*posting was weird today, please follow the URL
INTRO
You should now have a remote server setup running the latest Ubuntu Server LTS (Long Term Support) version. You alone will be administering it. To become a fully-rounded Linux server admin you should become comfortable working with different versions of Linux, but for now Ubuntu is a good choice.
Once you have reached a level of comfort at the command-line then you'll find your skills transfer not only to all the standard Linux variants, but also to Android, Apple's OSX, OpenBSD, Solaris and IBM AIX. Throughout the course you'll be working on Linux - but in fact most of what is covered is applicable to any system derived from the UNIX Operating System - and the major differences between them are with their graphic user interfaces such as Gnome, Unity, KDE etc - none of which you’ll be using!
YOUR TASKS TODAY
- Connect and login to your server, preferably using a SSH client
- Run a few simple commands to check the status of your server - like this demo
USING A SSH CLIENT
Remote access used to be done by the simple telnet protocol, but now the much more secure SSH (Secure SHell) protocol is always used. If your server is a local VM or WSL, you could skip this section by simply using the server console/terminal if you want. We will explore SSH more in detail at the server side on Day 3 but knowing how to use a ssh client is a basic sysadmin skill, so you might as well do it now.
In MacOS and Linux
On an MacOS machine you'll normally access the command line via Terminal.app - it's in the Utilities sub-folder of Applications.
On Linux distributions with a menu you'll typically find the terminal under "Applications menu -> Accessories -> Terminal", "Applications menu -> System -> Terminal" or "Menu -> System -> Terminal Program (Konsole)"- or you can simply search for your terminal application. In many cases Ctrl+Alt+T will also bring up a terminal windows.
Once you open up a "terminal" session, you can use your command-line ssh client like this:
ssh user@<ip address>
For example:
ssh support@192.123.321.99
If the remote server was configured with a SSH public key (like AWS, Azure and GCP), then you'll need to point to the location of the private key as proof of identity with the -i switch, typically like this:
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa support@192.123.321.99
A very slick connection process can be setup with the .ssh/config feature - see the "SSH client configuration" link in the EXTENSION section below.
In Windows
On recent Windows 10 versions, the same command-line client is now available, but must be enabled (via "Settings", "Apps", "Apps & features", "Manage optional features", "Add a feature", "OpenSSH client").
There are various SSH clients available for Windows (PuTTY, Solar-PuTTY, MobaXterm, Termius, etc) but if you use Windows versions older than 10, the installation of PuTTY is suggested.
Alternatively, you can install the Windows Subsystem for Linux which gives you a full local command-line Linux environment, including an SSH client - ssh.
Regardless of which client you use, the first time you connect to your server, you may receive a warning that you're connecting to a new server - and be asked if you wish to cache the host key. Yes, you do. Just type/click Yes.
But don't worry too much about securing the SSH session or hardening the server right now; we will be doing this in Day 3.
For now, just login to your server and remember that Linux is case-sensitive regarding user names, as well as passwords.
You'll be spending a lot of time in your SSH client, so it pays to spend some time customizing it. At the very least try "black on white" and "green on black" - and experiment with different monospaced fonts, ("Ubuntu Mono" is free to download, and very nice).
It's also very handy to be able to cut and paste text between your remote session and your local desktop, so spend some time getting confident with how to do this in your SSH client and terminal.
Perhaps you might now try logging in from home and work - even from your smartphone! - using an ssh client app such as Termux, Termius for Android or Termius for iPhone. As a server admin you'll need to be comfortable logging in from all over. You can also potentially use JavaScript ssh clients like consolefish and ShellHub, but these options involve putting more trust in third-parties than most sysadmins would be comfortable with when accessing production systems.
To log out, simply type exit or close the terminal.
LOGIN TO YOUR SERVER
Once logged in, notice that the "command prompt" that you receive ends in $ - this is the convention for an ordinary user, whereas the "root" user with full administrative power has a # prompt (but we will dive into this difference in Day 3 as well).
