Newbie to Linux system admin?

[adasuke2101]

Hi

Im new to this forum, mint and linux in general. After I left the military (honorable dc) I realized that I still wanted to be a systems administrator, but not with windows. Suffice to say I now want to learn as much about linux and unix in general to become a linux/unix/solaris administrator. I have a homebuilt pc that I have loaded mint (to leard debian) and will be loading CentOS on (to learn redhat.) But right now I want to learn as much as I can to become a competent entry level admin.

I'm new. I'm broke. I made some decisions that were impulsive and have bit me in the rear. I could stay in an average job but I want more. I want to start over in my life, and make a career out of computers again. I have the drive to do it.

So my question is this. How can I learn linux/unix as rapidly as possible from free resources? Websites that have lessons that break down the most complicated concepts so that I can learn them as quickly as possible? I know rome wasn't built in a day, but right now I dont care; I want to drink from the fire hose.

Thanks for any and all help.

[austin.texas]

Hello, adasuke2101.
Welcome to Mint and to the forum !

There are a wealth of links here that you might find useful:
Linux Linx 2015
Also, these are great for beginners:
Ubuntu Help wiki
Linux Mint Beginners Search Engine
A guide on how to post on the Linux Mint forums
Rescatux CD: A tool everyone should have (includes SuperGrub2 and gparted)

[duneelliot]

I'm in the same place...wanting to learn Linux and eventually try to work into an entry-level Sys Admin.
I'm starting here: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction ... -lfs101x-2 on my path. It's been pretty helpful so far, although I did find one spot they kind of jumped in the deep-end without much explanation and forethought.

I also liked the quick online tutorial at http://linuxsurvival.com/wp/?page_id=5. I did it twice and will probably do it again.

[MartyMint]

How can I learn linux/unix as rapidly as possible from free resources?

Go to school (GI Bill).

[Fred Barclay]

There's no replacement for experience. You may find yourself at a significant disadvantage to those who have been in the business since their early 20s.
However, if you're really serious about this, there are ways to increase your experience! For one, run Linux only. If there is any way for you to avoid Windows in any form (including Wine), do so! Since you want to be a "Linux system admin", you'll never run across Windows or Wine in your line of work. Also, the hunt for software to replace what you're used to in Windows will teach you a lot about the value of making sure you know specifics, and also show you where the best places to find help or assistance are.
(BTW: I think this might be a little bit unrealistic. Many places do run Windows Server, and you need to gain some experience with them to be competitive. However, you'd probably be laughed out of the building if you suggested using Wine on a Linux server, so I'd keep my OSes separate. Use Windows software on Windows, use Linux software on Linux. Don't mix the two.)

2. Run Arch! Seriously. It and Gentoo are among the best distros for truly learning "Linux" rather than learning a distro.
3. Run Debian Sid. There are two reasons for this. The first is that it will give you an inside edge on the whole Debian-based family. Many servers run Debian Stable or Ubuntu Server, so by learning a Debian you'll gain first-hand experience.
The second reason is that Sid is prone to breakage. Your first big mess-up will teach you how the value of stability rather than bleeding-edge. Even though as humans we generally want the shiny new stuff, you're going to have to unlearn this as an admin. Servers can't afford to crash just because you wanted to install a newer library or software--they have to be up, or they cost the company money. It will also teach you how to fix breakages. As an admin, you'll be faced with situations in which something is misbehaving, and it'll be your job to track down and fix the problem. You may even be faced with a massive failure and you'll need to recover as much as you can. Sid will give you all of this! Lastly, breakages will teach you how to deal with the sometimes less pleasant side of the Linux community. For many people (including myself ) running Linux is a point of pride--a leftover from the days in which it was much more difficult than it is today. When the first little things goes wrong, if you run to them for help, they are going to want specifics and full cooperation or they'll ridicule you--some of them may try to make you feel stupid for breaking something in the first place. If you approach these people with a "This is broken. Fix it now!" attitude, you'll not only get no help, but you'll run the risk of being shunned in the future. If on the other hand you approach them with a "I did such-and-such and now xyz is happening. Do you know what might be causing it?" attitude, many chaps will be more than willing to help. If you don't know something, say so! If you've messed up, admit it! And above all, be humble and willing to laugh at and learn from your mistakes.
Now, as a side note, when you break something in Sid and you admit you're a newbie, a lot of the community is going to be upset that you didn't start out with Debian Stable--and they're absolutely right! Sid is for the advanced users due to its complexity, while Stable is a good place to start. Just tell them that you're doing this as a learning tool, that you aren't running it as your main OS (never do this as a newbie!), and that you are also running Stable (which is step 4.)

