Articles posted in Linux

ExpressionEngine permissions shell script

Every ExpressionEngine install requires that a number of permissions are set on folders and files. Here's a shell script to do the hard work for you. Read more

Using custom shell scripts on OSX or Linux

Custom shell scripts allow you to do pretty much anything. Here's a short tutorial on how to set up either OSX or Linux so you can use custom shell scripts on your system. Read more

Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope Released

The latest release of Ubuntu is now available, featuring faster boot times, a growl-style notification system and updates to bundled software. Read more

Testing with IE6, IE7 and IE8 on VirtualBox

I've recently moved from using Parallels for browser testing to Sun's Open Source VirtualBox. Here's a walkthrough on how to get a browser testing suite for free on OSX or Ubuntu. Read more

Chroot SFTP users on Ubuntu Intrepid

Newer versions of OpenSSH come with the ChrootDirectory directive that makes it easy to jail SFTP users to a directory. I've written about giving users a limited shell with older versions of OpenSSH but if you can run OpenSSH 4.9 or greater I recommend using this method. Read more

Deploying ExpressionEngine with Git and Capistrano

A tutorial on how to publish an ExpressionEngine website using Git and Capistrano. Read more

Setting up a backup strategy with Amazon S3

I've recently put a fairly rigorous backup procedure in place for local, staging and production servers. Partly so I don't forget I've written up the process. Read more

Ubuntu v OSX smackdown

In the left corner is my beloved OSX. In the right corner is Ubuntu, the Open Source upstart. Let battle commence.. Read more

Adding SFTP Users with a limited Shell in CentOS 5.2

A quick way to add SFTP users with a limited shell in CentOS Read more

Setting up mod_ssl on Apache Centos 5.2

This tutorial will explain how to set up a site over https on Centos 5.2, although it should work on most linux distributions. The tutorial uses a self signed key so will work well for a personal website or testing purposes. This is provided as is so proceed at your own risk and take backups! Read more

Using Aliases in the Linux Shell

Creating aliases to use in the command line is a simple way to increase productivity and shows the simplicity and power of using the shell. Here's how to do it. Read more

Safer Linux administration with sudo

The root account is all powerful in Linux. As humans make mistakes it is very dangerous to use root on a regular basis. By using sudo you can limit the risk of human error and prevent mistakes from happening. Read more

Prevent your SSH connection from freezing

Recently I was finding that my SSH connection to a Media Temple (dv) Centos 5 server was freezing. Creating a local config file fixed it. For anyone else suffering the same problem here's how to do it. Read more

Automating backups with Amazon S3 on Linux

A tutorial on how to back up files on Linux using Amazon's S3 service. The end result is a cost-effective synchronised remote backup service. Read more

Using Shared Keys with SSH on Centos 5

Shared Keys add an additional security level to using SSH and if you choose not to use a password you can automate logging in via SSH. It also allows you to completely negate brute force password cracking attempts if you disable password authentication. Read more

Domain forwarding in Apache

Here's a short tutorial on one way to forward one domain to another in Apache, keeping Google happy as we go along. Read more

Securing Plesk on a Media Temple (dv)3 server

By taking a few simple steps with SSH, FTP and the firewall you can make your Plesk server more secure than the default configuration. Read more

What’s wrong with Plesk

Increasingly I'm growing disillusioned with Plesk and SWsoft the company behind it. For me it is a stagnant product and a lack of competition is the root cause. Read more