Here's a short vid on using ssh in a work environment.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SERVER
Use lsb_release -a to see which Linux distro and version you're using. lsb_release may not be available in your server, as it's not widely adopted, but you will always have the same information available in the system file os-release. You can check its content by typing cat /etc/os-release
uname -a will also print the system information and it can show some interesting things like kernel version, hardware platform, etc.
uptime will show you how long the system has been running. It kinda makes the weird numbers you get from cat /proc/uptime a lot more readable.
whoami will print the user name you logged on with, who will show who is logged on and w will also show what they are doing.
HARDWARE INFORMATION
lshw can give some detailed information on the hardware configuration, and there's a bunch of switches we can use to filter the information we want to see, but it's not the only tool we use to check hardware with. Some of the used commands are:
lscputo display information about the CPU architecturelsblkto list block deviceslspcito list all PCI deviceslsusbto list USB devices
MEASURE MEMORY AND CPU USAGE
Don't worry! Linux won't eat your RAM. But if you want to check the amount of memory used in the system, use free -h . vmstat will also give some memory statistics.
top is like a Task Manager for Linux, it will display the processes and the consumption of resources. htop is an interactive, prettier version.
MEASURE DISK USAGE
Use df -h to see disk space usage, but go with du -h if you want to estimate the size of your folders.
MEASURE NETWORK USAGE
You will have a general idea of your network interfaces and their IP addresses by using ifconfig or its modern substitute ip address, but it won't show you bandwidth usage.
For that we have netstat -i in a more static view and ifstat in a continuous view. To interrupt ifstat just use CTRL+C.
But if you want more info on that traffic, sudo iftop -i eth0 is a nice display. Change eth0 for the interface you wish to capture traffic information. To exit the monitor view, type q to quit.
POSTING YOUR PROGRESS
Regularly posting your progress can be a helpful motivator. Feel free to post to the subreddit/community or to the discord chat a small introduction of yourself, and your Linux background for your "classmates" - and notes on how each day has gone.
Of course, also drop in a note if you get stuck or spot errors in these notes.
EXTENSION
If this was all too easy, then spend some time reading up on:
- What is swap and swap space?
- How Linux deals with out-of-memory?
- How Do I Find Out Linux CPU Utilization and Usage?
- How do I find out Linux Disk utilization and I/O usage?
- 20 Best Linux Bandwidth Monitoring Tools for Network Analysis
RESOURCES
- Comparing CENTOS and Ubuntu for servers
- How to Use PuTTY on Windows
- Puttygen command line on Linux - SSH key generator
- SSH client configuration
- A Beginners Guide to SSH
- Linux command to display your hardware information
- See if your hardware is Linux-compatible on Hardware for Linux and DistroWatch
- What is Load Average in Linux?
Some rights reserved. Check the license terms here
INTRO
First, you need a server. You can't learn about administering a remote Linux server without having one of your own - so today we're going to get one - completely free!
Through the magic of Linux and virtualization, it's now possible to get a small Internet server setup almost instantly - and at a very low cost. Technically, what you'll be doing is creating and renting a VPS ("Virtual Private Server"). In a data center somewhere, a single physical server running Linux will be split into a dozen or more Virtual servers, using the KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) feature that's been part of Linux since early 2007.
In addition to a hosting provider, we also need to choose which "flavor" of Linux to install on our server. If you're new to Linux then the range of "distributions" available can be confusing - but the latest LTS ("Long Term Support") version of Ubuntu Server is a popular choice, and what you'll need for this course.
Signing up with a VPS
Sign-up is fairly simple - just provide your email address and a password of your choosing - along with a phone number for a 2FA or another second method of authentication. You will need to also provide your credit card information.
Comparison
| Provider | Instance Type | vCPU | Memory | Storage | Price* | Trial Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | t2.micro | 1 | 1 GB | 8 GB SSD | $18.27 | Free Tier for 1 year |
| Azure | B1 | 1 | 1 GB | 30 GB SSD | $12.26 | $200 / 30 days + Free Tier for 1 year |
| GCP | e2-micro | 1 | 1 GB | 10 GB SSD | $ 7.11 | $300 / 90 days |
| Oracle | VM.Standard.E2.1.Micro | 1 | 1 GB | 45 GB SSD | $19.92 | $300 / 30 days + Always Free services |
- Estimate prices
On a side note, avoid IBM Cloud as much as you can. They do not offer good deals and, according to some reports from previous students, their Linux VM is tampered with enough to the point some commands do not work as expected.
