I was a MS engineer/admin of 300+ servers and I'm new to Linux. I quit my job at a major pharma to focus on my healthcare startup.

We just got our 1st contract and I want to host my EHR app on Linux instead of W2K3. I know ActiveDir, Exchange, MS security, etc. inside and out. I want to replicate my knowledge to Linux. I was Psych major (it's ok, you may laugh) and I've never taken an IT class, I'm self taught and not a paper MCSE.

Our App on Windows requires Oracle 9.2, Java 1.5 SDK, and Apache.

First Q: which distro? I'm leaning toward RHEL.

Second, any recommendations on how to achieve strong working knowledge of linux?

1) rhel is unofficially the industry standard currently... there is sles too, but rhel is very dominant

2) use it!

Couldn't agree more.

You could give us 30 years, and we could not turn you into anything!!!! Sorry, but you have to do all the work.

My experience with Linux is that you should take it one step at a time---don't try to research a whole bunch of applications until you have gotten your feet wet.

The precis of my sometimes posted formula;
1. get and install a distro--ANY of the free ones (Don't PAY for Linux until you know what you are doing--if then)
2. play with it
3. Get stuck--ask questions--return to step 2
4. Buy a book---return to step 2

For first book: "Linux in a Nutshell" O'Reilly Avail at their site, Amazon, and most big bookstores.

what about lpi certification and things, is that as highly regarded as say rhel or sles?

nope. lpi is essentially a memory test, whereas rhce etc.. are about resolving problems in practical and realistic environments. i know which one i'd respect...

I know that you want to know the insides of linux inside and out in a short amount of time, but realisticly, it's going to take more than 1 month. That's my honest opinion. The best way to learn is:

1. Try it. Redhat is used by many companies so I would start off with that one.
2. If you have problems, google them and post them here.

Patience and dedication are the 2 factors that are going to make you a guru.

-twantrd

maybe there will be some sort of pill or injection soon..?

Sometimes, I actually question the point of LPI because many Linux jobs I've seen advertised seem to ask for RHEL and to a lesser extent SLES. I've seen a few that mention Linux+, never one that specifically asks for LPI. Soon there is going to be a Ubuntu Certified Professional which is going to be a top up of LPI. Personally I don't see the point since Ubuntu is not really an enterprise class distro at the moment (Yeah Dapper has a server edition but it doesn't have support for enterprise apps that matches Redhat or Suse).


As for learning Linux, I agree with acid_kewpie, the only way to learn is to use. 30 days is not enough to turn anyone into a linux guru because its a very powerful and complex system.

Any book you guys recommend? I was looking at... (won't let me link until 3 posts)

RHE and you can also check out CentOS, this is a fork of RHE for free. so you can save money and still get the same power of your distro.

as for learning linux to the point you know MS, think about how long it took you to learn MS as well as you do now. that is about how long it will take you to learn linux to the same level.

Linux is NOT windows and does things much different, but IMHO it is far better then anything MS has to offer in the server/workstation world.

For the Distro: any one you want.

For the knowledge: Forget everything you know about Windows (It will have no bearing whatsoever on your experience with Linux), then read, and comprehend Rute, TLDP and any other scrap of information you can find.

If you can do all of that in 30 days, you might just be a robot.

One good book to start with is O'Reilly's Running Linux

Not if he wants Oracle support. Then it's RH, SuSE or that
Asian thing (turbo linux?).


The day a robot can do my job (or become a Linux-Guru in 30 days)
the end of days has come :}


Cheers,
Tink