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Unix Guru Evi Nemeth Missing, Feared Lost At Sea
14erCleaner writes "Retired Colorado professor Evi Nemeth has been missing between New Zealand and Australia since June 4, along with six others on their racing yacht. Nemeth, 73, is known as the primary author of the definitive Unix systems administration guide and for other works on Unix and Linux system administration and cryptography."
That really sucks.
I'm currently doing Systems Administration in Antarctica. I got my first professional network administration job in Boulder, around the time that the "Yellow book" came out (2nd Ed. of the "UNIX Systems Administration Handbook," Nemeth, Snyder, Hein, et al.). The book got me boostrapped for work in NeXT and SunOS administration. I've been to six continents, and have worked in IT for 20+ years. I owe a lot of my life's earnings and experiences to what I learned in Nemeth's texts.
Godspeed, Evi.
The last time I was in her office (which was many years ago) I noticed the sign on her desk:
Don't postpone joy.
She didn't. From the gusto with which she threw herself into her work to the whimsy that led her to recycle a jet fighter's cockpit canopy as a window in her improvised mountain home, she never hesitated to find a smile or a laugh.
So if we've lost her -- and I hope we haven't -- then we've not only lost someone who's been the mentor to an entire generation of system admins, we've lost a unique, wonderful, fascinating person.
p.s. I'm well aware that there are co-authors of those books. I'm equally well aware that Evi did the heavy lifting.
Evi has been my closest contact at CU over the years. She was always a good friend and administered the scholarship I set up there. I am very sad but hoping to hear good news from my NZ friends. Evi was a very important person when it comes to Unix and Internet routing.
OK a new size TV