Linux advice

Operating Systems & Open Source Linux
1

OK, so i know that this is all very subjective, however, i feel i must ask for some generalised advice on dev choice. First some info:
1. im a student and do a lot of research/writing
2. my system is an
i7 5930k
16gb ram
m.2/ssds/hdds
gtx 980
asus ws-e mobo
watercooled
3. i play a lot of games in my spare time
4. i have had NO linux experience, nor do i have any exp in coding/command prompt etc etc
5. i dont mind learning, in fact thats one of the reasons i want to make the switch and i am a relatively fast learner (then again thats what everyone says).
6. i would say im relatively tech savvy (for a non-working in IT person) and have had computers since i was 7 so... about 20 years (good old atari being my first computer)
- im well aware of issues/how to troubleshoot etc and research stuff
- im not scared of breaking an install :P i can waste some time on this at the moment but i would of course prefer not to
7. i have multiple computers
- 2 laptops running windows
- 1 surface pro 2 windows
so i have access to all my docs if something does require time off on my main rig
8. i have done some research and i am starting to form my own opinion, so i did not come here expecting people to do that for me (yes i have been guilty of this before, however this is too important to do so... its my baby after all :P)

i should also mention that i just 'inherited' some server equipment (dont even know what i have been given...../if it will work....but this is another issue...lol) so i am thinking of also running a server on linux too, so even some server OS suggestions to tinker with would be good...
-3 x IBM idataplex server dual Xeon (not that new ,older model... dont have specifics on me at the moment)
-firewall (dont worry about this)
-cisco 2950 series switch
-cisco 2800 series router....
random i know...

so with all those boring points out of the way any suggestions for a beginner?
-blogs/videos/tutorials that are worth hitting up?
- other peoples 'first time' experience
-any advice on which path to go down/why

i have seen a lot here and have my own pre concieved notions, however i would like some opinions directed to my situation specifically, if people have made it this far they may have some time :P, but seriously thanks in advance,
ps, to reiterate, dont mind being directed to good places to read up on these things, as i have no previous knowledge with other OSes/networking or any of this, but dont mind doing the hard (fun) work to learn.
cheers.

2

Firstly I would like to say that you are taking your adventure into the world of Linux with exactly the right perspective. You've already done some research which shows you are willing to learn and asking for advice ahead of time is a great way to start. Some people make the switch over hatred of Microsoft and generally are not willing to learn how Linux works which is completely the wrong type of attitude.

As far as advice goes try to be careful what commands you run on the terminal especially as the root user as a slight typo could break your entire system which isn't good. Also some people think it is funny to tell people to run very dangerous commands so when somebody asks you to type a command try and understand what it does first. This site has a list of a few commands you should not run on Linux: http://www.howtogeek.com/125157/8-deadly-commands-you-should-never-run-on-linux/

I have also found that sites such as http://unix.stackexchange.com/ and http://askubuntu.com/ can be very valuable sources of information if you break your system or need advice on how to do something.

Lastly have fun in the brave new world of Linux.

2 Likes
3

Instead of asking for advice on what to do with hardware X, or listing what you do with Windows today, try listing all the things you would like to do with Linux, and see if there's a reason for you to switch from Windows.

Like, do you want to create...
a NAS and backup server to host all your important content on, or
a badass router that you can configure to have an iron grip on your home network with, or
a home automation system that can be used to monitor and control your AC, lights, whatever (N.B. "firewall (dont worry about this)"), or
a seedbox for all your torrent needs (seriously, idataplex!?)
a tinfoil hat server with (double) encrypted mail daemon, tor and vpn running,
etc

Truth is, if you don't have a reason not to use Windows, you should have a reason for switching to Linux, or you will just have a computer that sits around doing nothing (even if your intention is to use it to learn linux better).
For example, I use Linux on my laptop for two main reasons: better performance (battery/system) than windows, and I need a secure system to access my (linux) servers from. The servers themselves I use for webhosting, vpn to my home network, and storage.

If the equipment you listed is ready for use, I see no reason to format you main rig. Considering its main use scenarios, it may require some work. If so, use one of your laptops instead.
Just leave the Cisco equipment out of it at the start - Cisco IOS is not linux, and depending on hardware model, certain things may or may not be included that some tutorials depend on. No need to dabble - CCENT and CCNA is solid material if you want to learn Cisco. Better to use one of the IBM's with some router software in that case.

Personally, I'd recommend installing it on one of your laptops. That way, you're bound to have stuff to do in order to get everything running. No grokking needed or kernel mucking-about, but finding the right packages and settings to make your system work. That way you learn bash scripting when having to use xinput because your DE give a false positive when disabling/enabling your touchpad, or pulseaudio won't enable your sound device, or backlight controls only affects display brightness (instead of the actual backlighting).

What do you want to do with linux, other than learning it?

Also, regarding the post above: as long as you think about what you're doing before actually doing something, you should be fine. If you use rm -rf, or feel you have to chmod something in /usr - why and is there no other solution? I haven't "managed" to break any system I've used since I was introduced to Linux.

4

If you have never played with Linux before i would recommend going with a really friendly distribution like Ubuntu or Mint.

An easy way to learn your way around a system as beginner is to start fiddling with and customizing graphical settings. Sounds really silly, but it can teach you heaps. Such as the way config files interact with the DE and how generally how to navigate the file structure of your system. Also another great side of playing with the way your DE works and looks is that you have near instant visible change so its easy to see what does what.

Anyway, other people on here will have much more to say on the subject of hardware etc so ill let them fill in.

Enjoy!

5

thanks for the links will check out.. :D

6

It depends on what you want to do, easiest to start on I think is Ubuntu, out of the box it just works and works well.

