: Create and Use Shortcuts Read More »
A Linux server may need to accept SSH connections on a different port from the one it uses now. Changing the SSH port configures the server to listen for SSH connections on a different TCP port. In this piece, I’ll walk through changing the SSH port on Linux and Ubuntu, then verifying that the server
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A network scan starts with a target and a question about what you need to learn from it. Nmap is a command-line tool that sends test messages to a specified host and uses the replies to report host availability and port states. In this piece, I’ll show you how to run a focused scan and
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For an Ubuntu Python project, Flask needs a place to install its packages without changing Ubuntu’s managed Python. Flask helps a Python app handle web requests and includes commands you can run from a terminal. In this piece, I’ll walk you through installing Flask in a project environment and checking it with a small application.
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Before a Ruby program can run on Ubuntu, the system needs Ruby’s interpreter. Ruby is a programming language, and its interpreter runs Ruby programs. I’ll show you how to install Ruby with APT and check whether Ubuntu’s package version fits your project. TL;DR Install Ruby from Ubuntu’s configured repositories with APT, then check the interpreter
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Moving files between directories or machines calls for a way to copy them while keeping their directory structure. rsync is a file-copying utility that works locally or across a network and can synchronize a destination with a source. In this piece, I’ll walk through copying a directory locally or over SSH and previewing the planned
Rsync Command in Linux: Copy and Sync Files Read More »
Choosing a package source can be confusing when Debian offers its own route and Oracle publishes another. VirtualBox runs virtual machines, and its host package can come from Oracle’s APT repository or Debian Fast Track. I’ll explain how those package sources differ and walk through installing VirtualBox from Oracle’s repository on a supported release. TL;DR:
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Scripts sometimes need to run the same task with different input. A Bash function names a group of commands and accepts arguments when the script calls it. I’ll walk through passing arguments to functions and choosing between a status and printed data for results. TL;DR A Bash function gives a name to commands you can
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Sometimes a program keeps running after its work is done, and you need to stop it without looking up a process ID. The PSmisc version of killall selects running programs by command name and sends them a signal, with SIGTERM as its default. In this piece, I’ll show you how to check your installed implementation
Linux killall Command: How to Stop Processes by Name Read More »