 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
What does it take to be a "power linux user"?
 |
•
•
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 90
Reputation: 
Solved Threads: 1
Junior Poster in Training
Salutations all!
Well, I am a windows user who has seen and heard too many good things done with linux -- therefore I am planning to set up a windows/linux dual boot system on my machine.
I really don't need help with installation, as I have done that before, But I am having trouble fully utilizing Linux's capabilities. I want to be able to command the OS and accomplish tasks as effecient and even more effectively as an A+ Certified technician handles the windows operating system.
So far I have 3 approaches that I wish to try:
1: The web has alot of rescources, but they are rather scattered, and I really like having a hard copy to learn from and reference to... so I have made approach 2 and 3.
2: Just buy a book like "Running Linux" from O'Riley and read that from cover to cover or...
3.Pick up a book on how to be Linux+ certified.
My concern with my second approach to "linux power userism" is that a book such as "Running Linux" will be to general and will not build me up to learn as much as I want to about administrating my Linux System.
My qualms about the Linux+ Certification is that it may be too involved for a non-professional and not necessary to learn. I have nothing against learning all I can about this excellent system, but if someone can tell me a more efficient way to learn linux than read a 1000 page book, please do!
Any input on how you learned to become a "linux power user" or any feedback determining which approach is better or any other approach to learning to use Linux to the max would be greatly appreciated.
-Soral 3.0
Well, I am a windows user who has seen and heard too many good things done with linux -- therefore I am planning to set up a windows/linux dual boot system on my machine.
I really don't need help with installation, as I have done that before, But I am having trouble fully utilizing Linux's capabilities. I want to be able to command the OS and accomplish tasks as effecient and even more effectively as an A+ Certified technician handles the windows operating system.
So far I have 3 approaches that I wish to try:
1: The web has alot of rescources, but they are rather scattered, and I really like having a hard copy to learn from and reference to... so I have made approach 2 and 3.
2: Just buy a book like "Running Linux" from O'Riley and read that from cover to cover or...
3.Pick up a book on how to be Linux+ certified.
My concern with my second approach to "linux power userism" is that a book such as "Running Linux" will be to general and will not build me up to learn as much as I want to about administrating my Linux System.
My qualms about the Linux+ Certification is that it may be too involved for a non-professional and not necessary to learn. I have nothing against learning all I can about this excellent system, but if someone can tell me a more efficient way to learn linux than read a 1000 page book, please do!
Any input on how you learned to become a "linux power user" or any feedback determining which approach is better or any other approach to learning to use Linux to the max would be greatly appreciated.
-Soral 3.0
Good Morning,
I learned Linux back in college on a PowerMac 7100 running mklinux. I found a couple books very helpful along the way, and from there, got more involved with the OS to the point that I obtained a server-class machine with a RAID system to just keep all my stuff together.
You will find Linux documentation all over the place -- on the web, in a book, in a discussion you have with friends.
Think about what you want to do with the OS. There is no such thing as "learning everything". For example, I like to write out my DNS files, so I have never learned to use the simple tool that RedHat ships along.
My suggestions:
1) Pick a Linux flavor and run with it. There are many to choose from: RedHat (now called Fedora), Slackware, Mandrake, Debian, Knoppix, YellowDog. I would have to say that RedHat is the most popular, but they also did something to really shift things around by starting the Fedora package, and they recently went politically correct. I did not like my experience with Debian. Some people might lump FreeBSD into this category. But pick one and dig deep into it.
2) Run the OS often. DO things. Setup DNS. Setup a print server. Setup Samba. Setup netatalk. Setup mars-nwe. Setup NFS. Setup VNC and remote control things. Setup IPTABLES and do firewalling. It is easier to learn when you define the problem to learn from. No one goes out and just learns something. I learn how to bake a chocolate cake because I want to eat some. Same with computers. You want/need DNS? Then learn how to do it.
3) Think of all the things you do in Windoze. Try to do them on the Linux box.
4) Try programming. C++ or Bash scripting. Expect scripting. Try to automate things on your Linux box.
5) If you have gotten this far without making a normal user account, consider yourself lucky. Make a test user and use file permissions to seriously limit functionality and access to your box. Do things still work?
And most importantly, give yourself time to do these things. Forget the cert books right now. You are in a pure learning mode. Go out and have fun with it.
