Finding the right documentation starts with knowing what a command name refers to. The whatis command searches manual page names and prints their short descriptions. You’ll see how to look up names with exact matches or wildcards, and how to check an empty result. TL;DR: whatis in one command The whatis command looks up a
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A Linux account lookup can show who is logged in or return details for a named user. The finger command displays account or session fields that the system makes available. This article shows how to install finger and interpret its output for session or account lookups. TL;DR The finger command looks up information about local
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Finding apps for common Linux desktop tasks means deciding which tools fit the work you do. This list covers ten apps for jobs from launching programs to recording video. It explains what each app is for and what to check before installing it. TL;DR: 10 Linux apps for common tasks A useful Linux app is
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Using Ubuntu commands starts with learning where to enter them. Ubuntu Terminal is a text window where a shell reads commands and runs requested tasks. This article shows how to read the prompt and navigate between folders in Terminal. TL;DR Open Ubuntu Terminal, use pwd to see where you are, ls to inspect that folder,
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Setting up a PHP site on Ubuntu or Debian means installing the services that handle web requests and application data. A LEMP stack uses Nginx to pass PHP requests to PHP-FPM, while MySQL stores application data. This article shows how to install a LEMP stack on Ubuntu or Debian and check its PHP handler. TL;DR
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Opening an application by typing its name gives you another way to browse the desktop menu. Ulauncher is a Linux launcher that matches typed text to installed applications in a search box. You’ll learn how to install Ulauncher and configure its shortcut, then use its app search and directory browser. TL;DR Ulauncher is a keyboard-oriented
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When an Ubuntu desktop slows down, checking its processes and resource activity can show what is happening. System Monitor is a graphical viewer for running processes and recent system activity. I’ll show you how to open or install it, then use its process list and resource graphs to inspect activity. TL;DR Search the app grid
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To edit a file on Linux, you can open it in Emacs and change its text. Emacs is a text editor that holds the text you are editing in a buffer, which you can save to a file. This guide walks through editing a file in Emacs, including the keys for saving and quitting. TL;DR:
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To find documentation for a Linux command, you need a help source that covers it. Bash’s help command displays documentation for shell commands such as cd and read. I’ll show how to use help for Bash commands and where to look for documentation for external programs. TL;DR: Use help for Bash builtins In Bash, follow
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Getting VLC onto an Ubuntu computer starts with choosing an installation route. VLC is VideoLAN’s open-source media player for local files and network streams. This guide walks through installing VLC with APT or Snap, then checking which package is installed. TL;DR: Install VLC on Ubuntu APT is Ubuntu’s repository route. Snap gives you VideoLAN’s separately
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