Hello All.

I'm a 29 year old computer hobbiest. I guess hobbiest is a word... I'm looking to go back to school for some sort of computer networking degree. With a background in Horticulture. So it will be a big career change. I would like to learn Linux and work my way towards a Red Hat Certified Engineer certificate.

I have a macbook but am a little scared to start installing linux on it, and possibly messing up my only computer.

I was looking into buying a cheap netbook, maybe a dell 10v or such. Something I could install Linux on and use as my "test" box.

I guess since I'm looking to learn red hat, fedora would be my best bet at a distro to install. Seems like ubuntu is geared more towards basic easy desktop thats not windows. So if I want to get a job as a network administrator or something fedora might be the better one to learn on?

Just a new linuxquestions.org guy looking for some good advice and I hear this is the place to come.

Any suggestions on netbooks? cheap way to learn linux? school ideas?

Thanks People!

I'm not sure what kind of computer you should get for that purpose. But the Linux distribution you want is Centos.

Why CentOS?

Hi.A Dell 10v is a good option for installing linux.My two kids have this machine with linux mint installed on it.All the hardware works.Webcam,wireless etc.They use them all the time.I see the last reply you got.I dont know why they said you want Centos as the Linux Distro that you use is a personal choice.I am only saying Mint because I know it works on the DEll that you mentioned.I use Slackware but wont recommend it.You need to try out a few distros and find what meets your needs.

...

CentOS is basically an 'unofficial' version of RHEL, and is fully compatible. If you want to study for the RHCE, and don't want to pay for RHEL itself (you'd be paying for technical support basically), CentOS is what you should use.

As for a computer - while netbooks can be had cheaply, you might want something more similar to a server. A desktop machine would be more amenable to doing things like RAID, two network adapters, that sort of stuff. (I don't know what's on the RHCE syllabus). Look for something cheap with good expansibility. Or even consider a second-hand server.

I don't know what netbooks cost nor how effective they might be for trying the things you would need to learn for RHCE.

So I agree with cantab, a cheap or used desktop system would be a better idea, but I don't have the facts or numbers to back that up.

Knowing your way around the inside of a desktop computer is another important skill for most jobs that would require an RHCE. Buying and assembling a cheap desktop from parts from someplace like Newegg is easier than you might expect and (assuming you aren't buying any MS software for it) generally costs significantly less than a comparable pre built system.

Hi,

I would look into the use of a re-cycled system. Most are still usable and would meet the need of a test bed system.

You should be sure the hardware is at least 3-5 years old as some legacy equipment may be a problem. You could download a LiveCD from 'The LiveCD List' to see how the system functions or recognizes devices.


The above links and others can be found at 'Slackware-Links'. More than just Slackware® links!

If you decide to build your own desktop (which is the way to go imo) be sure to check out the LQ HCL for hardware recommendations:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/
For netbooks, here is a good list of what netbooks work well with Ubutnu:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupp...hines/Netbooks
For lots of great linux hardware reviews:
http://www.phoronix.com/

I would also advice CentOS and a very cheap whitebox build, CentOS needs 256MB of RAM from memory and about 10GB HDD space, considering that such small limits are very hard to come by since larger units these days can be very cheap like 80GB HDDs and 512MB ram chips.

I can check now and the price of building a very cheap white box has come to 140 BPS (British Pound Sterlin, not on my computer at the minute =/) with the following prices 30(CPU)+30(HDD)+35(MOBO+onboard VGA)+10(RAM)+15(Case)+10(PSU), not bad when considered that's probably less then 200$ for admitably a low levelled, very entry machine. You'd probably wanna toss a DVD-ROM on that for another 15... so white boxes can get very cheap. Cheaper is probably possible this was just a quick 15 minute search.

As for CentOS, it's basically the closest you can get to RHEL without purchasing anything, OEL might be slightly closer then CentOS but that needs purchasing too. So CentOS is likely the way to go.

A couple of cheap (second hand) hard drives would enable you to set up a minimal RAID system. You could even install three, with the third sharing a controller with the optical drive; that's not recommended, but it will work. You can sometimes find servers on e-bay; if the hard drives have been removed, they go very cheap.

RHEL and CentOS will be getting a new version this spring (6), so now's the time to start.

Hello,

All the posts have great suggestions , however I have a different one for you , Why going for a new computer when you have a MAC with you , Install Sun's Virtual Box (freeware) and install cent OS or fedora to learn Redhat. Also If you go for RHCE , you will end up as a system administrator somewhere which needs 24/7 Availability which will change your entire life style from what others think to be normal , My suggestion for anyone would be , Learn linux and learn Perl programming along side , Perl will help you fetch a great career . I am telling this from my own experience as I am RHCE certified System admin working for a Multinational Bank. Just a suggestion :-)
Thanks,

Hello,

All the posts have great suggestions , however I have a different one for you , Why going for a new computer when you have a MAC with you , Install Sun's Virtual Box (freeware) and install cent OS or fedora to learn Redhat. Also If you go for RHCE , you will end up as a system administrator somewhere which needs 24/7 Availability which will change your entire life style from what others think to be normal , My suggestion for anyone would be , Learn linux and learn Perl programming along side , Perl will help you fetch a great career . I am telling this from my own experience as I am RHCE certified System admin working for a Multinational Bank. Just a suggestion :-)

Download link : http://download.virtualbox.org/virtu...-56127-OSX.dmg

Thanks,

sounds like my own story
except im 44 and worked in construction
my super buddie set me up
i also use a macbook
if you use macosx you will be embarressed by a linux desktop
i got a copy of VMware Fusion
and from there you can install loads of os's and get them working together
breaking, fixing and talking
if you live in ireland let me know
good luck

In an above sig it says, "If it ain't broke... break it." That is some of the best advice in this thread. One of the great freedoms of free software is that there is no restriction in distributing it. Why limit yourself to one distro? Try CentOS, try Debian, try Slackware, try Gentoo, try whatever you like. Don't get caught up in too many installs, but don't limit yourself to just one; it's good to understand the differences between distros, this helps you understand the choices behind a given one.

In the sense of breaking things, I disagree with trying to learn only from a virtual machine. A network admin also needs to learn about hardware, and you need to be able to really screw stuff up (i.e., everything on the system, including BIOS and hardware) without having to fear about breaking your "real" system (the Mac OS). Note that a desktop is better for screwing with hardware than a laptop, and usually cheaper, too. Plus, having a second machine will enable you to practice some network administration by building a LAN in your home and configuring distros as servers. By by all means, fool around with the virtual machine as well.

You mentioned you specifically want to work toward a Red Hat Certified Engineer certificate. Any specific reason for that? Keep your mind open as you learn, there is more than one way.