I’m not new to Linux, I’ve dabbled with it over the years. I remember trying out Backtrack before it became Kali, and of course I’ve tried various versions of Ubuntu throughout my career, but now….it’s different.
Linux is everywhere, no matter what area of IT there’s probably some Linux lurking around. As someone who is interested in the cloud/security side of things, there’s really no avoiding Linux. I mean you could avoid it, but it probably makes more sense to learn it. Not to mention all of the IoT and mobile devices that also make use of Linux.
From security tools to automation, being comfortable with Linux is a great addition to any IT professional’s toolbox. So how am I planning to get better with Linux? Currently I have multiple VMs installed, which gives me a quick way to try out various distributions of the operating system.
I also enjoy WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), and have a few different distros installed for that as well. I have yet to make Linux the main OS on my daily devices but I try to expose myself to it as much as possible. Though I’m a long time Windows user, I also use MacOS, and find that moving around in the terminal there is very similar to the Linux terminal, so the knowledge translates.
If there are labs for Linux, I try to go through them. So places like TryHackMe, Infosec Institute, Skillsoft and others that have online labs for Linux, I’ll just go through the exercises and learn as much as I can. Now I think it is time to really hone in and focus on getting more than “slightly comfortable” with the OS.
I’m considering the LFCS course and certification from the Linux Foundation. I feel the Linux Foundation Certified Sysadmin will provide a solid concentration of Linux skills, plus the certification itself is a performance based lab environment. I like to get my hands on the technology, it helps me solidify what I learn and where I’m weak at.
I also considered the Linux Essentials certification from the Linux Professional Institute (LPI), but for where I am and the things I’m interested in, I feel LFCS may be the better route for me at this point in my career.
But we’ll see, essentials may be what I need to get the familiarity I need as I’m more interested in how it can support my other skills instead of it being my main one.
I’d like to get this certification by the end of 2021, but we all know how life goes! I have other things I’m working on currently but this is definitely high on my list.
In the meantime I will continue to use, learn, and lab with Linux as much as possible.
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