Best way to learn Linux

[AdultFoundry]

I have some familiarity with Linux, but I want to start learning it, in more detail, now. I will install something like VirtualBox from Oracle, with Centos, as distro, I think. I've been already testing something like this, end I ended up picking Centos for this.

I have some time that I can invest in this, and I want to do it very good. I will be getting up to 10 separate books from Amazon (the best), if needed, and going over all of them. In general, I am a webmaster, and I want to learn Linux and server administration, in order to be able to do everything that is needed on unmanaged hosting plans. I want to get any plan that may be needed (unmanaged, and at a good price), install everything that is needed there, make sure it is secure, be able to fix anything that comes up (like support tickets with managed hosting), and so on.

I dont want to be learning unnecessary things, as I am not a programmer or anything like that, even though I am familiar with php and mysql. I would like to know Linux and command line, and server administration (Apache and Nginx) would be the most important part. Whatever may be needed for running websites, is what I want to learn, but not necessarily like Linux programming, lets say.

Please let me know, what would be the best way to go, with this, and if you know about any good books for it, please let me know too.

Thanks.

 

[JasKinasis]

Ultimately, the best way to learn Linux is to use it.
Choose a distro, then either get an old PC/laptop and install it on there, or install it in a VM and try to do whatever it is that you want to do. There are easy to follow tutorials all over the web for installing and managing LAMP servers.

Book-wise, I only have one Linux admin book: Apress's 'Pro Linux Systems Administration', by James Turnbull, Peter Lieverdink and Dennis Matotek.
Covers everything from the very basics of partitioning drives, installing linux, basic terminal commands, user management etc. - right up to installing and administering web-servers and web-mail to more advanced topics like large-scale deployment/configuration of Linux over a network using Puppet.

That book covers pretty much every aspect of Linux systems administration, covering Debian-based and Red-Hat based systems. But the material is presented in a way that you could easily apply it to distros using other packaging systems (Arch, Gentoo etc).

It's a great book, covering a lot of material. But it has a fairly hefty price tag ($49.99). I got mine for free a few years ago when I renewed my subscription to Linux Format though, heh heh!

 

[Vaggelis]

I have installed and use Ubuntu. What do you suggest for learning Linux novice commands?

 

[Michael Martinez]

Best way to learn Linux system administration is one of the books that prepares you for the RHCSA certification and/or the LPI certification.

 

[jerz4lunch]

I have installed and use Ubuntu. What do you suggest for learning Linux novice commands?

I personally would take a class to get the most exposure to learning novice Linux commands. But as @JasKinasis said, the best way to learn Linux is to practice using it.

 

[Vaggelis]

One friend installed Mint version and he told me that is the most user friendly version for someone new to start learning.

 

[Darren Hale]

Hmm saw somebody who had this link in their signature to do with this:
http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/05/22/open-courseware-for-linux-geeks-50-resources/

 

[George Mulak]

One friend installed Mint version and he told me that is the most user friendly version for someone new to start learning.

Vaggelis, good for you! You are "making the plunge" into a new adventure!

Mint is a very good version, it is based off of Ubuntu and I like it a lot.

One determining factor in all of this is your hardware. if you have a dual core PC with at least 2 GB of ram than any version of Ubuntu should work well for you. It usually installs very easily and everything is pretty much there.

My friend, Nathan Haines, wrote a book entitled: "Beginning ubuntu for Windows and mac Users" that is very good and helpful. It is published by Apress, you can find it there and that might help you also.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if I can help at all!

 

[Vaggelis]

Hello dear George,
Yes I installed it at a simple PC but with 4GB and it is great.

The most important is that at the same PC, I was using Ubuntu (lovely too) but Mint installed with different and much more better graphics.

I do not know if it is graphics card issue, or Mint is more graphic generally ...