Dave McKay

Variables are vital if you want to write scripts and understand what that code you’re about to cut and paste from the web will do to your Linux computer. We’ll get you started!

Want to move your Linux home folder to another drive? Here’s a straightforward and step by step way to do it that should work on any distribution. Moving your home folder means you can reinstall Linux and not have to w...

The chroot command can send you to jail, keep your development or test environments isolated, or just improve your system’s security. We show you the easiest way to use it.

Use the Bash shell in Linux to manage foreground and background processes. You can use Bash’s job control functions and signals to give you more flexibility in how you run commands. We show you how....

Want to copy and paste at the command line of the Bash shell? We’ll show you multiple techniques whether you favor the keyboard or the mouse. These work whether you’re at a graphical desktop or at a traditional te...

Create your own Linux commands using aliases and Bash shell functions. Tame repetitive tasks, truncate long-winded processes, and configure standard commands with the options you always use and struggle to remember....

Knowing who is using your Linux or Unix-like system is a fundamental part of managing it. Pointing at someone might be considered rude, but using your finger can still be enlightening.

The chgrp command on Linux changes the group ownership of a file or directory. Why use it instead of chown ? Sometimes a Swiss Army knife is great, but when you really need a scalpel, only a scalpel will do....

Use Linux pipes to choreograph how command-line utilities collaborate. Simplify complex processes and boost your productivity by harnessing a collection of standalone commands and turning them into a single-minded team. We sh...

Files and directories in Linux systems all belong to someone. You can change their ownership with the chown command. We show you how.

Control who can access files, search directories, and run scripts using the Linux’s chmod command. This command modifies Linux file permissions, which look complicated at first glance but are actually pretty simple once...

stdin, stdout, and stderr are three data streams created when you launch a Linux command. You can use them to tell if your scripts are being piped or redirected. We show you how.

You can use GUI windows, sliders, radio buttons, progress bars, and more in your Bash scripts. Learn how to use the zenity toolkit and give your Bash scripts a facelift. We’ll show you how.

Need to string some Linux commands together, but one of them doesn’t accept piped input? xargs can take the output from one command and send it to another command as parameters.

The Linux look command races through a file and lists all the lines that begin with a particular word or phrase. But watch out! It behaves differently on different Linux distributions. This tutorial will show you how to use i...

Instead of flying blind, use the Linux pv and progress commands to track a command’s progress. These utilities will give you progress bars for commands that don’t normally have any. You’ll see an estimated t...

Need to SSH to an unreachable Linux computer? Have it call you, then burrow down that connection to get your own remote SSH session. We show you how.

Want to remotely access a Linux machine and launch a graphical application? PuTTY to the rescue, thanks to the “enable X11 forwarding” option. You can even do this from Windows—all you need to do is quickly ...

What does the tty command do? It prints the name of the terminal you’re using. TTY stands for “teletypewriter.” What’s the story behind the name of the command? That takes a bit more explaining....