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Seven Habits of Highly Effective Unix Admins

Posted by Soulskill on from the make-sure-you're-in-folder-you-think-you're-in dept.

jfruh writes: "Being a Unix or Linux admin tends to be an odd kind of job: you often spend much of your workday on your own, with lots of time when you don't have a specific pressing task, punctuated by moments of panic where you need to do something very important right away. Sandra Henry-Stocker, a veteran sysadmin, offers suggestions on how to structure your professional life if you're in this job. Her advice includes setting priorities, knowing your tools, and providing explanations to the co-workers whom you help." What habits have you found effective for system administration?

11 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. One habit is ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Have a mini-fridge under your cubicle desk for constant snacking. The constant snaking would be the habit. Really though, there are too many fat bastards in IT. (and everywhere else, but especially IT). And no, on a plane, I do not prefer sitting next to a fat person that needs to seats, that is sweaty and smelly versus a person of normal weight.

    1. Re:One habit is ... by Fallen+Kell · · Score: 4, Funny

      The reason there are more fat people in IT isn't because we want to be. It is because the GOOD IT people get fat because they know that the best IT people never need to leave their seats. If you have to leave your seat to do something as an admin, you are doing something wrong and not using the technology that is available to you to be able to fix everything but physical hardware failure or installation from your seat.

      --
      We were all warned a long time ago that MS products sucked, remember the Magic 8 Ball said, "Outlook not so good"
  2. i was so wrong by zlives · · Score: 5, Funny

    i thought they were
    sloth, gluttony, pride,...

    1. Re:i was so wrong by kimvette · · Score: 3, Funny

      That's "How to be a BOFH"

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
  3. Knowing your tools by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 5, Funny

    I know them all. They all work in Marketing.

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
    1. Re:Knowing your tools by rcamans · · Score: 4, Funny

      Apparently you have not interacted with management much, or you would not have restricted your answer to marketing...

      --
      wake up and hold your nose
  4. Re:Tmux by oodaloop · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sudo try it out!

    --
    Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
  5. Only three habits are necessary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Only three things are necessary for a highly effective unix admin:

    To crush your userbase
    To see their accounts deleted before you
    To hear the lamentations of the salesmen

  6. Re:Bait by inasity_rules · · Score: 4, Funny

    You really need to have a beard to get it. Do you have a beard? You don't sound like you have a proper beard.

    --
    I have determined that my sig is indeterminate.
  7. Re:#8 Be Appriopriately Lazy by tiberus · · Score: 3, Funny

    First time for this task ;-)

  8. Re:The columnist must be FORTRAN programmer. by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 3, Funny

    >And I'm not even a fucking programmer by trade.

    Yup. I can tell.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact