Eric The IT Guy

Lock down user accounts on Linux before something else does.

List failed login attempts: lastb
Lock a user account: usermod -L username
Force a password change at next login: chage -d 0 username

Your servers are being probed right now. Act accordingly.
#Linux #SysAdmin #Security #TechTip

Multitasking isn't a skill. It's just doing several things poorly at the same time.

Single-tasking is uncomfortable at first because it forces you to sit with one hard thing instead of bouncing between easier ones. One tab. One task. One block of time.

Try it for a morning and see what happens.
#Productivity #Focus #DeepWork #WorkLifeBalance

Day 2 of Open Source Summit and I'm running on no sleep but good conversations!

One of my favorite things about events like this is the hallway track. The talks are great but the people you meet between sessions are something else entirely. If you're here today come find me. I'd love to connect in person.

#OpenSourceSummit #OpenSource #Linux #Community

Stop burying decisions in email threads.

Move the conversation to a threaded discussion instead! Slack, Teams, whatever you use: where context stays attached, replies are organized, and nobody has to scroll through a reply-all chain to find the answer.

#Productivity #Teamwork #WorkSmarter #TechLife

New on the IT Guy Show!

AI is everywhere and so is the fear that it's coming for your job. But the real story is more interesting than that!

I sat down with returning guest Karl Abbott to dig into his article "AI Didn't Replace My Work. It Changed How I Work." Karl's take isn't doom and gloom. It's actually kind of refreshing.

If you've ever felt uneasy about where AI fits into your work, this one's for you.

https://youtu.be/bvhfBVEGjho
#AI #FutureOfWork #Tech #Linux #OpenSource #ITGuyShow

Set a static IP on Linux:
nmcli con mod "connection-name" ipv4.addresses 192.168.1.100/24
nmcli con mod "connection-name" ipv4.gateway 192.168.1.1
nmcli con mod "connection-name" ipv4.method manual
nmcli con up "connection-name"

Because "it gets an IP from DHCP" is fine...until it isn't.
#Linux #SysAdmin #Networking #TechTip #

Do Not Disturb isn't enough on its own.

The real move is setting VIP status on the people and channels you actually need to hear from so the right alerts still get through while everything else waits.

Your boss, your on-call rotation, your kids' school. Everything else can wait.
#Productivity #Focus #DeepWork #WorkLifeBalance

Kubuntu. Xubuntu. Lubuntu. Ubuntu Unity. There's no wrong answer. There's just the right tool for what you want to do.

#Ubuntu #Linux #LinuxDesktop #ITGuyShow

Ubuntu is an ancient Xhosa philosophy. "We're all connected. When I lift you up, I lift the whole community."

My guest thought it was marketing nonsense... until he kept seeing it actually happen.
#Ubuntu #Linux #OpenSource #ITGuyShow

Networking on Linux isn't magic. It just looks that way until you know where to look!

Check your network interfaces: ip addr show
Test connectivity: ping -c 4 google.com
Check your routing table: ip route show

#TechTipThursday #Linux #SysAdmin

One of the smallest changes that made the biggest difference in my workday: scheduling Do Not Disturb. Not turning it on when I remember. Actually scheduling it.

Deep work hours in the morning. Lunch. After 6pm. Blocked and protected. Notifications will always be there when you're ready for them. Your focus window won't.

What hours do you guard the most?

#Productivity #DeepWork #WorkLifeBalance #Focus #TechLife

#TechTipThursday
Printers. The final boss of Linux administration. Check your print service is running:
systemctl status cups

List available printers:
lpstat -p

Send a file to the printer and pray:
lp filename.pdf

Linux has conquered the cloud, the kernel, and the enterprise. Printers remain undefeated.

New Fedora Podcast episode!! 🎙️
What does bootc actually look like when it's running in production? James Harmison joins us to talk about building custom bootc images across wildly different contexts: NVIDIA drivers, AGX Orin hardware, replacing RHCOS in OpenShift, and even a couch gaming rig.
Real world. Real use cases. No lab bubbles.

