this post was submitted on 30 Oct 2024
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Sysadmin

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Programs with custom services, virtual environments, config files in different locations, programs creating datas in different location...

I know today a lot of stuff runs in docker, but how does a sysadmin remember what has done on its system? Is it all about documenting and keeping your docs updated? Is there any other way?

(Eg. For installing calibre-web I had to create a python venv, the venv is owned by root in /opt, but the service starting calibre web in /etc/systemd/system needs to be executed with the User=<user> specifier because calibre web wants to write in a user home directory, at the same time the database folder needs to be owned by www-data because I want to r/w it from nextcloud... So calibreweb is installed as a custom root(?) program, running in a virtual env, can access a folder owned by someone else, but still needs to be executed by another user to store its data there... )

Despite my current confusion in understanding if all of this is right in terms of security, syntax and ownership, No fucking way I will remember all this stuff in a week from now.. So... What do you use to do, if you do something? Do you use flowcharts? Simple text documents? Both?

Essentially, how do you keep track?

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[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

We use a mix of FreshDesk for tickets/(some) projects/helpdesk articles and Teams/Sharepoint for documentation and distribution of info/help to techs, analysts, end users, etc.

As for the non-technical side of the answer: Basically, yeah, just document everything you can when you come across anything that needs documented.