Educational Packs
- AWS Educate at https://aws.amazon.com/education/awseducate/
- Azure for Students at https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/free/students/
- Google Cloud for Students at https://cloud.google.com/edu/students
- Oracle Academy Cloud Program at https://academy.oracle.com/en/solutions-cloud-program.html
Create a Virtual Machine
The process is basically the same for all these VPS, but here are some step-by-steps:
VM with Oracle Cloud
- Choose "Compute, Instances" from the left-hand sidebar menu.
- Click on Create Instance
- Choose a hostname because the default ones are pretty ugly.
- Placement: it will automatically choose the one closest to you.
- Change Image: Select the image "Ubuntu" and opt for the latest LTS version
- Change Shape: Click on "Specialty and previous generation". Click VM.Standard.E2.1.Micro - the option with 1GB Mem / 1 CPU / Always Free-eligible
- Add SSH Keys: select "Generate a key pair for me" and download the private key to connect with SSH. You can also add a new public key that you created locally
- Create
Logging in for the first time
Select your instance and click "SSH", it will open a new window console. To access the root, type "sudo -i passwd" in the command line then set your own password. Log in by typing "su" and "password". Note that the password won't show as you type or paste it.
Remote access via SSH
You should see a "Public IPv4 address" (or similar) entry for your server in the account's control panel, this is its unique Internet IP address, and it is how you'll connect to it via SSH (the Secure Shell protocol) - something we'll be covering in the first lesson.
If you are using Windows 10 or 11, follow the instructions to connect using the native SSH client. In older versions of Windows, you may need to install a 3rd party SSH client, like PuTTY, and generate an ssh key pair.
If you are on Linux or MacOS, open a terminal and run the command:
ssh username@ip_address
Or, using the SSH private key, ssh -i private_key username@ip_address
Enter your password (or a passphrase, if your SSH key is protected with one)
Voila! You have just accessed your server remotely.
If in doubt, consult the complementary video that covers a lot of possible setups (local server with VirtualBox, AWS, Digital Ocean, Azure, Linode, Google Cloud, Vultr, and Oracle Cloud).
What about the root user?
Working on a different approach from smaller VPS, the big guys don't let use root to connect. Don't worry, root still exists in the system, but since the provider already created an admin user from the beginning, you don't have to deal with it.
You are now a sysadmin
Confirm that you can do administrative tasks by typing:
sudo apt update
(Normally you'd expect this would prompt you to confirm your password, but because you're using public key authentication the system hasn't prompted you to set up a password - and AWS has configured sudo* to not request one for "ubuntu").
Then:
sudo apt upgrade -y
Don't worry too much about the output and messages from these commands, but it should be clear whether they succeeded or not. (Reply to any prompts by taking the default option). These commands are how you force the installation of updates on an Ubuntu Linux system, and only an administrator can do them.
REBOOT
When a kernel update is identified in this first check for updates, this is one of the few occasions you will need to reboot your server, so go for it:
sudo reboot now
Your server is now all setup and ready for the course!
Note that:
- This server is now running and completely exposed to the whole Internet
- You alone are responsible for managing it
- You have just installed the latest updates, so it should be secure for now
To logout, type logout or exit.
When you are done
You should be safe running the VM during the month for the challenge, but you can Stop the instance at any point. It will continue to count toward the bill, though.
When you no longer need the VM, Terminate/Destroy instance.
Now you are ready to start the challenge. Day 1, here we go!
INTRO
First, you need a server. You can't really learn about administering a remote Linux server without having one of your own - so today we're going to buy one!
Through the magic of Linux and virtualization, it's now possible to get a small Internet server setup almost instantly - and at very low cost. Technically, what you'll be doing is creating and renting a VPS ("Virtual Private Server"). In a datacentre somewhere, a single physical server running Linux will be split into a dozen or more Virtual servers, using the KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) feature that's been part of Linux since early 2007.