If you want experience with business used server side CentOS, Debian and Ubuntu Server are good places to start. I used to run CentOS 5.6 for my minecraft server, but I now run Ubuntu server, I prefer the .deb system vs the rpm style.

For a workstation this is purely your style, I prefer ubuntu because of the simple software store many applications just work on Ubuntu it has massive user base so support is very easy to fine. Many people will run Debian, Mint, Suse. There is also of course Arch if you want to really learn the workings of linux.

Ubuntu with xfce (xubuntu) was what I used on my gaming system seemed to work well with all games, my issue was with the sound and switching the output, it was just a minor issue but the stock Ubuntu sound switching is very easy and volume adjustment even works via my scroll wheel on my wireless headset. I'm sure these things could probably be fixed in xubuntu but to each his own.

7

ok yes i did see some of your points coming (not all) and i was rather generalised and added the server stuff as an after thought.. i have looked into cisco stuff and its a bit beyond me at the moment (CCNA etc) i dont have the time to dedicate to it...
i do want to set up a nas as there are multiple people in my household that share streaming/content over the network which is why i grabbed the switch off a friend when it was going to be ditched
yea idataplex... random... but free meh..
australian internet is expensive and unfortunately i only have a 300gb cap at the moment and that counts both up and down :( fml so seeding etc not the biggest fan of.
i do want to set up a vpn
i have been ddosd a fair bit before (although since i stopped playing certain content this has declined...) and unfortunately VPNs with good/high speed are hard/expensive to find here (not impossible.... but tend to become expensive :()
firewall i have is hardware and setup so thats why i said not to worry also got an enterprise firewall so just got the subscription etc (probably not the best settings but they are sufficient for the interim
dont want tor... dont trust it. :P (i think it makes you more of a target, especially with the current legislation in australia... the US has nothing on us lol)

i do not have a reason NOT to use windows i have had very few problems.. but the cost of the server platforms i cant justify (especially when servers were free lol)
i forgot to mention i also have a HP storageworks smart array...
i also have a business attatched to our property whereby people use the wifi.... it is HORRIBLY SETUP (i did not do this and have only moved here recently) they connect to the SAME wifi network as the household and there is not a separate DNS.. so anyone who stays logs into the same network with access to all devices and limited security.... it is .... the worst..... but i have not had sufficient time/permission to do anything about it (that is the minimal amount of issues i have with it... poorly optimized etc etc etc

yea i more said "im not afraid of breaking" to encourage suggestions that might be a little more risky but with better payoffs (stepper learning curve, yet more beneficial in the long term/faster

in the end i dont have a solid reason, apart from learning, increasing distrust of Microsoft privacy (i know that this is not exclusive to them) but the terms and conditions, in conjunction with australian legislation is rather unsettling... it is not viewed as a big issue here and things go through on the sly very often and quickly with little overview/coverage especially in the last 3 years...

moreover i should mention i have many iOS devices on the network as well as Windows and some of them for business that require backup.... so thinking about those issues too... and at any one time i have 18-22 devices connected to the network not including the "guest" wifi extension "shivvers"

will review more content after class.

thanks for the advice so far everyone :D

8

You should note you can run server 2012 r2 for free for 180 days, just get the evaluation version. at least you can learn the os this way.

1 Like
9

yes, got it downloaded now :P

10

It still costs a lot of money after that trial period so you could argue that the time spent learning Windows server could be better used learning Linux. I also find the Windows Server SKUs a little bit stupid. I mean seriously, why have hardware limitations on the cheaper Windows server.

11

didnt think of that, and yes cost is a concern regarding windows servers... very expensive in aus.... (1000? for med to top ver.)

12

After reading everything, here are my recommendations.

Opensuse 13.2 or the 42.1 beta (the beta is pretty damn stable) for your desktop. The reason being is opensuse has great wikis, and has some very special tools that keep you out of the terminal which is always a good thing.

Fedora 22 for your sever. Cause fedora is a new red hat, and red hat should be the only answer for a server. Even Cent OS is kind of sort of red hat.

And fedora for your nas. (You can use freenas if you want, I just hate using a terminal if I do not have to).

1 Like
13

thanks for taking the time to read it all :P will look into it tonight :D

14

It depends on what he wants to do, if he wants to learn it to get certified there is nothing wrong with using windows many workplaces use it.

If it is just for home use yes windows server is stupid. if he wants to learn to further his career it would be good to know both linux and windows to maximize your job potentials. Now of course if you focus on mastering one you will be able to get a much better job.

@Tjj226_Angel last i knew CentOS is RHEL minus the red hat, has this changed?

15

im not in it.... but it is of relevance ot my areas of interest instudies..... in fact im going to create another threat now... as people in thois forum may be very interested in some of the content of some of the courses im doing and i can link some good references etc

Edit: my studies are: major in government international security, technology and terrorism and a major in psychology..... interestng stuff

16

If you have a spare PC, try Proxmox to play around with various distros. If you don't, try VirtualBox before you do a physical install. Your i7 rig should be able to handle a couple virtual machines just fine. I'd look at Ubuntu, Mint, and maybe Fedora, just see which one you like. Contrary to what some people seem to think, Linux distro is more personal choice than anything. It's your PC, use what OS you like best. Try a few distros, and then you can make an informed decision.

1 Like
17

Cent OS is a community driven version of red hat. Its very similar, but it is not the same. They do differ slightly.

It would be the difference between having linux mint and ubuntu with cinnamon installed on top.

Yes, they look and kind of work the same, but some of the packages are different and that can (on rare occasion) lead to a big difference.

18

thanks again everyone, ill go over everything by this weekend and figure something out :P appreciate all the help and opinions. I understand its rather objective question/answer, but that doesnt mean that i shouldnt ask it. i learnt stuff/always benefit in opinion (whether neg/pos) thanks again :P