Linux Administration Cookbook

Determining our network configuration

If you ever find yourself working with physical equipment in a data center, you may wind up plonked in front of a box at some point, with only a username and password. You will have to use these credentials to discover the box's IP information so that another individual in an ivory tower somewhere can connect to it remotely.

The individual in the ivory tower will sometimes be paid better than you for lounging around in a chair all day pressing a keyboard. My advice is to not dwell on this, or you'll end up bitter and grumpy ahead of your years.