Using and Configuring Linux

Using and configuring Linux for general use. How to information and tutorials for Linux beginners.

How to Check Linux Version

Check Linux VersionIn the following segment, I outline a couple of methods you can use to check Linux version of your OS by using commands from an open terminal. These processes should work for the most common Linux operating systems.

Easily Change Ownership of File in Linux

change ownership of file linuxYou'll eventually come across the need to change ownership of file or directory in Linux. The best method to do this is through the use of the chown command which stands for "Change Owner".

How to Find and Kill Processes on Linux

kill process LinuxIt is inevitable that at some point you'll need to find and kill processes running on Linux. Like any other operating system, the programs or applications run on it can lock up, malfunction and become unresponsive.

Using and && in Linux to Chain Commands

&& operator and command in LinuxIn Linux, logical operators are used in various contexts, including shell scripting and command-line operations. Logical operators are used to perform logical operations on values or conditions, and they are typically used within conditional statements to control the flow of a script or to evaluate expressions.

The Easy way to Rename Files in Linux

rename files in LinuxAt first it might not be obvious, but you can easily use the mv command to rename files in Linux. From the terminal, this Linux command can be used to move a file or directory from one location to another or to rename a file or directory.

Using For Linux Command to Loop in Shell Script

for linux commandThe for Linux command is a shell command used in Linux and other Unix-like operating systems to loop through a series of commands. It is most commonly used in shell scripts or bash to help automate tasks or routines.

How to Add User to Sudoers

add user to sudoers listAdd user to sudoers file, list, or group so that you can give a new user root access or privilege. How do I add a user to Sudoers?

Updating Linux

Press Y to continue apt upgradeUpdating Linux is a fairly straight forward process that can easily be performed by running a few simple commands from an open terminal. These commands will vary slightly depending on the exact Linux distribution you are using.

Clear Terminal History in Linux

clear the terminal command historyHow do I clear terminal history (clear bash history) in Linux? How can I remove command line history or delete typed commands from the terminal?

Open Files as Root via Right Mouse Click

Open As AdministratorHow to easily add a context menu item that enables a Linux user to open files as root or administrator via right mouse click when browsing a file system. This feature allows the user to navigate their file system and open or edit any file or directory as the root user or admin of the system.

How to Search for a file in Linux

search file linuxThe following section covers how to search for a file in Linux by using the find command from a command line. The Command Line Interface or (CLI) in Linux is a text based interface.

Restore Grub after Windows Install

Use boot repair to restore grub after windows installRestore Grub after Windows Install: After installing Windows alongside Linux, the Windows bootloader overwrites the Grub bootloader. This results in not being able to boot into Linux, which is where a Grub fix comes in.

Create Your Own Live Linux Distro

make your own live linux distroEasily Create Your Own Live Linux distro, remix or spin; Creating your own custom Live Linux distro and resulting ISO file is not overly complicated. However, there are many different approaches depending mainly on which Linux base you decide to use.

Make a Casper Persistent File from Windows

Casper Persistent File CreatorUse the Linux persistent USB file creator to make a casper rw persistent file or writable persistence loop file for Ubuntu based distributions. Written for use from within Windows, this tool enables you to quickly create a loopback filesystem image to use for saving and restoring Ubuntu changes while booted from a live USB.

Install GRUB2 on USB from Windows

GRUB2How to Install Grub2 on USB from Windows. The following covers the process of installing Grub2 on a USB Flash Drive from within Windows.

Mount exFAT USB from Linux

mount exFatMount exFAT USB from Linux. How to access and use an exFAT formatted USB Flash Drive from within Linux.

Installing GRUB2 on USB from Linux

Ubuntu 20.04 DesktopHow to Install Grub2 on USB from Linux to make a BIOS an UEFI bootable USB that can boot on all Machines. In the following tutorial, I'll show you one way of easily installing Grub2 Bootloader to a USB Flash Drive from an up and running Linux Operating Environment.

Access Linux Files from Windows Ext2Fsd

Access Linux Files from Windows using Ext2Fsd Volume ManagerHow do I read Linux files from Windows or access files from Linux on Windows? Accessing a Linux filesystem from Windows to be able to read and use the information stored on a Linux partition can be accomplished in several ways.

Ubuntu Remote Desktop Screen Sharing

Ubuntu Sharing ScreenUbuntu Remote Desktop screen sharing with Windows and Linux. The following tutorial covers the process of remotely accessing and controlling an Ubuntu desktop screen from another Linux or Windows computer.

Installing WINE on Ubuntu

YUMI from WINE on UBUNTUInstalling WINE on Ubuntu. This compatibility layer allows Linux users to run Windows executables .

Create a Casper-RW Larger than 4GB

GParted Create a New Ext2 PartitionCreate a Casper-RW Larger than 4GB; The following tutorial will show you one way to create a writable Casper partition on your USB flash drive. The benefit of using a casper-rw partition as opposed to a casper-rw block file is that you can expand your persistent storage beyond 4GB.

