Linux Tips and Tricks
The Linux Tips and Tricks section is a valuable resource for enhancing your Linux operating system knowledge, which is essential for optimizing your experience with FileWave Server, Boosters, and IVS. This section provides a wide range of tips and tricks that cover various aspects of Linux, including system administration, command-line usage, package management, troubleshooting, and security. By familiarizing yourself with Linux best practices, customization options, and efficient workflows, you can improve your proficiency in managing and maintaining your Linux-based FileWave infrastructure. Discover valuable insights to maximize the performance, security, and efficiency of your Linux environment, ultimately enhancing your FileWave deployment.

How to Disable Apache Version Number Disclosure on FileWave Server
What
FileWave Server can expose Apache version details in its HTTP response headers by default. This article shows how to reduce that disclosure so the server reports only 
Apache instead of the full component and version string.
When/Why
Use this when you want to reduce unnecessary version disclosure on a FileWave Server. Exposing detailed version information can make targeted reconnaissance easier, so tightening the Apache response is a reasonable hardening step.
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2023 00:05:55 GMT
Server: Apache/2.4.57 (Unix) OpenSSL/3.0.9 mod_wsgi/4.9.4 Python/3.10
Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN
Content-Length: 362
The example above shows the kind of response header Apache can return before this hardening change is applied. Revealing version numbers can potentially expose the server to targeted attacks, as this information helps attackers focus their efforts.
How
SSH into your FileWave server. If you are unsure how to do this, contact FileWave Technical Support.
Open 
/usr/local/filewave/apache/conf/httpd_custom.conf in a text editor, for example:
sudo vi /usr/local/filewave/apache/conf/httpd_custom.conf
Add these lines to the file:
ServerTokens Prod
ServerSignature Off
Save the file.
Restart Apache:
fwcontrol apache restart
After the restart, a new header check should return a shorter 
Server header similar to this:
HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2023 00:11:38 GMT
Server: Apache
Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN
Content-Length: 362
Related link:
FileWave Technical Support

How to Setup a LAMP Server on a Ubuntu Linux system
The purpose of this brief guide is to take you through the process of setting up a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) server on a local Ubuntu Linux machine or virtual machine.
This will allow you to develop using PHP and MySQL (with phpMyAdmin). This is a common stack that is necessary for Wordpress development.
Install the necessary packages
You will need to install the following packages for the LAMP server. You can install them all at once by separating each package by a space, or one at a time like shown.
I prefer to download one at a time because it is easier to see if there were any errors.
Enter the terminal and type the following:
sudo apt-get install apache2
sudo apt-get install php
sudo apt-get install php-mysql
sudo apt-get install mysql-server
You should then be prompted to set a password for the MySQL root user. After setting the password continue to install:
sudo apt-get install libapache2-mod-php
sudo apt-get install php-mcrypt
sudo apt-get install phpmyadmin
You should then be prompted which server to use. Select Apache by pressing enter. Select no for advanced server setup.
Change permissions to the /var/www/html
In order for PHP scripts and files to be run by the LAMP server they need to be saved in the /var/www/html directory. You can think of this location as your local server.
In order to make changes to this directory we need to change the permissions on it. In the terminal enter the command:
sudo chown {your ubuntu username} /var/www/html
Create a symbolic link to phpMyAdmin
By default, phpMyAdmin is installed in the /usr/share/ directory. We need to move it to our local server directory.
We navigate to the server directory that we want the link in by: 
cd /var/www/html
Then create the link by entering the command 
ln -s /usr/share/phpmyadmin phpmyadmin.
Restart Apache and test
Run the following command to restart Apache, setting the changes that were made:
sudo systemctl restart apache2
You should then be able to create an info.php file in the /var/www/html directory with this command: 
touch /var/www/html/info.php
In the file type the following php code:
<?php phpinfo(); ?>
Then, open a browser and type in localhost/info.php You should see a page from the php file you just wrote that gives you information about php.
Finally, to access phpMyAdmin go to localhost/phpmyadmin in your browser. The default root username is ‘root’ and the password is the password you chose earlier for the MySQL database.
Example Script
#!/bin/bash
# This will install Apache / MySQL / PHP on Linux (LAMP) 
# It includes ImageMagick and enables .htaccess redirect files
# Many apps use those. 
# Update repositories
sudo apt-get update -y
# Upgrade packages
sudo apt-get upgrade -y
# Install packages
sudo apt-get install -y apache2
sudo apt-get install -y php
sudo apt-get install -y php-mysql
sudo apt-get install -y php-cli
sudo apt-get install -y php-gd
sudo apt-get install -y php-curl
sudo apt-get install -y php-zip
sudo apt-get install -y mysql-server
sudo apt-get install -y libapache2-mod-php
sudo apt-get install -y phpmyadmin
sudo apt-get install -y imagemagick
sudo apt-get install -y php-imagick
# Prompt for MySQL root password
echo "Please enter the new password for the MySQL root user:"
read -s root_password
# Change authentication for root user
sudo mysql <<EOF
ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password BY '${root_password}';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EOF
# Enable mod_rewrite
sudo a2enmod rewrite
# Change AllowOverride directive
sudo sed -i 's/AllowOverride None/AllowOverride All/g' /etc/apache2/apache2.conf
# Change permissions to the /var/www/html
sudo chown $USER /var/www/html
# Remove any index.html or index.htm files in /var/www/html/
rm -f /var/www/html/index.htm
rm -f /var/www/html/index.html
# Create a symbolic link to phpMyAdmin
cd /var/www/html
ln -s /usr/share/phpmyadmin phpmyadmin
# Restart Apache
sudo systemctl restart apache2
# Create index.php file
echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" > /var/www/html/index.php
# Output completion message
echo "Setup completed. Visit localhost/index.php to check PHP info. Access phpMyAdmin at localhost/phpmyadmin with the root password you entered."
Installing SSL
#!/bin/bash
# Install Certbot and the Certbot Apache plugin
sudo apt-get install -y certbot python3-certbot-apache
# Prompt for the domain name
echo "Please enter the domain name for the SSL certificate:"
read domain_name
# Run Certbot for the domain
sudo certbot --apache -d $domain_name
# Test automatic renewal
sudo certbot renew --dry-run
# Check if ufw is installed
if command -v ufw &> /dev/null
then
    # Allow HTTPS through the firewall
    sudo ufw allow 'Apache Full'
else
    echo "ufw not found. If you have another firewall, please manually open port 443 (HTTPS)."
fi
# Output completion message
echo "SSL setup completed. Visit https://$domain_name to check the SSL status."

