hello all, my plan to become very familiar on how to use linux is
join some active forums
install latest version of ubuntu - done
step through the cbt nuggets exam
everything I can do in windows do it in ubuntu
everytime I do something in windows mirror it in ubuntu
find out any cool ubuntu projects for newbies?
did I miss anything ?

ask questions, like why is ubuntu so much better than windows?

thanks for all your feedback.

The pro of using Ubuntu is that because Ubuntu is "cutting edge" you're more likely to run into issues getting things working. Solving these issues will teach you a lot.
However, Ubuntu is not typical of the average Linux distro anymore. It's also uses apt for package management, which is seldom used in enterprise set-ups where yum/rpm based distros are the norm.

Most people using this forum are likely to recommend Slackware as a way of really learning "Linux" as you will learn how to set up and configure components that are already set up in most other distros.

For yum/rpm based distros have a look at CentOS or scientific Linux

For a highly stable distro, try Debian or one of it's derivatives. (I personally prefer Crunchbang)

As for "Which is better" type questions, there are no true answers, only opinions.
The best operating system for any task is the one that performs that task with the least number of issues. Exactly which "issues" are relevant, however, is a matter of opinion.

(Microsoft, Apple, Canonical and Google all 'spy' on you where truly free and unencumbered software will not handle certain propriety functions that you might encounter like filling out your online tax forms for example)

P.S: There is no reason why you can't use a multiboot set-up or install several distros to different usb drives. You can use your prefered distro for your day to day computing while using other distros purely for learning.

thanks for the feedback, which one is best for the comptia linux+ exam?

Based on their exam objectives, I would say you need to learn something like Slackware or Linux From Scratch. You will need to understand how to install and configure Xorg, among other things, and a "diy" distro like Slackware is better suited to learning that!

In my opinion, for the Linux+ certification, I would use Debian and CentOS. That way you cover both the 102.4 and 102.5 requirements for package management. 102.4 is using the Debian package management system and 102.5 uses RPM and YUM.

Good luck on your certification. I just started studying for the same cert.

1 members found this post helpful.

I just fired up UBUNTU 32 bit in the old Compaq XP box to take it for a test ride before I install it.

It's interesting but I've got a lot to learn about this OS.

Also got LINUX Mint Cinnamon 64 bit to try in the W7 laptop - I really do not like W7; a continuous aggravation!

How different are these systems, and will I have to learn seperate skill sets to use each one?

Received this advice from another forum; What do you think of it?

A suggestion, download, and run "peerblock" and the "utorrent" programs, and then open your "browser" to "kickass.to" to find all kinds of free downloads, movies , music, operating systems, etc etc

They will be similar. I use Debian for all of my servers and some desktops. But i use Mint on my laptops because it's easier to set up wireless snd multimedia. Both Ubuntu and Mint are Debian based, so they will help you learn the Debian package management system.

Hope this helps,

Now "Debian" means absolutely nothing to me.

Do they have a "Linux for Dummies" book for us old relics who are still trying to catch up to the 20th Century?

"Package management"... I thought that's what the guys in the little brown trucks do???

It is encouraging to know that the two programs I bought are sort of related. Thanks.

Have a feeling I'll be back in here asking all sorts of stupid questions for a while...

Debian is one of the major distributions. It came about around 1993, and what makes this distro unique is that they strive to only include free software in the distribution. While that is really cool, it can also make life more difficult than a distro such as Ubuntu or Mint. I have been using Debian since 2002 and I love it. But in the early days, getting it to work with my HP printer or getting my wireless working was a test of patience. However, that being said, I believe I learned so much more because I had to struggle to make these things work.

I agreed with you on Package management until I found out yesterday that my overnight package won't arrive until today at the earliest. I think they have more management to work on

There are no stupid questions.When I first started with Linux, this forum is what helped me get started. Ask away!

cool! I am actually using cbtnuggets for LPI Linux LPIC-1 101 and 102 that also covers CompTIA Linux+ so far very good, with the virtual instructor and walk through steps. He is using ubuntu I have a vm server, I'll install debian and centos. I'm excited I am very good at windows server etc and want to verify linux can do what windows can do and maybe better.

good luck to you too, lets keep in touch.

CBT Nuggets are awesome, they should really help. I am also good with MS servers, been working with them since 1998. But i have also been working with Linux since 2002, and Linux can do all that and more. Not only that, it can do it much faster. Once you learn it and install your first server on hardware, i think you will be amazed.

Good luck!

You should take an approach to Linux like you would anything new. I don't recommend learning things in Windows and the trying to replicate them in Linux. You should focus on studying and understanding Linux in a regiment that includes learning about the OS, scripting, and setting up services yourself when Linux has no GUI at all. Here's recommendations I made to another beginner.

You should stick around LQ and learn how other people answer questions to problems that are of interest to you.

Doing a Linux certification is okay but you'll get more value out of contributing to open source projects as well as participating in communities like LQ. What the certification will give you is a base that you have proven you have a basic set of knowledge (which you would get anyways by reading books and studying). That gets you about 20% of the way there. What the certification won't give is real world experience on common sysadmin problems but hanging out on LQ will get you that. That will bring you about 60% there. By contributing to open source projects plus LQ hanging out plus having a base set of knowledge you should be set up to get a junior Linux sysadmin position which would serve to take you the rest of the way. After that it's mentorship from your peers and teaching the knowledge you have learned to others.

That's roughly how I went about it (minus the Linux certification).

lol you misunderstood, never said I am “learning windows”, I know windows very well for many years, workstation and server. Its a smart approach to be able to do what I can do in windows and duplicate it in linux that's exactly what will be needed in production environment in a mostly linux shop, create and manage a print server, or a file server or mail server, or vmserver or storage etc. I installed ubuntu and centos and edited the inittab on centos to make the default boot option 3 so text-only for now lol. just a matter of keep doing and doing it just like anything else lol

the cbt is a good start its like an instructor led class, I will build on my knowledge as I go along, what better motivation, doing it on my vm machine (hands on) and then have to do it in production etc. lol all that other stuff will come later I am sure. Thanks for the feedback.