Introduction to System Administration & User
Management
What is System Administration and Maintenance?
System Administration is the practice of configuring, managing, and maintaining computer systems
— especially multi-user environments like servers, networks, and enterprise systems.
System Maintenance refers to the regular tasks that keep systems secure, updated, and running
efficiently. This includes installing updates, managing backups, monitoring performance, and
troubleshooting issues.
Where System Administration Applied?
System administration is a critical IT function in nearly every sector. Here are real-world applications:
Field Application of System Admin
Corporate IT Managing internal networks, users, file servers, and system security
Web Hosting / Cloud Maintaining Linux servers, deploying apps, configuring firewalls
Running computer labs, servers for LMS, user access for students
Education / Schools
and faculty
Cybersecurity Applying patches, controlling access, securing logs and servers
Monitoring machine servers, embedded systems, or production
Industry / Factories
software
Software Development / Automating deployments, managing environments (e.g. Docker,
DevOps CI/CD)
Small Businesses Supporting LAN, printers, POS systems, local server backups
"Almost every industry with computers — from schools to hospitals to large tech companies — relies on system
administrators to keep their operations running smoothly and securely."
Why Learn System Administration?
• It forms the foundation for IT careers, including DevOps, Cloud Engineering, and Cybersecurity.
• It helps you understand how computers and servers work behind the scenes.
• It develops problem-solving, scripting, and automation skills that are in high demand.
User and Group Management (Linux Focus)
• Enables multi-user environments to function securely.
• Separates access and privileges between users.
• Organizes users into groups for permission-based access.
Key Terms
Term Meaning
User An individual account on the system (e.g. student01)
Group A collection of users who share common permissions (e.g. students)
Root The superuser with full control over the system
UID / GID Unique User ID / Group ID assigned by the system
Common Linux Commands
Command Purpose
adduser username Create a new user interactively
userdel username Delete a user
usermod Modify user account
passwd username Set or change password for user
groupadd groupname Create a new group
usermod -aG groupname username Add user to a group
id username Display user ID, group ID, and group memberships
Example: Adding a New User
sudo adduser maria
sudo passwd maria
Then, to add her to the developers group:
sudo groupadd developers
sudo usermod -aG developers maria
Check her new group membership:
id maria
Further Reading:
• The Linux Command Line (William Shotts): Chapters 11–13
• Introduction to Linux on edX: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-to-linux
• Ubuntu Server Docs on Users: https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/security-users
