What Linux training for a Windows guy?

[AndyB22]

Hi,

I'm Windows through and through, and never touched Linux until we started using ESX 3.0. So much admin seems to be via the console (patching, disk extended etc. etc.) and I simply follow instructions blind not understanding what I'm doing or why I'm doing it - because I don't know Linux.

I want to aatend a course to learn about Linux, but what course? I'm guessing it should be Red Hat? I guess an 'essentials' course? My company is prepared to send me on a suitable course - but I don't want to attend a course that proves t be no use when admining ESX.

Can anyone please advise?

Thanks

[malaysiavm]

There are plenty of distro which looks famous and good to be learnt. You can consider Ubuntu, Redhat and SUSE Linux. ESX does use similiar command as others Linux does, but ESX command is little different then others linux. I will suggest you to start from the foundation, to differentiate the operating system structure and concept within windows and linux as a starting.

Craig

Malaysia VMware Communities -

[RParker]

I'm Windows through and through, and never touched Linux until we started using ESX 3.0. So much admin seems to be via the console (patching, disk extended etc. etc.) and I simply follow instructions blind not understanding what I'm doing or why I'm doing it - because I don't know Linux.

I am a windows guy also, and if you are using a lot of command line, you are doing something wrong. You don't need to do hardly any command line functions, it's all done via VI client. and you don't need to learn Linux, unless your future is to mess with more redhat/suse distrubutions. Other than that, you don't need Linux.

Just learn the basic Linux (which really aren't linux commands because ESX).

service vmware-mgmt restart

vmkfstools

those are about the only ones you need other than copy (cp) and mv (move) but you shouldn't need those for ESX. Config files and most manage management functions can be done via gui.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

I get this question a fair amount. If your local community college offers a class on Linux administration, it would be a very good option to pursue. Other than that self study is available. I would install a CentOS 3 U8 VM or Fedora 1 VM and work from that. Those are the closest releases to the VMware ESX service console. I would also go out and purchase a few books:

Kernighan/Pike: Pearson: The UNIX programming Environment

O'reilly and Associates: Linux in a NutShell

O'Reilly and Associates: Learning Bash

There are many many good beginner books on Linux. I would go to your local book store and browse around til you find one with which you are comfortable using.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009
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Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
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