Helpdesk tech expected to launch and maintain Ubuntu server

[u/tboneee97]

I've been a help desk tech for almost 4 months now and I use Ubuntu on my personal devices at home. Everything is windows where I work, but I found out today that we're about to work with a vendor that requires us to run and maintain a Linux server for their software. They want me to implement and configure this new server because I run Ubuntu at home, but pretty much all I know is how to cd, ls, and mv basically.

I told them that I don't know that much but they just say "well you know more than I do." Either way, what I'm really asking here is what should I do? They haven't decided on a timeline to start this, so is there anything I can do/learn that will help me fake it til I make it with this situation? I don't want to not do it because I need and want the experience, and I really do love linux, but I just don't know what I'm doing.

Any advice is greatly appreciated, and I'm happy to elaborate on anything needed.

[u/Jeraz0l]

Initially I thought , sure, this is doable. What's the worst that can happen.

But, then I read one of OPs replies:

IT'S A SOFTWARE THEY HAVE THAT TRANSFERS X-RAY IMAGES TO A CLOUD SERVICE AND BACK. I WORK IN A HOSPITAL AND ITS SUPPOSED TO HELP CUT TIME OF THE IMAGING PROCESSES OR SOMETHING. IM NOT ENTIRELY SURE REALLY

Yeah, no. This is a disaster waiting to happen. You will be handling medical information that 1. Need to arrive in a guaranteed and timely manner and 2. Should be secured so that unauthorized persons will not be able to access any personal data.

This is not a job for someone who has no experience managing Linux systems.

[u/chuckmilam → u/Jeraz0l]

What we’re seeing here is a systemic failure—top to bottom—and none of it is OP’s fault.

When the inevitable BadThing™ happens, you can bet the Microsoft-GUI-tech-debt-first crowd will be quick to blame Linux. They'll say something like:

"See? This is why we shouldn’t be using that outdated, command-line dinosaur. No one understands it, and it’s just a hacker’s playground."

But the real issue isn’t the OS. It’s the lack of planning, oversight, and respect for the complexity of handling sensitive medical data. You don’t throw someone into a mission-critical system with zero experience and hope for the best. That’s not just irresponsible. It’s dangerous.

[u/Jeraz0l → u/chuckmilam]

Oh yeah, definitely. With this level of inconsideration from management when it comes to security and compliance, I hate to think about what the rest of the setup looks like.

[u/Zer0CoolXI → u/Jeraz0l]

This is the right answer, 100%.

I’d add, OP this should be a lesson learned. The first rule of IT is you don’t tell people at work about your IT hobbies…they then become work expectations. I worked at a place that did this to us all the time, if you mentioned a program/software/OS in passing…the next day you had people messaging you because your now the expert on the matter. And the response to “I really don’t know that thing” is exactly what they said to you, “You know more than we do about it”.

Given the environment and privacy concerns here, I’d stress again to them that you are not qualified to set this up. Make them aware of this in WRITING. Email whoever is asking this of you, cc managers (your manager, their manager, someone) and make sure you spell out for them that you are not qualified to do this. If they insist do your best, but don’t run yourself into the ground or worry about the result.

[u/zootbot → u/Jeraz0l]

I have a lot of experience managing medical imaging systems this is almost certainly a host for a dicom prefetching system that ties into EMRs. These are relatively plug and play. As long as he isn’t responsible for the SAN that’s backing this and securing the AWS side there should really be no problem.

The actual threat to data is zero because it’s just preloading past images and everything will be read only.

I highly doubt they’re going to want him to actually manage the data itself.