More power to you. I don't consider myself a network admin (other than for my
own networks) But seriously, if you want to call yourself a network admin, it
would help to know the basics... In linux, NIS _IS_ part of the basics, it is
not "flavor" dependent, like samba, LDAP, and and NFS.
Tells me you wasted your money on that certification. Any linux book will at
least mention and cover some of those.
While I do agree with you that generally speaking linux documentation should
be better, I think a rant about it especially on the Amanda list (They do
better than many others) was uncalled for. Something to keep in mind is that
all this is created mostly by individual's efforts, people who have a need
for an application, geek enough to start it open-source to get the help of
others.... In most cases all they're concerned with is what they do best:
programming, code, features, make it better. Docs are low on priority in
their minds. that's where folks that don't necessarily have the tech skills
to help programming can help by pushing the documentation... That rarely
happens though does it?
Something else I learned about the way of open source (that is actually a
great thing once you understand it) is that an application is almost never a
stand alone. An example: in windows you can burn CD's with different apps:
Windows comes with it's own crappy basic CD burning capabilities, you got
Nero, Easy Cd Creator and others.... Each of those apps comes with it's own
library to interface with the actual burner, no code is common between the
applications. They are commercially developed applications, "No you're not
using my code to make your own cd burning software...". I'm sure you at some
point went through hell trying to uninstall one to install the other, or
maybe discovered how badly these programs conflict if you try to have
different ones installed. of course, speaking of documentation, each of them
needs to come with their own set.
In the open source is a little different, the tendency is to not reinvent the
weel: K3b, Xcdroast, the webmin cd burning module, gnomebaker, cdrtoaster the
list could go on, ALL use the same libraries and a number of programs to
burn, normalize, rip etc. there is no point rewriting something that's
already there unless it's not good enough and it's developers don't agree it
should be improved. The same goes for the docs. They're already written for
certain things people aren't going to rewrite it.
To sum it up, things are "different" for good reasons in my opinion and while
some documentation is poor, the biggest part of it is understanding how
things work and getting used to the way. Amanda merely mentions NIS and tells
you amanda specific things about NIS, Really as a network administrator you
should know at least if you are using NIS, if you are you probably go it
down, amanda docs are not the place to tell you all about it.
Things are explained sometimes to depts that go beyond your needs... try
looking at the Samba unleashed sams book!! Great book by the way, 1100 +
pages! Do we think it needs to be read and understood cover to cover in order
to set up simple file sharing with a windows computer?
In most cases, what you do is take a moment to write a few bullet points, the
scope of your project: what are you trying to do? what does it involve? over
the network or not? and go look for information pertaining to just what you
need. Then use the documentation as you would use a 1100 pages book: get what
you need out of it. If it sais "If you're using the magic orbital widget..."
and you never heard of that, chances are you're not using it and you can
forget that section exists (I'd be curious enough to google it and see what
the magical thing can do for me).
100 + men hours.... If you value those man hours any, you realize that it
would have costed a lot less to hire a Linux consultant... Perhaps the very
same people that are developing amanda... They'd get it done, secured and
tweaked in just a few "You-wouldn't-care-how-expensive" hours.
... That is unless you want to learn things and that's the value of the 100+
hours in which case you should have a different attitude towards it all.
I hope this helps you and others in some way.
Rick
On Friday 16 September 2005 06:01, you wrote:
> No, I did not know what NIS was for sure. Yes, a quick google confirmed
> my suspision that it was Network Info Serv, but with so many TLAs around
> these day, you can't be sure. Expand the acronym, maybe also say that if
> you dont know you most probably arent or whatever.
> When I said I was a LPI certified, I wasn't trying to blow my own
> trumpet, I was merely trying to indicate that I am not an utter newb. I
> am by no means an expert, but I know my ass from my elbow...
> LPI is the Linux Professional Institute (http://www.lpi.org/) they do
> linux certs that cover linux in general, not one specific flavour, which
> is why I did it.
> Andno, I am not some kiddie trying to back up porn, I am a network
> admin in a hospital trying to back up the biomedical engineering data.
>
> >>> Rick Parola <rick AT rpwebworks DOT com> 09/15/05 10:11 pm >>>
>
> On Thursday 15 September 2005 09:20, you wrote:
> ....
>
> > Chapter 2.3.1 - top of page 36:
> > "If you are running NIS (aka YP) ..."
> > Yeah. Right. Cause we all know what that is and whether we are
>
> running
>
> > it.
>
> (I assume you were thinking of others who might not know what NIS is
> and
> whether they're running it. Like kids at home who are trying to use
> amanda to
> back up their porn, not network administrators and LPI certified in
> linux
> gods - whatever LPI is...)
>
> > 100+ man-hours and counting to set up AMANDA for just backing up one
> > server... And I have a bloody LPI cert in linux so I am not a
>
> drooling
>
> > newbie... This is ridiculous.
>
> ....
>
> Perfect! That's a great Idea! You have valid points: Docs are too poor
> yet too
> complicated and while not enough in dept they're sometimes too
> extensive....
> Ok, you're "LPI Certified in Linux" so I'm sure you'll be able to make
> heads
> or tails of it and _expand_ the documentation to be _shorter_ and to
> the
> point so that even those "Gotta back it up xxx kids" will be able to
> set-up
> amanda...
>
> Awesome! post a link to the great new how-to's and amanda manuals as
> soon as
> they're ready!
>
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