I have been using Apple computers since the Apple II. I remember playing a game called Stellar 7 on my mac. I had no idea what an Apple computer was or what were it's capabilities. All I knew is my dad bought one and said we this is our new computer. My dad was a security guru during this time so I just assumed this was great tool for him to work with and a great toy for me.
Fast forward quite a bit and I find myself using a Mac for my daily computing while maintain hundreds of Apple systems for my job. Being a sys admin can be fun, challenging and irritating all at the same time. As a new sys admin I do find myself lost at times with system maintenance or troubleshooting certain problems. One of my best friends during some of the troubling times has been the terminal. Another best friend has been the World Wide Web, naming Google's search engine. There are plenty of Windows Admins out there but they out number the Mac Admins. Well I'm here to let all the beginner admins know you are not alone in your journey to be a Mac sysadmin. There are plenty of resources out there to help in your day to day activities. In addition to the day to day help resources there are people and tools that will help you succeed in the future. Here are some resources that I utilize in my journey to master my craft of being a Mac Sys Admin.
Books:
Reading takes time, effort, and energy but it is one of the best ways to gain knowledge about a particular subject. I am a huge advocate of picking up a book/ebook and reading it for general knowledge on a subject. While reading I use Evernote to take notes digitally. This method allows me to access my notes no matter where I am, which helps when you need a reminder about a particular topic.
Two books that I have relied on in my earlier years of learning Unix/Linux as well as Unix shell scripting are:
User groups:
Macbrained.org is a bay area OSX and iOS user community
User groups are your best friend. This gives you a chance to network with people of from all skillsets and backgrounds. This is also an opportunity for you to learn and ask questions to solve some of your problems. You will also find that you knowledge base is larger than you think. You may end up solving someone's problem without even realizing it. It will also provide an outlet to ask questions via a forum or blog for the group. This will help solve or answer some of your day to day inquiries. The user group that I spend the most time with is an organization called Macbrained. It is an amazing collection of individuals who just want to help make peoples lives easier.
Twitter:
Twitter's micro blogging site is full of information if you use the search feature. During this search you may find a user to follow who has useful information. People post answers to problems, research, and lots of information on twitter. These links usually point back to their website or blog which you can use as another source of information in helping you advance your skills.
In my journey to becoming a better sys admin I put the pressure on myself to take the time to seek out the proper resources and education. One thing I have learned in the last two years about technology is that you must educate yourself. If you do not own your education you will get left behind. Technology changes so rapidly that we as techs must take ownership of mastering our craft. You own your destiny, so make sure you set yourself up for success.