Chapter 13: Basic System Administration

Overview

Every computer owner must be concerned with the basic tasks of system administration. Those who use non-UNIX operating systems like Windows 2000 or XP have system administration responsibilities. Whether the system is being used by one person as a home-based system, or by a group of people in an office environment, someone needs to administer the machine. In particular, that person needs to install the system software; all of the programs that will be used; and hardware devices such as printers, disk drives, and scanners. He or she will also periodically need to delete unnecessary files, defragment and optimize hard disks, and regularly back up the data.

The same is true with any UNIX operating system, whether it is on a personal computer (typically Linux, FreeBSD, or Mac OS X), a midsized server (again Linux or one of the other UNIX variants), or a large mainframe (such as Solaris, HP-UX, or AIX). The extent of administration you must do will depend on how you use your system. If you have a personal workstation or you are your system’s only user, initial administration may be as simple as connecting the computer’s hardware; installing software; and defining a few basics such as the system name, the date, and the time.

Because UNIX is a multiuser operating system, you may want to set up your system so that many people can use it. As an administrator, you will assign a login name, a password, and a working directory to each user. You will probably want to connect additional terminals or PCs so that several users can work at the same time.

You will also need to protect the information on your system. To do this, you’ll have to monitor available disk space and processing performance, protect against security breaches, and regularly back up the data. Depending on the kind of work being done on your system, you may need to add software or printers, networks, and other hardware peripherals.

This chapter will familiarize you with basic concepts and procedures that go into administering the UNIX System for these major variants: Linux, Solaris, Mac OS X, AIX, and HP-UX. It is divided into four major sections: administrative concepts, setup procedures, maintenance tasks, and security Important administrative topics that require greater depth of explanation are covered in Chapter 14. Topics needed for mail, network, and Internet administration are covered in Chapters 15 and 17. For further information on administration, see the administrative documentation that comes with your system.

Although you don’t need to be a UNIX guru to do basic system administration, you do need to be familiar with basic UNIX features and have some skill in editing and issuing commands. There is much to learn, but being a competent system administrator is a valuable role, worth the effort it takes to learn the necessary skills.