If you’re locked out of your Linux or Windows system, a handy Live Linux troubleshooting distro might be all you need to get back in. We’ll show you how to pick the lock with SystemRescueCd.

The imminent Windows 8 implementation of UEFI with Secure Boot adds an extra layer of complexity for some Linux users. We look at the problem and two solutions from Fedora and Canonical.

Even tried and trusted configurations that have proved their value through the years can be tripped up by special cases – for example, all of your users logging in with the same IP address. Experienced administrators and Bash aficionados will then enable debugging and launch a systematic search for configuration errors.

Debugging the kernel of a running operating system has always been tricky, but now the Qemu emulator supports cross-platform kernel and module debugging at the programming language level.

Whether you’re the sys admin of a home network or of a company-wide network of dozens or even hundreds of machines, some basic principles of debugging will come in handy.

TestDisk and its cousin PhotoRec will help you recover the data you thought you’d lost.

Trinity Rescue Kit is driven by the practical requirements of the admin’s daily work, integrating a full set of tools for maintaining and rescuing Linux and Windows PCs.

Many administrators rely on Linux tools whose fate is already sealed, but external forces can help people let go of old habits.