Warning messages to new unix users from administrators

[kw_1]

Hello,

I'm working in a department that administrates unix servers for unix users of another department. Every often they hire unix users with very limited or no unix experience despite their resume claim otherwise. I usually email each new user and let them understand I want them to behave responsibly in the system such as don't leave unattended open sessions, be careful with recursive commands, don't use my servers as learning box and 50 other things I don't want them to do. I don't have a standard email, I just make them up each time and they are wildly different depend on my mood. Do you send out similar warnings to your unix users? May I see it? I like to put together a familiar warning email. Thanks.

[Steven E. Protter]

Write up your email as a standard text file.

Store it somewhere.

If you have a standard useradd script, add this line to it, otherwise just run the command of the attached script as follows.

mailfile to@your.net fr@your.net New_User text.file /home/root/text.file

It will go out as an attachment.

SEP

[Chris Vail]

The classic standard is "Now go away or I shall replace you with a very small shell script". This isn't very far from the truth, as far as I can tell.

Actually, its hard for me to fathom the reason for your request. 'Round here, a *nix administrator who didn't know these fundamentals would have a career measured in nanoseconds. These days, IT is not exactly a great career choice, with lots and lots of people with genuine qualifications are in need of honest work (if, of course, you think sysadmining is honest work--I have my doubts sometimes). There's a great pool of sysadmins who would like an opportunity.

This appeareth to be more of an HR/Management issue than a technical one.


Chris

[Michael Tully]

The "why are here" questions should start to be asked ...

and my personal favourite:

"Your not entitled to that oxygen bottle"

In all seriouness, start noting the performance of these people (or non-performance) and present to a manager (HR even better) who understands. (some do)

[Ronelle van Niekerk]

I personally don't send out anything to the users to ask or tell them what to do on the system.
I feel I don't need to.
If a user does something on the system that I don't like I just undo it and stop them from doing it again.
If they complain I just redirect their calls to an 0900 number.

Just kidding ... sort of.

[Ron Barnett]

Why not put a message in /etc/motd it would be a constant reminder to all users.

[Ron Barnett]

Why not put a message in /etc/motd it would be a constant reminder to all users.

[Pete Randall]

I'm of the "innocent until proven guilty" persuasion myself. Until the make a mistake, I'll leave them alone. After they make a mistake is another story. I still have a ceremonial pair of mittens that I present on occasion. The mittens are supposed slow them down enought that they can hopefully think about the consequences before they hit the enter key.


Pete

[kw_1]

Sending intimidating emails to new users works well in my situation. I have fun scaring them and they tend to behave better thinking someone uptight is watching them. It is the only thing I can do. I'm working in the Sys Admin dept which is a non-profit generating department while the users are from huge profit generating department. It translates to I have no power and the users can get away with anything.

[Mark Greene_1 · Accepted solution]

Instead of (or perhaps in addition to) sending e-mail to the users, you need to send something to their management.

You need to point out to them that the hardware is, in most cases, completely recoverable in 24-48 hours tops. Your data, however, is different. Ask them how many weeks it would take to recover data if it were corrupted through poor procedure or sloppy security? Things like leaving unattended logins on unprotected PCs or workstations; or, users who are not properly trained on the application; or, users who simply do not care enough to be more careful. Remind them that, as expensive as the hardware was, the data is worth 10-50 times more than the hardware, and it is the data that people need to have a hyperawareness about needing to protect. Remind than that backups to tape are last-resort protection, not first level prevention. Remind them that 80% of all hacks are internal in origin. Remind them that as managers, only they can prevent forest fires within their data.

HTH
mark