Become A Full-Stack System Administrator In 6 Weeks
- A Complete DevOps, Sysadmin & AI Agents Training
- Build Scalable, Fast & Secure Networks
- Clusters, Panels, Docker, OpenClaw
- No Previous Coding & Sysadmin Skills Needed
- Personalized Coaching On Weekly Live Calls
- Lifetime Access
- 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
A system administrator is someone who setups and manages a network (see the next question).
Whether that’s Hypixel network, a VPS running your private mail server or a webapp, NextCloud, OpenClaw or local AI models, you’re becoming a sysadmin.
Every network that has surpassed a certain size (for example Hypixel) needs to be continuously managed simple because of Minecraft updates, plugins breaking, new vulnerabilities, EULA changes etc.
Large networks have entire teams of sysadmins.
With AI, the Internet is now flooded with people claiming to be “experts” but all they do is use AI/vibe coding to create slop that real sysadmins have to clean up.
We made this course because there’s an extreme demand for real sysadmins that know HOW things work and can actually use AI to speed up their workflow instead of cover up for their lack of knowledge.
No, I got help from Sheridan Roberts, a senior system administrator to teach you sysadmin and networking from scratch.
We’ll be applying AI AFTER, so you understand how to steer it, how to find slop and most importantly how to stay secure.
According to Glassdoor, a beginner system administrator with 0-1 years of experience earns between 68k-103k/year. That translates to roughly $5,600 – $8,600 per month.
Senior sysadmins can earn upwards 220k/year, however these positions are typically found outside of Minecraft.
Therefore, we’ve designed this program to give you the skillset required to not only become a sysadmin in Minecraft, but in general.
Being a sysadmin is not only about configuring and updating plugins or optimizing server’s .yml files.
The skills of a sysadmin include setting up and running entire Velocity or BungeeCord networks Redis clusters, configuring a webstore (such as Tebex or Buycraft), Xenforo or other website software.
Sysadmins also manage a network’s domain, setup DNS and SRV records, write CI or backup scripts and handle a network’s security, firewall and iptables. They setup permissions, databases and should also know how to optimize the server software itself (i.e. Paper, Purpur, Folia).
For example, let’s say you want to start a unique Skyblock network. While a developer writes your Skyblock plugin, and a sysadmin actually setups the entire network, its webstore, domain, etc. so players can connect and actually use it.
Also, sysadmin goes way beyond Minecraft. For example, a sysadmin deal withj setting up a VPS, web apps and run LLM models. Just look at how many OpenClaw youtube videos are there, people are desperate to understand how to set it up without getting hacked, and they will still pay a sysadmin to do it for them, and do it right…
"Grew my network to the biggest in Italy"
Nothing was better than finding this amazing course, it changed my life. Today I have a Minecraft server from more than 1,200 average players and it became the biggest in Italy.
–Nicolas Bonistalli, coralmc.it
"The only way to become a DEV on my server"
I have now made it a requirement for developers on my Minecraft server to have done the course with MineAcademy. I recommend this course.
-Sean Firth, MindBuzz.com.au
Program Outline
Setting Up Environment
In Week One you'll learn who a System Administrator is and what the difference is between a sysadmin and a developer.
You will learn how to setup your environment on three levels (local, virtualized or cloud-based) and operate FTP and terminal clients.
Advanced folks will also appreciate a deep-dive into SSH clients and server interaction through the console.
Networking & web stack
Next, you'll learn how a server communicates and what networking layers are.
We will install packages such as OpenJDK, PHP, Apache, MySQL, as well as acme.sh or certbot and server monitoring tools like htop, iftop or neofetch.
You will also learn file management, essential file system commands and permission concepts such as chmod/chown.
Security & Control Panels
Next, we'll create users and groups in Linux and configure permissions.
You will learn the best practices for password policies, VPNs and SSH keys to protect your server by restricting connections.
We will show you different backup methods such has local or cloud-based and install dedicated backup tools.
Next, you'll learn about security - firewalling through iptables, ufw and port management. We'll teach you 2FA/OICD over SSH as well as install a Fail2Ban system.
Finally, you'll learn about control panels such as Pterodactyl, AMP or Multicraft, all used by some of the largest networks on Earth.
Websites & Apps
Then, you'll learn to administrate your websites and applications.
We'll start by teaching you NGINX and Apache, then transition into containerization via Docker and connect the Pterodactyl, MultiCraft or AMP panels we've built earlier into it.
You'll also learn to manage a NodeJS application, by combining a web server and your panel to have control over almost anything.
