Best linux skills to learn for datacenter job, which distro should i focus on?

Software & Operating Systems Linux
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Hi All,
I’m new here, I came from the Level1 Linux channel with some questions.

I’m a BTEC IT Systems & Principals student, who loves enterprise computing and software. I have aspirations of working on hardware/software in the datacenter (servicing hardware, configuring software if needed etc).

I have about 10 months until I will be graduated level 3 and ready to get an apprenticeship or job. I also have a homelab that runs ESXI as the host OS and linux in VM’s (for appliances such as Pi-Hole). I have been teaching myself how to use ESXI and patching it to run MacOS etc.

My question is, what should I focus on learning in linux that would help me in a datacenter technician style job?

Also, any distro’s in particular (I use ubuntu server currently)?

What are the aspects of Linux that are most important to have grasped?

Hope that makes sense,
Thank you all for your help!

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Rather than focus on a distro, focus on the underlying command line utilities and syntax. Learning “linux” for “the datacenter” is a really wide topic.

Enterprise distros are Redhat, Suse, Oracle Linux to name a few so I suppose you could learn how to install those, and troubleshoot using the vendor specific tools?

Otherwise focus on learning tools related to the Linux firewall, routing and vlans. Learn storage topologies like setting up a SAS interfaces, iSCSI targets, iSCSI initiators, NFS and its various security methods.

Learn the various switch command-line OSes like ArubaOS, Cisco IOS, and others.

If you really want to stand out, learn “harder” stuff like IBM iSeries/OS (formerly AS/400), HP-UX, Solaris Unix

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Ahh ok I agree, I’m not really sure what company would be offering jobs, but maybe something like AWS or Google, or maybe BT’s datacenter etc. (I will amend my post to include that, if that helps).

I will try and get hold of those distro’s and get some practice in with them, thank you!

I will take a look into all of that, thank you!

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  • Debian.
  • Redhat.
  • Ubuntu server.
  • Suse linux enterprise.

Those are likely the most common ones used in the field.

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You have better marketability if you get your RHCSA or are at least familiar with Redhat based distros.

That said, a base understanding should be achieved first.

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