I have been an avid computer user since my teens when I was first introduced to them. Over the past 25+ years I have documented and compiled an extensive record of various computer administration tasks that I have performed in managing my computers and network. Much of the information in this compilation was derived by studying man pages, visiting technical forums, performing web searches as well as trial and error. I present this compilation in the form of three guides. These guides are part of an evolving project. A revision date can be found at the beginning of each guide.
Before proceeding, read the cautionary message below. To help you better understand and navigate the guides click here. Select the topic you wish to explore from the list below.
This page contains many useful tips as well as procedures for performing various system administration related tasks. Also included are short guides and tutorials to accomplish various installation and setup tasks, as well as tutorials on selected software (e.g. LaTeX, VIM, SPICE). This guide is primarily targeted for Unix like OSs, although some of the information is applicable to other OSs.
This page contains useful background information on computer networking concepts, as well as useful tips and specific procedures for managing small home based networks.
This page is a compilation of troubleshooting advice pertaining to selected services and software such as Networking, Samba, Virtualbox and more. This page may be useful for resolving issues with a service or application that fails to operate correctly.
System administration and computer usage in general, entails inherent risks. Incorrect or careless usage and management of computer systems can result in irreversible loss of data, files, directories and disk content. Furthermore, it can result in damage to equipment, breech of privacy and much more. Always back up your data before attempting to perform an unfamiliar administrative task, upgrading a system, or anything you think could potentially erase or compromise your data. When working with sensitive data always put in force cyber protection mechanisms. Be particularly careful when using partitioning software such as fdisk and gdisk, since inadvertent mistakes can cause partition boundaries to be altered or erased. The command line tool dd requires even more caution, as it can irreversibly wipe out the data on your storage device.
The material and information contained in this website is offered to you for informational purposes only on an as-is basis. There is no guarantee for the information to be current, free of errors or accurate. Use the advice and instructions given herein at your own risk. To view the general disclaimer for this website and its content click on the "Disclaimer" tab or click here.