xTom is a privately held professional Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provider, founded in Düsseldorf, Germany. We provide network and data center services. We also offer customized solutions on Windows and Linux platforms ranging from cloud hosting to dedicated servers.
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Every Linux system boots with the help of an init system, but the one running on your server today looks nothing like the one from a decade ago. Here's what actually separates traditional SysV init from systemd, and why it matters for how you manage services.
Linux namespaces and cgroups are the two kernel features that make containers possible, one hides what a process can see, the other limits what it can use. Here's how they actually work under the hood.
Bash isn't the only shell on Linux. Here's a breakdown of the most common shell types, sh, bash, dash, zsh, ksh, csh/tcsh, and fish, what each is actually built for, and how to check or switch which one you're running.
Bash is the command-line shell and scripting language that runs behind most Linux (and more) systems and servers. Here's what it does, where it came from, and how to start using it.
There's no single best place in the world to host your servers, but there is a best place for your project. Here's how location shapes speed, compliance, and reliability, and how to pick the right one.
Getting your own IP addresses can mean going straight to a Regional Internet Registry for next to nothing, or paying to lease or buy space on the open market. Here's how each route works, what it costs, and which one actually fits your situation.
IPv4 prices went through one of the sharpest corrections on record in 2025, and 2026 is showing the first real signs of a turnaround. Here's what the latest market data says an IP address actually costs this year, and what's driving the numbers.
A point of presence (PoP) is the physical spot where one network meets another and hands off traffic, and it quietly shapes how fast your sites and apps feel. Here's what a PoP actually is, what lives inside one, and how to check a provider's PoP footprint before you commit.
Losing data on a Linux server is painful, and it's almost always preventable. This guide walks you through setting up automatic Linux backups using tools like rsync, cron, and tar, so your data is protected without you having to think about it.
A content delivery network (CDN) is a globally distributed system of servers that delivers web content to users faster by serving it from a location close to them. This article explains what CDNs are, how they work under the hood, and when you actually need one.
Regional Internet Registries are the organizations responsible for allocating IP addresses and Autonomous System Numbers across the globe. Understanding how they work is useful for anyone managing infrastructure, requesting IP space, or thinking about internet routing.
GeoDNS lets you route users to the server closest to them based on their location, cutting latency and improving reliability. Here's how it works and when you should use it.
Git is the standard version control system for developers and sysadmins alike, and getting it running on Linux takes just a few minutes. This guide walks you through installation, basic configuration, and the everyday commands you'll actually use.
IP address blocks are the backbone of how networks are organized and routed across the internet, but the differences between IPv4 and IPv6 allocations can be confusing. This guide breaks down block sizes, CIDR notation, and what it all means in practice.
Linux desktop market share is climbing fast, with fresh data from StatCounter, the Steam Hardware Survey, and Stack Overflow painting a clearer picture than ever. Here's what the numbers say halfway through 2026.
Grep is one of the most useful command-line tools in Linux, letting you search through files and output for exactly the text you're looking for. This guide covers what it does, how it works, and the most practical ways to use it.
RDAP has taken over as the modern way to look up registration data for domains, IP ranges, and autonomous system numbers. xTom’s open source Rust client wraps that protocol in a fast CLI with readable output, smart query detection, and flexible JSON support. Learn more about it in this article.
GRE tunnels encapsulate one packet inside another so traffic can move between remote systems or networks over an IP path. In this article, we'll explain more about them.
RAID can improve uptime, performance, and fault tolerance, but it doesn't magically make data safe from every kind of loss. Here's what RAID actually does, how each RAID level works, and where ZFS, software RAID, and hardware RAID fit in.
Debian and Ubuntu are closely related, but they don't feel the same once you start running real workloads. Here's what actually changes, and when those differences matter.