Create a larger casper-rw loop file in Linux

The following tutorial explains how to create a larger casper-rw loop file (or writable file) for your Ubuntu based flash drive install. For example on: Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Crunchbang or Linux Mint.

Sharing Files Between Ubuntu and Windows

Sharing Files Between Ubuntu and Windows. In the following tutorial, I cover how to modify the casper script to allow you to mount your USB Flash Drive with read/write access.

Ubuntu - Remove the prompt to eject CD

How to remove the Ubuntu eject CD prompt. The following tutorial covers the process of removing the "Please remove the disk, close the tray (if any) and press ENTER to continue" prompt entirely from your USB Ubuntu installation.

Ubuntu Installer Not Detecting Hard Drive

Ubuntu Installer Not Detecting Hard Drive: I recently experienced a problem installing Ubuntu on a particular computer. Ubuntu's Ubiquity Installer was not detecting my SATA hard drive, although sudo fdisk -l found the drive just fine, and the drive also appeared in gparted.

What is Persistent Linux

Persistent Linux - What is it? After looking through some of the tutorials offered on Pen Drive Linux, you may be wondering what Persistent Linux means.

Accessing Linux Files from Windows

Access Linux files from Windows with explore2fsAccessing Linux files from Windows (Linux Windows file sharing). The following process covers methods that can be used to share files from Linux to Windows.

Ubuntu Edgy Beryl installation

This step by step tutorial explains how a user can install Beryl on Ubuntu Edgy. Beryl is a fork of the Compiz desktop window manager.

Ubuntu Linux Shell Commands quick reference

The following is a quick reference list of some useful Linux shell commands along with a short description of common usage. There are several more, but this basic list was created to help familiarize the newly introduced Ubuntu users.

How to change the Debian Menu Icon

The following tutorial covers the process of changing the default Debian Menu Icon to a custom Icon and in addition change the Debian Menu name. This is for those of us that prefer to use a pure Debian Linux Operating environment or a remix that is based on Debian.

Install NVIDIA Video Card Drivers in Debian

The following tutorial covers the process of installing the Proprietary NVIDIA video card drivers from the Nvidia Website into your Debian Lenny Linux system. We have known a lot of people who have had some issues trying to get the NVIDIA drivers to install and work with Lenny, so we decided to write this tutorial to offer up some tips and help.

How to Setup a Local Debian Mirror

Looking to Setup a Local Debian Linux Mirror or host your own Repository? Use your local hard drive or a network drive and share your mirror over a network or even on the internet.

Upgrading NVIDIA Drivers in Debian Lenny

One of the drawbacks to installing NVIDIA Proprietary drivers in Linux is that when the kernel is updated, you have to reinstall (recompile) the software to match the new kernel. This tutorial explains how to upgrade Proprietary NVIDIA video card drivers after your Debian Lenny Linux system has been upgraded to a new kernel version.

Install ATI NVIDIA Video Drivers on Ubuntu

This tutorial covers how to easily install proprietary drivers for your Nvidia or ATI video card using envy. These are the drivers that are listed in the download section of the ATI and NVIDIA Websites.

Install Nvidia or ATI drivers for Debian or Ubuntu

The following tutorial is for Debian or Ubuntu users who are looking to install proprietary drivers for their ATI or Nvidia video card. Installation of proprietary ATI or Nvidia video card drivers will allow you to take full advantage of all the 3d capabilities your Video card may have to offer.

How to Remove Old Linux Kernels

How to Remove Old Linux Kernels; At some point in time, almost every Ubuntu Linux user will have updated their kernel image. After you've used Ubuntu Linux with the new kernel image for a while and you're content that everything is working properly, you might want to remove the old Linux version or images that still reside on your system and appear as grub boot options.

Mouse pointer disappears after switching users

In Linux, if your mouse pointer disappears after switching users or after logging out and then back in, the problem is most likely caused by a bug with your video card driver. In most cases the mouse will still continue to work even though the mouse pointer is hidden or has disappeared completely from screen view.

Linux VGA Modes Set Screen Resolution at Boot

A simple way to set your screen resolution and color depth for most Live Linux distributions is via the use of the vga=parameter boot option. For example at boot you might type: vga=795.

How to find your Linux Kernel Version

Checking your Linux Kernel Version: Once your up and running with your favorite Linux distribution, you might find the need to install additional software packages or drivers. Some of these software applications or drivers can be specific to a Linux Kernel in which case you will need to find this information.

Understanding the Linux File System

Once you have migrated from Windows to Linux you may notice that the file system is not what your accustomed to. Of the first things an average user needs to understand is the inner workings of the root Linux file system and Linux core directory structure.

Installing NVIDIA Drivers Ubuntu

Installing NVIDIA Drivers Ubuntu Linux; Ubuntu does not ship with NVIDIA 3D acceleration enabled. Getting the NVIDIA Geforce video card working to its full potential requires the installation of an additional glx driver package.