Hey everyone! I'm a network and security engineer with a good grasp of Linux, around RHCSA level, and I'm preparing to take the exam soon. I'm really curious about what tasks Linux administrators handle day-to-day in a production environment. Any insights on what I should focus on to break into a Linux admin role would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
5 Answers
Checking logs to troubleshoot issues is probably my #1 task after security patching. Knowing where to find logs and understanding what’s running on your machine is key. COTS applications often store their logs differently from system logs—this is vital for keeping systems running smoothly.
User support is a huge part of the job. This can include resolving issues like wrong IP addresses or passwords, fixing misconfigured server ports, or troubleshooting new machines that connect unexpectedly. Plus, there’s the occasional dead disk that needs replacing!
One of the most common tasks is stopping and starting services, plus figuring out any issues that might lead to them crashing and ensuring they don’t crash again.
I spend a significant amount of time tweaking PAM configurations for multi-factor authentication across different user classes, which can get really tricky!
It’s great you have a decent grasp on Linux, but keep in mind that production work can differ a lot from personal projects. First off, you'll want to understand how your systems authenticate and log at scale, manage user accounts, and define what applications are permitted. Also, being able to document these processes is crucial.
Familiarize yourself with Change Management and Configuration Management; concepts like (Open)SCAP and SIEM will help too. Learning tools like Ansible for automation, especially at scale, is important. Red Hat knowledge is just part of the puzzle, so exploring business operations and standards like Security+ and ITIL will also be beneficial.
I have 15 years of experience and I've worked in big companies, so I know the ropes. I've done plenty of authentication and cryptography work.
I've set up Ansible and Terraform, writing playbooks that went live in production. I'm comfortable with tools like ELK for logging, but I'd love to hear more about specific day-to-day tasks of a Linux admin—like deploying new VMs or installing apps.
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