Deepak Prasad

awk scans input line by line, splits fields, and runs actions when patterns match. Use it to print columns, filter rows, sum numbers, and build quick reports from logs or CSV-style text.

lbzip2 compresses and decompresses .bz2 files using multiple CPU threads. It reads the same bzip2 format as the classic bzip2 tool, so archives stay compatible while compression and decompression run faster on multi-core …

The ln command creates links in the filesystem. With -s it makes symbolic (soft) links — path shortcuts to files or directories — without duplicating data.

The chmod command sets read, write, and execute permission bits on files and directories. Use octal modes like 644 and 755, symbolic forms like u+x, or chmod -R to fix an entire tree.

The csplit command splits a text file into pieces at regex patterns or line numbers. Use it when file structure — headers, sections, markers — defines where to cut.

paste merges corresponding lines from one or more files into wider rows — tab-separated by default, or with custom delimiters. Use it to build columns, CSV-style output, and one-line serializations in shell pipelines.

ip from iproute2 configures addresses, links, and routes on Linux. Subcommands ip addr, ip link, and ip route replace legacy ifconfig and route for day-to-day network inspection and temporary changes.

Should you disable Transparent HugePages on Linux? Compare enabled always, madvise, and never, understand the defrag knob, see benchmark results for THP collapse and fork COW, and get workload-specific guidance for …

Do you need swap on Linux? Learn when swap adds value under memory pressure, what happens without it (OOM killer), how vm.swappiness differs for servers and desktops, swapfile vs partition, and how to tune sysctl safely.

Compare Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Linux Mint 22.3 in 2026: downstream Mint on Noble vs Canonical Ubuntu, GNOME vs Cinnamon, snap vs Flatpak policy, Mint tools, support timelines, hardware, developers, and which to install.

Compare Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Fedora Linux 44 in 2026: Debian-derived APT vs RHEL-upstream DNF, five-year LTS vs 13-month releases, snap vs Flatpak, AppArmor vs SELinux, cloud and enterprise fit, and practical desktop …

Compare Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Server and Desktop in 2026: same archive and kernel, different metapackages, RAM and disk requirements, installers, headless vs GNOME, cloud images, adding a GUI, and when to pick each edition.

Unsupported two-hop downgrade Ubuntu 26.04 LTS to 25.04 via 25.10 using apt pinning and aptitude—no data loss under /home on our VirtualBox VM—reboot between hops, Python and GRUB failures, libc6 hybrid state, and when …

Upgrade Ubuntu 25.04 to 26.04 LTS with do-release-upgrade via the required 25.10 hop—no data loss on /home in our VirtualBox test—apt full-upgrade and reboot checks, and fixes when the upgrader blocks on a pending reboot …

Learn how to check Ubuntu version from the command line or GUI. Use lsb_release, /etc/os-release, hostnamectl, /etc/issue, or Settings to find your Ubuntu release, version number, codename, and kernel.

Compare Kubuntu 26.04 LTS and Ubuntu MATE 24.04/25.10 in 2026: KDE Plasma vs MATE desktop, support timelines, hardware fit, customization, Wayland, applications, and which official Ubuntu flavor to pick for your PC.

Compare Debian 12 Bookworm and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Noble for servers: release cycles, security support, package freshness, Snap vs pure APT, cloud images, resource use, and when to pick each distro for production workloads.

Compare Debian 12 Bookworm and Debian 11 Bullseye in 2026: full support vs LTS timelines, OpenSSL 3 and Python 3.11 jumps, package versions, upgrade paths to Trixie, and when to stay on each release.

Compare Arch Linux and Ubuntu 26.04 LTS in 2026: rolling release vs LTS cadence, pacman vs APT, AUR vs snap, DIY minimal install vs GNOME desktop, cloud and enterprise fit, security defaults, and practical guidance.

swapon and swapoff cheat sheet for Linux: check swap usage, enable swap from fstab or a swapfile, set priority, and disable swap safely—with real command output from Ubuntu 25.04.

Compare openSUSE Leap 16 and Tumbleweed with Debian 13 Trixie: fixed vs rolling release, zypper vs APT, SELinux vs AppArmor, btrfs and Snapper, Agama and Cockpit, support timelines, servers, and practical guidance for …

Compare Linux Mint 22.x and LMDE 7 with Debian 13 Trixie: Ubuntu-based vs pure Debian, Cinnamon desktop polish, snap vs Flatpak, support timelines, servers, upgrades, and practical guidance for choosing between them.

Compare Arch Linux and Debian 13 Trixie: rolling release vs stable, pacman vs APT, AUR vs official repos, install philosophy, security defaults, server fit, upgrades, and practical guidance for choosing between them.

Install AWS CLI on Debian 11, 12, or 13 with the official awscli-exe-linux bundle, apt install awscli on Trixie, or legacy pip awscli. Verify with aws --version, configure credentials, fix PATH conflicts, and uninstall …

Install Flatpak on Debian 11, 12, or 13 with apt install flatpak, add the Flathub remote, install sandboxed apps with flatpak install, update with flatpak update, and remove Flatpak cleanly from system or user scope.

Install Go on Debian 11, 12, or 13 with apt install golang-go, the official go.dev Linux tarball under /usr/local/go, PATH and GOPATH setup, go mod init, verify with go version, and uninstall without mixing two …

Install ifconfig on Debian 11, 12, or 13 with apt install net-tools, fix ifconfig command not found on minimal images, compare with ip from iproute2, verify interfaces, and uninstall net-tools cleanly.

Install netstat on Debian 11, 12, or 13 with apt install net-tools, fix netstat command not found on minimal images, compare listening ports and routes with ss from iproute2, and remove net-tools cleanly.

Install PostgreSQL on Debian 11, 12, or 13 with apt install postgresql, verify systemd and psql, create users and databases, add the PGDG repository for other majors, and remove clusters cleanly with pg_dropcluster.

Install curl on Debian 11, 12, or 13 with sudo apt install curl, verify with curl --version and an HTTPS request, fix curl command not found and libcurl4t64 dependency errors, install php-curl when PHP needs libcurl, and …