4. Run Debian Stable! If you ever see Debian on a server, it'll be this guy or gal. The current Debian Stable release is codenamed Jessie.
5. Run CentOS. By and far, RedHat Linux is the largest Linux in the server market. CentOS is a community-developed OS, compiled from RedHat source code, that is (as far as I'm aware) practically indistinguishable from RedHat (which costs money.) You're most likely to run into RedHat as an admin than any other distro, so it's worth spending significant time with this one.

I'm aware this sounds like a lot of work--it is! Keeping up with multiple distros is going to be tough, but it'll give you a background that will serve you well in the admin field. If you simply can't swing all of these, at least try to run Arch, Debian Stable, and CentOS. And do learn the command line! It's absolutely essential, and very few will hire you without it.

All the best on your new adventure!
Fred

[xenopeek]

I have to disagree with Fred on some points. You want to be a Linux system admin? I doubt you'll be managing Linux workstations. Not unlikely that as a Linux system admin you'll be working in a mixed environment, where for example you manage LDAP on a Linux server that will be used by Windows clients. I'm not saying you need to do anything with Windows now, but be aware you'll most likely encounter it down the road.

As for distros, as a prospective Linux system admin focus on the big three (or four). Distros like Arch Linux and Debian Sid or other rolling-release based distros may look interesting but companies use stable distros. I'd focus on the first three in below list.

• CentOS 7 — fully compatible with RHEL (RedHat Enterprise Linux). RHEL is typically used in big enterprises (> 90% of Fortune500 companies use it), for example to run JBoss and SAP applications. The wiki has a lot of information: https://wiki.centos.org/. You can also use the excellent RHEL documentation: https://access.redhat.com/documentation ... ise-linux/.
• Debian 8 — typically used by SMEs for web hosting. Though it is for Debian 7, you'll find a lot of information in the free Debian Administrator's Guide: https://debian-handbook.info/. Where the book and Debian wiki fall short is on systemd, which was introduced in Debian 8 as the init system and userland for the OS. Look to CentOS and RHEL documentation on that. You'll need to be familiar at the very least with systemctl (to manage services) and journalctl (to access system logs).
• Ubuntu Server 14.04 LTS — dominates as a cloud computing platform. Technologies often used with that are OpenStack and Docker. Once Ubuntu Server 16.04 LTS arrives next year switch to that; like CentOS/RHEL and Debian it will move to systemd so the init system and userland for the OS will be the same as the other big two.
• SLES — SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. Unlike with RHEL and CentOS there is no fully compatible free version of SLES. OpenSUSE is more akin to Fedora; bleeding edge to lead development on technology that may eventually make it in to SLES.

You can't escape having to learn the terminal as a Linux system admin. If you're not comfortable with it yet, start here: http://en.flossmanuals.net/command-line/. It will get you up to speed with basic commands and scripting, and with how to find commands and access their help and manuals.

I'm starting here: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction ... -lfs101x-2 on my path. It's been pretty helpful so far, although I did find one spot they kind of jumped in the deep-end without much explanation and forethought.

I agree: take the course, it's free and self-paced. It won't teach you much about Linux system admin, but it will familiarize you with Linux basics and terminology.

It's expensive at $ 499 but the Linux Foundation's Essentials of System Administration course could be your next step. You don't need to take the course if that is outside your budget. But at the very least look at the course outline https://training.linuxfoundation.org/li ... on/outline. Do you know something about the topics and keywords covered? No? Look them up on Wikipedia so you at least have a basic understanding of them all.


Beyond that look to Linux User Groups in your area and join their meetups. Look to job opportunities for Linux system admins and what technology is "hot"; at least read up on Wikipedia or install it at home to get a basic understanding of it. Consider charities or volunteer organizations in your area; any using Linux or considering it and might want help? They get an eager volunteer, you get real-world experience to put on your resume. Even if it's just managing a web server. The Linux User Group might help you to such opportunities as well.

If you're not quite there yet set yourself real tasks; for example select some website software (like the phpBB forum software we use) and get your system up and running with it. How can you check all the components you had to install for it are running okay? How do you check their logging? How do you stop and restart them. In what ways can you configure them. And so on. Struggling with documentation (don't forget Wikipedia for gaining basic understanding on anything new!) and commands will let you learn useful skills (be quick on your feet with any new software or commands you have to work with).

Edit: if your computer can handle it, can be useful to have VirtualBox installed so you can run multiple operating systems at the same time. Handy for experimenting.

[Fred Barclay]

I have to disagree with Fred on some points.

Agh! How could you?!?

OP: pay far more attention to xeno than to me. He's been at this a lot longer than I have.

[shengchieh]

You are welcomed to surf thru my website (signature). Search for "admin" for various links about system administration.

Sheng-Chieh

[uberdorf]

I agree with the recommendation to use your GI Bill. Another option, is to go to the VA and ask about training programs. I know they have Vocational Rehab, although that may require a service-connected disability rating (I'm not sure).

Here is the VA site for education available for veterans http://www.knowva.ebenefits.va.gov/syst ... n-Training