David Both
Open Source Way
Raleigh, NC, United States
Contact David
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by David:
How I disabled IPv6 on Linux
Simplify your home network by disabling IPv6. → Read More
How I migrated a WordPress website to a new host
Use this simple approach to migrate a website and manage firewall configurations. → Read More
How to parse Bash program configuration files
Separating config files from code enables anyone to change their configurations without any special programming skills. → Read More
Why my need for control made me switch to Linux
Linux gives me the freedom to control how I use my computer. Plus, it's free and open source. → Read More
Use the Alpine email client in your Linux terminal
Email is an important communications medium and will remain so for the foreseeable future. I have used many different email clients over the last 30 years, and Thunderbird is what I have used the most in recent years. It is an excellent and functional desktop application that provides all the features that most people need—including me. → Read More
Resolve DHCPD and HTTPD startup failures with Ansible
Last year, I had a problem: HTTPD (the Apache web server) would not start on a reboot or cold boot. To fix it, I added an override file, /etc/systemd/system/httpd.service.d/override.conf. It contained the following statements to delay HTTPD's startup until the network is properly started and online. (If you've read my previous articles, you'll know that I use NetworkManager and systemd, not the… → Read More
Why I support systemd's plan to take over the world
There is no nefarious plan, just one to bring service management into the 21st century. → Read More
Configure a Linux workspace remotely from the command line
Nearly everything can be done from the Linux command line, including remote configuration of Xfce4. → Read More
Convert your Windows install into a VM on Linux
I use VirtualBox frequently to create virtual machines for testing new versions of Fedora, new application programs, and lots of administrative tools like Ansible. I have even used VirtualBox to test the creation of a Windows guest host. → Read More
11 Linux command line guides you shouldn't be without
Some of this year's top Linux command line (CLI) tools for beginners and pros alike. → Read More
Managing resources with cgroups in systemd
There is little more frustrating to me as a sysadmin than unexpectedly running out of a computing resource. On more than one occasion, I have filled all available disk space in a partition, run out of RAM, and not had enough CPU time to perform my tasks in a reasonable amount of time. Resource management is one of the most important tasks that sysadmins do. → Read More
My first day using Ansible
A sysadmin shares information and advice about putting Ansible into real-world use configuring computers on his network. → Read More
Poll: What do you think of the save icon?
Ok, I have just been doing some writing – something I do a lot of – and for some strange reason, I actually paid attention to the icon that stands for “Save.” It is – what?? – a diskette!! Why? How long has it been since diskettes were actually used? And how would the young people coming into computing even know what a diskette is? → Read More
Using systemd journals to troubleshoot transient problems
Problem determination can be as much an art as a science, and sometimes, it seems even a little magic can be useful. Everyone has encountered situations where a reported failure could not be reproduced, which is always frustrating for both the user and the system administrator. Even home appliances and automobiles can be obstinate and refuse to fail when the service person shows up. → Read More
Computer history and modern computers for sysadmins
A historical perspective into the functionality of the CPU and RAM. → Read More
Analyzing systemd calendar and timespans
Learn how systemd uses calendar time, timestamps, and timespans to control when things happen. → Read More
Use systemd timers instead of cronjobs
I am in the process of converting my cron jobs to systemd timers. I have used timers for a few years, but usually, I learned just enough to perform the task I was working on. While doing research for this systemd series, I learned that systemd timers have some very interesting capabilities. → Read More
Control your computer time and date with systemd
Most people are concerned with time. We get up in time to perform our morning rituals and commute to work (a short trip for many of us these days), take a break for lunch, meet a project deadline, celebrate birthdays and holidays, catch a plane, and so much more. → Read More
Manage startup using systemd
While setting up a Linux system recently, I wanted to know how to ensure that dependencies for services and other units were up and running before those dependent services and units start. Specifically, I needed more knowledge of how systemd manages the startup sequence, especially in determining the order services are started in what is essentially a parallel system. → Read More
Start using systemd as a troubleshooting tool
No one would really consider systemd to be a troubleshooting tool, but when I encountered a problem on my webserver, my growing knowledge of systemd and some of its features helped me locate and circumvent the problem. → Read More