Who should attend: Systems administrators of all skill levels with little knowledge of Linux who plan to implement Linux in the workplace. You should know basic UNIX systems administration and be able to grasp new concepts relatively easily. Advanced programming skills are not necessary, but the ability to code tasks in a language (perl, tcl, sh, etc.) is very helpful.

What you will learn: The difference between Linux and other UNIX-like operating systems. How to administer a Linux server or work station.

Administering a Linux server or work station is sometimes a daunting task if your experience is on more mature platforms. We will discuss some key concepts and designs which separate Linux from other UNIX-like operating systems:

- The Linux kernel
- The Linux file system standard
- Plug-in authentication modules
- Services a Linux server can provide
- Linux in a mission-critical environment (RAID, high availability, and scalability)
- Linux in a secure environment (firewalls, secure commerce, and ftp sites)
- Hardware compatibility
- Documentation and where to get help
- Distributions and how to choose one

After completing the tutorial, you should be confident about your ability to set up and maintain a reasonably useful and secure Linux server. If there is time, we will discuss additional topics.

Bryan C. Andregg is a system and network administrator at Red Hat Software. Before joining Red Hat, Bryan was with Internet Direct of Kansas, a 5-state ISP with 5000+ customers, running a server farm of Linux x86 machines.

Tutorials at-a-Glance     Tutorial Instructors