Sysadmin eBook: Making Servers Work

Abstract

We recommend that you begin with a clean, new server to start learning about system administration. However, the examples in this book will work with any up-to-date system running Ubuntu or Debian, from a laptop to a remote server running in a cloud provider’s environment. Chapter 1 of this book goes into detail about how to use a terminal to connect to and administer a Linux server, but it will be helpful to prepare in advance and ensure that you can connect to your new server. To connect to your new server with a terminal, use one of these guides based on your computer’s operating system. Many system administrators do not set out to become system administrators. Instead, they learn system administration through experience in other areas like support or development and grow into the role over time. Often, the boundaries are blurred between system administration, network administration, engineering, DevOps, security, and support. In a small start up environment or research lab, a sysadmin may even occupy all of these roles at once, in addition to their actual role of founder or researcher. At home, sysadmin tasks can mean supporting family and friends with various devices: phones, tablets, smart devices, ereaders, networking equipment, and computers to name a few.