Finding out what’s happening on a Linux Machine

/in , /by

Here’s a quick video on finding out what’s going on when you log into (or sit down at) a Linux machine. We cover the following commands:

w (/who): find out who is currently logged into the machine, and where they're connecting from

top: find out which processes are running, how much load they're putting on the CPU, and how much memory they're using.

(sudo) netstat -tulpn: Check for listening network ports and which processes/programs are using them.

Some Alternatives to the Tools I show in this Video:

I really like a program called htop, which shows you a bit more information and presents it in a nicer format. I recommend using it, once you’re comfortable with top.

htop (sudo apt-get install htop -- quit with 'ctrl-c' or 'q' once it's running)

Have fun!

The Absolute Basics: Set up a Linux Virtual Machine and get started

/in /by

Everyone has to start their Linux System Administration journey somewhere. If you’re ready to dive into Linux, here are the absolute basics.

Install Linux in a Virtual Machine

First things first: you need to get a learning environment set up for yourself: a place where you can make mistakes, explore things, and hack the matrix without destroying your day-to-day environment. The answer? A virtual machine! Here’s a video detailing how to set up a Linux virtual machine:

 

Get Started on the Linux Command-Line

Next, the fun part — jumping into the command-line! Open up a terminal in Ubuntu (by pressing the windows key to bring up the application launcher, and then typing in ‘terminal’ to bring up the application), and let’s get started with your first few commands:

At this point, you’ve got your learning environment set up. You’re probably excited to dive in and begin learning, but take a few minutes to play around with Linux until you’re comfortable using the Graphical User Interface (GUI), and typing in the basic commands we’ve discussed so far.

From here, you can continue the Linux Sysadmin Basics YouTube playlist!

Official tutoriaLinux Site Launch

/in /by

Hi there,

I’m excited to finally launch this site! I’ve spent the last year happily uploading videos to YouTube, but it’s finally time to make tutoriaLinux a bit more awesome. All of this started in 2014, when I began making videos for a friend to help him get the information he needed to get started with System Administration (he’s now a sysadmin, yay!).

This site will be a place for me to share content that’s not just the free YouTube videos you’re used to.

What you’ll see here:

  • Audio (sysadmin interviews, career advice, sysadmin theory, advice about system administration certifications, etc.).
  • Tutorials (text and screenshots; hardcore/retro/old-school style). This can be really useful on its own, and it can also supplement a lot of the free videos I’ve posted on YouTube.
  • Lists of useful links.
  • Code snippets, scripts, and source code downloads.
  • Other goodies.

YouTube was a great start for the tutoriaLinux idea, but it’s time to grow this into something even more useful.

Enjoy!