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Sysadmin Toolbox Top Ten

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the pick-your-poison dept.

Linux.com is running a user writeup of several handy tools by an up-and-coming Linux user. It is always interesting to see how newer users are approaching system customization. What have some of the more seasoned Linux power-users and sys admins put in their "toolbox top 10", and why?

14 of 304 comments (clear)

  1. Ethereal by CastrTroy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not sure how useful Ethereal would be for everyone, but I know i've found it useful in debugging network issues.

    --

    Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
  2. My Top Ten by DrDitto · · Score: 5, Insightful

    1. /bin/ls
    2. /bin/cp
    3. /bin/mv
    4. /bin/mkdir
    5. /bin/sh
    6. /bin/sed
    7. /bin/awk
    8. /bin/grep
    9. /bin/kill
    10. /bin/vi

  3. Re:Top 10? by Eightyford · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I certainly wouldn't want to host my project at a place called Source Forget. I think you mean http://aterm.sourceforge.net/

    Indeed, I do. The typo was actually copied directly from the linked article. I guess I should have checked the links first. Ah well.

    --
    Religion for nerds. Stuff that really matters
  4. Re:Phillips Screwdriver by gbobeck · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I love my ratcheting screw driver for admin work... but for those days where exacting precision is necessary, NOTHING beats duct tape.

    --
    Navicula hydraulica plena anguilarum est. Omnes castelli tuus nostri sunt. Ed elli avea del cul fatto trombetta.
  5. What the hell? by Arjuna+Theban · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is hands down, by far, the most useless article I've read on Slashdot. And that includes the April 1st articles.

    Imagemagick? ATerm? A fucking bittorrent client? What is the definition of sysadmin?

    Some guy decides to list apps he likes and it gets on /. as the "sys-admin top 10".

    Bra-fucking-vo.

  6. ISO's by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Since when is a BitTorrent client needed for sysadmin work?

    You're right - it's preposterous to think a sysadmin would want to download distro ISO's quickly.

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  7. Re:Nothing to do with systems administration by ePhil_One · · Score: 3, Insightful
    this is totally not a systems administrator's toolbox

    Seriously, this is a list compiled by a 17 year old kid. He is a hobby user. While I grant that he has been a user for 6 years, an 11 year old has much different priorities than someone responsible for multiple users in a large LAN environment. Promoting this does nothing to aid the legitimacy of Linux.

    --
    You are in a maze of twisted little posts, all alike.
  8. Re:LART by wpanderson · · Score: 2, Insightful

    s/IBM model "M"/Sun Type 5/g

    Without a doubt the most glorious keyboard in the world.

    --
    neuro at well dot com (when I post, it's my opinions, no-one elses)
  9. Re:Nothing to do with systems administration by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    tail(1) is one of the most important tools available to the Unix systems administrator. It continues to be the best way to view plain-text logs as they are written. It's also the best way to get the last N lines from a log so you can view them.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  10. Re:Nothing to do with systems administration by spxero · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Which ligitimacy are we talking about? I agree that these don't have much to do with administrative tasks, but bittorrent clients and media apps aid in trying to make Linux a legitimate alternative to Windows for desktop users. Linux is already established to be good for sysadmin uses.

    I don't think the goal of Linux is to be Windows-like(or OSX-like). I don't think the goal of Windows is even to be Windows-like. I think the goal is to effectivly perform a variety of tasks for as many people as possible. For sysadmins, they won't neccessarily use media tools. But for my Mom who may want the occational torrent of a show she missed or to watch a home movie clip I send her, these apps make or break the legitimacy. It all depends on who we(Linux users) are trying to convince. Yes, the title is decieving, but the underlying message isn't. Linux has many great tools, and letting people know that should be the focus.

  11. Re:In no particular order: by temojen · · Score: 4, Insightful
    ssh (this one is fun: "ssh server tar -cf - directory | tar -xv")
    scp -r server:directory .

    Not good enough for you?

  12. Re:ren-regexp by MCZapf · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Focus on the positive! This guy created a useful script that, you must admit, requires less typing on the command line once installed. He was thorough enough to create a manpage and post it all to the web.

    Similarly, your solution is an elegant one-liner. Focus on the positive!

  13. Re:Nothing to do with systems administration by belmolis · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is one of an ongoing series of such articles, not the only one. So, yes, it is desirable for a certain class of reader to hear from someone who administers a large network, but since many people who ar enot professional sysadmins do in fact administer a machine or two (their own and sometimes others), it is quite reasonable to hear from people in other situations as well.

  14. Re:Lies about Azureus by cortana · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Although it may be too 'simple' for your needs, I think the best Bittorrent client is 'bittorrent'. The downside is that version 4.0 and higher are not available in Debian, because they changed the license to be non-DFSG-free. Packages are available from my web site, however.