In addition to a hosting provider, we also need to choose which "flavour" of Linux to install on our server. If you're new to Linux then the range of "distributions" available can be confusing - but the latest LTS ("Long Term Support") version of Ubuntu Server is a popular choice, and what you'll need for this course.
Signing up with a VPS
Sign-up is immediate - just provide your email address and a password of your choosing and you're in! To be able to create a VM, however, you may need to provide your credit card information (or other information for billing) in the account section.
Comparison
| Provider | Instance Type | vCPU | Memory | Storage | Price | Trial Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Ocean | Basic Plan | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB SSD | $6.00 | $200 / 60 days |
| Linode | Nanode 1GB | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB SSD | $5.00 | $100 / 60 days |
| Vultr | Cloud Compute - Regular | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB SSD | $5.00 | $250 / 30 days |
For more details:
Create a Virtual Machine
The process is basically the same for all these VPS, but here some step-by-steps:
VM with Digital Ocean (or Droplet)
- Choose "Manage, Droplets" from the left-hand sidebar. (a "droplet" is Digital Ocean's cute name for a server!)
- Click on Create > Droplet
- Choose Region: choose the one closes to you. Be aware that the pricing can change depending on the region.
- DataCenter: use the default (it will pick one for you)
- Choose an image: Select the image "Ubuntu" and opt for the latest LTS version
- Choose Size: Basic Plan (shared CPU) + Regular. Click the option with 1GB Mem / 1 CPU / 25GB SSD Disk
- Choose Authentication Method: choose "Password" and type a strong password for the root account.
- Note that since the server is on the Internet it will be under immediate attack from bots attempting to "brute force" the root password. Make it strong!
- Or, if you want to be safer, choose "SSH Key" and add a new public key that you created locally
- Choose a hostname because the default ones are pretty ugly.
- Create Droplet
VM with Linode (or Node)
- Click on Create Linode (a "linode" is Linode's cute name for a server)
- Choose an Distribution: Select the image "Ubuntu" and opt for the latest LTS version
- Choose Region: choose the one closest to you. Be aware that the pricing can change depending on the region.
- Linode Plan: Shared CPU + Nanode 1GB. This option has 1GB Mem / 1 CPU / 25GB SSD Disk
- Linode Label: Choose a hostname because the default ones are pretty ugly.
- Choose Authentication Method: on the "Root Password" and type a strong password for the root account.
- Note that since the server is on the Internet it will be under immediate attack from bots attempting to "brute force" the root password. Make it strong!
- And, if you want to be safer, click "Add An SSH Key" and add a new public key that you created locally
- Create Linode
VM with Vultr
- Choose "Products, Instances" from the left-hand sidebar. (no cute names)
- Click on Deploy Server
- Choose Server: Cloud Compute (Shared vCPU) + Intel Regular Performance
- Server Location: choose the one closest to you. Be aware that the pricing can change depending on the region.
- Server image: Select the image "Ubuntu" and opt for the latest LTS version
- Server Size: Click the option with 1GB Mem / 1 CPU / 25GB SSD Disk
- SSH Keys: click "Add New" and add a new public key that you created locally
- Note that since that there's no option to just authenticate with root password, you will need to create a SSH key.
- Server Hostname & Label: Choose a hostname for your server.
- Disable "Auto Backups". They will not be required for the challenge and are only adding to the bill.
- Deploy Now
Logging in for the first time with console
We are going to access our server using SSH but, if for some reason you get stuck in that part, there is a way to access it using a console:
- Digital Ocean: Droplet Console
- Linode: LISH Console
- Vultr: Web Console
Remote access via SSH
You should see a "Public IPv4 address" (or similar) entry for your server in account's control panel, this is its unique Internet IP address, and it is how you'll connect to it via SSH (the Secure Shell protocol) - something we'll be covering in the first lesson.
- Digital Ocean: Click on Networking tab > Public Network > Public IPv4 Address
- Linode: Click on Network tab > IP Addresses > IPv4 - Public
- Vultr: Click on Settings tab > Public Network > Address
If you are using Windows 10 or 11, follow the instructions to connect using the native SSH client. In older versions of Windows, you may need to install a 3rd party SSH client, like PuTTY and generate a ssh key-pair.
If you are on Linux or MacOS, open a terminal and run the command:
ssh username@ip_address
Or, using the SSH private key, ssh -i private_key username@ip_address
Enter your password (or a passphrase, if your SSH key is protected with one)
Voila! You have just accessed your server remotely.
If in doubt, consult the complementary video that covers a lot of possible setups (local server with VirtualBox, AWS, Digital Ocean, Azure, Linode, Google Cloud, Vultr and Oracle Cloud).
Creating a working admin account
We want to follow the Best Practice of not logging as "root" remotely, so we'll create an ordinary user account, but one with the power to "become root" as necessary, like this:
adduser snori74
usermod -a -G admin snori74
usermod -a -G sudo snori74
(Of course, replace 'snori74' with your name!)
This will be the account that you use to login and work with your server. It has been added to the 'adm' and 'sudo' groups, which on an Ubuntu system gives it access to read various logs and to "become root" as required via the sudo command.
To login using your new user, copy the SSH key from root.
You are now a sysadmin
Confirm that you can do administrative tasks by typing:
sudo apt update
Then:
sudo apt upgrade -y
Don't worry too much about the output and messages from these commands, but it should be clear whether they succeeded or not. (Reply to any prompts by taking the default option). These commands are how you force the installation of updates on an Ubuntu Linux system, and only an administrator can do them.
REBOOT
When a kernel update is identified in this first check for updates, this is one of the few occasions you will need to reboot your server, so go for it after the update is done:
sudo reboot now
Your server is now all set up and ready for the course!
Note that:
- This server is now running, and completely exposed to the whole of the Internet
- You alone are responsible for managing it
- You have just installed the latest updates, so it should be secure for now
To logout, type logout or exit.
When you are done
You should be safe running the VM during the month for the challenge, but you can Stop the instance at any point. It will continue to count to the bill, though.
When you no longer need the VM, Terminate/Destroy instance.
Now you are ready to start the challenge. Day 1, here we go!
It's difficult to create a server in cloud without a credit card
We normally recommend using Amazon's AWS "Free Tier" or Digital Ocean - but both require that you have a credit card. The same is true of the Microsoft Azure, Google's GCP and the vast majority of providers listed at Low End Box (https://lowendbox.com/).
Some will accept PayPal, or Bitcoin - but typically those who don't have a credit card don't have these either.
WARNING: If you go searching too deeply for options in this area, you're very likely to come across a range of scammy, fake, or fraudulent sites. While we've tried to eliminate these from the links below, please do be careful! It should go without saying that none of these are "affiliate" links, and we get no kick-backs from any of them :-)
Cards that work as, or like, credit cards
- Debit cards
- https://www.paysafecard.com/
- privacy.com (US-only)
But what if I don’t want to use a cloud provider? You can just work with a local virtual machine
You can run the challenge on a home server and all the commands will work as they would on a cloud server. However, not being exposed to the wild certainly loses the feel of what real sysadmins have to face.
If you set your own VM at a private server, go for the minimum requirements like 1GHz CPU core, 1GB RAM, and a couple of gigs of disk space. You can always adapt this to your heart's desire (or how much hardware you have available).
Our recommendation is: use a cloud server if you can, to get the full experience, but don't get limited by it. This is your server.
Download the Linux ISO
Go to the Official Ubuntu page and download the latest LTS (Long Term Support) available version.
NOTE: download the server version, NOT the desktop version.
Create a Virtual Machine with VirtualBox
Install VirtualBox, when ready:
- Click on Machine > New
- Give a name to your VM and select the Type Linux. Click Next.
- Adjust hardware: 1024MB memory and 1 CPU (this is the minimum, but you can reserve more if your host machine can provide it). Click Next
- Virtual hard disk: 2,5GB is minimum, 5GB is a good number. Click Next.
- Finish but we're not done yet.
