Korbin Brown

How to Update Ubuntu packages on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa Linux

22 April 2020 by Korbin Brown

One of the main attractions of Linux has got to be the fact that the operating system and the software it runs are free. Unlike proprietary systems, software updates on Ubuntu are absolutely free – you never have to worry about shelling out money for the latest and greatest applications or upgrades.

In this guide, we’re going to take a look at the way Ubuntu releases updates. Ubuntu’s operating system updates follow a particular cycle, but the release schedule can be a little confusing to the uninitiated. We’re also going to go over the methods you can use in order to keep your system up to date, both via command line and GUI.

In this tutorial you will learn:

Understanding Ubuntu’s release schedule
How to ascertain upgrade information on Ubuntu
How to upgrade Ubuntu via command line
How to upgrade Ubuntu via graphical user interface

VNC server on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa Linux

22 April 2020 by Korbin Brown

VNC is a system that allows you to remotely control another computer. It allows you to relay your mouse and keyboard inputs as if you were physically sitting in front of the system, when in fact you could be on the other side of the world.

In this guide, we will go over the steps to setup a VNC server on your Ubuntu 20.04 system. When we’re done, you’ll be able to access your system remotely from anywhere, provided that your client system and the VNC server have an internet connection.

In this tutorial you will learn:

How to install and configure TightVNC Server
How to install and configure XFCE desktop manager
How to connect to our VNC server with TightVNC Viewer
How to tunnel VNC connections through SSH
How to manage multiple VNC desktops with a Systemd script

Install And Set Up KVM On Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa Linux

21 April 2020 by Korbin Brown

KVM is Kernel-based Virtual Machine. It’s a module built directly into the Linux kernel that allows the operating system to act as a hypervisor. Although some people may prefer a third-party solution like VirtualBox, there’s no need to install extra software since the Linux kernel already gives us the necessary tools we need to make virtual machines.

KVM requires a little configuration if you want some conveniences like a graphical manager or the ability to allow VM guests to login from your network – but we’ll cover that in this guide. Once it’s up and running, you’ll find that KVM provides the most stable and seamless experience for your virtualization needs on Linux.

In this tutorial you will learn:

How to install necessary KVM utilities on Ubuntu 20.04
How to install and configure virt-manager
How to configure network interfaces for bridged connection
How to create a new virtual machine

How to setup SFTP server on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa Linux

18 April 2020 by Korbin Brown

In this guide, we will show you how to setup an SFTP server using VSFTPD on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa. If you haven’t already, check out our tutorial on How to setup FTP server on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa with VSFTPD, as this article on SFTP assumes that you’ve applied the configuration covered in the FTP guide.

FTP is a great protocol for accessing and transferring files, but it has the shortcoming of being a clear text protocol. In other words, it’s not secure to use over an internet connection, since your credentials and data are transmitted without encryption. The ‘S’ in SFTP stands for ‘Secure’ and tunnels the FTP protocol through SSH, providing the encryption needed to establish a secure connection.

In this tutorial you will learn:

How to install and configure SSH daemon
How to setup an SFTP user account and group
How to connect to SFTP server via command line
How to connect to SFTP server via command line

How to setup FTP server on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa Linux

21 April 2020 by Korbin Brown

In this guide, we will show you how to setup an FTP server using VSFTPD on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa.

VSFTPD is a popular choice for setting up FTP servers, and is the default FTP tool on a few Linux distributions. Follow along with us below to find out how to install the application and get your FTP server up and running.

In this tutorial you will learn:

How to install and configure VSFTPD
How to setup an FTP user account
How to connect to FTP server via command line
How to connect to FTP server via GUI

How to customize dock panel on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa Linux

12 February 2022 by Korbin Brown

In this article, we will show you a few methods for Ubuntu dock customization in the default GNOME desktop environment on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa Linux.

