Tech Wonk

Having worked with Linux for 14 years now I still surprised by the little things that come up to make my life easier. One such item is the ControlMaster settings in ssh_config. The simplicity reminds me of the time I realized I didn't always have to use cat and | to more a file. 

I have to thank this post for the tip. 

Add these lines to your ssh_config or .ssh/config

ControlMaster auto #Turn connection sharing

ControlPersist 4h  #Keep the channel open

ControlPath /tmp/ssh_mux_%h_%p_%r #The control path

If you do a lot of ssh/scp work you will love this. The four hour persistence leaves the connection in the background for use as needed.

I read man pages for fun and have looked at ssh_config at least a dozen times. I am surprised I didn't notice this gem.

I got started with Linux in 1997. It was the best thing I ever did from a tech perspective. I would love to tell you I had an in depth mythology for determining the best distro to use but for me it was a Goldilocks decision. It came down to two key factors; ease of install and ease of customization.

Too easy - Red Hat turned out to be very easy to install but it was hard to make my own.

Too hard - Slackware was a pain to install but you could make it exactly what you wanted it to be, if only I knew what to do with it at the time.

Just right - Debian, now here was my perfect bowl of porridge. The install was easy enough and I could customize it as needed.

13 years later, Red Hat is still easy to install and Debian has gotten much better. I can't say how Slackware has fared as I don't think I have touched it since.

While my perceptions may bear no reality to the current state I believe I made the right choice.

So the real question is 'Why should I listen to you?' While I may not have a really good answer for you directly I do hope to provide you with enough information to answer it yourself.

I have not followed the typical geek career path. I did not start a computer club in high school nor did I go to college for a computer science degree. I actually did theater in high school and for 7 years after I graduated. I worked in television, live music, and theater. I was at theme parks, dinner theaters, and cruise ship. But during all this time I always had access to a computer of some sort. And unlike most kids I was not all that interested in games. I wanted to know how computers worked and what I could do with them.