Ah, now we're talking about the essential sysadmin toolkit. Here's what belongs on a minimal but functional admin workstation:

## Network Troubleshooting Core
```bash
# The holy trinity
apt install dnsutils net-tools iproute2
```
- **dig/nslookup** - DNS troubleshooting (dnsutils)
- **ss/netstat** - connection analysis
- **ip** - modern network config (replaces ifconfig)

## System Analysis Essentials
```bash
apt install htop iotop lsof strace tcpdump
```
- **htop** - better than top, essential for process monitoring
- **iotop** - disk I/O analysis when things get slow
- **lsof** - "what file/port is being used by what process"
- **strace** - syscall tracing for debugging mysterious failures
- **tcpdump** - packet capture (Wireshark's command-line cousin)

## File/Text Manipulation That Actually Matters
```bash
apt install rsync tree jq curl wget
```
- **rsync** - proper file synchronization/backup
- **tree** - visual directory structure
- **jq** - JSON parsing (critical in modern infrastructure)
- **curl/wget** - API testing and file downloads

## Remote Access & Security
```bash
apt install openssh-client tmux screen
```
- **tmux/screen** - persistent sessions (pick one, learn it well)
- **ssh-client** - obviously, but add key management tools

## Modern Infrastructure Tools
```bash
# These might need manual installation
- git (version control)
- docker (containerization)
- kubectl (if you touch Kubernetes)
```

## The "Maybe" Category
- **vim/nano** - pick an editor, master it
- **bat** - better cat with syntax highlighting
- **fd** - faster find
- **ripgrep (rg)** - better grep

## What NOT to Install
Skip these space-wasters on a minimal system:
- Desktop environments
- Games/multimedia
- Language runtimes you don't use
- GUI network managers
- Unnecessary daemons

The key is: if you can't explain why a tool would help you troubleshoot a production issue or manage systems more effectively, don't install it. This list covers network issues, performance problems, file management, and remote work - the core of what sysadmins actually do daily.