Mack Pexton

Information Systems – IT Specialist – Linux Sysadmin

I design, assemble, and maintain Computer Information Systems.

I assemble and configure Linux servers and open source software. I write my own software to fill in the blanks so systems are integrated and automated.

An ongoing project of mine is the AcmeBase Small Enterprise System, a study on how to organize and setup a secure system of servers. It is essentially a locally-hosted private cloud based on open source software.

Can I help you?

I am interested in computer information: its storage, availability, flow, and its security. I like to put together systems and then oversee them. I like building software tools to enhance systems administration and automation.

I also like research projects. I've always enjoyed working for researchers, crazy as they are.

History

In the beginning when I started my consultancy (1979) I was a hacker. An original hacker. Back then before kids got PCs, hackers were considered to be good guys. Utilizing a broad knowledge of software and hardware we "hacked together" working systems. Simplicity and elegance was our hallmark. How things have changed.

Software

As a long time Systems Administrator I use the bash shell extensively with all the Linux command-line tools. I have programmed major projects in Perl and PHP and I have setup several SQL databases.

I write HTML code by hand with a text editor or I write programs that write HTML code. I then write CSS stylings to display that HTML code different ways. Javascript is a favorite language of mine. It's expressive and ubiquitous.

License

All my programs are free and open source software as they are built upon other free and open source software. All programs are licensed under the Apache License, the MIT License, or where marked, the GNU GPL3.

Whether my scripts are published or not, they are intended to be "left behind" on your systems to be used as needed. I also make upgraded versions of many programs available through git or svn repositories.

Workplace

I work out my office in Bozeman Montana. I originally came to Bozeman to go to Montana State University and I just kept coming back so I started my business here.

I built my office so it is attached to my home by a second floor breeze-way. It allows me to work late into the night as I prefer but still be able to wake up in my own bed.

I work on computers located across the nation for people around the world. Traditionally I develop directly on the client's systems I monitor instead of my own equipment. It provides the client possession of all the resources needed to manage and maintain their systems in case someone else needs to step in.