Linux for everyone, across every distro
A hub for the moments when you know Linux but not this Linux. Network config that worked on Ubuntu but fails on Rocky. The package manager command that is apt here, dnf there, pacman elsewhere. Firewalls that switch from ufw to firewalld to nftables depending on the distro you inherited. This series gives you the cross-distro reference, the deep-dive articles, and the practical migration guides — all written without the “for dummies” tone.
Linux Distro Reference
The killer tool. Pick your distro (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Rocky, Arch, openSUSE, Alpine), pick a topic (network, firewall, services, logs, packages, users, system, storage), get the quick command, files, workflow, verify step and the gotcha. Compare two distros side by side.
Topics covered
Eight categories representing the bulk of cross-distro syntax differences sysadmins meet daily.
Distros currently covered
Seven distros that represent the bulk of production Linux in 2026.
Default cloud image on AWS, GCP, Azure, OVHcloud, Hetzner. Five years of support to 2029.
Ubuntu’s upstream. Lighter, more conservative, popular on bare metal and self-hosted.
Six-month cadence. Where dnf5, new systemd features and kernels land first.
Binary-compatible rebuilds. Long-term support to 2032. The enterprise default.
Minimal install, you pick every component. Popular among power users and AUR lovers.
Uses YaST and wicked. Big in European enterprise. Tumbleweed is the rolling sibling.
Container base image of choice. Tiny, fast, no glibc, no systemd.
Articles in the series
Long-form complements to the reference tool. Each one zooms in on a single cross-distro topic with the trade-offs explained, the migration patterns shown and the historical context that makes today’s defaults make sense.
Live Network configuration across Linux distros in 2026: netplan, NetworkManager, systemd-networkd compared Side-by-side comparison of the four major network stacks across the seven distros covered here. Decision tree, migration patterns, and the gotchas that bite. ~2000 words. Live Securing a Linux Ubuntu 24.04 Server: SysAdmin Hardening Checklist Vertical companion: 10-step hardening procedure for Ubuntu specifically. SSH key-only, UFW, fail2ban, AppArmor enforce, auditd. ~2300 words. Live Server Monitoring with Nagios on Hyper-V: Step-by-Step Setup Guide End-to-end Nagios Core 4.5 setup inside a Hyper-V Ubuntu VM. Probes, mail and Telegram alerts. ~2300 words. Live Firewall comparison: ufw vs firewalld vs nftables vs iptables in 2026 The same network filter situation expressed in four syntaxes. When to pick which, how to migrate, and what the kernel actually sees behind each abstraction. Live Migrating production from CentOS 7 / 8 to Rocky 9 (or Alma 9): practical playbook The migration most enterprises still need to do in 2026. ELevate, in-place upgrade caveats, and the boring checks that catch the breaks. Live Choosing a Linux distro for your team in 2026: a decision framework How to actually pick a distro based on your team’s existing skills, your compliance constraints, your support model and your container strategy. Less “Ubuntu vs Debian” hot takes, more practical inputs.Linux security and server deep-dives
Hands-on guides that live on Linux servers, each with copy-paste commands and custom diagrams.
Live Linux Kernel Hardening: Essential sysctl Checklist for 2026 32 sysctl toggles grouped by subsystem with a ready-to-drop /etc/sysctl.d/99-hardening.conf and a drift-check one-liner. Live Self-Hosted VPN with WireGuard: Complete Setup Guide Server and client configs, split vs full tunnel, the 1-RTT handshake explained, plus firewall, DNS and hardening. Live Build a SOC Homelab: Wazuh + Suricata + Elastic Stack Stand up host and network detection on free open-source software with MITRE ATT&CK mapping and real dashboards. Live Setting Up Wazuh SIEM on a Budget Three hardware paths (Raspberry Pi 5, N100 mini-PC, ARM cloud) to run a single-node SIEM cheaply. Live DNS over HTTPS Implementation Guide for Sysadmins What DoH protects, configuring Linux, Windows and macOS endpoints, and self-hosting unbound + dnsdist.Linux command-line tools
Interactive builders for the commands every sysadmin types. Pick the options, copy a command that runs, with every flag explained. All client-side and free.
Companion tools on the site
Some Linux-adjacent tools we ship that fit the same toolbox.
How this series evolves
The reference tool grows by adding new distros (if there is demand) and new topics. The article series grows roughly two pieces per month — each one driven by a real situation we hit or a question that landed in the inbox enough times to warrant the longer treatment. If you would like a specific topic covered or a specific distro added, the contact page is the right place to ask.