Christian
I learned Linux back in college on a PowerMac 7100 running mklinux. I found a couple books very helpful along the way, and from there, got more involved with the OS to the point that I obtained a server-class machine with a RAID system to just keep all my stuff together.
You will find Linux documentation all over the place -- on the web, in a book, in a discussion you have with friends.
Think about what you want to do with the OS. There is no such thing as "learning everything". For example, I like to write out my DNS files, so I have never learned to use the simple tool that RedHat ships along.
My suggestions:
1) Pick a Linux flavor and run with it. There are many to choose from: RedHat (now called Fedora), Slackware, Mandrake, Debian, Knoppix, YellowDog. I would have to say that RedHat is the most popular, but they also did something to really shift things around by starting the Fedora package, and they recently went politically correct. I did not like my experience with Debian. Some people might lump FreeBSD into this category. But pick one and dig deep into it.
2) Run the OS often. DO things. Setup DNS. Setup a print server. Setup Samba. Setup netatalk. Setup mars-nwe. Setup NFS. Setup VNC and remote control things. Setup IPTABLES and do firewalling. It is easier to learn when you define the problem to learn from. No one goes out and just learns something. I learn how to bake a chocolate cake because I want to eat some. Same with computers. You want/need DNS? Then learn how to do it.
3) Think of all the things you do in Windoze. Try to do them on the Linux box.
4) Try programming. C++ or Bash scripting. Expect scripting. Try to automate things on your Linux box.
5) If you have gotten this far without making a normal user account, consider yourself lucky. Make a test user and use file permissions to seriously limit functionality and access to your box. Do things still work?
And most importantly, give yourself time to do these things. Forget the cert books right now. You are in a pure learning mode. Go out and have fun with it.
Christian
•
•
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 90
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 1
Junior Poster in Training
Christian,
Thanks for describing to me the "learning by doing" approach. I will be sure to try it out.
Thanks for describing to me the "learning by doing" approach. I will be sure to try it out.
•
•
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 212
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 2
Posting Whiz in Training
•
•
•
•
Originally Posted by kc0arf
Good Morning,
I learned Linux back in college on a PowerMac 7100 running mklinux. I found a couple books very helpful along the way, and from there, got more involved with the OS to the point that I obtained a server-class machine with a RAID system to just keep all my stuff together.
You will find Linux documentation all over the place -- on the web, in a book, in a discussion you have with friends.
Think about what you want to do with the OS. There is no such thing as "learning everything". For example, I like to write out my DNS files, so I have never learned to use the simple tool that RedHat ships along.
My suggestions:
1) Pick a Linux flavor and run with it. There are many to choose from: RedHat (now called Fedora), Slackware, Mandrake, Debian, Knoppix, YellowDog. I would have to say that RedHat is the most popular, but they also did something to really shift things around by starting the Fedora package, and they recently went politically correct. I did not like my experience with Debian. Some people might lump FreeBSD into this category. But pick one and dig deep into it.
2) Run the OS often. DO things. Setup DNS. Setup a print server. Setup Samba. Setup netatalk. Setup mars-nwe. Setup NFS. Setup VNC and remote control things. Setup IPTABLES and do firewalling. It is easier to learn when you define the problem to learn from. No one goes out and just learns something. I learn how to bake a chocolate cake because I want to eat some. Same with computers. You want/need DNS? Then learn how to do it.
3) Think of all the things you do in Windoze. Try to do them on the Linux box.
4) Try programming. C++ or Bash scripting. Expect scripting. Try to automate things on your Linux box.
5) If you have gotten this far without making a normal user account, consider yourself lucky. Make a test user and use file permissions to seriously limit functionality and access to your box. Do things still work?
And most importantly, give yourself time to do these things. Forget the cert books right now. You are in a pure learning mode. Go out and have fun with it.
Christian
OK- this is a bit of a (shameless) plug, but both Alex (acl6379) and I also moderate at a great Linux site: www.justlinux.org.
Visist us over there, register as a member, and we'll help you out with any and all of your questions.
Visist us over there, register as a member, and we'll help you out with any and all of your questions.
"May the Wombat of Happiness snuffle through your underbrush."
