What does it take to be a "power linux user"?

[Soral 3.0]

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

[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

[Soral 3.0]

Christian,
Thanks for describing to me the "learning by doing" approach. I will be sure to try it out. :)

[hexstar]

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

you forgot to mention suse in your list of flavors :p

[DMR]

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.

[Soral 3.0]

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

[DMR]

Ah, fnargle- My bad. The link is:

www.justlinux.com

sorry bout that.

[Soral 3.0]

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

[DMR]

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.

:)

[big_k105]

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 :)

[Soral 3.0]

I appreciate the rescource and the testimony big k105.
-Soral 3.0

Another good place to check out stuff at is the Linux Documentation Project (after you get a bit of experience behind you anyways)...

http://www.tldp.org/

This site has every how-to you could possibly imagine...and if they don't, they will soon. What I like about them is that they try to be linux neutral in that they don't ascribe to one flavor of linux...but linux in general which makes it better to learn from.

[Soral 3.0]

I've checked out the Linux Documentation Project before. It really is a great site for excellent documentation. thanks for the mention TKS. :-)
- Soral 3.0