Linux Tips, Tricks, and How-Tos

How to Use Linux’s ar Command to Create Static Libraries

Use Linux’s ar command to create function libraries when you’re developing software. This tutorial will show you how to create a static library, modify it, and use it in a program, complete with sample code....

Dave McKay Jul 8th

How to See All Devices on Your Network With nmap on Linux

Think you know what’s connected to your home network? You might be surprised. Learn how to check using nmap on Linux, which will let you explore all the devices connected to your network.

How to Use the pinky Command on Linux

Want to find out about the people logged on to your Linux computer? Well, don’t lift a finger; raise your pinky instead.

Dave McKay Jul 2nd

How to Access Your Linux (WSL) Files in Windows 10

Windows 10’s May 2019 Update finally offers an easy, safe, and officially supported way to access and work with your Linux files from within File Explorer and other applications. Here’s how to get at your Windows ...

Chris Hoffman Jul 1st

How to List Your Computer’s Devices From the Linux Terminal

Find out exactly what devices are inside your Linux computer or connected to it. We’ll cover 12 commands for listing your connected devices.

Dave McKay Jul 1st

How to Use All Linux’s Search Commands

Linux offers six different ways to search, and each has its merits. We’ll demonstrate how to use find, locate, which, whereis, whatis, and apropos. Each excels at different tasks; here’s how to choose the right to...

Dave McKay Jun 28th

How to Use the Linux type Command

Find out if a command resolves to an alias, a disk file, a shell function, a built-in command, or a reserved word. Use type to discover how your Linux commands are executed and understand your system better....

Dave McKay Jun 27th

How to Export and Import Your Linux Systems on Windows 10

Windows 10 now lets you export installed Linux environments, creating a TAR file of the root file system you can import on other PCs. Copy your configured systems between computers, share them with others, or just save a back...

Chris Hoffman Jun 27th

Valve Now Says Steam Will “Likely” Support Ubuntu 19.10

It’s been a rough few days for Linux gaming, but the battle is over. In response to Canonical’s change of plans around 32-bit compatibility libraries, Valve has announced it will “likely” support Ubunt...

Chris Hoffman Jun 27th

How to Use the Linux lsof Command

If everything in Linux is a file, there has to be more to it than just files on your hard drive. This tutorial will show you how to use lsof to see all the other devices and processes that are being handled as files....

Dave McKay Jun 26th

Steam Won’t Support Ubuntu 19.10 and Future Releases

Do you use Steam on Ubuntu? You may have to switch to a new Linux distro in the future. A Valve developer announced that Steam won’t officially support Ubuntu 19.10 or future releases. Ubuntu-based Linux distributions a...

Chris Hoffman Jun 22nd

How to Securely Delete Files on Linux

Shred old data files for the same reason you shred old paper documents. We tell you what you need to know about securely deleting Linux files. This tutorial covers the shred command and the secure-delete suite of utilities....

Dave McKay Jun 21st

How to Migrate Ext2 or Ext3 File Systems to Ext4 on Linux

Know you should upgrade your Linux filesystem but can’t face the aggravation? Here’s how to convert ext2 and ext3 to ext4 without the upheaval of a complete re-install.

Dave McKay Jun 20th

How to Use the vmstat Command on Linux

Your Linux or macOS computer is using virtual memory. Discover how it’s affecting your system’s use of physical memory, CPU, and hard disk resources.

Dave McKay Jun 19th

How to Use the Linux cat and tac Commands

The cat and tac commands display the contents of text files, but there’s more to them than meets the eye. Dive a little deeper and learn some productive Linux command line tricks.

Dave McKay Jun 17th

How to Create and Install SSH Keys From the Linux Shell

Take cybersecurity seriously and use SSH keys to access remote logins. They’re a more secure way to connect than passwords. We show you how to generate, install, and use SSH keys in Linux.

Dave McKay Jun 13th

Windows 10’s Linux Kernel Is Now Available

Microsoft just released a new Windows 10 Insider Preview build featuring the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2. WSL 2 includes a real Linux kernel that lets you run more Linux software on Windows and with better performance than ...

Chris Hoffman Jun 12th

How to Wirelessly Transfer Android Files to a Linux Desktop

Do you have an Android phone and a Linux desktop? You can transfer files wirelessly, send texts from your PC, and control your phone from your computer. It’s like Windows 10’s Your Phone app for Linux!...

Dave McKay Jun 12th

How to Install and Use the Tor Browser on Linux

Surf with anonymity using the Tor browser. Here’s how to install Tor on a Linux desktop. Ubuntu users beware: The Tor project recommends not installing Tor from Ubuntu’s regular software repositories....

Dave McKay Jun 11th

How to Use the rename Command on Linux

Get to grips with the file renaming powerhouse of the Linux world and give mv—and yourself—a rest. Rename is flexible, fast, and sometimes even easier. Here’s a tutorial to this powerhouse of a command....

Dave McKay Jun 10th

How to Use the timeout Command on Linux

OK, that’s enough computer time. You can give processes time limits, setting a maximum time they can run for with the timeoutcommand. Here’s a tutorial to putting limits on running programs with this command....

Dave McKay Jun 7th

How to Apply a Patch to a File (and Create Patches) in Linux

The Linux patch command lets you transfer the changes from one set of files to another set of files quickly and safely. Learn how to use patch the simple way.

Dave McKay Jun 5th

How to Use the last Command on Linux

Who, when, and from where? Good security practices say you should know who’s been accessing your Linux computer. We show you how.

Dave McKay Jun 3rd

How to Use the time Command on Linux

Want to know how long a process runs and a whole lot more? The Linux time command returns time statistics, giving you cool insights into the resources used by your programs.

Dave McKay May 30th

How to Use the wall Command on Linux

Need to get a quick message out to all logged-in users? Linux’s wall command is punchier than email and auto-targets the logged-in users. It broadcasts a message to everyone using a terminal on a system....

Dave McKay May 29th