3 Ways To Locate Your php.ini File

Sometimes php installation comes with a bunch of php.ini files, that we do not know which one is actually being used by our currently running php. Below are 3 ways to locate your php.ini file


1. Using "php --ini" command
$ php --ini
Configuration File (php.ini) Path: /etc
Loaded Configuration File:         /etc/php.ini
...


2. Running phpinfo()
$ php -r 'phpinfo();' | grep ini
...
Configuration File (php.ini) Path => /etc
Loaded Configuration File => /etc/php.ini
...


3. Using php -i command
$ php -i | grep ini
Configuration File (php.ini) Path => /etc
Loaded Configuration File => /etc/php.ini
...

Quickly testing live usb using qemu-system

You will need qemu for this. Install qemu-system for x86 machine (intel based)

$ sudo apt install qemu-system-x86

Attach your usb, check the device name using lsblk

$ lsblk

Test run your live usb using qemu-system-x86_64 command. Let's say your usb device is /dev/sdb

$ sudo qemu-system-x86_64 -hda /dev/sdb

If you get kernel panic in qemu when you run the above command, assign higher memory to the command, because qemu by default only assign 128MiB

$ sudo qemu-system-x86_64 -m 512 -hda /dev/sdb 

Using socks proxy to tunnel apt command in ubuntu 18.04

This is useful when we have a machine (m1) that does not have an internet connection to do apt update/upgrade, but we have another machine (m2) that is able to access internet, and accessible via ssh from the m1.

Create a dynamic tunnel (socks5 proxy) from m1 to m2, using port 8888
$ ssh myuser@m2 -fN -D 8888

Set apt to use the socks proxy created above
$ echo "Acquire::http::proxy "socks5h://localhost:8888";"  | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/12proxy

Run apt command as usual in m1, and your apt command will be tunneled via the socks5h proxy
$ sudo apt update
...
0% [Connecting to SOCKS5h proxy (socks5h://localhost:8888)] [Connecting to SOCKS5h proxy (socks5h://localhost:8888)]

...

Once you are done, do not forget to kill the tunnel

$ kill `pidof ssh`

and remove the proxy option from apt
$ sudo sed -i 's/Acquire/#Acquire/' /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/12proxy 

Installing NFS server and client on ubuntu 18.04

Assuming the nfs server's ip address is 10.20.30.40 and the client is 10.20.30.50.

NFS Server

Install nfs-kernel-server

$ sudo apt update; sudo apt install nfs-kernel-server -y

Start nfs service
$ sudo systemctl start nfs-server

Create the export directory
$ sudo mkdir /sharing

Change permission and ownership of export directory
$ sudo chown nobody.nogroup /sharing
$ sudo chmod 777 /sharing

Allow the export directory to be accessed by client. The options are rw for read write, sync for server to write any change to disk from applying and no_subtree_check to prevent subtree checking
$ echo "/sharing 10.20.30.50(rw,sync,no_subtree_check)" | sudo tee -a /etc/exports

Export the above setting to NFS table of exports
$ sudo exportfs -a

Check if the NFS table of exports has been updated
$ sudo exportfs 
/sharing           10.20.30.50

NFS Client

Install nfs-common
$ sudo apt update; sudo apt install nfs-common

Mount the nfs export directory
$ sudo mount 10.20.30.40:/sharing /mnt

Check if client can write to the export directory and the file written, appeared in the server
$ mount | grep nfs
$ touch /mnt/newfile
$ rm /mnt/newfile

To make the mount point permanent, append it to /etc/fstab
$ echo "10.20.30.40:/sharing /mnt nfs4 defaults 0 0" | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab

Test mount from /etc/fstab
$ sudo umount /mnt; sudo mount -a

Access Your Android Phone's Storage, using Commands

There are a lot of apps for android, that enable file sharing over wifi. Some of them are free, and some of them are paid. But in this article, I will be sharing a kind of geek way on how to share your android phone's internal storage with your linux machine.

Install an app called termux from the play store. Download the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.termux . This app will add terminal emulation to your android

Once installed, allow termux to access to storage. You can do that by going to Settings --> Apps & Notifications --> Termux --> Permissions, and enable Storage

Optional: to make your typing experience better, I recommend this keyboard app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard

The http server of our choice is, the python's simple-http server. To use the simple-http, first you need to install python. Run below in your termux console

$ pkg install python -y

Get your phone's ip address. This can be easily done in termux

$ ip a | grep wlan0

Run http.server, to share your phone's internal storage over the wifi. /storage/emulated/0 is the default root directory for android phone's internal storage

$ python -m http.server /storage/emulated/0 

In your PC/laptop/other android, just use a browser to access the phone, via port 8000