Linux Tip: Stop the /bin/cat Abuse!

When it comes to searching for specific strings in files on Linux, many users unnecessarily use cat in combination with grep. This practice—commonly referred to as /bin/cat abuse—is inefficient and can negatively impact system performance. Instead, you can directly use grep to simplify your workflow and improve efficiency. Let’s explore why this matters and how to implement the correct approach. Why Avoid cat … Read more

Linux Tip of the Day: Understanding Available vs Free Memory in Linux

Efficient memory management is crucial for Linux system administrators, especially when working with virtual machines (VMs) or servers. On Linux, understanding the difference between free memory and available memory is key to optimizing system performance. This guide explains how Linux uses memory, how to interpret the free command output, and why “unused” memory is not necessarily wasted. How Linux Handles Memory … Read more

Chattr and Lsattr Commands in Linux: A Guide to File Attributes

Introduction In Linux, certain file and directory attributes can only be accessed or modified using specific commands. These attributes allow you to restrict file operations, such as preventing deletion or modification, even by the root user. This functionality is particularly helpful for securing critical files and directories. In this guide, we’ll cover two essential commands: … Read more

Understanding the Wheel Group in RHEL

The wheel group is a special user group commonly used on Unix-based systems, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), to manage access to privileged commands. Users in the wheel group are granted the ability to execute commands as the superuser (root) by using the sudo command. This guide explains how to add a user to the wheel group and … Read more

How to Manage User Account Password Expiry in Linux

Managing user account password expiration is an essential task for Linux system administrators to ensure system security and compliance with organizational policies. The chage command is a powerful tool that allows you to view and modify password expiration settings for user accounts. In this guide, we’ll explore how to check password expiration details, set expiration dates, and … Read more

How to Use the yum history Command in Linux

The yum history command is a powerful tool for system administrators to track and manage package installation and updates on Linux systems. This command provides detailed information about all Yum transactions, making it easier to troubleshoot issues, roll back changes, or audit system modifications. In this guide, we’ll cover how to use the yum history command, interpret its output, … Read more