Wrap-up: Live Linux Q&A on Getting Started with Linux

We recently conducted a Live Linux Q&A on Facebook, which was our first in a new series of live Q&A opportunities with Linux experts hosted on The Linux Foundation’s social channels. This debut Q&A featured Linux.com freelance contributor Carla Schroder, who answered questions about how to get started with Linux.

Questions were received by community members on topics ranging from malware to popular OEMs and distributions to virtualizaiton software choices, and much more.

Generally for new users, Carla recommended “getting familiar with how to install and remove software. Linux distro’s have centralized software repositories – – kind of like app stores, but Linux has had them almost from inception – – so managing software is super easy.”

Carla wasn’t the only one answering questions, either. Members of the community chimed in with helpful advice for everyone. David Chiodo suggested Linux User Groups as one place to start for newbies, for example.

There was some debate about whether or not CentOS was the best distro choice for noobs. Carla suggested it for system and network admins wanting to learn their way around Linux. Other Q&A participants suggested Ubuntu and Peppermint.

Some members of the Live Linux Q&A wanted to know more about going from newbie to pro and how to become certified. Carla suggested that the top three skills to get under your belt before choosing a specialty would be: bash scripting, basic network and system administration, and proficiency in another scripting language like Python, Ruby or PHP. She also suggested Red Hat, LPI and The Linux Foundation for Linux training and certification.

Carla suggested not to rely just on books, since Linux is developed so rapidly and books can become out of date quickly. She suggested reading distribution documentation to keep up to date. Specifically she recommended Red Hat documentation, as well as Arch Linux, which she said is great choice for new sysadmins. Carla also suggested online resources such as Linux.com, LinuxToday, LWN.net, The H and Lxer.

To review the comments and conversation in more detail, you can visit the Live Linux Q&A on Facebook.

These Live Linux Q&As will rotate throughout our social channels, from Facebook to Google+ and Twitter to LinkedIn, so you can connect when/where it makes the most sense for you. And, we’ll be sourcing experts from a variety of places that include Linux.com, our Linux training instructors, the Linux kernel development community, Linux community projects, our members and more. Stay tuned here at my blog and in our social channels for updates on the next Live Linux Q&A.

In the mean time, you can find lots of resources from throughout the community. Keep an eye on our Linux training opportunities, as well as Linux.com for free tutorials and tips.