Linux is a very significant and extensive concept. Linux system administration is a complex but well-structured knowledge system. The study of a family of systems significantly broadens the horizons and will not be superfluous for the developer of information systems, especially in a distributed and dynamic application.
About solutions and problems
System administration is a responsible job. However, it is often very difficult to convince the head of the company (customer). Many believe that the system administrator does everything quickly, after it everything works perfectly, which means that the work is simple and there’s nothing to pay for. When the administrator does not cope with the tasks, the head (customer) deprives him of the bonus (payment) and begins to defiantly look for another specialist. But...
As a result, the administration of the Linux server suffers, which, like a car, prefers to operate under the control of a single “driver”. When one specialist installed and set up the system, and then it was replaced by another, and even more so the third and more ... The company (customer) will definitely feel a negative result and will regret it very much, even if the first master “honestly” leaves his post, reporting all passwords and server management rules.
Linux administration is a large industry of knowledge and skills. But there are always three positions (installation, configuration and maintenance). And it is they who make up the general that they understand, each in their own way, a specialist and the head of the company (customer).
The psychology of the system administrator (the logic of his behavior) is more pronounced than that of the programmer (developer), and the danger for the head of the company (customer) is that “resentment caused by qualifications or time spent (work)” can lead to a complete refusal to work server at the most unexpected moment in time.
The code of honor and conscience of system administration is an implicit custom, but it includes an adequate and honest attitude not only from the specialist, but also from the one who pays the money (usually does not pay, but tries to command what (how) to do and order the “music ").
System administration is an obligatory position in the staff of a company of any size. Especially if her interests are related to the operation or development of information systems. A third-party service option will never provide the necessary level of stability and security; it will not be the right basis for administering a Linux server.
Installation, configuration and maintenance
The Linux family of operating systems is extensive, multifaceted, and geared toward a variety of applications. For example, the CentOS line of systems is a corporate application, UBUNTU is a home version with a good graphical environment. FreeBSD is known for being moody and demanding of system administrator knowledge. Arch Linux - prefers manual control during installation and configuration, rather than convenient automatic installation.
The general logic of Linuxoids: simplicity, reliability and stability. Security issues are resolved at the system level, but can be easily developed during the administration of a Linux server. Work is always “without panic” - the original motto that would not hurt to adopt Windows-based systems for a long time.
Installation is always subject to the beginner for any Linux. Always setting up, maintaining and administering Linux is a development of specialist knowledge and skills. The classic application as a hosting and file server is not only Apache (NGiNX & php-fpm), MySQL, PHP and Samba, but also the development of knowledge on optimizing each position.
Linux server administration is, first of all, the choice of a specific specialist. Moreover, his professional skills are no less important than his ideas about responsibility, decency and attitude to the assigned work. This is also the attitude of the company's management (customer) to the specialist.
Administration is secondary, primary, honest, labor relations and obligations of the parties to comply with them adequately to any situation.
Major in Administration
A characteristic feature of each Linuxoid is the command line, which Windows users have long forgotten about. Server management is SSH. The server does not have to stand near the administrator and can be located anywhere. Using PuTTY (or a similar tool), you can manage the server from anywhere. The graphical interface for the server is nonsense, but the situations are different.
By the logic of things and for development purposes, it is very convenient to put the main functionality on a physical computer and improve it over time. Additionally, for development and experimentation - to set up a system of virtual machines and conduct experiments in independent "virtual boxes".
A common practice is hosting. You can start classically: Apache, MySQL and PHP. Then configure NGiNX, php-fpm, MySQL and PHP. You can replace PHP with Perl or Python, choose a different database. You can put Samba in a separate virtual box, connect it to the local network, conduct experiments on comparing the performance between CentOS and UBUNTU.
The main Linux administration basics are to never experiment on a running system. The server has become, hosting is configured, the web resource is functioning. The administrator is obliged to stop at this, summarize and further improve his knowledge on a virtual machine or other physical computer. New knowledge appeared, a new experience (tool) was tested - you can implement it in a working system. Not otherwise.
The fundamentals of administration in general are a reasonable combination of specialist knowledge and skills and the attitude of the company (customer) management towards it. There is no mutual understanding, there is no stability in labor relations, you can not even undertake to create your own server - the result will definitely be negative.
System Programming and Administration
Programmers very quickly divided into categories: applied ones are fortran and mathematics, system ones are assembler and programming. This figurative comparison did not become the ancestor of system administration, but very clearly separates the boundaries of areas of competence.
Linux system administration is the building and its maintenance. Those who live, how they live and what they have the right to do are residents: sites, files, folders, accesses, application programs and other components that are installed on the server, but their management is left to the users, developers, and owners - entities using server capabilities .
The system administrator may not own the situation what functionality the software product provides. Its task is to install the product, assign user rights and ensure its stable operation.
The rights of the head of the company (customer) do not include the mandatory knowledge of the password for access to the system, and even more so of root access (root). Only one person should know everything about the system and be responsible for it.
Multiple administrative access to the server is a guarantee of its failure at the most unexpected moment in time. It is possible to regulate the transfer of essential administrative information in case of illness, absence, or other opportunity with the administrator, but in the usual state of affairs, only one system administrator is responsible for and ensures the server and its operation.
Knowledge dynamics
Linux administration is different from Windows. The logic of thinking is completely different. The Mac development line (Mac) is generally nonsense, but the number of users, according to Apple, is many more than 100 million people. The field of information technology is rich in diverse and unexpected solutions, but the Linux family has always stood apart.
Many specialist researchers have tried to build a genealogy of Linux systems. Beautiful, interesting, but important is different. Linux server administration has disciplined the field of knowledge. Explained how to build systems and how to manage them.
It doesn’t matter what the server becomes: on Debian or Arch, on CentOS or Cosmic Cuttlefish. It is important that space cuttlefish has nothing to do with Ubuntu 18.10, but by the beauty of the name it tries to show the quality of the new version for both applied and systemic applications.
If a specialist decided to become a system administrator, then he made a bet on developing his own knowledge and improving it for third-party use. Ideally, when this desire and action is supported by the company in which he works, not only in word, but also in deed.