Linux Training course, prerequisites no problem

You will probably notice that this week's blogging will have a definite Linux flavor to it and this is because this week I am on a Linux training course which has the title

Advanced Linux Systems Administration and Security

I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about going onto the training course because I am basically a Java developer who has used Linux a bit, installing Java and Tomcat and not much else. It is pretty much a bungling effort when I am installing on Linux. So in one sense I was glad I was going onto the training course because it will give me a chance to build on my meager Linux skills.

On the other hand there are some prerequisites to going on the course, it stated you needed

"A good grounding in the use of the command line and a text editor is assumed, as is some familiarity with the operation of a Linux machine, and basic TCP/IP networking."

Now I sort of fit the criteria and in fact I learnt quite a lot the week before I went on the course reading up about Linux.

It's also quite interesting looking at the various security aspects of a Linux machine and today's stuff was about logging on, log files, passwords and stuff like that.

I found this link tonight whilst doing a bit of homework on Linux and networking and this site has basically the whole 5 day training in some free manuals.

http://www.comptechdoc.org/os/linux/

The manual guides on the left hand side are brilliant, well written without waffilng on to much about boring stuff, gives you the stuff you want to know, no more and no less. So I am reading up about tomorrows lesson so I don't look like a complete Linux plum, left floundering whilst everyone else is off tapping away into their command lines. This is a bit like cleaning before the cleaner comes, why am I looking over stuff I am going to be taught tomorrow, I'll tell you why because I haven't got a clue about it and I'm not systems admin.

The training was timed very oddly, we started at 9.30, had lunch at 11 ! And then finished the day at 4.30. Who has lunch at 11 for gods sake, talking of the lunch it was good and free, hmmm little sandwiches (triangle of course) spring rolls, some fruit and a cake each, just what I normally have, err not.

The training for anyone in the Midlands is at openadvantage, which can be found here and if the company you work for is based in the west midlands then the training is free, woo wooo. They have other training on things like content management, what is web 2.0, Ruby on rails and other stuff so check out if you live in the Midlands, UK.

Right I have got to get back to reading up on Linux.