Every organization that offers a certification program either runs courses themselves or has a network of training providers that does. In addition, you will find that nearly all of them produce supporting materials to accompany their certification programs. It is also worth checking your local colleges or universities for programs; you may find that they run part-time courses that are either Unix-based or involve Unix as a component.
The choice of whether or not to formalize your training into a certification is yours alone. However, those starting out in a career in IT usually find that any "supporting evidence" of their skills are very useful when looking for a job. Just be aware that certification tests are expensive. Only take them when you are ready and feel confident that you will pass.
Online Training
As you would expect, there are a variety of Unix and Linux courses available on the Internet. Both Unix and Linux can seem a little daunting to those new to these operating systems, so the ability to obtain the help of an experienced instructor at a fraction of the cost of classroom-based study makes online courses an attractive alternative.
There are more online training providers than can be practically listed in this section. To find a representative selection, use any Internet Web search engine. Available programs range from simple self-paced, Web-based courses to fully interactive virtual classroom scenarios.
Self-Study Options
For Unix and Linux, perhaps more than any other network operating system, hands-on experience is vital to the learning process. Although you may choose to supplement your studies with a range of other materials available, it is the time spent at the keyboard that yields the greatest return in your learning experience. Setting up a Linux or Unix system at home is a relatively simple task, however, you are likely to find it hard work if you attempt it with no other help at all.
Linux especially can be obtained free or purchased for very little and installed on hardware that would be considered obsolete for other operating systems, such as Windows NT and Novell NetWare. The easiest way to set yourself up is to buy a copy of a Linux distribution, sit down with a cup of coffee, and follow the instructions provided. Even though the documentation that comes with the distributions is normally good, you may want to get some additional information as well. If you want to combine two steps into one, buying one of the many training kits that come complete with a distribution is good option. It eliminates the problem of buying a book for one version, and then purchasing the software for a different version (sounds improbable, but it can easily happen).
If you prefer to learn Unix rather than Linux, a good way to begin is by using one of the free Unix distributions that are available. One of the most prevalent is FreeBSD, a Unix operating system designed to run on PCs. More information on FreeBSD can be found on the FreeBSD Web site at www.freebsd.org. Along with information on the product, there are resources on the site that can help you with your self-study program.
As mentioned previously, once you feel that your knowledge has reached a suitable level, you can take the step of formalizing it through a number of certification programs available.
Additional Resources
Fortunately, the abundance of information on Unix and Linux makes the task of finding valuable resources particularly easy. The following sections contain some resources that can help you get started.
Unix and Linux Jargon Buster
As you find more information on Unix and Linux, you may come across terms that you are unfamiliar with. To make the information you read easier to understand, the following list provides some brief descriptions of a handful of terms that you may see during your search:
- Window System-A graphical-based application that is used to interface with a Unix system.
- Kernel-The operating system component of a Unix or Linux system. The kernel provides the interface between the applications and the computer hardware.
- Daemon-A program that runs in the background processing on a Unix system
- Vi-A program used on Unix systems to edit files.Vi is not the only editing program available, but it is widely used.
- Shell-Part of a Unix operating system that accepts user commands and passes them to resources and applications. There are various different types of shells that can be used.
- Root-In terminology, root refers to the most powerful user account on the system.The root user can perform all actions on the system. Root is also used to refer to the top of a directory structure.
A wide range of books are available on Unix and Linux, however, care should be taken to ensure that the book you buy is of the correct level for you to gain maximum benefit from it. Many books represent general information on the operating systems, and equally available are those that explore very specific issues, such as security or programming. For more input on a suitable book for your needs, posting a polite message on one of the Unix or Linux related newsgroups normally brings forth a number of suggestions.
Beginner Book Titles
- Peek, Jerry D., Grace Todino, and John Strang. Learning the Unix Operating System (Nutshell Handbook). O'Reilly & Associates, 1997. ISBN 1565923901.
- Levine,John R., and Margaret Levine Young. Unix For Dummies. IDG Books Worldwide, 1998. ISBN 0764504193.
- Dawson,Terry, Olaf Kirch, and Andy Oram (editor). Linux Network
- Administrator's Guide, 2d ed. O'Reilly & Associates, 2000. ISBN 1565924002.
- Smith, Roderick W. Linux: Networking for Your Office. Sams, 1999. ISBN 0672317923.
- Leblanc, Dee-Ann. Linux System Administration Black Book. Coriolis Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1576104192.
- Poniatowski, Martin. Unix Users Handbook. Prentice Hall Computer Books, 2000. ISBN 0130270199.
- Mann, Scott, Ellen L. Mitchell. Linux System Security:The Administrator's Guide to Open Source Security Tools. Prentice Hall, 1999. ISBN 0130158070.
- Asbury, Stephen. Enterprise Linux at Work. John Wiley & Sons, 2000. ISBN 0471363499.
- Rosen, Kenneth H.,and Doug Host. Unix:The Complete Reference (Unix Tools). Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 1999. ISBN 007211892X.
- Purcelljohn (Editor). Linux the Complete Reference. Walnut Creek, 1999. ISBN 1571761659.
- Dent,Jack,Tony Gaddis. Guide to Unix using Linux.Course Technology, 1999. ISBN 076001096X.
- Volderking, Patrick, Kevin Reichard. Linux System Commands. IDG Books Worldwide, 2000. ISBN 0764546694.
