Several tools can convert .doc and .docx files to PDF from the command line. Here’s what works in practice. LibreOffice (most common approach) The standard command is: libreoffice –headless –convert-to pdf –outdir /path/to/output/ /path/to/file.docx This works well on systems with X11 available. However, on truly headless servers, –headless doesn’t fully suppress X11 requirements—LibreOffice will still…
Running your own Python installation on Dreamhost (or similar shared hosting) gives you control over the version, packages, and dependencies without relying on system-wide Python. This is especially useful when you need specific Python versions or packages the hosting provider doesn’t support. Why Use a Custom Python Installation Shared hosting environments typically ship with outdated…
GNOME 3 removed the GUI option for customizing window title fonts that existed in earlier versions. The setting is still configurable, but you’ll need to access it through command-line tools or configuration editors. Using gsettings (Command Line) The simplest approach is gsettings, which directly modifies the configuration: gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences titlebar-font ‘Sans Bold 10’ To…
When you work with multiple git servers or need different credentials for different hosts, SSH’s config file lets you specify which key to use for each server. This is cleaner than managing aliases or environment variables. Setting Up ~/.ssh/config Create or edit ~/.ssh/config and add entries for each server: Host git.example.org Port 22111 IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa.git.example.org…
If you have emails stuck in Evolution’s local directory structure that you want to move to an IMAP account via Thunderbird, you’ll need to convert them to a format Thunderbird can import, then push them to your mail server. Step 1: Prepare Your Evolution Mail Directory Evolution typically stores mail in a Maildir format with…
Vim’s default OCaml indentation is limited and doesn’t handle the language’s syntax well. You’ll want to use ocp-indent, a dedicated indentation tool built specifically for OCaml that understands the language’s scoping and structure rules. Installing ocp-indent First, install the tool via OPAM (OCaml Package Manager): opam install ocp-indent If you don’t have OPAM installed, install…
When you start a VNC server with the -geometry flag under GNOME 3, you’ll notice the display resolution doesn’t match what you specified: vncserver -geometry 1024×768 This works fine with GNOME 2 and window managers like twm, but GNOME 3 ignores the setting. The actual resolution will be whatever was last used in that session,…
Counting page views isn’t as simple as incrementing a counter. You need to handle edge cases: duplicate views from the same user, multiple users behind a single IP (corporate networks), and bots. Here’s how to build a robust system. The Problem with IP-Based Counting Relying on IP addresses fails in several scenarios: Multiple users behind…
Note: Java in web browsers is obsolete. Most websites stopped requiring Java applets years ago, and all major browsers removed plugin support by 2016. If you’re here because a legacy application needs Java, consider running it in a containerized environment or dedicated VM instead. If you absolutely must proceed, here’s what you need to know….
SSH is essential for serious shared hosting management — it beats FTP by a mile and gives you real shell access for development, deployment, and automation. Most reputable shared hosting providers support SSH, though availability and implementation vary. Major Providers with SSH Support DreamHost DreamHost has long supported SSH on shared hosting. You’ll need to…
Installing WordPress in a subdirectory keeps your site root cleaner and makes it easier to manage core files separately from content. Here’s how to configure WordPress so the admin and core files live in /wordpress while the site appears at your domain root. Creating the Subdirectory Structure First, create the WordPress directory and set proper…
MySQL replication lets you maintain synchronized copies of your database across multiple servers. This is essential for high availability, read scaling, and backups. Here’s how to configure it properly. Prerequisites You need at least two MySQL instances: a primary (source) and one or more replicas. Both should run the same or compatible MySQL versions. MySQL…
Sending sensitive information via email requires careful consideration. Whether you’re sharing financial details, credentials, or confidential documents, there’s no single “secure email” solution that eliminates all risk — you need to match the method to your threat model. Understand the Risk Standard email transmits in plaintext across multiple servers. Even with TLS in transit, your…
Redis is an in-memory data structure store designed for speed and simplicity. Understanding its architecture and consistency guarantees is essential for deploying it correctly in production systems. Core Architecture Redis operates as a single-threaded, event-driven server that uses an in-memory data store with optional persistence. The single-threaded nature simplifies reasoning about concurrent access — all…
To check which storage engine a table uses, query the information_schema database: SELECT ENGINE FROM information_schema.TABLES WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = ‘database_name’ AND TABLE_NAME = ‘table_name’; Replace database_name and table_name with your actual values. You can also use the SHOW TABLE STATUS command for a quicker view: SHOW TABLE STATUS FROM database_name WHERE Name = ‘table_name’\G The…
You’re seeing fatal errors because PHP has hit its default resource constraints: PHP Fatal error: Maximum execution time of 30 seconds exceeded PHP Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 268435456 bytes exhausted These limits exist to prevent runaway scripts from consuming server resources. Here’s how to increase them. Via php.ini (Global Configuration) The most reliable…
Several native options now exist for annotating PDFs directly on Linux, though each has trade-offs between features and ease of use. Native Linux Tools Okular is the most straightforward choice for basic annotations. It’s lightweight, fast, and saves markups directly into the PDF: sudo apt install okular okular document.pdf Okular supports highlighting, underlining, strikethrough, freehand…
Install the required LAMP stack components. Fedora 41 and later use dnf instead of yum: sudo dnf install httpd php php-mysqli php-gd mariadb-server Note that php-mysql is deprecated; use php-mysqli instead for modern MySQL/MariaDB connections. Start and enable the services to run on boot: sudo systemctl start mariadb httpd sudo systemctl enable mariadb httpd Using…
When standard reboot commands fail to work, the Magic SysRq key provides a kernel-level mechanism to force a reboot or shutdown. This works even when the system is mostly unresponsive. Prerequisites Magic SysRq must be enabled at runtime or in the kernel configuration. Most modern distributions enable it by default, but you can verify and…
Chrome on iOS implements aggressive caching to improve browsing performance, but this can prevent you from seeing the latest versions of pages, stylesheets, and scripts. Unlike Safari’s convenient long-press refresh button, Chrome’s cache management is less intuitive. The Nuclear Option: Clear All Cache The most straightforward approach is clearing all cached data: Open Chrome Tap…