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General discussion

UnixAcademy DVD Training completed and exams passed, now...

May 31, 2011 11:15PM PDT

Hi guys. I've been learning with UNIX Academy training DVDs and in three weeks I made it through two Certification Exams. Less or more, I learned all the basics, awk, simple scripting.Not bad, assuming that only few weeks ago I knew nothing about Linux at all. What would be next step? Would you recommend learning scripting in Perl? Is it really requested skill? What would be a next step?

Discussion is locked

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Depends on what you want to do with it.
May 31, 2011 11:22PM PDT

- Just for hobby? Choose what you find interesting.
- For your work? Let your manager decide what's most needed for your job?
- For future work? That's the most difficult part.

Kees

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for future work...
Jun 3, 2011 12:12AM PDT

I'm learning to get a job one day.

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Next?
Jun 1, 2011 5:04AM PDT

I found that linux mavens found it hard to stop trying to install linux onto everything. In the work place you get the best result with an open mind. Same idea as your parachute.

Here it's JAVA for the next language.
Bob

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java?
Jun 3, 2011 12:15AM PDT

I'm having in mind system administrator' future. Is Java a necessary skill for that? I never heard of Java been a requirement for system administrators. Perl is pretty much on every job requirement, but never came across java.

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If you wrote Java or C++ you would do Perl.
Jun 3, 2011 6:40AM PDT

But you may want to not count on that system admin job in the future. At our office we don't need one. Never miss them either.

Be careful and plan as if you are 10 years down the road in the post-PC world.

Bob

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No system administrator?
Jun 6, 2011 11:06PM PDT

Why don't you have/need system administrator? Is it some small place and you have no budget for the position? So who performs administrator's duties?

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Think about it.
Jun 7, 2011 1:41AM PDT

We are mostly programmers. We write the apps. Why would we need an admin?

And what duties would we create for such?

--> Fast forward to when the OP will get done. It's too likely to be in the post-PC world. Let's think 10 years from now.
Bob

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More computers - more admin jobs ?
Jun 9, 2011 11:29PM PDT

to me admin is a person who takes care of servers, installations, updated, backups, fixes issues etc. More people use computer more admins it will require. I'm not sure what do you mean by "post-pc"...

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I think you may want to check the rear view mirror.
Jun 10, 2011 1:57AM PDT

Here I'm busy getting apps from our old Palm and WinMo days over to android. The move to tablets and cell phones is happening here.

While the PC is not dead yet, it's beginning to fade. In 10 years IT will not be some staff running around helping folk fix their PC.
bob

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post-pc
Jun 10, 2011 2:23AM PDT

Means all desktop windows systems will be replaced with LInux servers and users will connect to them trough web browsers Wink

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So somone has to run these servers!
Jun 11, 2011 12:23AM PDT

administrator doesn't deal with PCs, he administers servers, so for as long as servers are the part of this bright "post-pc" future, administrators will be in high demand. I think post-pc is is fantasy. I would never agree to exchange my PERSONAL, PRIVATE computer to some vague "online" equivalent.

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Unlikely
Jun 24, 2011 1:39AM PDT

I don't think it is going to happen anytime soon. I do like Linux and use it as often as I can, but it isn't ready to become a mainstream desktop. There are many things that are missing or difficult to use, unfortunately. To mention, I do use Linux as a main OS on my smartphone: Android. And it's superb, much better than iPhone that I had before. But for a desktop, it's not really there yet. Until mainstream companies like Adobe and other will start offering complete solutions for Linux, I can't see how it will become mainstream. I like playing with Open Office, but let face it, it is not a substitute for MS Office. And it may be creepy but I would like having MS Office for Linux. It would really become a turning point.

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The best step to learn Linux is to use Linux ;)
Jun 5, 2011 1:46AM PDT

The best step to learn Linux is to use Linux Wink
And do not mess with simple distros if you want to learn better grab ArchLinux or Slackware.
And do not forget than Google Android is Linux too. Wink

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I'm using Linux
Jun 6, 2011 11:03PM PDT

It's hard to believe but last two months converted I into total Linux user! After I completed my UNIX Academy DVD training, my everyday' computer is Centos laptop, three days ago RadioShack (father's days promo) has been running $30 sell of HTC Inspire with Android 2.2 Froyo and I dropped my iphone in favor of it. The Inspire is turned to be one super device. It is so cool, fast and smart Like a stuff from sci-fi or 007 movies. I can't believe how much more advanced it is compared to iphone and its ios. It also feels very well made.
The video training was great and it explained all the essentials. Now I can do most of it in command line. I can read more advanced books that packaged in the training and follow the guidance on more advanced subjects. It looks like I was exposed to too much Linux in a short period of time. I'm looking to start learning Perl after I finish my current reading (configuring Samba).