I train administrators every day. I often work with administrators who are moving from a Windows server background to Linux. One of the most often asked questions is, “Is there a graphical interface to administer the server with?”

System Administrators (SAs) need a set of tools with which to manage their often unmanageable systems and environments*. These ten essential Linux administration tools provide excellent support for the weary SA.

One trend that is on the rise in Linux administration is that administrators are required to do more with less time. Doing more with less is a concept that generates numbers for the bottom line of the business but increases the level of stress for an administrator. One way to ease that load is to set up automatic monitoring of those important servers and services that your company uses.

Linux has so many tools, settings, parameters, and configuration files to learn that administering your box can be a challenge. Webmin, a Web-based comprehensive administration tool for Linux, can help you get on your way.

Todays rant will be based upon my history with linux, why I prefer linux, and some Windows desktop administration. Although I am 90% linux/unix in every aspect of computing, every once in a great while I get drawn into a situation that allows me to spend a few hours in the shoes of the windows desktop administrator.

Here I am just trying to figure out 5 of such useful tools which are used by a normal Linux administrator in day to day operations.

"The key to being an effective administrator is understanding the software that you administer. Software administrators are nothing more than employees who are well rounded in software applications, their versions, how they are configured and installed and lastly how to troubleshoot them should something go wrong.

"Practical Ruby for System Administration, which was written by Andre Ben Hamou and published by Apress, is a lightning introduction to this modern scripting language and is a reasonably detailed, example based, explanation of the potential strength of Ruby for System Administrators and thus the enterprise..."

Schools should foster curiosity and the spirit enquiry in an environment that encourages students to learn. A classroom running proprietary software cannot provide this.