What does Unix admins do?

[Linux23]

For those Unix admins out there. What does the job require? What do you do on a daily basis? Is it difficult to learn and adminster Unix?

I'm sick of MS Windows and want to actually have a challenge for a change.

 

[spidey07]

the guys a know do:

scripting
performance and event mangement
security
setting up boxes

bascially the same as windows admins, just different OS.

 

[ultimatebob]

Actually, being a Windows admin is more work. You need to worry about viruses, worms, practically guaranteed monthly downtime for security patches, and flaky software that ties itself into the operating system. Trust me, I admin a combination of 60 Windows Linux and AIX servers, and the Windows servers require twice as much monthly maintience to keep them running.

Sure, it's a bit tougher to get a Linux or UNIX server up and running, but they're usually rock solid stable once you do. Sure, you still have to deal with ignorant developers who overfill their filesystems and lock out their user accounts, but it's a still a lot easier with dealing with that moron from accounting who clicks on every e-mail attachment they get and brings down half of the network in the process.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Spec, purchase, install, and configure systems.
Spec, purchase, install, and configure software.
Spec and plan for the future.
Spec and plan for the every whim a/an <insert decision maker here>.
Patch, patch, patch.
Test all software and hardware.
Maintain all software and hardware.
Deal with users.
Help users.
Disable accounts of user- er make sure user accounts are working properly.
Write scripts to help with any/all tasks.

 

[cquark]

Originally posted by: Linux23
For those Unix admins out there. What does the job require? What do you do on a daily basis? Is it difficult to learn and adminster Unix?

I'm sick of MS Windows and want to actually have a challenge for a change.

Check out a book on the topic like O'Reilly's Essential System Administration:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/esa3/

 

[n0cmonkey]

Ooooh backups! I forgot backups. :|

 

[Linux23]

What are some of the most common commands that you guys run? I'm mostly skilled with Linux, so i'm not sure how close these two Operating Systems are tied together as far as administering.

Is scripting really that hard to learn. I love challenges and Windows just doesn't do it for me.

EDIT: n0cmonkey, those are some damn useful Unix commands there. most of them i know, but i'm gonna print them out anyway.

 

[ScoobMaster]

Have you considered Netware? Contrary to popular opinion, it is not dead. Novell's new strategy is moving their AWESOME directory services to Linux (they acquired SUSE). Learning Netware/linux/NDS could make you a very marketable person.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Linux23
What are some of the most common commands that you guys run? I'm mostly skilled with Linux, so i'm not sure how close these two Operating Systems are tied together as far as administering.

Is scripting really that hard to learn. I love challenges and Windows just doesn't do it for me.

See my sig. for some basic commands.

Scripting is necessary, but not hard to get the basics down. I'm not great at it, but I do alright.

 

[Linux23]

Originally posted by: ScoobMaster
Have you considered Netware? Contrary to popular opinion, it is not dead. Novell's new strategy is moving their AWESOME directory services to Linux (they acquired SUSE). Learning Netware/linux/NDS could make you a very marketable person.

Interesting. I assumed Novell was died and buried.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Oh, and you may get the pleasure of justifying your existance to management when they get a free steak from microsoft or because of the windows admins.

 

[ScoobMaster]

Originally posted by: Linux23

Originally posted by: ScoobMaster
Have you considered Netware? Contrary to popular opinion, it is not dead. Novell's new strategy is moving their AWESOME directory services to Linux (they acquired SUSE). Learning Netware/linux/NDS could make you a very marketable person.

Interesting. I assumed Novell was died and buried.

Not quite. They still have a big share in the education market (especially here in the Northeast). Many schools and universities (and some fortune 500 companies) are still on Netware.

 

[Linux23]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Oh, and you may get the pleasure of justifying your existance to management when they get a free steak from microsoft or because of the windows admins.

LMAO.

If I know BSD and Linux, Solaris should be the same or similar as far as administration tasks and commands? What makes Solaris different?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Linux23

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Oh, and you may get the pleasure of justifying your existance to management when they get a free steak from microsoft or because of the windows admins.

LMAO.

If I know BSD and Linux, Solaris should be the same or similar as far as administration tasks and commands? What makes Solaris different?

You pay for it.

It's all generally the same. Except for the differences. Most differences will be subtle (semantics, and what is installed by default). The doc in my sig mentions differences in some programs between various systems.