Sysadmin In Minecraft
Next, you'll combine all of the above to setup and administer a Minecraft network, the same way huge networks operate.
You'll learn about boot arguments and server file structure, the different server software. Plus, you'll learn how to setup and connect proxies (BungeeCord, Velocity and forks).
We'll also teach you advanced DDoS protection and guide you through setting it up with OVH or TCPShield and other trusted providers.
Sysadmin In AI
And finally, you'll learn to become an agentic system administrator without letting AI go loose and create slop.
You will learn the best-practices for agentic workflows applied on TOP of your skillset you've learned so far, automating repetitive workflows while keeping strong AI/LLM rails.
You will be able to apply these concepts outside of the regular programs you work with. I'll even cover the latest hype around OpenClaw (and show you some of the better, less-known forks) as well as give you over 40 sample workflows my clients and I use in their own networks.
Go from automated server monitoring and backup scripts to AI-driven player support bots and content moderation — the same workflows that power real networks today.
Abliteration & ethical hacking
You'll learn about abliterated AI models (models with their safety filters removed) and how to deploy them locally on your own hardware and remotely on your VPS.
We'll cover why these models exist, when they're the right tool (security research, stress-testing your own network), and how to run them without depending on anyone's API or permission.
Red team operators get hired to break into systems before real attackers do — probing networks, exploiting misconfigurations, and writing reports that keep infrastructure safe.
It's the same skillset you're building in this course, pointed at one of the fastest-growing career paths in tech.
Live Coaching
Here’s what Aikar, the founder of Paper, Minecraft’s most popular server mod, said:
With weekly live calls where you can chat or speak with expert coaches, the level of support you get is the closest compared with an in-person academy.
And, you’ll join a 4,000+ Discord community and our Hub training group (NOT Facebook) to connect with your instructors, senior sysadmins and successful server owners.
People used our group to get help, find partners, co-founders or simply get new ideas.
Career Certificate
If you went through the entire program, you will be eligible for a career-advancing certification issued by MineAcademy with a QR code verification link.
Add it to your portfolio or LinkedIn. Server owners hiring sysadmins look for proof you know what you’re doing.
Our certification program also offers opportunities to network with other professionals in the industry, which will benefit career growth.
JetBrains Program
MineAcademy works with JetBrains so all students get the same software used by professional system administrators and developers for free.
With this training you will get a full 4-month license for any of the following JetBrains programs:
- dotUltimate
- CLion,
- DataGrip, DataSpell, Datalore
- GoLand
- IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate
- JetBrains AI Pro
- PhpStorm
- PyCharm
- ReSharper
- Rider
- RubyMine
- RustRover
- WebStorm
And after this period, JetBrains provides a 40% discount on any purchase you choose.
FounderPass Program
MineAcademy partnered with FounderPass, an organization connecting startups to private programs offered by big companies (previously only available to startups with investor capital).
Through them, you’ll get up to $5,000 credits for Microsoft Azure (among MANY other providers), meaning you can deploy a VPS and try out everything you will learn in System Administrator™ on real hardware, the same that the big networks use, completely for free.
The Guarantee
We guarantee that by following our training you will understand system administration in 30 days.
Our process behind such a bold guarantee comes from 8 years of teaching, live coaching calls in this program and a community to help you on demand.
And if you go through and apply the training without seeing results, you owe us absolutely nothing. Simply contact us at mineacademy.org/contact within 30 days of your purchase and we will give you a prompt and courteous refund.
Quality, Trust, Results
About Authors
Sheridan Roberts
Sheridan is a Certified AWS DevOps Engineer and Solutions Architect with over 14 years of experience.
He was a System Administrator on Let’s Encrypt — the project that encrypts over half the internet.
Sheridan worked with big folks behind GitHub and Cars.com, and kept a gaming network running at 450 million views per month.
He writes production code in Go, Python and Rust daily. When he teaches you Linux, he’s drawing from real production experience, not a tutorial.
Learn more about Sheridan on his LinkedIn.
Matej Pacan
Matej is the founder of MineAcademy and a senior software developer with over 15 years of experience.
He built and deployed the entire learning platform you’re using right now, from code to the VPS. Everything he teaches comes from running real infrastructure daily.
Matej ran a Minecraft server in Czech and Slovak Republic with over 30,000 players, his plugin ChatControl released in 2013 was downloaded over 700,000 times and got him the award Top Creator of 2025 from BuiltByBit.com.
Learn more about Matej at mineacademy.org/story.
