Linux server security is of critical importance to sysadmins. One central part of keeping Linux servers secure is by installing security updates promptly. Too often, there are compromised servers on the internet due to pending security updates waiting for a manual update. On both Ubuntu and Debian, the unattended-upgrades package can be configured to perform […]
Enhance the performance of MongoDB databases with proactive MongoDB monitoring
MongoDB is an open-source NoSQL database management system that stores data in JSON-like documents. It’s designed to handle large volumes of data with a document-oriented architecture and can operate without a predefined schema, allowing for more flexibility in data storage and retrieval and making it a highly scalable option for businesses of all sizes. It’s […]
PHP Performance: Additional CPU cores vs Faster CPU cores
Some time ago, I received an email from a client experiencing slow performance issues with a LEMP (Linux, Nginx, MySQL, and PHP web server). During a full audit, I found that the server’s load average was pretty low (see below screenshot). However, the website was indeed very slow. There were some misconfigurations, but one of […]
Strip Down Apache to Improve Performance & Memory Efficiency
Can you believe that it’s been more than a decade since the release of Apache 2.4?! If you haven’t replaced Apache with Nginx, then here’s a quick guide for boosting Apache’s performance using a method that’s often overlooked. Now, before we get into that, please note that I’m not claiming that Apache is faster than […]
dnf error: cannot find the libbrotlidec.so.1 library (cPanel/WHM CentOS 7 to AlmaLinux 8)
Upgrading from CentOS 7 to AlmaLinux 8 is a significant step towards ensuring that your systems remain secure, supported, and up-to-date with the latest features and security patches. AlmaLinux 8, as a community-driven replacement for CentOS, offers a robust and reliable platform that is binary compatible with RHEL 8. This transition, however, can sometimes present […]
50 Essential Linux Commands that You Should Know
In this blog post, I will list 50 essential Linux commands you need to know to manage Linux systems effectively. These commands will help you perform various tasks efficiently. This post is a follow-up to my previous blog post: 90 frequently used Linux Commands. However, it’s designed to provide you with a carefully categorized list […]
What CentOS alternative distro should you choose?
In January 2014, CentOS announced it was officially joining Red Hat while staying independent from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) under a new CentOS governing board. However, in December 2020, Red Hat requisitioned that CentOS terminate the development of CentOS 8. They also announced that support would be shifting to a CentOS alternative rolling-release Linux […]
atop for Linux server performance analysis (Guide)
When optimizing Linux server performance, ‘atop’ is a command every system administrator should have in their toolkit. While many sysadmins are well-acquainted with top and htop, atop stands out as a powerhouse tool for real-time system monitoring and in-depth server analysis. In this article, we will explore the ‘atop’ Linux command, examine its advantages, and […]
htop: Quick Guide & Customization
htop is an interactive system monitor and a process viewer, process manager, trace tool and more. Sysadmins may opt to use htop when Unix top does not provide enough information about system processes. htop uses a cursor-controlled interface for sending signals to processes. One example where this is helpful is: you don’t have to type […]
How to Integrate Cloudflare with CSF Firewall
April 11th 2024 update: This article has evolved from “Replacing Cloudflare with CSF Firewall” to, “How to Integrate Cloudflare with CSF Firewall”. Leveraging CSF for Enhanced Security on Cloudflare-enabled Websites Over time, web infrastructure evolves, necessitating updates in our security and performance strategies. Notably, Bunny CDN served as a comprehensive caching solution for my blog […]