- The new VM should show up in a list of VMs, select it.
- Click on Machine > Settings
- Click on Storage. Right-click on Controllet IDE, click on Optical Drive.
- Select the Linux ISO you downloaded from the list if available, if not click Add and find it in your directories. Click Choose.
- Click on Network and change the network adapter to Bridged Adapter.
- Click OK
- Click Start or Machine > Start > Normal Start.
Installing Linux
After a few seconds the welcome screen will load. At the end of each page there's DONE and BACK buttons. Use arrow keys and the enter key to select options. When you're ok with your selection, use the arrow key to go down to DONE and enter to go to the next page.
- Welcome Screen: Select your language
- Keyboard Configuration: Select Keyboard type
- Choose type of install: Select Ubuntu Server (minimized). It comes with most of the packages you need without being bloated. It will install faster too.
- Network Connections: If you have setup the VM to use a bridged adapter like instructed, you don’t really have to worry a lot. The installer will automatically detect the DHCP settings from your local network router and you just have to select DONE.
- Configure Proxy: If your system requires any http proxy to connect to the internet enter the proxy address, otherwise just select DONE.
- Configure Ubuntu archive mirror: Leave it as default. DONE.
- Guided Storage Configurations: We are going to utilize the entire storage space reserved for this VM and that's why we select Use the Entire Disk option.
- Storage Configuration: Leave it the standard storage configuration and select DONE. When prompted to confirm, don't worry. This will only use the VM disk, not your computer disk.
- Profile Setup: Enter your name, your server’s name, your username and password. This user will be your
administratoruser in the system (orsudo), so don't forget this password. - Update to Ubuntu Pro: No. Skip for now.
- SSH setup: Select on Install OpenSSH server because that’s how you will connect to your server later.
- Featured Server Snaps: None of these packages are important now, just select DONE.
- Installing System: Now you have to wait for a few minutes for your system to install. You can "cheat" and speed up the install by skipping the downloading of updates, select Cancel update and Reboot when it appears at the bottom of the page, a few moments later. You can complete the updates after the first boot. After the installation is complete the system will reboot automatically.
Logging in for the first time
After the first reboot, it will show a black screen asking for the login. That's when you use that username and password you created during the install.
Note: the password will not show up, not even ***, just trust that is taking it in.
If you need to find out the IP address for the VM, just type in the console:
ip address
That will give you the inet, i.e., the ip address. You will need that to connect with SSH.
Remote access via SSH
If you are using Windows 10 or 11, follow the instructions to connect using the native SSH client. In older versions of Windows, you may need to install a 3rd party SSH client, like PuTTY and generate a ssh key-pair.
If you are on Linux or MacOS, open a terminal and run the command:
ssh username@ip_address
Or, using the SSH private key, ssh -i private_key username@ip_address
Enter your password (or a passphrase, if your SSH key is protected with one)
Voila! You have just accessed your server remotely.
If in doubt, consult the complementary video that covers a lot of possible setups (local server with VirtualBox, AWS, Digital Ocean, Azure, Linode, Google Cloud, Vultr and Oracle Cloud).
You are now a sysadmin
Confirm that you can do administrative tasks by typing:
sudo apt update
Then:
sudo apt upgrade -y
Don't worry too much about the output and messages from these commands, but it should be clear whether they succeeded or not. (Reply to any prompts by taking the default option). These commands are how you force the installation of updates on an Ubuntu Linux system, and only an administrator can do them.
REBOOT
When a kernel update is identified in this first check for updates, this is one of the few occasions you will need to reboot your server, so go for it after the update is done:
sudo reboot now
Your server is now all set up and ready for the course!
Note that:
- This server is now running but is not exposed to the Internet, i.e. other people will not be able to attempt to connect. We recommend you keep it that way. It is one thing to expose a server in the cloud, exposing your home network is another story. For your own security, don't do it.
To logout, type logout or exit.
When you are done
Just type:
sudo shutdown now
Or click on Force Shutdown
Some Other Options
- Install Linux on Windows with WSL
- Turn an old PC into a Linux server
- Install Ubuntu server on a Raspberry Pi
- Run Linux in a Docker container
Now you are ready to start the challenge. Day 1, here we go!