Mount macOS & Windows shares on Debian
Mount macOS & Windows shares on Debian e.g. in case you need to save backups on a network share.
Step-by-Step Guide for Debian
Mounting Windows Shares
Install CIFS Utilities: Open a terminal and install the CIFS utilities package if it's not already installed.
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install cifs-utils
Mount the Windows Share: Use the 
mount command to mount the Windows share. Replace the placeholders with your actual values.
sudo mount -t cifs -o username=yourusername,password=yourpassword //yourIPAddress/yoursharedfolder /yourfoldertomount
Mounting macOS Shares
Install CIFS Utilities: Ensure the CIFS utilities package is installed (this step is the same as above).
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install cifs-utils
Mount the macOS Share: Use the 
mount command to mount the macOS share. Replace the placeholders with your actual values.
sudo mount -t cifs //yourIPAddress/yoursharedfolder /yourfoldertomount -o username=yourusername,password=yourpassword,nounix,sec=ntlmssp
Creating and Sharing a Folder
Create a Folder: Create the folder where you want to mount the share.
sudo mkdir /yourfoldertomount
Replace the Placeholder: Replace 
yourfoldertomount with the actual path of the folder you created in the mount commands above.
Example
If you want to mount a Windows share with IP 
192.168.1.100 and shared folder name 
backup to a local directory 
/mnt/backup:
Create Local Directory:
sudo mkdir /mnt/backup
Mount the Share:
sudo mount -t cifs -o username=myuser,password=mypassword //192.168.1.100/backup /mnt/backup
Similarly, for a macOS share:
Create Local Directory:
sudo mkdir /mnt/backup
Mount the Share:
sudo mount -t cifs //192.168.1.100/backup /mnt/backup -o username=myuser,password=mypassword,nounix,sec=ntlmssp
Additional Tips
FSTAB Entry for Persistent Mounts: To make the mount persistent across reboots, add an entry to 
/etc/fstab:
//yourIPAddress/yoursharedfolder /yourfoldertomount cifs username=yourusername,password=yourpassword,nounix,sec=ntlmssp 0 0
Security Note: Storing passwords in plain text can be a security risk. Consider using a credentials file:
//yourIPAddress/yoursharedfolder /yourfoldertomount cifs credentials=/etc/cifs-credentials,nounix,sec=ntlmssp 0 0
And create 
/etc/cifs-credentials with the following content:
username=yourusername
password=yourpassword
Ensure the credentials file has appropriate permissions:
sudo chmod 600 /etc/cifs-credentials
CentOS Details
If you are on CentOS and are migrating off of it and need to do it here is the old documentation on this same process:
For Linux to Windows:
mount -t cifs -o username=yourusername,password=yourpassword //yourIPAdress/yoursharedfolder /yourfoldertomount
For  Linux to macOS
sudo yum install cifs-utils 
mount -t cifs //yourIPAddress/yoursharedfolder /yourfoldertomount -o username=yourusername,password=yourpassword,nounix,sec=ntlmssp
Create a folder and share it then replace this value "yourfoldertomount" with the right shared folder name.
Related Content
FileWave Server Backup and Restore

