So you want to become a Unix Jedi? There are a number of elements that have been suggested for what it takes, but here is the short list:
- Read a lot of books
- Enjoy Unix
- Find a mentor
The bulk of the Unix System Administrators out there are self-taught to varying degrees. If you want to be a great System Administrator you need to love to learn and spend a lot of your free time doing so. Beyond reading you will get a lot of mileage out of just doing it. Run your own unix server for fun - if you don't have the spare hardware, download VMware Server, and run your server in a Virtual Machine.
You need to find something that interests you, if you don't already have a project in mind, here are some ideas:
- Web Server (Apache)
- FTP Server
- Email server (First using sendmail, then try it with postfix)
- DNS Server
There are those who would recommend trying to run some flavor of unix for your workstation OS. If that is something that excites you than that would make a great project for you.
Many believe that finding a mentor is very important to success, but that can be easier said than done. If you don't have a mentor you can often find great assistance in online communities. I would highly recommend joining SAGE and USENIX.
I've collected a recommended reading list at the bottom of this message to help you get started on your journey. Go read through the reviews online and decide which books are right for you for your current ability level. The list below runs from beginner to advanced with some great references thrown in for good measure (The majority of these were recommended reading from the SAGE Members mailing list).
Unix Books
- Unix in a Nutshell, Fourth Edition by Arnold Robbins
- Unix Programming Environment by Brian W. Kernighan, Rob Pike
- The UNIX Philosophy by Mike Gancarz
- Essential System Administration, Third Edition by Æleen Frisch
- Unix System Administration Handbook by Evi Nemeth
- Unix Power Tools, Third Edition by Shelley Powers, Jerry Peek, Tim O'Reilly, Mike Loukides
- Practice of System and Network Administration, The (2nd Edition) by Thomas A. Limoncelli, Christina J. Hogan , Strata R. Chalup
FreeBSD Specific Books
- Absolute BSD: The Ultimate Guide to FreeBSD by Michael Lucas (Author), Jordan Hubbard
- The Complete FreeBSD: Documentation from the Source by Greg Lehey
- The Design and Implementation of the FreeBSD Operating System by Marshall Kirk McKusick , George V. Neville-Neil
