SysAdmin Talk

If ever there was a universal tincture in the realm of Information Technology, it would have to be the boot disc (followed closely by the prybar, but I’ll save that discussion for the next episode). The popularity of boot discs seemed to explode in the mid-2000s, with a disc for just about any situation you could find yourself in. Many a SysAdmin has saved their retirement plan from a hasty rollover action with the aid of a well-chosen boot disc. The love affair between SysAdmins and their boot discs is still going strong, of course, and with good reason – they are phenomenally handy things to have to hand. With that in mind, here are ten of the most useful boot discs you can have ready for action, which will help propel you into the quixotic realm of SysAdmins who are not chemically dependent on antacids:

So, welcome back, fellow field agents. From being a fledging SysAdmin in Episode 1 of this series, you’ve come to be a Legendary SysAdmin with the tools described in the second episode. Now, in this third episode, I will help you to become Mythical in proportion.

In my previous article, I showed you 10 Items That Should be in Every SysAdmin’s Backpack. In this list, I enumerate ten more things that a SysAdmin should carry with them if they want to earn a place in the Book of SysAdmin Legends. I hope you have a capacious backpack.

1. Two-way radios. You will inevitably need to send a coworker to a distant part of the building, but also need to work in coordination with each other. Why not use cell phones? Because they tend not to work in some of the odd places that SysAdmins find themselves wedged into. For example, HVAC tunnels. Don’t ask.