Hello!

After some careful deliberation, I am decidedly leaning away from Windows and toward Linux as a long-term focus augmenting my present focus on networking technologies.

I plan to get Linux+ certified (which will earn me the LPIC-1 and CNLA as well), and as such I have set out to start my training, as thus far I have merely been 'getting by'. So far I have purchased training materials from CBT Nuggets designed specifically for this course as well as another generic Linux series, and it has really been helping me fill in the blanks so far (actually most of it was blank ), but I am having some problems following along.

I had been using my old install of Backtrack 5 (which I admittedly abused, and the only just course of action is formatting the partition), but after some reading I am now considering using these:

Ubuntu Server LTS 12.04.3
RHEL 6.2
CentOS 6.4

So far there are simply init issues as Ubuntu now uses upstart apparently, which seems to not be too problematic as Ubuntu is still backwards compatible with all things init, but I worry that there are other differences and incompatibilities for which I may need to diversify my set of distributions.

My plan is to collect as many ISOs as I need and get a slew of VMs up and running so that I can leaf through them as I follow along to the videos and exercises.

What do you guys recommend?

I'm hoping with your suggestions I can get a lineup of distributions implementing all sorts of different tools and environments I will need to learn and become familiar with.

Thanks in advance!

-opticks


EDIT:
After a bit of a downloading spree, the linup is now:

Ubuntu Desktop LTS 12.04.3
RHEL 6.2
CentOS 6.4
Arch Linux
LMDE 15 Cinnamon

You're doubling up by including RHEL and CentOS, CentOS is a RHEL clone - in this case I don't think you need support so stick with CentOS.

1 members found this post helpful.

I'd read that CentOS is built from RHEL source code, but then I talked to a guy who said they were completely different. If the source code is the same IDK how that could be, but I figured Id download both just in case.

Are they really that similar?

CentOS is designed to be binary compatible with RHEL, and considering that you can remove something like 2 packages then switch over to using Red Hat repositories I believe it's a lot closer than "completely different".

@opticks

CentOS is RHEL without the Redhat logo or banners. It's exactly the same as RHEL just no paid support and no pretty RHEL logos or identification within the OS.

If you are studying for the Linux+ / LPIC-1 do like I did and install one .RPM based distro (CentOS) and one .deb (in my case I picked Ubuntu LTS) - you need to know both distros and their syntaxes and switches for the exam. In the real world you don't really ever use RPM that much (at work it's mostly YUM this and YUM that) but it does come in handy when YUM doesn't do the trick and .RPM switches are needed.

Keep us posted on how your studies are going!

Hope this helps

Good luck!

I am currently studying for LPI Level 1 as well, currently doing 102. As far as I can remember in 101 there are question of both YUM/rpm and apt/dpkg. One advise which I always found useful is having a look at the official objectives and take it from there. I am currently training with paulpaulito.com Videos and also bought a couple of books. I think it also depends on what kind of learning person you are: I failed my first 102 by some points and realised that I pretty much need to do more practical work and actually listen to some kind of instructor (even if it is just recorded on video).

I am not sure about the relationship with Linux+ but when you pass LPI-1 you can get a SUSE certificate as well.

All the best in your studies and good luck in the exams.
Mkd75