Finding Man Pages for Commands The man pages on Linux provide detailed documentation on system commands, configuration files, APIs, and more. However, locating the right man page can be challenging due to the extensive documentation distributed across languages and manual sections. The first step in finding man pages is understanding the different locations they can…
Understanding Man Page Sections Man pages are the user manuals that provide documentation for commands, system calls, library functions, file formats, and more in Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. They are categorized into sections based on what they document. Knowing what each man page section covers can help users effectively access the documentation they…
Linux man pages are divided into sections to categorize different types of documentation. The section number indicates what type of command, file, or concept the man page describes. Knowing the purpose of the sections helps understand why a particular topic has that section number assigned. This article provides an overview of the common man page…
Troubleshooting Unreliable Wi-Fi on Linux Flaky Wi-Fi connections on Linux can be frustrating to diagnose and resolve. However, identifying the root causes of dropped or lagging connections is the critical first step. Common sources of flaky Wi-Fi include outdated or buggy drivers, poor signal coverage, interference from other devices, overly congested networks, and hardware compatibility…
Locating Your Realtek Wi-Fi Adapter Finding the hardware IDs and driver details for your Realtek Wi-Fi adapter is the first step toward improving its performance. Commands like lspci and checking dmesg outputs can reveal useful information. Finding Hardware IDs and Driver Details Use lspci -nnk | grep -iA3 net to list all network controllers and…
Choosing the Right Hardware for an OpenWRT Access Point Selecting compatible wireless router hardware is crucial for building a stable OpenWRT-based Wi-Fi access point. The open-source OpenWRT firmware supports a wide variety of chipsets and router models, but some work better than others. Discussing wireless chipsets compatible with OpenWRT OpenWRT is designed primarily for broadband…
Determining Your Needs When choosing a Wi-Fi card for Linux, first determine what kind of functionality you need. Consider the following factors: Speed – If you simply need basic internet connectivity, a lower-speed 300Mbps card may suffice. For faster file transfers and streaming, consider dual-band 450Mbps+ cards. Single vs. Dual Band – Lower-end cards are…
Identifying the Issue Symptoms of unstable connectivity An unstable Wi-Fi connection with a Realtek USB adapter on Linux may exhibit various symptoms including intermittent connectivity losses, drastically reduced speeds, inability to connect to certain networks, or authentication failures when trying to join wireless networks. These symptoms typically manifest as frequent disconnects, high latency and packet…
Customizing Your Shell Environment The shell environment constitutes the user interface through which users interact with the Linux operating system. Customizing the shell allows users to optimize their workflow and boost productivity. Users can set their preferred shell, configure startup scripts, and tailor settings to their specific needs. Setting your default shell (chsh command, editing…
Overview of PAM and User Environments Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provides a flexible method for authenticating users on a Linux system. Additionally, PAM allows system administrators to configure a common environment that applies across all shells and logins for a given user. This enables central management of environment variables, aliases, default editor, path settings, and…