System Administrator Tools
Tools for remote administration, monitoring, logs, backup, storage, automation and security.
Who this toolkit is for
For system administrators who look after servers and fleets of computers.
Essential (4)
Core tools that are broadly useful.
Remote Administration
- OpenSSH
Open Source
Why you may need this: Administer servers securely.
View official installation instructions
System Monitoring
htopOpen Source
Why you may need this: See processes and resource use on Linux servers.
View official installation instructions
Automation
PowerShell 7Open Source
Why you may need this: Automate Windows administration with scripts and modules.
View official installation instructions
Terminal
- tmux
Open Source
Why you may need this: Keep sessions running after you disconnect.
View official installation instructions
Recommended (5)
Useful for particular parts of the work or course.
Logs
- lnav
Open Source
Why you may need this: Search and navigate Linux log files.
View official installation instructions
Backup
- restic
Open Source
Why you may need this: Encrypted, deduplicated backups to local or cloud storage.
View official installation instructions
Virtualisation
- Virtual Machine Manager
Open Source
Why you may need this: Manage KVM virtual machines on Linux.
View official installation instructions
Automation
- Ansible
Open Source
Why you may need this: Configure many Linux servers consistently.
View official installation instructions
File Transfer
- rsync
Open Source
Why you may need this: Copy and mirror files efficiently over SSH.
View official installation instructions
Specialist / Optional · Show specialist tools (11)
Consider these for particular modules, tasks or environments.
Remote Administration
- PuTTY
Open Source
Why you may need this: Graphical SSH client for Windows.
View official installation instructions
System Monitoring
btopOpen Source
Why you may need this: Detailed resource monitor for Linux.
View official installation instructions- Glances
Open Source
Why you may need this: Overview of a whole system, also through a browser.
View official installation instructions
Networking
- MTR
Open Source
Why you may need this: Trace loss and latency to a host.
View official installation instructions 
NmapOpen Source
Why you may need this: Check which services are reachable on hosts you manage.
View official installation instructions
Backup
- BorgBackup
Open Source
Why you may need this: Deduplicated, encrypted archives over SSH.
View official installation instructions 
TimeshiftOpen Source
Why you may need this: System snapshots before updates.
View official installation instructions
Storage
GPartedOpen Source
Why you may need this: Partition management on Linux.
View official installation instructions
Virtualisation
VirtualBoxOpen Source
Why you may need this: Cross-platform desktop virtualisation.
View official installation instructions
Security
- Lynis
Open Source
Why you may need this: Audit Linux server hardening.
View official installation instructions - Sysmon
Free
Why you may need this: Log detailed Windows activity.
View official installation instructions
Build your System Administrator setup
Build My Setup lets you add or remove apps, combine roles, see why each app is included, and get a single install command where verified packages exist. Nothing is installed automatically.