- Ancient Aborigine blessing
Please do not contact me by email or PM for help. We're all volunteers here, and only have so much free time to dedicate to our efforts.
However, if I've been working on a thread with you already, and seem to have "forgotten" your thread, please do send me a message. I try not to let things slip through the cracks, but it does happen sometimes.
- Ancient Aborigine blessing
Please do not contact me by email or PM for help. We're all volunteers here, and only have so much free time to dedicate to our efforts.
However, if I've been working on a thread with you already, and seem to have "forgotten" your thread, please do send me a message. I try not to let things slip through the cracks, but it does happen sometimes.
•
•
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 90
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 1
Junior Poster in Training
Well DMR,
I checked out your site, justlinux.org, and I'm sure it is a "great Linux site",
But unfortunately, the extent of my French is "no parlie-voo Frenchie"...
I really appreciate the effort though!
-Soral 3.0
I checked out your site, justlinux.org, and I'm sure it is a "great Linux site",
But unfortunately, the extent of my French is "no parlie-voo Frenchie"...
I really appreciate the effort though!
-Soral 3.0
"May the Wombat of Happiness snuffle through your underbrush."
- Ancient Aborigine blessing
Please do not contact me by email or PM for help. We're all volunteers here, and only have so much free time to dedicate to our efforts.
However, if I've been working on a thread with you already, and seem to have "forgotten" your thread, please do send me a message. I try not to let things slip through the cracks, but it does happen sometimes.
- Ancient Aborigine blessing
Please do not contact me by email or PM for help. We're all volunteers here, and only have so much free time to dedicate to our efforts.
However, if I've been working on a thread with you already, and seem to have "forgotten" your thread, please do send me a message. I try not to let things slip through the cracks, but it does happen sometimes.
•
•
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 90
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 1
Junior Poster in Training
Ah, Anglais, much easier for me to read .
Very nice linux-dedicated forum you got there DMR, I will see to it that I peruse the threads there!
-Soral 3.0
.Very nice linux-dedicated forum you got there DMR, I will see to it that I peruse the threads there!
-Soral 3.0
Yeah, sorry about that- the french justlinux.org site isn't affiliated in any way with the justlinux.com site that I meant to refer to in my first post.
BTW- The site isn't "mine", but it hepled me more than any other site when I was first learing Linux, so once I didi learn the OS I decided to return the favor by volunteering my time there.
BTW- The site isn't "mine", but it hepled me more than any other site when I was first learing Linux, so once I didi learn the OS I decided to return the favor by volunteering my time there.
"May the Wombat of Happiness snuffle through your underbrush."
- Ancient Aborigine blessing
Please do not contact me by email or PM for help. We're all volunteers here, and only have so much free time to dedicate to our efforts.
However, if I've been working on a thread with you already, and seem to have "forgotten" your thread, please do send me a message. I try not to let things slip through the cracks, but it does happen sometimes.
- Ancient Aborigine blessing
Please do not contact me by email or PM for help. We're all volunteers here, and only have so much free time to dedicate to our efforts.
However, if I've been working on a thread with you already, and seem to have "forgotten" your thread, please do send me a message. I try not to let things slip through the cracks, but it does happen sometimes.
yeah i also recommend learning by doing as that is really the best way to do anything with linux. if you cant figure it out you can ask here, just linux. or <shamelessplug> http://www.linuxforums.org <-i mod there </shamelessplug> but they are all great places and then the best place of all to help get something done with linux is google.com/linux you will learn that that is your best friend when learning linux it helps alot but the forums at linuxforums.org helped me the most
|
Other Threads in the Getting Started and Choosing a Distro Forum
- Previous Thread: Learning Unix
- Next Thread: tell me why?
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
You need to join our community in order to build your list of favorite forums. You can visit the forum index for a listing of all forums.
Related Forum Features
Latest Getting Started and Choosing a Distro Posts
age-related baremetal chrome cio cloudcomputing code commercial computers crystalballsunday developers development distributions distro dsl elderly embedded google http://expertcore.org/ innovations jauntyjackalope kernel library linus linux microsoft multi-core netgear newbies openoffice.org operating operatingsystems parallel performance processing redhat routers smp studios system systembuilders systemintegrators terminalservices thecloud thinclients tools ubuntu users virtualization vmware webbased wikis windows xenon