🎧 podcast.fedoraproject.org
#Fedora #Linux #bootc #OpenSource #Containers #OpenShift

I'm writing a blog post about meeting nightmares and I need your stories.
The ones that should have been an email. The ones with 40 people and no agenda. The ones where someone shared their screen for 20 minutes and couldn't find the file.
Drop them in the comments. The worse (or funnier) the better.

#MeetingCulture #Productivity #WorkLife #TechLife

#TechTipThursday
Yes, Linux admins still configure email. No, it never gets less weird.

Check if your mail service is running:
systemctl status postfix

Send a test email from the command line:
echo "Test" | mail -s "Hello" [email protected]

Check the mail queue:
mailq

Nobody gets excited about email configuration. Until something breaks and logs stop delivering. Then it's the only thing that matters.

Check your system logs:
journalctl -xe

Follow logs in real time:
journalctl -f

Filter by service:
journalctl -u nginx

Logs tell you everything, if you know where to look.
#SysAdmin #Linux #TechTipThursday

Thinking about finally sitting down and knocking out my Linux+ certification.

For those of you who've been through it: what actually helped? Study guides, practice exams, specific resources you'd recommend?

Drop your tips below.
#Linux #LinuxPlus #CompTIA #SysAdmin #OpenSource

Check your system time and timezone:
timedatectl status

Set your timezone:
timedatectl set-timezone America/Chicago

Sync with NTP:
timedatectl set-ntp true

Getting time right matters more than people think, especially for logs, cron jobs, and anything distributed.

#TechTipThursday #linux #sysadmin

#TechTipThursday
Want to check or change your system locale on Linux?
localectl status

To list available locales:
localectl list-locales

To set one:
localectl set-locale LANG=en_US.UTF-8

Handy when you're deploying systems for users in different regions or when something's outputting dates and currencies in a format that makes no sense to you.
#linux #sysadmin

Quick cron reminder on this #TechTipThursday

*/5 * * * *
Runs every 5 minutes.

But remember: cron doesn’t care if the previous job finished. Long-running jobs can pile up fast. Sometimes a systemd timer is the better tool.

#Linux #Cron #SysAdmin #DevOps

SCaLE x23 is this weekend and I am presenting! My session is about burnout in IT: what it looks like, what causes it, and how to build a sustainable career.
https://bit.ly/46EZi3v #SCaLE #ITCareers #Burnout

Linux has solid built-in accessibility features:

On GNOME:
Settings → Accessibility

You’ll find:
- Screen reader (Orca)
- High contrast mode
- Zoom
- Large text scaling

Accessibility isn’t niche. It’s good engineering.

#TechTipThursday #Linux #Accessibility #OpenSource

Small productivity shift that’s helped me: I plan tomorrow before I shut down today.

- Top 3 priorities.
- First thing I’ll touch.
- One thing I’ll intentionally ignore.

It removes morning friction.
#Productivity #TechLife #Focus #DeepWork

I’m gearing up to knock out Linux+ soon.

For those who’ve taken it:
- What surprised you?
- What did you wish you’d studied more?
- Any resources that were actually worth it?

Would love your hard-earned advice!

#LinuxPlus #Linux #ITCertifications #CareerGrowth

#TechTipThursday

Running Wayland and something feels off? Try checking:
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE

If it says wayland, you’re native. If it says x11, you’re still on X.

Knowing which session you’re in saves a lot of confusion.

#Linux #Wayland #SysAdmin

If you care about #linux, #opensource, and building a sustainable career in IT…
That’s what I talk about every other week on The IT Guy Show.

Real operators. Real lessons.
From GitOps to burnout to self-hosting.

Catch up here: https://podcast.itguyeric.com

#ITGuyShow #TechCareers #Homelab #SysAdmin

If you’re writing shell scripts, start adding this:

set -euo pipefail

It forces your script to:
• Exit on errors
• Fail on unset variables
• Catch broken pipes

Small line. Big reliability boost.

