Tag: Linux
Using Help to Supplement Man Pages
Man pages are an invaluable tool in the Unix eco-system. Providing both a starting overview and a deep-dive future reference, what you need to know about a command is only a $ man <command> away. But there are times when the man command doesn’t provide all the information needed. Many of the most common Unix [...]
GRUB Boot Loader Command Line
Now that I’m back to dual booting on one of my boxes, I’ve been paying more attention to the GRUB boot loader. Up until now my eyes have only read, but not registered, the bit about opening a command line. When I did finally load it, what I found was an a surprisingly deep and [...]
Preserving a Copy in Linux with Tar
Ah, $ mv and $ cp how venerable they are. But there are times when a bit more is needed, namely when an exact copy (with hidden files, permissions, etc all preserved) is required. In that case tar is ready to step in: tar cf – . | (cd /newdir ; tar xf -) It’s [...]
Less Hacking and More Learning, Linux Edition
I’m never happy saying I know a subject until I’ve spent some time going back and filling in foundational gaps. It’s the reason I often pick up “Learning [subject]” and “Intro to [subject]” books even after I’ve become quite adept at a topic. Although I’m willing to admit there will always be gaps, it doesn’t [...]