Upgrading or Updating MariaDB on AlmaLinux 9
What
Use this procedure to move an AlmaLinux 9 server to a newer MariaDB release from the MariaDB repository. Plan downtime and take backups first.
When/Why
Use this when you need a newer MariaDB release for fixes, security updates, or feature changes that are not available in the currently installed packages.
How
1. Check the current MariaDB and AlmaLinux versions
Confirm the current MariaDB version and the AlmaLinux release:
mysql -V
cat /etc/almalinux-release
2. Back up the databases and MariaDB configuration
Back up the databases before changing packages or repositories:
mysqldump -u root -p --all-databases > /tmp/database-backup.sql
cp -a /var/lib/mysql /var/lib/mysql.backup
cp -a /etc/my.cnf /etc/my.cnf_bk
3. Stop MariaDB and move the old repository file out of the way
Stop MariaDB and move the existing repository definition aside:
systemctl stop mariadb
mv /etc/yum.repos.d/mariadb.repo /etc/yum.repos.d/mariadb_bk
dnf update
4. Create the new MariaDB repository file
Create or update 
/etc/yum.repos.d/MariaDB.repo for the major release you want to install. Example for MariaDB 10.11:
[mariadb]
name = MariaDB
baseurl = https://yum.mariadb.org/10.11/rhel9-amd64
module_hotfixes=1
gpgkey=https://yum.mariadb.org/RPM-GPG-KEY-MariaDB
gpgcheck=1
5. Remove the old MariaDB server package
Remove the current MariaDB server package and clean the metadata cache:
dnf remove mariadb-server
dnf clean all
6. Install the new MariaDB packages and run the upgrade step
Install the MariaDB packages from the new repository, then start and enable the service:
dnf install MariaDB-server galera-4 MariaDB-client MariaDB-shared MariaDB-backup MariaDB-common
systemctl start mariadb
systemctl enable mariadb
mariadb-upgrade -u root -p
On MariaDB 10.5 and later, 
mariadb-upgrade is the current command. 
mysql_upgrade may still exist as a compatibility alias.
Verify the installed MariaDB version and service status:
mysql -V
systemctl status mariadb
Related Links
  
MariaDB yum/dnf installation and upgrade docs: https://mariadb.com/docs/server/server-management/install-and-upgrade-mariadb/installing-mariadb/binary-packages/rpm/yum
  
mariadb-upgrade reference: https://mariadb.com/docs/server/clients-and-utilities/deployment-tools/mariadb-upgrade
  
AlmaLinux wiki: https://wiki.almalinux.org/

Updating CentOS Repo Files After Mirrorlist End of Life
What
CentOS reached the end of life on June 30, 2024. This will cause issues when attempting to download install packages from repositories. The CentOS mirror list feature allows yum, the package manager, to find and use the nearest and fastest mirror automatically. However, there can be circumstances where disabling this feature is necessary, such as:
Mirror Issues: Sometimes, specific mirrors can be slow, outdated, or unreliable, causing issues with package installations and updates.
When/Why
Since mirrorlist.centos.org no longer exists, you will need to update the repo files on your CentOS server. Follow the steps below to update the repo file accordingly.
How
To resolve the issue, you can mass update all .repo files with the following commands run as root or with sudo when SSH'd to your Server, IVS or Booster:
sed -i s/mirror.centos.org/vault.centos.org/g /etc/yum.repos.d/*.repo
sed -i s/^#.*baseurl=http/baseurl=http/g /etc/yum.repos.d/*.repo
sed -i s/^mirrorlist=http/#mirrorlist=http/g /etc/yum.repos.d/*.repo
yum clean all && yum -y update
Explanation: The commands provided will perform the following actions:
Replace all instances of mirror.centos.org with vault.centos.org in the .repo files.
Uncomment (sed -i s/^#.*baseurl=http/baseurl=http/g) the baseurl lines in the .repo files.
Comment out (sed -i s/^mirrorlist=http/#mirrorlist=http/g) the mirrorlist lines in the .repo files.
Related Content
mirrorlist.centos.org error
FileWave Server on CentOS - EOL

