Setting Up a Bitcoin Block Explorer on a Linux Server

A Bitcoin Block Explorer is a tool that provides a user-friendly interface for viewing blockchain data such as transactions, blocks, and addresses. While public block explorers are widely available, using them can compromise your privacy as they may log your searches and activity. Setting up your own Bitcoin Block Explorer on a Linux server ensures that you can access blockchain data privately, directly from your own Bitcoin Core node.

By hosting your own block explorer, you maintain full control over your data, eliminate reliance on third-party services, and improve the decentralization of the Bitcoin ecosystem. It’s a valuable addition for anyone running a full node who wants to monitor transactions or learn more about blockchain data without compromising privacy.

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How to install Bitcoin Core on a Linux Server

What is Bitcoin Core and why install it on a Linux server?

Bitcoin Core is the open-source software that powers the Bitcoin network, serving as the reference implementation for the cryptocurrency. It is designed to facilitate the creation, validation, and transmission of transactions on the Bitcoin network. As a full node, Bitcoin Core downloads and maintains a complete copy of the blockchain, ensuring that every transaction is verified against the rules of the Bitcoin protocol. This independent verification is vital for preventing double-spending and maintaining the trustless nature of the network.

By running Bitcoin Core on your Linux server, you operate a full node that independently verifies all Bitcoin transactions and blocks. This participation is crucial for maintaining the integrity and security of the network.

Running your own node enhances privacy by allowing you to interact with the Bitcoin network without relying on third-party services, which can track your IP address and transactions. It gives you complete control over your wallet and funds, reducing the risks associated with centralized services. Moreover, a full node contributes to the decentralization of the network, improving its resilience against attacks and enhancing its overall efficiency.

While running a Bitcoin node requires significant storage space and bandwidth due to the large size of the blockchain, the benefits of increased security, privacy, and control make it a worthwhile investment for any serious Bitcoin user.

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SSH Configuration on a Linux Server

SSH (Secure Shell) is a network protocol used to establish encrypted connections between devices. It is commonly used for remote server administration and secure file transfers. Configuring SSH on a Linux server is essential for system administrators because it enables managing a server from anywhere without physical access, ensuring both security and efficiency in remote management.

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How to convert HEIC Images to JPG on a Mac the easy way

HEIC is a high-quality, low-file-size format used by the iPhone camera. While you can set your iPhone to shoot in JPEG instead, in many cases, it doesn’t really matter what format you use.However, when you start sharing images or saving them to your Mac for future use, you might want them in a more common format. And though HEIC is becoming more and more prevalent, it doesn’t have anywhere near the universal support and compatibility that you get from the JPEG format.Fortunately, it’s easy to convert them.

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How to Zoom the Linux Terminal

The default font size in the Linux terminal can seem small. If you have eye problems like me, you need to focus hard to read the text. Worry not because there are some tricks that let you zoom the Linux terminal so that you can see and read everything without any hardship.Even without eye problems, this zooming trick is useful for other cases.

For example, if you’re presenting to a large audience in a room, people in the back will find it difficult to see what you’re doing on the terminal. Zooming it to an appropriate size solves that problem.

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How to prevent a Bash Script from relaunching too soon

Sometimes it’s useful to make sure a Bash shell script doesn’t run too frequently. Here’s a neat way to set a time limit that must expire before the script can run again.

Depending on what it’s doing and which other processes it may launch, a Bash script can consume as much RAM and CPU time as any other resource-hungry process. It can be useful to limit how frequently such a script can be launched.Enforcing a period of respite between each run of a heavyweight script stops it from hogging resources. Computationally expensive scripts can monopolize computers to the point where other users experience a drop in performance.

In extreme cases, if the script causes a lot of disk churn, for example, it can even hasten the demise of your hardware.Of course, engineering a scheme that limits how soon you can relaunch a script adds code to your script, and gives it one more thing to do. That might sound counterproductive, but if the checks are lightweight and fast, their tiny overheads are far outweighed by their resource savings.

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How to use Robocopy to Sync Files on a Drive or Directory in Windows

The robocopy (robust file and folder copy) is a command line tool available in Windows that copies files from one place to another. It can copy between directories on the same drive, or between devices like USB sticks and portable disks, and to network locations.

When to Use the Robocopy Command

The robocopy command is perfect for automating your workflows. If you regularly have to copy files between the same locations, you can set up a script to do it all for you rather than having to perform the task manually.It’s particularly useful for performing backup tasks, with the added advantage that you won’t have to remember to perform the backup, improving the reliability of your backup practices. You can use robocopy to regularly back up your files to an external drive, or to cloud storage.

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