…submitted by Steve… Hereโs the actual question: “I am a newcomer to the world of Linux and I am always looking for good sources of information on the net that teach us beginners the basics. What sites do you suggest?”
It depends.
*If* you have a relationship with an existing Linux company – like if you’re a customer or a partner, etc. – I recommend you contact them first to see if you can buy/have some introductory material they might offer. Though this may seem obvious, I want to reiterate this point because the materials they provide is likely going to be more well-suited and targeted toward *you* and your Linux environment. For example, if you are a Novell/Suse shop for instance, Novell was giving away the “3036 – SUSE Linux Fundamentals” self-study kit to all customers and partners a while back, and recently they offered “3077 – SUSE Integrating Novell Open Enterprise Server” self-study kit in print for $75, or as a free download.
If you do *not* have such a relationship with a Linux company, I strongly recommend you follow the The Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC) program. First, go register for a LPI ID. Then, go to their training page and look for some info on some training material that might suit you. Read over the objectives or tasks for Exam 101, and the objectives or tasks for Exam 102 (these are the two tests required to be LPIC-1 certified). Then, if you want to, take the tests. Or not. It’s up to you. Either way, you’re using a recommended set of steps to help guide you through what a well-respected board (ok, I’m biased) thinks you should know, based on recommendations of a global community of Linux users.
So, if you choose the LPI route, here are a few links to hopefully help you along the way. By the way, I dread posting links in a blog in this manner (since they will likely go dead), but these are important…
IBM’s absolutely top-notch LPI prep site
IBM’s Linux-based technical library
Some guy’s home-made Linux/LPI1 test
The Linux Documentation Project
LinuxCertification Documentation Project
Look folks, there are all kinds of Linux learning stuff out there on the ‘Net. And there are print books galore… I have bookshelves full of them to prove it! Of course, last but not least, remember that almost every Linux distro comes with documentation (printed or otherwise). Read it!
But *nothing* helps you learn Linux better than actually *using* Linux. If you don’t have an installed distro, boot a “live” cd/dvd! If your favorite distro doesn’t offer a “live” cd/dvd, then try a different vendor that does! You might like it! And I might stop using exclamation points!
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