This works on any modern distribution of Linux, but we are using Ubuntu 14.04 for the process. First, install CIFS/Samba tools, required to mount the share point:

In Ubuntu:

apt-get install cifs-utils

Now let's create the credentials file:

This comes up many times when you need to add a backup super user to MySQL (or MariaDB). Passwords are lost, forgotten, etc and although MySQL allows for a fairly quick password reset, it is always a good idea to have a backup.

Login as root and run the following query. It will add a new user, called "sysadminuser", with access to localhost (ie: the current machine locally). This new user will be allowed to login using the password: "passwordfortheuser". (Change these as needed):

If you have a non-existing (or unplugged) external drive in /etc/fstab, Linux will not boot until you either press S to skip or M for manual mount. This is a desired behavior, because the operating system does not know what is on that external drive and whether it should ignore the error. If the disk is just used for archiving, the system not booting can be a problem, especially if the disk is just temporarily removed.

To avoid this, you have to add nofail to the fstab, so if the disk becomes detached, the system will continue to boot. 

Here's an example: 

Linux allows you to access an ISO image, rather than having to burn a CD or DVD. Keep in mind that the image will be read-only.

Assuming your ISO image is in ~/Downloads/ and you have a directory called /media/cdrom (these are usually created automatically during the install)

You can achieve this using the following command.

If you have a disk that has been uncleanly unmounted, you can run a tool called ntfsfix to correct the issues. Keep in mind that ntfsfix is a utility that fixes some common NTFS problems, but it is not a Linux version chkdsk or equivalent of fsck. It will repair some basic inconsistencies and reset the NTFS journal. You should repair NTFS disks under windows, when possible.

Running the command: