On Fri, Nov 24, 2006 at 12:52:24PM +0000, Joe wrote: > > Not exactly foreign, as many essential admin tools are command-line > only, or at least easier to do from the command line than elsewhere. > Ipconfig returns the same kind of data as ifconfig, and also allows > some DNS and DHCP cache control. Ping, traceroute and nslookup are > all there, and not really easy to do any other way. There will be > nobody claiming any level of Windows admin skill who is unfamiliar > with a command prompt. > I beg to differ. I have personally met a number of windows admins, claiming to be both "expert" and "experienced", who seriously had no idea what I was talking about in regard to things traceroute and nslookup (thankfully, everyone knows about ping). I have even had a couple claim that windows does not even *have* those tools. > The Windows command line, especially on servers, has come a long way > from DOS, it can read and write files, it can pipe, it can control > complex permissions and other Active Directory features... but it > still doesn't have the large range of small and simple *nix commands > which make it possible to build complex tasks quickly. This encourages > stored scripts for specific tasks rather than on-the-fly problem- > solving. > Having worked at places which are majority windows and minority *nix, I can honestly say that the windows approach tends to encourage "tasking" of "junior" level admins to repetitive tasks by hand, because the "senior" admins don't want to do it themselves (i.e., the don't bother with scripting). To them, the GUI is the only way to accomplish anything. I understand what you say about the windows command-line having come a long way, but there is a very established culture of GUI-only admins out there. I would wager that many of them are so busy putting out fires and dealing with other issues that they feel they are too busy to learn the new way. OTOH, even though *nix admins are likely just as busy, I don't think that you can reasonably get a job as *nix admin anywhere with halfway competent hiring people without at least demonstrating some level of proficiency with a couple of scripting languages. Regards, -Roberto -- Roberto C. Sanchez http://people.connexer.com/~roberto http://www.connexer.com
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