RESOURCES
- Website of the course
- Full lesson source
- Complementary video playlists
- Monthly lessons on Lemmy
- Monthly lessons on Reddit
- Chat with Discord
HOW THIS WORKS
In a nutshell
- Completely free and open source
- Focused on practical skills
- Heavily hands-on
- Starts at the 1st Monday of each month
- Runs for 20 weekdays (Mon-Fri)
- Often points to curated external links, expanding on the topic of the day.
- Much less ‘formal’ than RHEL or Linux Foundation training
Requirements
- A cloud-based Ubuntu Linux server - full instructions on how to set this up are in the ‘Day 0’ lessons
- Basic computer literacy - no prior knowledge of Linux is required but you should be fairly confortable operating your own Windows/Mac machine
- Requires a daily commitment of 1-2 hours each day for a month but can be self-paced
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - FAQ
Is this course for me?
This course is primarily aimed at two groups:
- Linux users who aspire to get Linux-related jobs in industry, such as junior Linux sysadmin, devops-related work and similar, and
- Windows server admins who want to expand their knowledge to be able to work with Linux servers.
However, many others have happily used the course simply to improve their Linux command line skills or to learn Linux for the first time – and that’s just fine too.
Will I pass LPIC/RHCA/LFCS/Linux+ certification if I take this course?
NO! This is NOT a preparation course for any Linux certification exam. It can help you, sure, but please refer to a more specific cert training if that's what you are aiming for.
When does it start?
The course always starts on the first Monday of the month. One of the key elements of the course is that the material is delivered in 20 bite-sized lessons, one each workday.
How long does it take? How many hours should I dedicate to it?
Depending on your experience and dedication, you can expect to spend 1-2 hours going through each lesson. The first few days are pretty basic and it might take you just minutes, but there's generally some "Extension" items to spice things up a bit.
I just learned about the challenge and it's already on Day X. Should I wait for next month to start?
Only if you want to. The material is available year-round so you can totally self-pace this if you prefer.
Do I really need a cloud-based server?
Yes, if you’re in the target audience (see above) you definitely should. The fact that such a server is very remote, and open to attack from the whole Internet, “makes it real”. Learning how to setup such a VPS is also a handy skill for any sysadmin.
Instructions for setting up a suitable server with a couple of providers are in the "Day 0" lessons. By all means use a different provider, but ensure you use Ubuntu LTS (preferably the latest version) and either use public key authentication or a Long, Strong, Unique password (we also have instructions on how to do that).
Of course, you’re perfectly entitled to use a local VM, a Raspberry Pi or even just WSL instead – and all of these will work fine for the course material. Just keep in mind what you are missing.
But what if I don't have a credit card (or don't want to use one) to setup an AWS/Azure/GCP server?
Please read Day 0 - Creating Your Own Local Server. There are other options of cloud providers and different payment options. But if none of them works for you, try creating your own local VM.
But what if I don’t want to use a cloud provider? I have a server/VM at home.
Then use your server. Check the post Day 0 - Creating Your Own Local Server
Why Ubuntu, can I use another distro?
The notes assume Ubuntu Server LTS (latest version) and it would be messy to include instructions/variations for other distros (at least right now). If you use Debian or other Debian-based distros (Mint, Pop!OS, Kali) it will make little to no difference because they all have the same structure.
But if you choose RedHat-based distros (Fedora, CentOS, AlmaLinux) or distros like Arch, Gentoo, OpenSUSE, you yourself will need to understand and cope with any differences (e.g. apt vs yum vs pacman).
If none of those names make any sense to you, you shouldn't be picking distros. Go read Linux Journey first lesson instead.
Should I be stopping or terminating my server when not in use?
Using a free-tier VPS, the load of the course does not exceed any thresholds. You can leave it running during the challenge but it's good to keep an eye on it (i.e. don't forget about it later or your provider will start charging you).
I noticed there was a kernel update, but no one said to reboot.
