Some important thoughts for system administrators

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General System Administration Overview

• Never do something you can't undo.
  
• Always check the backups, never assume they are working. Make sure you can restore from them, too.
• Write down what you did, even if you know you will never forget it, you will.
• If you do it more than once, write a script.
• Get to know your users before there is a problem, then when there is, they will know who you are and maybe have a little understanding.
• Remember you are performing a service for your users, you don't own the system, you just get to play with it.
• Check your backups.
• Never stop learning, there is always something you should know to make your job easier and your system more stable and secure.
• Check your backups, again.