Kickstart is an automatic installation method natively available on those distributions which uses the Anaconda installer: Red Hat Enterprise Linux (and its clones) and Fedora. It can also be used to install Ubuntu, actually, but in that context it acts as a layer of compatibility to the debian-native preseeding method. With Kickstart we can perform unattended, customizable and reproducible installations.
Guides
How to install OnlyOffice Desktop Editors on Linux
OnlyOffice is an open source office suite compatible with both open and proprietary documents formats. The suite includes applications to create and edit text documents, spreadsheets and presentations. The “community” version of OnlyOffice is cost-free and can be installed both as a service, or in the form of classic desktop editors.
How to keep configuration files under version control with Etckeeper
On Linux-based operating system the /etc directory is used to hold global configuration files for applications and services. A good set of configurations is really important for a good working system, so being able to keep track of changes and quickly revert them, in case something go wrong, is crucial. Etckeeper helps us achieve this goal keeping configuration files under version control.
Curl command basics tutorial with examples
Curl is a free and open source software we can use to exchange data with servers using one of the many supported protocols, such as HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, FTP, SFTP. Since Curl is a command line tool, we can use it in our scripts, to automatize repetitive tasks, for example. There are many use-cases Curl can cover. In this tutorial, however, we see some of the most common ones.
3 Methods to install PyCharm Community Edition on Linux
PyCharm is a professional Python IDE (Integrated Development Environment) developed by JetBrains, which supports a lot of features like code completion, refactoring, debugging, etc. Two versions of the IDE exist: the “Professional” version, which must be purchased, and the free, “Community” version, which is based on open source software, and can be downloaded and installed free of charge. Various methods can be used to install the IDE on Linux.
How to remove dangling and unused Docker images
Docker is a free and open source OS-level virtualization system which allows us to pack and deliver applications together with their dependencies in isolated and reproducible environments called containers. Docker containers are built on the base of Images, which can become “dangling” in certain situations.
How to extend PCManFM with custom actions
PCManFM is a free and open source file manager which is meant to be a lightweight alternative to applications like Thunar (the default Xfce4 file manager) or Nautilus/Files (the GNOME counterpart). Although designed to by easy on resources, PCManFM doesn’t lack functionalities, and it can be extended with custom actions.
How to automatically change X11 displays setup with autorandr on Linux
Adding a monitor to a setup is probably one of the most effective and immediate ways to increase productivity. A multi monitor setup can be useful, for example, when we need to consult some kind of documentation and at the same time work on another task full-screen. Autorandr is a free and open source utility able to apply specific X11 configurations depending on the displays connected to our machine.
How to install and setup Ghost CMS on Ubuntu
Ghost is a free and open source blogging platform written in Javascript, which saw its first release in 2013. It supports writing posts both using a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, and the Markdown language. Unlike WordPress, it is focused on simplicity and on being purely a blogging platform, therefore it includes SEO and and social sharing features out of the box. Ghost offers a ready-to-go hosting service, Ghost(Pro), but can be easily self-hosted.
Introduction to the OverlayFS
The OverlayFS pseudo-filesystem was first included in the Linux kernel 3.18 release: it allows us to combine two directory trees or filesystems (an “upper” and a “lower one”) in a way that is completely transparent to the user, which is able to access files and directories on the “merged” layer just like he would do on a standard filesystem.
How to build Super Mario 64 natively on Linux
Super Mario needs no presentations: it is one of the most beloved video games characters. Super Mario 64 was originally released for the Nintendo64 console in 1996, and represented the first 3D episode of the Mario franchise. Thanks to a github project, which achieved the full decompilation of the game, it is now possible to build a native Linux port and play it without the need of a Nintendo64 emulator. In order to compile the port, an original, and legally obtained “.z64” rom of the game is needed.
How to send desktop notifications using notify-send
Every desktop environment on Linux has its own notification system which implements the Freedesktop notifications specifications. Some of them, like GNOME or KDE, use their own built-in notification systems which cannot be replaced; others like Xfce or Mate, use more modular components (Xfce notification daemon and Mate notification daemon, respectively). Desktop-independent notification systems also exist (dunst, for example): most of the time they are used on minimal setups (e.g. when using a plain window manager instead of full blown Desktop environments).