11 System Administration Unix’s Hidden Cost If the automobile had followed the same development as the com- puter, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year killing everyone inside. —Robert Cringely, InfoWorld All Unix systems require a System Administrator, affectionately known as a Sysadmin. The sysadmin’s duties include: • Bringing the system up. • Installing new software. • Administrating user accounts. • Tuning the system for maximum performance. • Overseeing system security. • Performing routine backups. • Shutting down the system to install new hardware. • Helping users out of jams. A Unix sysadmin’s job isn’t fundamentally different from sysadmins who oversee IBM mainframes or PC-based Novell networks. But unlike these