Reboot it. This is one of the few occasions you will need to reboot your server, go for it.
The command for that is sudo reboot now
I still have questions/doubts! What do I do?!
Feel free to post questions or comments in Lemmy, Reddit or chat using the Discord server.
If you are inclined to contribute to the material and had the means to do it (i.e. a github account) you can submit an issue to the source directly.
CREDITS
The magnificent Steve Brorens is the mastermind behind the Linux Upskill Challenge. Unfortunately, he passed away but not before ensuring the course would continue to run in his absence. We miss you, snori.
Livia Lima is the one currently maintaining the material. Give her a shout out on Mastodon or LinkedIn.
What is this madness – surely the course was for just 20 days?
Yes, but hopefully you’ll go on learning, so here’s a few suggestions for directions that you might take.
Play with your server
You’re familiar with the server you used during the course, so keep working with it. Maybe uninstall Apache2 and install NGINX, a competing webserver. Keep a running stat on ssh “attackers”. Whatever. A free AWS will last a year, and a $5/mo server should be something you can easily justify.
Add services that you’ll use
You should now be capable of following tutorials on installing and running your own instance of Minecraft, Wordpress, WireGuard VPN, or Mediawiki. Expect to have some problems – it's all good experience!
Take a look at Server World for some inspiration.
Extend your learning
Stop browsing articles on Gnome, KDE or i3 – and start checking out any articles like “20 Linux commands every sysadmin should know”. Try these out, delve into the options. Like learning a foreign vocabulary, you will only be able to use these “words” if you know them!
Check out Linux Journey if you haven't already, specially if you are still pretty new to Linux and would like to see a different learning approach. Linux 101 Hacks is also a good resource.
Practice what you've learned with some challenges at SadServers.com. There you'll find a collection of scenarios where you have to do, fix or hack something in a Linux server. It's great to exercise your troubleshooting skills without messing with your own server.
To get crazy fast in the command line, try Command Line Challenge, practicelinux.com, learnshell.org and commandlinefu.com.
If your next level goal is to get into DevOps, take a look at the DevOps Roadmap.
Certifications
If you’re looking to do Linux professionally, and you don’t have an impressive CV or resume already, then you should be aiming at getting a Linux certification. There are really just three certs/tracks that count:
- CompTIA Linux+ - one and done exam, distro independent but doesn't hold much value in the market. Do this if you don't want to get too deep into Linux, or you have other CompTIA tracks going on and an employer is paying for them.
- LPI LPIC-1: Linux Administrator – Very extensive description of the coverage of their various certs/courses. You can go very deep with this exams, they cover everything you can think of pure Linux. Not so popular with employers but the knowledge certainly holds it value.
- Red Hat – You could spend a lot of time and money here, but it might well pay off! Geared to RedHat Enterprise Linux distribution and its particularities, it is a practical exam (the others are multiple question) and it's well known in Enterprise circles, it really pops up in any resume.
Even if you don’t want/need certs, the outline of the topics in these references can give you a good idea of areas to focus on in your self-learning.
Affordable professional training
Show your appreciation!
Steve Brorens (@snori74) was a collector of postcards and enjoyed greatly all the "Snail Mail" he received from the students.
But since his passing there's nowhere to send postcards anymore. You can show your appreciation for the course by letting everyone else know how awesome it was! Recommend the course to other people, invite your friends to do the challenge together, have fun! Show the world you finished the challenge by posting about it on social media.
Contribute
Livia Lima is the one currently maintaining the material. But she's only one person and appreciates any help to keep this challenge running consistently every month, and available to everyone.
If you'd like to contribute, here a few things you can do:
- Answer other students questions in our channels. Help a friend through the challenge.
- Correct typos, dead links, etc by submitting a correction request to the source material.
- Suggest improvements by submitting a feature request to the source material.
- Help moderate Lemmy, Reddit or Discord. Are you a whiz in one (or more) of those platforms? Help admin them.
- Support the infrastructure by donating or sponsoring. The challenge is free but the website servers and the domains costs money, so we appreciate if you can spare a buck.
Thanks for all and happy linuxing!