Another Red Hat cert thread.

Hello all!

My first post here on LQ. I would like some advice from the seasoned linux folk. I have read a few threads about certification recommendation. A few members say to study to gain certification. A few others say to practice real world scenarios at home for free. This is where I need some help. I am leaning toward home experience

This post list some tasks to be done that can help gain experience.


*setup the server:
*as an ftp server
*as a samba server
*as a mail server
*connect via ssh [which i have accomplished] learn other remote admin tools (vnc etc)
*become very good with the command line
*Good with text editor (vim)
*learn to use security tools like iptables, tripwire etc
*learn scripting (bash and python [i have already started getting into python])
*a management system like puppet or chef
* install mysql
* learn sed & awk

A question I have is how to replicate enterprise situation or a large company. I understand I can set up the server and configure basic FTP. How would one replicate problems to troubleshoot? If I know how to create the problem I should be able to correct it, correct? One poster stated that learning how to fix problems on your own is a good skill to have. How does one learn this in linux? Are there prepackaged distros to learn from that come with problems?

I don't think red hat is even in demand in my area or any linux distro however I feel this urge to want to know more about it to be able to gain employment. I am enrolled in communtiy college in which they offer a class to prep for linux plus from comptia. I will probably take this when it becomes available.

And lastly vi or emacs?

First of all, in any large company, you work as part of what may be a rather large team, and it is comparatively rare for you to be asked to set up an entirely new system configuration. Most of the time, that's already been done. (And probably saved as a snapshot or a VM-template so that the process of setting up a new machine is "just add water.")

I suggest that you spend time with Linux (on a VM ...) to become familiar with how to set it up, mess things up and then fix them, without using a GUI to do everything. (Most production machines do not have a GUI.)

I suggest that you not limit yourself to "Red Hat." Set up several VMs with several different versions of Linux on it – particularly Ubuntu LTS.

And then – look for an entry-level job. Be completely up-front with the interviewer about what you do and don't know, and how you learned what you know now. Emphasize that you are a team player, not a "lone wolf," and that you will faithfully(!) be there when the going gets tough. That you will be reliable and very, very attentive to detail.

If someone wants you to have "a certification," then they should send you to classes and pay for those classes out of their employee continuing-education budget. They more-likely have internal training programs in place for new hires, because every "shop" is unique and different. Although certification programs are one way to train employees, they have also been criticized for being too generic and for lack of quality-control over the instruction delivery process. If your employer uses certifications, then they have also vetted their one approved vendor, or they bring the training in-house.

If you encounter a company that expects you to have a certification – i.e. "on your own nickel" – as a pre-requisite for employment, I would simply move on to your next prospect, instead.

P.S.: I do pick up certification-training books at a used book store and flip through them. Although they are usually far too vendor-specific and vendor-version specific for my use, you might find in them some suggestions concerning problem-scenarios and diagnostic techniques. But it might be more productive to read a lot of man pages. "How does CUPS actually work?", for instance. (That is to say, "when it does ...") Do online searches where people discuss the problems that they've been having lately, and read the answers where people try to help fix them.

Also, read this site – LQ – every day, as I do.

Originally Posted by jspiff Hello all! My first post here on LQ. I would like some advice from the seasoned linux folk. I have read a few threads about certification recommendation. A few members say to study to gain certification. A few others say to practice real world scenarios at home for free. This is where I need some help. I am leaning toward home experience This post list some tasks to be done that can help gain experience. *setup the server: *as an ftp server *as a samba server *as a mail server *connect via ssh [which i have accomplished] learn other remote admin tools (vnc etc) *become very good with the command line *Good with text editor (vim) *learn to use security tools like iptables, tripwire etc *learn scripting (bash and python [i have already started getting into python]) *a management system like puppet or chef * install mysql * learn sed & awk A question I have is how to replicate enterprise situation or a large company.

You don't, ever, and can't, ever. A large company may be structured in MANY different ways, and the responsibilities you have at one may be TOTALLY different at another. I've seen companies that have a team that does NOTHING but backups/restores...and others equally as large, where their admins do everything. No way to know.