GNOME is the default desktop environment for Ubuntu 20.04, and one of the first things you’ll see on your desktop is the dock panel to the left of the screen. The dock panel is highly customizable, so it’s easy to tailor it to your liking.

How to Monitor RAM Usage on Linux

19 February 2020 by Korbin Brown

The RAM usage on a system is good to know for a few reasons. Firstly, it can give you some insight into whether or not it’s necessary to upgrade the amount of memory inside your server or computer. If you see the memory utilization regularly nearing full capacity, it could indicate that your system needs an upgrade.

On the other hand, it can also help you track down problems on a system. A spike in memory usage can indicate an issue with a process running on the computer. In this tutorial for Linux administrators, we’ll go over a few methods to check and monitor the RAM usage on Linux.

In this tutorial you will learn:

How to check RAM usage with free
Monitoring ongoing RAM usage with free
How does free work?
How to check RAM usage with top
How to check RAM usage with htop

How to Kill a Running Process on Linux

19 February 2020 by Korbin Brown

Everything that’s running on a Linux system – a service, script, or anything else – is considered a “process.” If you need to end a running process on Linux, the kill command is sure to do the job.

In this guide for Linux administrators, we’ll go over the kill Linux command and how to use its various options to end, or “kill,” a running process on Linux.

In this tutorial you will learn:

How does the kill command work?
How to see what processes are running
How to kill a process by PID
How to kill a process that refuses to close
How to kill a process by name

How to Check and Monitor CPU utilization on Linux

15 February 2020 by Korbin Brown

As a Linux administrator, it’s important to keep an eye on how your server (or servers) is performing. One way to measure its performance is to track the CPU usage. This will give you insight into the performance of the system as well as show how the hardware resources are being divided up across the various running services.

In this guide, we’ll go over a few methods to check and monitor the CPU utilization on a Linux system. Whether you are in charge of a server or just your personal desktop, the computer’s CPU usage is useful information that’s easy to acquire.

In this tutorial you will learn:

How to check CPU usage with top
Understanding the output from top and htop
Monitor CPU usage with systat package
How to configure CPU monitoring alters

How to setup Nginx Reverse Proxy

9 January 2020 by Korbin Brown

In this guide, you will learn how to setup an Nginx reverse proxy with step by step instructions. We will also explain how a reverse proxy server works and what its advantages are. In addition, we also go over various configuration options that Linux administrators commonly employ on their reverse proxy servers.

In this tutorial you will learn:

How does a reverse proxy work
What are the benefits of a reverse proxy
How to setup Nginx reverse proxy
How to pass headers
How to configure load balancing
How to test the Nginx configuration

How to analyze and interpret Apache Webserver Log

19 December 2019 by Korbin Brown

Apache web servers can generate a lot of logs. These logs contain information such as the HTTP requests that Apache has handled and responded to, and other activities that are specific to Apache. Analyzing the logs is an important part of administering Apache and ensuring that it runs as expected.

In this guide, we’ll go over the different logging options present in Apache and how to interpret this log data. You’ll learn how to analyze the logs that Apache produces and how to configure the logging settings to give you the most relevant data about what Apache is doing.

In this tutorial you will learn:

Configure and understand Apache webserver logging
What are Apache log levels
How to interpret Apache log formatting and its meaning
What are the most common Apache log configuration files
How to extend logging configuration to include forensic data

How to benchmark Webserver with Apache Bench

12 December 2019 by Korbin Brown

Apache Bench is a tool used to measure the performance of a web server. Despite having “Apache” in its name, it can actually be used to test any type of web server. In this tutorial, we’ll go over the steps to use Apache Bench and how to interpret its report about a web server’s performance.

Apache Bench works by sending varying amounts of HTTP requests to the web server and recording the response times. It can tell you how much congestion the server can handle before it gets overwhelmed and performance diminishes.

In this tutorial you will learn:

How to install Apache Bench
How to use Apache Bench
How to interpret Apache Bench Results