You’re a Linux system administrator. What tools do you need to keep your environment running smoothly?

As a Linux system administrator, you are responsible for managing and maintaining a variety of servers, applications, and networks. You need to be able to perform tasks such as installing, updating, configuring, troubleshooting, monitoring, and securing your environment. To do so, you need to have a set of tools that can help you automate, optimize, and simplify your work. In this article, we will explore some of the essential tools that every Linux system administrator should know and use.

1 Terminal Emulators

A terminal emulator is a program that allows you to access and interact with the command-line interface of your Linux system. It is the primary tool for executing commands, scripts, and programs, as well as managing files, processes, and permissions. There are many terminal emulators available for Linux, such as GNOME Terminal, Konsole, XTerm, and Terminator. You should choose one that suits your preferences and needs, such as customizability, functionality, and compatibility.

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Nirav Raychura

💭 Cloud Enthusiast, AWS X 3 | CCP, SAA, DOP Azure X 5 (AZ-900, AI-900, AZ-104, AZ-305, AZ-400) , Hashicorp Certified Terraform Associate, Docker, Kubernetes, Intune, Hashicorp Vault 🛡️
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Of course "TERMINATOR" or "TMUX". I have used some like Xterm, Tilda, Guake etc but I like Terminator and TMUX a little bit more 😅

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2 Text Editors

A text editor is a program that allows you to create and edit plain text files, such as configuration files, scripts, code, and documentation. It is an essential tool for Linux system administration, as you often need to modify or write text files for various purposes. There are many text editors available for Linux, such as Vim, Nano, Emacs, and Gedit. You should choose one that offers features such as syntax highlighting, auto-completion, search and replace, and undo and redo.

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Nirav Raychura

💭 Cloud Enthusiast, AWS X 3 | CCP, SAA, DOP Azure X 5 (AZ-900, AI-900, AZ-104, AZ-305, AZ-400) , Hashicorp Certified Terraform Associate, Docker, Kubernetes, Intune, Hashicorp Vault 🛡️
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Yes someone will give bad comments but still I like NANO more. I don't have hate towards VIM but Nano is easy to use. But for scripting I like VS Code more 😅

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3 SSH Clients

An SSH client is a program that allows you to securely connect and communicate with remote Linux servers over the network. It is an essential tool for Linux system administration, as you often need to access and manage multiple servers from your local machine. You can use an SSH client to perform tasks such as transferring files, executing commands, tunneling ports, and forwarding X11 applications. There are many SSH clients available for Linux, such as OpenSSH, PuTTY, MobaXterm, and Remmina. You should choose one that supports features such as authentication, encryption, compression, and multiplexing.

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Nirav Raychura

💭 Cloud Enthusiast, AWS X 3 | CCP, SAA, DOP Azure X 5 (AZ-900, AI-900, AZ-104, AZ-305, AZ-400) , Hashicorp Certified Terraform Associate, Docker, Kubernetes, Intune, Hashicorp Vault 🛡️
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For SSH I prefer Putty and Remmina more because they are easy to use and I am quite familiar with those. They are light weight and remmina also have other functionalities. And yes they are popular plus user friendly.

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4 System Monitoring Tools

A system monitoring tool is a program that allows you to collect and analyze various metrics and data about your Linux system and its performance. It is an essential tool for Linux system administration, as you need to keep track of the status and health of your system and its components, such as CPU, memory, disk, network, and processes. You can use a system monitoring tool to perform tasks such as detecting issues, troubleshooting problems, optimizing resources, and generating reports. There are many system monitoring tools available for Linux, such as top, htop, iostat, vmstat, netstat, and sar. You should choose one that provides features such as real-time updates, graphical displays, filtering and sorting, and logging and alerting.

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5 Package Managers

A package manager is a program that allows you to install, update, remove, and manage software packages on your Linux system. It is an essential tool for Linux system administration, as you need to keep your system and its applications up to date and secure. You can use a package manager to perform tasks such as searching, downloading, installing, upgrading, and uninstalling packages, as well as resolving dependencies, verifying signatures, and managing repositories. There are many package managers available for Linux, depending on the distribution and the format of the packages, such as apt, yum, dnf, pacman, and snap. You should choose one that is compatible with your system and its software sources.

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6 Backup and Recovery Tools

A backup and recovery tool is a program that allows you to create and restore copies of your Linux system and its data. It is an essential tool for Linux system administration, as you need to protect your system and its data from loss, corruption, or damage. You can use a backup and recovery tool to perform tasks such as creating full or incremental backups, compressing and encrypting backups, scheduling backups, and restoring backups. There are many backup and recovery tools available for Linux, such as rsync, tar, dd, cpio, and Clonezilla. You should choose one that meets your requirements and preferences, such as speed, reliability, flexibility, and security.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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You’re a Linux system administrator. What tools do you need to keep your environment running smoothly?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Terminal Emulators

2 Text Editors

3 SSH Clients

4 System Monitoring Tools

5 Package Managers

6 Backup and Recovery Tools

7 Here’s what else to consider

Operating Systems

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You’re a Linux system administrator. What tools do you need to keep your environment running smoothly?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Terminal Emulators

2 Text Editors

3 SSH Clients

4 System Monitoring Tools

5 Package Managers

6 Backup and Recovery Tools

7 Here’s what else to consider

Operating Systems

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