Migrating a Debian 12 Server to Debian 13
Please note that this is here for educational purposes. We are transitioning to Debian 13 with FileWave 16.3.0. This guide is published to get feedback from others and develop this process to be as safe as possible. The learnings from this article have gone in to our 1-liner upgrade scripts on the download pages. Those simple 1-liners are the way we expect you would get to Debian 13.
What
This guide explains how to upgrade a FileWave appliance running Debian 12 (“bookworm”) to Debian 13 (“trixie”). It focuses on the operating system upgrade process only — additional steps may be required for applications, services, or integrations you have installed. This is meant for the FileWave Appliances, but the idea should be able to apply to your Debian instance running FileWave or any other solutions.
For production appliances, we recommend:
Take a full VM snapshot or backup before starting.
Perform the upgrade in a staging environment first if you have one.
Schedule downtime in case of post-upgrade adjustments.
When/Why
You should use this guide when:
Your FileWave appliance is currently on Debian 12, and you want to move to Debian 13 to take advantage of updated security patches, improved package support, and upstream enhancements.
Upgrading ensures long-term security compliance and keeps your system in a supported state for both Debian and FileWave.
How
Please note that this is here for educational purposes. We are transitioning to Debian 13 with FileWave 16.3.0. This guide is published to get feedback from others and develop this process to be as safe as possible. The learnings from this article have gone in to our 1-liner upgrade scripts on the download pages.
1. (Optional) Use screen to Avoid SSH Disconnects
For all of the steps below you would be logged in via VMWare or HyperV console sessions which are safer than an SSH session. If you use SSH then be sure to use this step so you can reconnect if needed to a lost session. The steps below are very easy but fully explained which makes this document seem longer. If at any step you feel lost or stuck please reach out to Technical Support to ask questions.
sudo apt-get install -y screen && screen
If you were to disconnect and were doing an SSH session using the above command you could reconnect and type;
screen -ls
This would show you;
There is a screen on:
    1234.pts-0.servername  (Detached)
1 Socket in /run/screen/S-user.
And then you could reconnect with;
screen -r 1234
And then you can keep working with your prior session. 
2. Check Free Disk Space
Run:
df -h
A minimum of 5 GiB free is required.
If needed, free space with:
sudo apt clean
sudo apt autoremove
And if you still need space consider expanding the disk: Expanding the Disk on a FileWave Appliance - Debian
3. Identify 3rd-Party Repositories
Just in case you have any added that might need to be adjusted for Trixie. You'll want to see if you have anything there that should be considered. In my Linode lab I found that they add an Akamai repo that did not initially have a Trixie option. This step is here to just have a sanity check to make sure you haven't installed any additional repos that might not have a Trixie option. 
ls /etc/apt/sources.list.d
On the IVS I have the below repo which is not specific to Bookwork or Trixie so it's fine that it is there and doesn't need to change and does not prevent you from upgrading to Debian 13.
root@filewave:/etc# cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/filewave-release.list
deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/filewave.gpg] https://fwdl.filewave.com/debian/apt-repo main main
4. Update Current Distribution
In this step you will upgrade all the software to the latest Debian 12 version and then reboot the server to be sure that is what is running when you get to the next step;
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade --autoremove -y
Reboot after the updates install;
sudo reboot
When you reconnect make sure to run screen again if you are using SSH to connect;
screen
5. Update Debian Repository to “trixie”
In this step we're changing any bookworm references to trixie for the sources used by apt which is the software that handles updates on Debian;
sudo sed -i 's/bookworm/trixie/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
6. Update All 3rd-Party Repositories
The line below assumes the repository supports Debian 13 (“trixie”). For instance on the IVS nothing would happen here unless you have additional repos installed. 
sudo find /etc/apt/sources.list.d -type f -exec sed -i 's/bookworm/trixie/g' {} \;
Afterward, run this to have it learn all of the Trixie updates that are available:
sudo apt-get update
Resolve any missing repository errors before continuing. If you get stuck on this step where it throws errors you should reach out to Technical Support to ask for advice. 
7. Upgrade to Debian 13
