Linux / Unix / FreeBSD?

[nmcglennon]

I just got hired as a technician to run our campus' networks and lab computers which will primarily be in Linux, Unix, and FreeBSD.

I know alot about PCs and Windows, but I want to know more about *nix, before I get to my new job (even though they are going to "train" me).

Can someone point me out to a couple of websites that offer information on these platforms, and maybe how to do things, so I can go into my new job with an idea of what I will be learning?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Poontos]

Excellent documentation for FreeBSD exists here, and is one of the best places to start.

This will teach a variant of Unix, one that is one of the best server OS's (which can also be used as a great workstation/desktop OS).

 

[Spyro]

The Linux Documentation Project

 

[n0cmonkey]

Take a look at the *nix FAQ thread we have started.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

One of the best ways to learn any new OS is to install it and start fiddling with it. This is a good place to start.

 

[Soybomb]

Personally I don't think reading about it is all that useful. I would recommend you grab an old pentium box or something thats not in use and slap freebsd, or linux or whatever on it. Come up with some stuff you'd like to do with it, and get it done. Doing so will teach you alot about the basics. Try to make a mail server, or a web server, or a firewall, or a network monitoring box, etc

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

I think reading is amazingly helpful. I read around on tldp.org before I ever used linux, and when I installed, I knew what root was, I had a vague concept of the filesystem layout, I knew what man pages were, etc etc. In fact, the first time I used vi, yes, I was confused, but at least I knew enough to switch to anyther tty and use ps and kill to kill it. I think a major problem is that no one cares to read anymore, they just jump in and then are baffled why they don't remember what the "root password" is (whatever that means! What's root???).

 

[Spyro]

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey
I think reading is amazingly helpful. I read around on tldp.org before I ever used linux, and when I installed, I knew what root was, I had a vague concept of the filesystem layout, I knew what man pages were, etc etc. In fact, the first time I used vi, yes, I was confused, but at least I knew enough to switch to anyther tty and use ps and kill to kill it. I think a major problem is that no one cares to read anymore, they just jump in and then are baffled why they don't remember what the "root password" is (whatever that means! What's root???).

Agreed, but I (well sorta....) started out with "Special Edition: Using Linux ed. 5" read the whole thing from cover to cover *and* played with peanut linux on one of my windows boxes at the same time. You can't really have one without the other

 

[jmeadlock]

If you can carefully follow directions, try installing Gentoo. It'll teach you a good bit pretty quickly about how linux works; their forums are a great resource if you run into trouble and the Install Guide is excellent.

Gentoo & Debian are two of the easiest to manage Linux distributions (once you get them going and learn a bit). Debian's arguably the best for servers and Gentoo's arguably the best for workstations (it's a bit more bleeding edge and you compile everything from source so it's optimized for your system).

Good luck!

p.s. Gentoo's install is much friendlier on REALLY fast hardware; it took approx 24 hrs to get the base system and a GUI compiled on my Barton@2200mhz.

 

[Sunner]

I don't know what you mean exactly by "UNIX" since it's a rather generic term, but many educational institutions run Solaris, if that's what you mean, docs.sun.com is a good resource.

 

[iam29a]

Step #1:

Login to any node as root.

Step #2:

from the root directory ... rm -rf

Step #3:

Collect Unemployment checks

 

[Sunner]

Originally posted by: iam29a
Step #1:

Login to any node as root.

Step #2:

from the root directory ... rm -rf

Step #3:

Collect Unemployment checks

A dude at a Solaris course I took a few years back did that by mistake.
I don't remember what he was trying to do, but needless to say, it didn't have quite the effect he had in mind.

Oh well, it gave us a good chance to get some education about Jumpstart which wasn't due until a later course