March 2004
Joe CasadTadpole's new SPARCLE line of enterprise-level laptops is their most affordable so far. And while they are not exactly bargain basement (SPARCLEs start at $2995), they are close enough to loose some SPARCs among the less well-heeled. Reviewed by Joe Casad.
Joe "Zonker" BrockmeierSpirit and Opportunity, the rovers exploring Mars' surface, are getting a boost from Linux. In fact, they're taking their orders from Linux workstations here on Earth. Zonker recently talked to Laurence Edwards about the Mars rovers, and how NASA is using Linux to run the Mars Exploration Rover Mission.
Russell DyerThere are several ways to add and to change data in MySQL. There are a few SQL statements that you can use, each with a few options. Additionally, there are twists that you can do by mixing SQL statements together with various clauses, some of which are available with the release of version 4 of MySQL. In this article, I will explore the ways in which data can be added and changed in MySQL.
Cameron LairdUnix systems administrators are familiar with Expect as a nearly indispensable tool for handling difficult problems involving passwords and other unusual forms of data entry. Few know, though, that Python can easily handle most of the same problems: Python has its own Expect.
Joe "Zonker" BrockmeierDVD burners have finally started to drop in price to the point that they're cheap enough to own for personal use. "Cheap enough" is relative, of course, but you can buy a decent (and Linux-compatible) DVD burner for less than $200 if you're willing to look around a bit.
Cameron LairdWhat kinds of problems are suited to Python? As a first approximation, think of Python the way you do Perl. Although far more Unix systems administrators currently work in Perl, the two languages are roughly comparable, for our purposes. Many of the differences between them are subjective, in the sense that experienced programmers simply find the features of one or the other fit their own habits of thinking better, although they're equally capable or provide the same formal functionality. This second installment in my series on "Python in Systems Administration" explains the parallels, then spotlights instances where Python might serve you better.
Peter SalusThere are more than a thousand books concerning computer security listed at Amazon.com. About a dozen of them are really worthwhile. That short list has just grown to include Peikari and Chuvakin's tome.
Joe "Zonker" BrockmeierZonker covers two tools this month: ApacheTop and iftop. ApacheTop is used to monitor Apache in real time and generate a top-like output. iftop displays a table of current bandwidth usage in a top-like format.
Russell DyerWhen visiting Web sites, you may notice that occasionally the address you type into your browser is not where you end up. This is because your browser is being redirected. There are many reasons for redirecting browsers or clients. One reason is because the Web page or section that the client requested no longer exists or was moved. Another reason for redirecting users is to simplify Web addresses — a user can be given a Web page that seems to be in a root directory, but its actual location is several levels down, requiring some additional values. Sometimes redirection is used to spread Web traffic between multiple servers and administrators. In this month's installment of Russell's Apache Web server series, he discusses redirection directives and related methods.
Peter SalusA few weeks ago, I pointed to August 1969 as the "birthmonth" of UNIX. A few days after that birth, the ARPAnet (soon to become the Internet) was born. And, on 28 December 1969, Linus Torvalds was born.
Cameron LairdNearly all Unix systems administrators rely on Expect — and the overwhelming majority also misunderstand it. This third installment of this series explains seven little-known facts about Expect that may help you use it more efficiently.
Emmett DulaneyIn part 1 of a 2-part discussion, Emmett provides tips for increasing test scores on multiple-choice exams.
Ted NolanLDAP Programming, Management, and Integration by Clayton Donley is a disappointing book on two levels — first, it fails to be a clear and cogent introduction to the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, and second, the author obviously has the requisite LDAP skills and knowledge to write the book this one should have been. Since Donley's knowledge of LDAP is obviously extensive, I'm sure most of the deficiencies this book exhibits could have been fixed with stronger editing and another draft; unfortunately this did not happen.
Ed SchaeferShell Corner: Dateplus: Incremented, Decremented, Repeated, and Other Tools
Russell DyerMySQL has many built-in functions that can be used to manipulate strings of data. With these functions, you can format data, extract certain characters, or create search expressions. Good developers should be aware of these useful string functions that are available, so this month I will go through several string functions, grouping them by similar features and providing examples of how they might be used.
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