If your financial resources are very slim and you are interested in moving into Linux administration you still have a few choices. If you are not a self-motivated individual stop reading now and take a class with an instructor. Developing a Linux Career on a Budget means that you must be able to force yourself each day toward a specific goal.
1. Purchase a Used Server ($300.00)
Go to Ebay and purchase a used server with at least 1 GB of RAM and two drives. It is imperative that you have a machine that you can work on and create a working server. You want the 1 GB of RAM so that you can get decent speed and so that you are able to run a number of daemons effectively. Slow servers impede learning. You want two drives at lease because you will want to learn how to work with LVM and RAID. You will also want to learn how to do backups and add drives once the server is up and running.
2. Download and Install CentOS, Ubuntu or Debian 5 (Free)
These three Linux distributions have several things in common. First, they are Enterprise level servers that you will need to develop skills on. Second, these are probably the most popular server options for small business. Large corporations tend to move to Red Hat as it provides support with the purchase of the license.
3. Purchase Training ($99.00) Here is an excellent Self-Teach Package
You need systematic training with Labs that will take you step-by-step to set up a Linux server. If you are self-motivated and are an excellent problem solver you may be able to depend on a book or manual for training. However, you must be able to overcome those times when you get stuck. The most common failure that occurs in self-taught situations is that when a person gets stuck and cannot resolve the issue, they stop. If that describes you, then do not depend on self training but rather take a course with an instructor that will help you over each of those hurdles.
4. Build a Working Server (Priceless)
The ultimate goal of any training is to achieve the goal of setting up a production level server. It is great to set up and play with a test server but that should never be your goal. Your goal should be to build a working web server, FTP server, mail and DNS server that is fully functional on the Internet. host your own web site and a few friends, make it real. Set all of your mail to be used on the mail server you built. One of the biggest failures in self-taught situations is to stop once you have a test server up. Real administration only comes when someone else depends on your set up. Make your family and friends depend on your services by providing them free web sites, FTP sites and mail. This will be absolutely priceless experience.
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Hi! I like your srticle and I would like very much to read some more information on this issue. Will you post some more?
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