UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook Quotes

“It might seem that security should gradually improve over time as security problems are discovered and corrected, but unfortunately this does not seem to be the case. System software is growing ever more complicated, hackers are becoming better and better organized, and computers are connecting more and more intimately on the Internet. Security is an ongoing battle that can never really be won.”
― Evi Nemeth, Unix and Linux System Administration Handbook

“As a system administrator, it's in your best interest to befriend data center technicians and bribe them with coffee, caffeinated soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages”
― Evi Nemeth, UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook

“System administrators often help organizations develop sensible policies that meet the letter and intent of the law and yet still promote progress and productivity.”
― Evi Nemeth, UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook

“As a case in point, the ps used by Linux is a trisexual and hermaphroditic version that understands multiple option sets and uses an environment variable to tell it what universe it’s living in.”
― Evi Nemeth, Unix and Linux System Administration Handbook

“Fire Fighting Although helping users with their various problems is rarely included in a system administrator’s job description, it claims a significant portion of most administrators’ workdays. System administrators are bombarded with problems ranging from “It worked yesterday and now it doesn’t! What did you change?” to “I spilled coffee on my keyboard! Should I pour water on it to wash it out?” In most cases, your response to these issues affects your perceived value as an administrator far more than does any actual technical skill you might possess. You can either howl at the injustice of it all, or you can delight in the fact that a single well-handled trouble ticket scores as many brownie points as five hours of midnight debugging. You pick!”
― Evi Nemeth, Unix and Linux System Administration Handbook