#TechTipThursday #Linux #ShellScripting #SysAdmin

Don't sleep on built-in shell features:

* Ctrl+r for reverse history search
* Tab completion for paths and commands
* Brace expansion: mkdir project/{logs,data,tmp}

Master the shell you already use before adding new tools.

#TechTipThursday #Linux #SysAdmin

Security tools that live outside the operating system can only react. The most effective defenses are the ones built into the OS itself: enforcing integrity, catching tampering, and reducing blast radius in real time.

Prevention beats cleanup. Every time.

#LinuxSecurity #EnterpriseLinux #Linux #SysAdmin #DefenseInDepth

One thing I’m learning this season:

You don’t need to sprint every week to move forward.
Consistency beats urgency. Calm beats burnout.

#TechLife #CareerGrowth #SustainableWork #ITLife

🎉 January is already delivering:

✅ New job
✅ New apartment (moving in a couple weeks!)
✅ New motivation

It’s shaping up to be a big year, and its just getting started.

What’s something you’re excited about this month?

#LifeUpdate #NewJob #FreshStart #TheITGuyShow

It’s a fresh new year! What’s one goal you’ve set for yourself in 2026?
Personal, professional...wildly ambitious? I’d love to hear it. Let’s inspire each other to grow.
#GoalSetting #TechLife #NewYearGoals

Friday thought: Not every season is about pushing harder.

Some seasons are about maintenance, reflection, and preparing for what’s next.

If you’re ending the year tired, uncertain, or in transition — that’s okay.
Momentum doesn’t always look loud.

Wishing everyone a steady, low-stress weekend.

#WorkLifeBalance #ITCareers #MentalHealth

Midweek question for #Sysadmins and #IT folks:

When things slow down a bit toward the end of the year, do you tend to:
• Clean up old configs and tech debt
• Experiment in your homelab
• Learn something new
• Or… just keep the lights on and coast?

No wrong answers. Curious where everyone’s head is right now.

#SysAdmin #ITCareers #Linux

Friday Reflections:

Someone gave me great advice recently:
Each night: shut off your phone, meditate, take a hot bath, and fall asleep with an audiobook.

It’s simple, but it’s helped me wind down, rest deeper, and reset for the next day.

IT work (and life) can be chaotic. But the quiet moments, the ones we choose to protect, make all the difference.

What’s one habit that helps you recharge?

#WorkLifeBalance #Burnout #MentalHealth #ITCareers

Question for my fellow IT pros:

What’s one small thing you’ve done that made your systems noticeably more secure or stable?

Could be an alias, a config tweak, a tool, or a habit.
Sometimes it’s not the big overhauls that save the day but the five-minute fixes.

I’ll start: teaching students how to lock down SSH access properly has saved me hours of future troubleshooting.

#Linux #SysAdmin #ITCareers #OpenSource

The Linux desktop is changing...fast.
This week, I’m joined by Brodie Robertson to talk about the display server drama of the decade: the end of X11 and the rise of Wayland.

We dig into:
🖥️ The weird, wonderful history of X11
⚙️ Why Wayland is different (and sometimes frustrating)
🎮 What it means for gaming, streaming, and remote desktops

Listen: https://podcast.itguyeric.com/18
Watch: https://youtu.be/AJ8WcJL3Yoc

#SysAdmin #Wayland #X11 #linux #ITGuyShow

Burnout doesn’t always come from too much work. Sometimes it’s from carrying too much weight in the background. Between ongoing parenting hurdles and the usual chaos of life, I’ve learned how important it is to pause and protect your bandwidth.

This weekend, I’m planning to unplug (a little), recharge, and remind myself that progress isn’t just professional ! It’s personal.

How are you keeping burnout at bay lately?
#burnout #workLifeBalance #MentalHealth #ITCareers

Between teaching Linux networking, recording new episodes, and keeping my own systems patched, it’s been one of those “busy but good” weeks.