I understand I can set up the server and configure basic FTP. How would one replicate problems to troubleshoot?

If you understand how to install and configure a service, that will also teach you how to troubleshoot it. If you get it installed/configured, you'll then know where the config files are, what options are in it, where the logs are written, etc. Which tells you EVERYTHING to look at if something isn't working.

If I know how to create the problem I should be able to correct it, correct? One poster stated that learning how to fix problems on your own is a good skill to have. How does one learn this in linux?

How did you learn it for ANYTHING ELSE in your life? From computers to driving to riding a bicycle...you learn by doing. You start ANYTHING by THINKING about the issue. If you can't attach to SSH to your server, think about HOW that connection is made. Is your client asking for the connection on the right port? Right address? If so, it's doing it over the network, right? So is your NETWORK allowing traffic between client and host? Yes? So then is your SSH server LISTENING on the right port? Is there a firewall on that server? Is the SSH service RUNNING? If so...what do the logs tell you??? If you see an error there, then that gives you a point for research. Same with ANY problem...there's a chain of things to look at, from simple to complex, and ALL of them share a troubleshooting chain.

Are there prepackaged distros to learn from that come with problems?

Yes...it's called "Windows"

I don't think red hat is even in demand in my area or any linux distro however I feel this urge to want to know more about it to be able to gain employment. I am enrolled in communtiy college in which they offer a class to prep for linux plus from comptia. I will probably take this when it becomes available.

I have never, EVER suggested anyone get a 'certification' without knowing what they're doing first. Taking a course is great and all...but it is NOTHING like the real world, and never will be. There are 100,000 things and more you'll do in real life, that aren't on ANY test. What you listed above is a good start...so begin. Install Linux and start configuring services. Make your system do things that YOU need/want it to do. Want your emails downloaded locally every day? Configure a mail service and write a script to do so. Want to auto-upload files to your cloud drive? Configure and go. Personal web page for your home with webcam? Configure web services and your network and hardware. Each step you take teaches you the next. Solve YOUR problems with the tools you have. Then by the time you want your certification, you'll have a good foundation and know how to approach a problem for pretty much every OS. They all share the same problem chains; they have services, log files, etc....the names may change, but the game is the same.

And lastly vi or emacs?

You tell us. This is YOUR choice...use both and pick which you like better.

I see about working in enterprise. Its all just there, lol. Being built from from long ago from the various systems.


TBOne
I understand what you mean about ssh as your example. I have delt with that, configure ssh, forward the ports, and then it still doesnt connect. Then goes the troubleshooting. I have had to go over this when I was trying to setup my vpn with openvpn. I have followed guideson the internet , yet not fully understand all the commands or how it totally works. Now I do have an idea but at the time I did not.

Sundialsvcs
I have done this in the past from time to time. I already use linux on all my machines. However from time to time I will setup a VM so I can play around with and not screw up my main machine. Although usually I dont have any serious work on my main machine so I can wipe it at anytime.

The VI or emacs questions was out of curiosity. I have not used either of them. The first editor I used was nano. Ive stuck with it. Ive read that there is a lot if debate on which to use and turns personal lol. I do not have that much conviction to argue over tools that can achieve similar results. I will try one out soon.

I appreciate the input from you two. I have a clearer idea if what to do.

"A few others say to practice real world scenarios at home for free." Free or reduced cost maybe. Studying alone is possible for some folks. Takes some effort and time too.

You can set up most of it with a few virtual machines. VM's are free software versions of computers that you can load an OS on and configure. They work mostly like real computers.
At home on a lan you tend to put phoney names to get stuff working, no need usually to connect to internet. MS uses this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contoso in their labs and courses.

I bought a few of these mini pcs to experiment with.
ZOTAC ZBOX C Series Passive Cooling Mini PC, Intel N3150 Quad-Core CPU, Intel HD Graphics Barebones System (ZBOX-CI323NANO-U) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0179S50UU..._uvyFzHoe5eSqG

I have been reading the linux bible as well as the debian asministrators handook a little. I am a little more familiar with debian/ubuntu than rhel/cent/fedora.