Say Yes to restarting services when prompted, and keep existing configuration files unless you know you need the defaults.
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade --autoremove -y
You may see a prompt like the below because we customize /etc/issue on some images. Just press enter for the question about /etc/issue 
Installing new version of config file /etc/debian_version ...
Configuration file '/etc/issue'
 ==> Modified (by you or by a script) since installation.
 ==> Package distributor has shipped an updated version.
   What would you like to do about it ?  Your options are:
    Y or I  : install the package maintainer's version
    N or O  : keep your currently-installed version
      D     : show the differences between the versions
      Z     : start a shell to examine the situation
 The default action is to keep your current version.
*** issue (Y/I/N/O/D/Z) [default=N] ? 
You may also see a question like this and you can pick Yes here;
 There are services installed on your system which need to be restarted when certain libraries, such as libpam, libc, and libssl, are upgraded. 
 Since these restarts may cause  interruptions of service for the system, you will normally be prompted on each upgrade for the list of services 
 you wish to restart.  You can choose this option to avoid being prompted; instead, all necessary restarts will be done for you automatically so 
 you can avoid being asked questions on each library upgrade.  
You may also see a question like this and you can just hit Enter to pick "Keep the local version currently installed" so that the SSHd configuration stays the same;
A new version (/tmp/tmp.ud6fJgwKB8) of configuration file /etc/ssh/sshd_config is available, but the version installed
currently has been locally modified. 
What do you want to do about modified configuration file sshd_config?   
You may also see a question like this and again can just hit Enter to pick "Keep the local version currently installed" so that the NFS server configuration remains the same;
A new version (/usr/share/nfs-common/conffiles/nfs.conf) of configuration file /etc/nfs.conf is available, but the 
version installed currently has been locally modified.
What do you want to do about modified configuration file nfs.conf?     
If you see any other questions asked that do not make sense then please reach out to Technical Support to ask and we will use those questions to improve this article.
Reboot after the Trixie updates install;
sudo reboot
8. Modernize Debian Sources
This will create /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.sources and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-backports.sources.
sudo apt modernize-sources
You will be prompted with a Y/n and should type Y and then enter to continue;
root@filewave:~# sudo apt modernize-sources
The following files need modernizing:
  - /etc/apt/sources.list
  - /etc/apt/sources.list.d/filewave-release.list
Modernizing will replace .list files with the new .sources format,
add Signed-By values where they can be determined automatically,
and save the old files into .list.bak files.
This command supports the 'signed-by' and 'trusted' options. If you
have specified other options inside [] brackets, please transfer them
manually to the output files; see sources.list(5) for a mapping.
For a simulation, respond N in the following prompt.
Rewrite 2 sources? [Y/n] 
Modernizing /etc/apt/sources.list...
- Writing /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.sources
Modernizing /etc/apt/sources.list.d/filewave-release.list...
- Writing /etc/apt/sources.list.d/filewave-release.sources
Finally do one last update to ensure you see no errors;
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade --autoremove -y
And a final reboot and you are all done!
sudo reboot
Troubleshooting
Errors Updating after going to Trixie
When updating Debian after going to Trixie, apt update fails for trixie-backports with an error about “missing Signed-By” or “NO_PUBKEY”. Edit the /etc/apt/sources.list (or .list file in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/) for the trixie-backports line and change it to look like:
deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/debian-archive-keyring.gpg] http://deb.debian.org/debian trixie-backports main contrib non-free-firmware
Save the file, then run:
sudo apt update
You should not see the error any more. 
Related Content
Debian 13 Release Notes
Debian 13 Upgrade Notes
Debian 12 to 13 Upgrade Guide
Digging Deeper
The upgrade path from Debian 12 to Debian 13 is generally smooth for systems that are close to “vanilla” Debian. The biggest potential issues come from:
Third-party repositories: These must have a trixie branch. If not, you may need to comment them out temporarily.
Custom applications: Each application’s compatibility with Debian 13 should be verified before upgrading.
Kernel changes: Debian 13 may introduce new kernel defaults — test in a lab environment if you have kernel-level drivers or modules.