About Mimir
Mimir is a knowledge base for learning and practising IT. It collects proven solutions, setups and procedures in a form that can be followed step by step and repeated at any time – for students as well as for IT professionals.
The name: who was Mímir?
Mímir (Old Norse Mímir, also Mímr) is a figure of Norse mythology who is renowned for his knowledge and wisdom. His name is commonly associated with memory and remembering – fitting for a being who knows more than anyone else.
The well of wisdom
Beneath one of the roots of the world tree Yggdrasil lies Mímisbrunnr, "Mímir's well". Whoever drinks from its water gains wisdom and understanding. Mímir guards the well and drinks from it every day, which is why he is so wise.
Odin's sacrifice
Odin, the father of the gods, longed for this wisdom. Mímir only let him drink in exchange for a pledge – and Odin gave one of his eyes, which has rested in the well ever since. That is why Odin is depicted with one eye: he gave half of his sight to see more clearly.
The head that gives counsel
After the war between the two families of gods, the Æsir and the Vanir, Mímir was sent to the Vanir as a hostage. They beheaded him and sent his head back to the Æsir. Odin preserved the head with herbs and charms so that it could still speak – and from then on he turned to Mímir's head whenever he needed advice, even before the final battle, Ragnarök.
Why we chose the name
- A well of knowledge: like Mímisbrunnr, Mimir collects knowledge so that anyone can draw from it – tutorial by tutorial.
- Knowledge that is remembered: what has been worked out once is written down, so nobody has to figure it out again.
- Advice when you need it: just as Odin asked Mímir for counsel, you can come back here whenever you are stuck.
- Learning has a price – but not an eye: it takes time and practice, which is why every tutorial is made to be followed step by step.
Sources: the Poetic Edda (Völuspá), the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson (Gylfaginning) and the Ynglinga saga (Heimskringla). As with many myths, the details differ between the sources.
Why this site?
Whether you are learning IT or working in it, the same tasks come up again and again: setting up a server, configuring a service, automating a backup, troubleshooting the network. Good explanations are hard to find, and the knowledge is often scattered across notes, shell histories and old e-mails. Mimir brings it together in one place – documented, searchable and ready to use.
For students
Whether you are in school, doing an IT apprenticeship or studying computer science: the best way to learn IT is by doing it. Every tutorial explains not only what to type but also why. The difficulty levels help you start with the basics and work your way up, and the downloadable scripts and files let you reproduce every step in your own lab environment.
For IT professionals
For administrators and developers, Mimir is a reliable reference for recurring tasks. Instead of searching through old notes, you find the tested procedure, copy the commands or download the complete script – and get the job done.
What you will find here
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Descriptions that explain the why and the how of every step.
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Scripts and commands that can be copied directly or downloaded as one complete script.
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Files such as configuration templates and tools, downloadable individually or together with the script as a ZIP archive.
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Categories, tags and difficulty levels – from beginner to advanced – to quickly find the right guide.
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Learning paths that link several tutorials into a guided course, so you always know what to learn next.
Who is behind it?
Mimir is run by Point-Seven Systems.
Support Mimir
Mimir is free to use – for students and professionals alike. If the tutorials help you in your studies or at work, there are several ways you can help keep the project growing:
Share tutorials and learning paths with classmates and colleagues.
Write a tutorial and share your knowledge with others.
Found an error or an outdated command? Let us know so we can fix it.
Help cover hosting and the time it takes to write and test new tutorials.