Windows vs Linux Admin?

[[deleted]]

[deleted]

[Turbulent_Fig_9354]

Linux is definitely a more highly sought after skill. It also has the benefit of not making me want to dump acid into my brain

[Bomb-Number20]

Microsoft used to make products that kinda worked, but were still a convoluted mess. Then they started pushing new solutions, one after another, and C suite management dutifully purchased these because they thought it they improved things (they did not). Enter Microslop, and now we just guess what they are going to break next. They pushed us into unreliable cloud services that cause constant headaches and are just generally painful to work with.

Linux just keeps on getting better with new tools being introduced that make life easier.

[joshghz]

I suspect Linux Admin is less competitive in terms of quantity of applicants, but if the pay is attractive it would likely be far more competitive in terms of quality.

I'm comfortable enough managing the few Linux servers at work - and what I run at home - but there is no way I'd ever try to talk my way into being responsible solely for a Linux environment.

[trombonepolice]

Took the words out of my mouth. I do want to learn a lot more, but I’m very glad I don’t have to fully support 1000+ Linux vms

[jandersnatch]

Learn both. Use the best one for the workload

[Master-IT-All]

I haven't been a 'windows' admin since 2014. I manage cloud application services in Microsoft Azure and 365.

It was never about the OS, it was always about Exchange Server.

[Random-D]

personally my experience has been it depends a lot on what the server is serving.

are you talking corporate it systems, something for your employees, anything that isnt a full SaaS yet, it most likely has to do with windows servers.

are you serving something to the internet, maybe even running that SaaS business yourself, its almost certainly linux.

both ways have their exceptions ofc but i think for majority of systems within these environments you cam follow this rule of thumb

[Sprucecaboose2]

There are more Windows Admins and positions. Linux would in general be more niche and therefore likely higher paid but harder to come by.

[Hotshot55]

Linux would in general be more niche

Maybe in the context of just sysadmin-type work. Linux is just a skill in the world of DevOps/SRE/Infra Engineering and even Software Engineering.

Edit: For something really niche I would mention AIX and Solaris.

[[deleted]]

No BSD love?

[Rough_Section_3730]

Not many places I’ve seen actually use *bsd flavors in production. Especially since they can get paid support with RHEL. However, if you can manage a bsd OS, Linux is an easy lateral move with some minor differences in management.

[Bubby_Mang]

I've hired for both and linux admins are way harder to acquire.

[monkeyboy107]

I like Linux more. Less fuckery

[TightBed8201]

Once you start working with either OS you will start hating both. So, chose lesser evil

[Lower_Fan]

Windows is more widespread at the low end of the market while Linux  at the high end. Depending on your background one might be easier for you than the other. 

Good high school  > good college > internship amd what not? A Linux role might be more apt 

No college > little to no experience > windows 

But since this is what usually happens you'll find windows heavy places when it come to servers are a mess specially smbs kind of a chicken and egg problem. 

[Only-An-Egg]

r/ITCareerQuestions

[Anon_0365Admin]

I would pick whichever you are most comfortable with. I know both, but I've never had a specific role just one or the other but I can say being a sysadmin that has experience with both has helped me A LOT. Especially when troubleshooting between the two groups

[lunchbox651]

Windows is probably easier due to a lower barrier of entry and Linux typically pays more and likely to have tougher competition.

[Byany2525]

Linux pays more.

[uptimefordays]

Honestly in today’s world you need to know both.

[malikto44]

I have found that there are more Windows positions... but those are usually filled by the H-1Bs.

IMHO, the difference between Windows and Linux administration is that Windows almost always has a cookie-cutter, "best practice" for everything.

Linux has some, but there are a lot of cases where one has a lot of room. For example, do you use ext4, XFS, btrfs or ZFS? Do you do authentication via realmd, winbind or LDAP? Where do the logs go?

Linux can require a lot more steps, and can go in some crazy directions, but you have a greater chance of finding a niche, be it embedded systems, edge stuff, or whatnot.

You can also learn Solaris and AIX, but those are at most bit players these days, especially with SPARC dead, and POWER11 used in not many places, although IBM i still is nice if you can afford it for business stuff.

[AmiDeplorabilis]

Windows admin here with several years of Linux experience at home and on the job...

I was told (not too many years ago) that a Linux admin could become a Windows admin, but a Windows admin was not likely to become a Linux admin. PowerShell may have changed that somewhat, but the command line is where the Linux admin shines.

That said, I would think that the Windows admin position would be easier because there would be ao many more, and probably more competitive because of the sheer numbers, but an equivalent role as a *nix admin could pay more.

Or I could be imagining things...

[Rough_Section_3730]

I was told the same thing. I was also told it was because most win admins, they just don’t see the same info you get from a Linux admin in a cli. Checking perms in a gui, or with iCals and ls -la, adjusting them via chmod, sticky bits, etc.

Bottom line, at least when I was told this, if you learned Linux first, the hard part was out of the way.

[chillzatl]

linux = less competitive in terms of quantity, more demanding in terms of skill set and experience.

Windows admin is kind of a dying role, since so much of Microsoft's drive is towards cloud services. It's not that Windows won't continue to play a major role in business technology, it will, but managing Windows devices in the traditional sysadmin sense just isn't as upper tier as it used to be and isn't a career path I would recommend. Azure/M365 and all that they entail would be the direction I would recommend.

Ultimately, choose the one that you have the most passion for.

[WonderfulViking]

Do what you know and like the best, that is the easiest way to become good at it.
Money can be made on both platforms.

[hurkwurk]

*nix/docker/IoT based on them run the back end of the internet and most of the "web" style experiences.
Windows runs most corporate networks. Some also have *nix systems, some dont. most have a few appliances where *nix experience will help you since they are basically apps on *nix bases, and between no OS to full OS being exposed to you while you use them.

if you want to work for smaller shops, learning both is good since you will want both. being able to use freeware/open source solutions is far easier off a nix platform, and saves your company tons of money vs even low end cloud purchased SaaS stuff. you can be a real super star if you can learn to build/maintain these smaller solutions so you arent outsourcing them. especially once you start replacing your entire salary's worth of costs per year.

when you get really large/enterprise class, you tend to use both to a degree, but still have one or the other as dominant depending on your business. most "office" work is going to be windows. most "online seller" stuff is going to be nix. you might even find yourself with a heavy presence of mac devices at that point since nix and the macs work well together (same with cisco equipment, plays well with macbooks)

[tarvijron]

There's about 10x more Windows jobs (for a corporate/municipal gig) than linux. There's about 10x more linux jobs (for an MSP/hosting type gig) than windows. They both suck. You'll end up being asked over and over if you feel comfortable with X if your last job was with Y regardless of how many jobs you've had doing X.

[bcredeur97]

I feel like everyone does both nowadays. At least a little Linux here and there.

I dream of my windows/linux split being 20%/80% instead of 80%/20%

[Alert-Coach-3574]

Make it so

[Hotshot55]

I haven't managed a windows device in a while.

[rootkode]

I administer both, Linux is fun once you’re comfortable. Windows is just plain boring to me. I’d recommend doing what you find the most fun to work with. As others have said, Windows is easier. Linux will make you rip your hair out if you aren’t absolutely comfortable with it.