Random Linux Tips (WIP)

0. Short example template.

• Description: What is this good for.
• Requires: Do you need any particular software (provide a link)?
• How-to: Straight forward description and maybe a code example.
  • Detailled description if necessary.
  • sudo this is the actual code lol
• Aditionally: Anything else that might be important like additional ressources.

1. Automatically clear cache.

• Description: Move files older than a specific amount of time from your user's ~/.cache directory to the trash.
• Requires: rmtrash.
• How-to: Add the following line to your crontab using the command "crontab -e" (or EDITOR=$editor crontab -e).
  • 0 17 * * * /usr/bin/find ~/.cache/* -mtime +7 -exec /usr/bin/rmtrash -rf {} \;
  • This command looks at files in ~/.cache every day at 5 p.m. and moves files older than 7 days to the trash.
• Additionally: This can also be done using regular rm instead of rmtrash.

2. Limit Systemd journal size.

• Description: Limit the Systemd journal to a specific size.
• Requires: Specific to systems using Systemd.
• How-to:
  • Edit /etc/systemd/journald.conf and change SystemMaxUse=50M.
• Additionally: Arch wiki: Systemd.
• Additionally: This can also be achieved using journalctl and be limited by time.

3. Syntax highlight for nano

• Description: Enable syntax highlighting for nano.
• Requires:
• How-to: Edit ~/.config/nano/nanorc or to /etc/nanorc and add the following.
  • include "/usr/share/nano/*.nanorc". https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Nano#Syntax_highlighting

4. Repeat a command using watch.

5. Use sudo !!.

6. Prevent overwriting files.

• Description: Use alias for rm, cp and mv.
• How-to: Add the following alias into your ~/.bashrc.
  • Use -interactive option to get asked before overwriting files.
  • alias mv="mv -i"
• Additionally: Further reading in the Arch wiki.

7. Paccache timer

• Requires: A pacman-based distro and the pacman-contrib package.

8. Passwordless SSH

9. Automatically clean orphaned packages.

0 20 * * * /usr/bin/pacman -Qtdq | /usr/bin/pacman -Rns -