x386.org
Practical Linux guides and tools
Welcome!
This site exists because I have a terrible memory. As I learned Linux (specifically Debian and Ubuntu — my strategic choices, don't ask me why), I quickly realized I needed to write everything down or I'd forget it within days.
What started as a single text file (I love text files, by the way) grew organically. Commands I needed to remember. Configuration quirks. Solutions to problems that took hours to figure out. Eventually, that one file became dozens of files and landed here as a proper website. Along the way, I also started building tools to make some of that work easier. This site brings those projects and notes together.
Primary purpose: This is my external brain. When I need to remember how to do something — whether it's configuring a service, troubleshooting a network issue, or remembering that one obscure command flag — I come here first.
Who Is This For?
Honestly? It's mainly for me. But if you stumble across this site and find something useful, you're absolutely welcome to use it. No registration, no paywall, no tracking. Just guides and tools to explore.
You might find this useful if you're:
- Learning Debian or Ubuntu
- A sysadmin who needs a quick reference
- Someone who also forgets commands easily
- Looking for practical, tested solutions rather than theoretical explanations
- Looking for a simple tool to publish documentation or set up a mail server
Projects
These are tools I've built for practical tasks:
- PageSprig turns Markdown files into a static documentation website. Write your pages, arrange the menu, and generate HTML you can host or open locally. This site uses it too.
- ISPMailInstall helps automate mail server installation, based on the ISPmail guides.
Guides
The guides are my working notes on Debian and Ubuntu: things I've configured, problems I've solved, and procedures I've actually followed. I reference the manuals, but the aim here is to record the steps and details I need when doing the work again.
They are grouped by topic so you can go straight to what you need:
- Web Services & HTTPS — web servers, certificates, application stacks, and WordPress.
- Database Management — MariaDB, clustering, and PostgreSQL.
- Networking — network configuration, firewalls, and VPNs.
- Infrastructure & Virtualization — containers, virtual machines, availability, automation, and related services.
- System Administration Guides — users and groups, systemd, packaging, and everyday tools.
Browse the topic groups in the sidebar. If you want to know more about the site itself, the Site Info pages cover that.
The Philosophy
Keep it simple. Keep it text-based. Keep it useful. If I can't quickly find what I need, then the documentation has failed its purpose.
Browse around, use what helps you, and feel free to suggest improvements if you find something that could be clearer or more accurate.