This page has been blank since this site began in the Summer of 2000, so I thought that it might be time to finally write something...

What is SlackSite.com?

SlackSite is, at its core, a site devoted to the spread of accurate, useful, and easy-to-understand information on a variety of computing topics. Originally the site was devoted to the Slackware distribution of Linux, hence the name 'SlackSite'. Ironically there really isn't much here for the Slackware enthusiast, other than a few articles on Slackware itself, as well as the more general Apache and FTP articles. SlackSite has become more Solaris oriented as time passes. Why Solaris? Aside from it being the focus of my job, I find many things in Solaris different or peculiar. This feeling is probably due to my comfort level with Slackware, which is really my 'home, sweet home'. Certain Solaris topics, such as DiskSuite, lend themselves really well to short concise articles. At the very least my hope is that they will help other folk who may be moving to Solaris from other UNIXes or even just starting out with Solaris.

The primary focus of my system administration duties is 'Internet Information Services', such as DNS, email, FTP and HTTP servers. This, combined with the fact that they are all multi-platform services insures that greater attention is paid to these topics. As some of my interest (and job functions) move more towards networking, expect to see future articles pertaining to the wonderful world of Cisco IOS.

The most popular document on the site is, hands down, "Active vs. Passive FTP, a Definitive Explanation" (found under the "Other Technical Docs" section of the site). This article has its roots in a series of notes that a colleague wrote up and put on an internal web site. I then took those notes and expanded upon them, trying to make a very confusing topic into something that can be universally understood. Over time other things were added, including diagrams, transcripts of actual FTP sessions, and notes on specific FTP servers. Is it a bit egotistical to call the article a "Definitive Explanation"? Perhaps so, but based on reader comments and referrer logs, the document is widely read and linked to. I'll let you, the reader, be the final judge. All comments, both praise and criticism, are graciously accepted.

Who Runs SlackSite.com?

The simple answer to that question would be "I do", however, that would lead to further questions, such as "Who are you?". My name is Jay Ribak, and I live and work in the Southern New Hampshire/Northern Massachusetts region. What is my qualification to run SlackSite? I could say that one doesn't need qualifications to put up a website, but that would not instill much confidence in the technical material presented here. I have over ten years of experience in UNIX systems, including Solaris, HP-UX, Irix, and of course, Linux. I have a few less years of experience in networking (primarily Cisco), as networking comes as a logical extension to UNIX administration. And, like nearly everyone else, I have many years of experience with various Microsoft offerings.

Of course, I am not perfect--errors can and do occur on the site from time to time. Luckily these are kept to a minimum by third-party proofreading (thanks to my wife, Erika!) and peer review. If something seems amiss or wrong, I want to know about it--please don't hesitate to contact me! Reader input is one of the things that makes SlackSite stronger and more useful to future users.

While all of the articles on SlackSite currently (early 2002) are my creations, I do hope to make the site more than just a showcase of my writing. If you wrote, or are planning on writing a short document on a 'SlackSite topic' and you would like to have your article 'published' on SlackSite, or just linked, let me know. Needless to say, credit will be given to all authors, and you will retain the copyright to any original material you write which is featured on this site.

Again, thanks for visiting SlackSite! If you've come here in search of a solution to a technical issue, I hope that all of your problems are resolved in a favorable manner. Good luck and happy computing to all!

Jay Ribak
Nashua, NH
26 March 2002