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Top Ten Linux Configuration Tools?

Posted by Cliff on from the what-no-admin-should-be-without dept.

jman251 asks: "I am presenting at a conference in September on a couple of Linux-centric topics. One of these is a collection of tips, tricks, and tools for configuring, securing, and maintaining a Linux-based server. I have a short list of tools I use, but would like some community input on the subject. What tools do you use that make your admin responsibilities easier or more automated on the Linux platform?"

6 of 651 comments (clear)

  1. Webmin all the way by tntguy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Webmin. Grab Usermin while you're there.

  2. Doom... by lordbry · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As admin tool.

    http://www.cs.unm.edu/~dlchao/flake/doom/

  3. In a word by Camel+Pilot · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "What tools do you use that make your admin responsibilities easier or more automated on the Linux platform"

    Perl is your friend

  4. Command line by kbahey · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Whatever runs from the bash command line is good enough for me.

    No bloated fancy GUI needed, can run remotely over a secure ssh connection, and has all the raw power you need.

    I am not a luddite. For some tasks, I will use the GUI tool (e.g. Mandrake Control Center, or Webmin) to do things, when it is faster to do so. But the bulk of what I do is command line.

    --
    2bits.com, Inc: Drupal, WordPress, and LAMP performance tuning.
  5. Re:Webmin is nice by ThisIsFred · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It doesn't require you to run a separate webserver, it comes with its own. There are potential security problems, because in order to modify system configuration files, Webmin must be superuser-equivalent. However, Webmin modules have ACLs, and you can choose to not allow your lesser sysops access to things that might be dangerous.

    Webmin has lots of thoughtful touches, like the ability to block certain UIDs and GIDs so that a lesser sysop cannot change the root account (for example). Another bonus is that Webmin users don't have to be regular shell accounts. It's not perfect, but it's still the Swiss Army Knife of configuration utilities.

    --
    Fred

    "A fool and his freedom are soon parted"
    -RMS
  6. Re:CVS (or insert your favorite alternative here) by hackstraw · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Until someone steals your ssh key. Then they will be godlike too.

    Sure, ssh keys are convenient, but they don't always replace passwords.

    Passwords suck. Oh, and I have a 10 character passphrase on my privatekey that sits on my password protected computer.

    I would guestimate that the liklihood that a password has been found or guessed or shown up in a plain text file (my ISP used to have a world readable radius logfile that had passwords in it) or sniffed is much greater than someone logging into my laptop (I have no remote services running) or physically beating me up and getting my key and passphrase from me.

    I love the classic:

    sj (misstyped su)

    followed by the root password in plaintext. Gotta love that!