Sometimes the win isn’t finishing everything — it’s keeping momentum without burning out.

What’s one small win you’re carrying into the weekend?

#FridayWins #SysAdmin #Linux #ITCareers

When you spin up a new Linux server, what’s the first thing you do after login?

Update packages? Create a new user and disable root login? Install your favorite tools?

For me, it’s usually setting up #Ansible access!

What’s your ritual?

#Linux #SysAdmin #OpenSource #ITCareers

What happens when two nerds who love the community side of tech get together? A whole lot of stories, laughs, and insights.

This week, I sit down with #ChrisDeMars to talk all things Developer Relations - from open source to on-stage nerves. We dig into what it really takes to support and empower developers in today's fast-moving ecosystem.

Listen: https://podcast.itguyeric.com/15
Watch: https://youtu.be/9VFw_RDgWWA

#DevRel #OpenSource #Community #Podcast #ITGuyShow

Before DevOps, SRE & cloud hype, there were sysadmins—tech generalists keeping the lights on with duct tape, bash scripts & caffeine.

In this solo episode, I share how I broke into IT, lessons learned, tools I loved (and hated), and how the sysadmin role has evolved.

🎧 https://podcast.itguyeric.com/13
🎥 https://youtu.be/eGMqHVHwCVE

#SysAdmin #Linux #IT #ITGuyShow

Public sector ≠ GovTech. With #JoelKrooswyk, we unpack the real differences: AI & compliance, Regulations & red tape, transformation when stakes are national

https://youtu.be/_nPLGNi--mo #ITGuyShow #GovTech #Podcast #OpenSource

I’ve listed servers + PC components from my #IT adventures on my eBay store. Every bit of support helps while my family and I recover from my layoff earlier this year. Perfect for #homelab, #linux, and #opensource. Please share with your #ITCommunity https://buff.ly/K0ctZ8W

New on the #ITGuyShow: I chat with
@ahoneybun about the #linux distro that thinks like code — #NixOS! We discuss: why it’s different? Where it shines (including #homelabs), and Aaron's tips for getting started!

Video version here → https://youtu.be/YvyT4QJEhXU

New on the #ITGuyShow
I chat with @ahoneybun about the #linux distro that thinks like code — #nixos

We discuss: why it’s different, where it shines (including the #homelab), and Aaron's tips for getting started.

🎧 Give it a listen here → https://podcast.itguyeric.com/11

Looking for a better way to chat about #linux, #opensource, and# ITcareers? I’ve got a guide that walks you through setting up #Element and joining the #ITGuyShow #Matrix room — our community hub for live chat, episode follow-ups, and more! #DecentralizedChat

💬 Get started: https://itguyeric.com/beginners-guide-how-to-get-started-with-element-matrix/
👥 Join me on Matrix: https://matrix.to/#/#podcast-itguyeric:matrix.org

New video episode on YouTube!

GitOps for the Linux Administrator — I sat down with #ChristianHernandez to talk about GitOps, sysadmin mindset shifts, and why YAML isn’t the enemy.

Learn how tools like Ansible, Terraform, and Argo CD can transform your infrastructure.

Watch: https://youtu.be/2uhIva1siXU

#GitOps #Linux #SysAdmin #DevOps #Ansible #Terraform #ArgoCD #TheITGuyShow

IT pros and #SysAdmins! Tired of late-night patching? Check out my new episode, GitOps for the Linux Administrator on The #ITGuyShow! Join me with #ChristianHernandez, a #Linux guy and #DevOps advocate, as we explore his journey from Solaris servers to #GitOps evangelism.

Learn: The true meaning of GitOps, a new mindset, tools like #ansible, #terraform, and #ArgoCD! Perfect for "lazy" admins valuing efficiency! Enhance your skills and transform infrastructure management: https://podcast.itguyeric.com/10