Tech-Reader.blog

Insight: Exploring Network Connections with the Linux ss Command Let's continue our exploration into the world of Linux networking. Today we'll talk about a handy little tool you'll find yourself using quite a bit on your Ubuntu system: the ss command. Think of it as a more modern and often faster replacement for the older  netstat  command. Don't worry if that sounds like jargon – we'll break it down step by step. What Exactly Does ss Do? At its core, the  ss  command is used to display socket statistics. In simpler terms, it shows you information about the network connections your Ubuntu system is making and listening for. This includes TCP connections (the backbone of the internet), UDP connections (often used for things like streaming), and even local UNIX domain sockets (used for communication within your system). Why Should You Care? As you become more comfortable with Ubuntu, you might find yourself needing to: Check ...

Insight: Diving into Network Connections with the Linux netstat Command Welcome, Ubuntu explorers! As you venture deeper into the world of Linux, you'll discover powerful tools that give you incredible insight into your system. Today, we're going to explore one of these essential utilities: the netstat command. Think of it as your window into the network activity happening on your Ubuntu machine. What Exactly Does netstat Do? At its core,  netstat  (short for network statistics) displays information about network connections, routing tables, interface statistics, masquerade connections, and multicast1 memberships. In simpler terms, it helps you see: What network connections your computer is currently making or listening for. Which programs are associated with those connections. The status of your network interfaces (like your Wi-Fi or Ethernet card). How network traffic is being routed. While newer tools like  ss  are gradually becoming more ...

Insight: A Beginner's Guide to the Linux traceroute Command on Ubuntu Welcome, fellow Ubuntu explorers! Ever wondered about the invisible pathways your internet traffic takes to reach its destination? Or perhaps you've encountered a frustrating "website not loading" message and wished you could peek behind the curtain to see where things went wrong? Well, you're in the right place! Today, we're diving into a powerful yet surprisingly simple command-line tool that can help you unravel these network mysteries: the traceroute command. Think of  traceroute  as a digital detective for your network connection. It meticulously tracks the journey of your data packets as they hop from one server (router) to another across the vast internet. For Ubuntu newbies, this command might seem a little intimidating at first glance, but trust me, it's a valuable skill to add to your Linux toolkit. Installing traceroute on Ubuntu On m...

New Article on LinkedIn: Ghosting in Business Ghosting isn’t just a dating term anymore — it’s now part of doing business in 2025. But what if we could approach it without frustration? Without blame? Without letting it slow us down? In this article I’m sharing a deeper look at why ghosting happens across interviews, projects, and partnerships — and how a calm, focused mindset can turn silence into momentum. The title is Ghosting in Business: Navigating the Silent Spaces of Instant Messaging. Read the full LinkedIn article here . Written by Aaron Rose, software engineer and technology writer at Tech-Reader.blog.

Build: PocketAWS— A Simple, Friendly Way to Parse AWS ARNs Table of Contents Introduction Setup and Usage Troubleshooting Closing Thoughts Introduction If you've worked in AWS for any length of time, you've run across ARNs (Amazon Resource Names). They seem to be everywhere—popping up in logs, templates, resource screens, and permissions policies. But even though ARNs are essential, they aren't always easy to understand at a glance. That's why we built the PocketAWS ARN Parser: a lightweight, human-friendly tool that helps you break down any AWS ARN into its key parts. Whether you're troubleshooting, documenting, or just learning, this tool makes the invisible structure of ARNs visible, quickly and cleanly. AWS offers plenty of ...

Solve: How a Toothbrush and Alcohol Saved a Raspberry Pi 4 The Pi That Wouldn’t Behave Phil had been battling a stubborn case of Raspberry Pi OS corruption. No matter how carefully he installed, updated, or rebooted, his used Pi 4 would eventually crash and burn. It was maddening. Swapping cables, upgrading the power supply, even re-flashing the SD card—it didn’t matter. Every fix was temporary. Every reboot felt like playing roulette with his file system. Frustrated but determined, he picked up another used Pi 4 from a reputable seller. Brand new OS image. Brand new power brick. Everything should have worked. And yet—almost immediately—he found himself facing similar symptoms. System instability. Boot hangs. Crashes. It didn’t make sense. That’s when Phil did something that almost nobody talks about. He turned back to an old electronics repair trick: he cleaned the board. Born in a Clean Room, Raised in the Wild Raspberry Pi boards are born under the sterile lights of a clean room, bu...

Build: PocketAWS—Instantly Check If an IP Belongs to AWS (and Why It Matters) Introduction You’re knee-deep in log analysis. You spot an unfamiliar IP address. Is it from AWS? Some random bot? Something worse? You need an answer — fast — but the last thing you want is to download a 600MB SDK or trudge through documentation. That’s why we built the PocketAWS IP Checker, a lightweight Python tool that does one thing and does it well. How It Works The IP Checker grabs the official AWS IP ranges (published in JSON) and caches them locally. When you check an IP, it instantly tells you if it matches any AWS block, and if so, what region and service it belongs to. About Backups When you update the AWS IP list ( --update ), PocketAWS automatically creates a backup of your current IP list before downloading the latest version. The backup is saved in the same folder with a timestamped name like:  Bash ~/.cache/aws-ip-checker/ip-ranges-20250426-143512.json Why? Beca...