Essential responsibilities of a Linux sysadmin

While I don’t imagine that I’ll ever tire of “playing” on the Linux command line – where “playing” implies enjoying how easily I can get a lot of work done by stringing commands together or creating scripts – I’ve spent the bulk of my career as a systems administrator, and this role involves a significant array of responsibilities.

I started my computer career as a programmer helping to automate criminal code (Title 18) so that the larger federal courts could better manage their criminal cases – a challenge that became more important after the Speedy Trial Act limited how long they had to file an indictment, charge a defendant, and commence a trial. I then moved into administering Unix systems.

When I was first introduced to Linux, I thought it an interesting novelty. A potentially free OS with open source code? The idea was intriguing, but I had my doubts about how well it would work over time. Yet it wasn’t long before I found myself moving into administering Linux systems as my primary job, and I then spent several decades doing just that. In this post, I’ll detail what I see as the primary responsibilities of this role.

Know your Linux commands

Even before you get started managing a Linux server that will be used by others, you should be well versed not only in basic Linux, but also in commands and tools that anyone managing a Linux server needs to use – to set up and manage user accounts, install updates, detect problems, install apps, write scripts, manage backups, ensure system security, etc.

One “cheat sheet” that I put together is available at Linux command cheat sheet. You can also find a variety of Linux cheat sheets at the FOSS (Free and Open Source) site: FOSS Linux Cheat Sheets

Installing and updating the OS

As a Linux sysadmin, you are likely to find yourself both installing Linux on new systems and doing periodic upgrades to keep systems secure and up-to-date – patches and improvements included. On some Linux systems (like Fedora), you can configure automatic updates so that you don’t have to keep track of when upgrades will be available. Here’s a post that can help you determine when package upgrades are available: Commands to find Linux package updates