SysAdmin Toolbox
Thu, Jul 8, 2010
Whenever I can, I use open source software. But some web sites out there offer pretty useful tools. Here are a few of the ones I use. There aren't many yet, because I really do use software on my own computer for most things. But I'll add more as I find them.
As a title, "SysAdmin Toolbox" is probably false advertising. I've only got a few links here right now, and one of them is for making printable calendars. But hey, system administrators have to stay organized too. Besides, the point is that each link here actually does something, instead of just serving up a bunch of moldy old articles, like some dumb blog.
DISCLAIMER: I have no connection to any of these sites. In fact, for the bigger ones, I only know about the page I'm linking. For all I know, the rest of each site is a gigantic MLM scheme pushing toxic deodorant and counterfeit pennies. But I hope not.
PDF Generation
PDFCalendar.com
Customize a calendar to print on a standard sheet of paper. You can set the number of weeks, which means you can see two months or more on a single sheet. No registration crud or anything; just set your parameters and download the calendar.
And no, as far as I know, these PDFs won't take over your computer. They're clean. Hey, don't laugh! You really do need to scan even PDFs before you open them. In the wrong viewer, an evil PDF can execute arbitrary code. Seriously! Oh, never mind.
Internet
What is my IP
Find out your IP address. Right now. Even if the numbers don't mean anything to you, it's kinda cool. It's also a friendly reminder that almost every single site you touch today will log this unique, identifiable number. Happy browsing. :)
Sorry, these links are all turning into teaching moments. I guess this is a blog, but still…
Blacklist check
See if your server is on major spam blacklists. Probably don't need this unless you're managing an email newsletter. And if you do have a problem, it's probably your ISP. Unless you're a spammer. But when you do need this, it's awesome.
Spam Gourmet: Disposable E-mail addresses
Pick a username (say, fernbazaar), and you can make up disposable
addresses on the fly whenever someone forces you to register. Like
free-ebook.fernbazaar@spamgourmet.com, or
just-the-song.fernbazaar@spamgourmet.com, or whatever. The first
three emails to each address will be forwarded to your real, secret
email address. That's long enough to get your confirmation link ---
but when the address gets sold to spammers, you're long gone.
As another option, you can configure some sites as "trusted senders." For instance, you'll keep getting that newsletter from a trusted site, but if the address ever falls into another site's hands, you're protected.
I wish I'd known about this back in 2003.
Envoi
A list of links is never done,
But reading lists is never fun.
You scroll and scroll and scroll the page,
Till boredom ferments into rage.
"I'm wasting time! My life's a leak!
I'll still be reading this next week!
Skip to the end! I'm going home!"
But here, at least, you found a poem. Huzzah!
