Your thoughts on Linux

[7x57]

Fair or not, that's what one has to integrate with in most companies I dealt with.

Oh, sure, hide behind making a living, serving the customer, and all that. Whatareya, some kinda business-friendly conservative?

7x57

[nemisis1400]

Initially, i got Linux/Ubuntu because i wanted something that allows to run video files smoothly without glitches and errors. I found out that it's just the hardware that's not sufficient to run anything. Still haven't upgraded, but still running Ubuntu because the load time is faster, I don't worry about viruses, and my computer doesn't sound like it's about to die whenever it's on.

Oh and where is the i only have one computer running linux option? still have a netbook running windows since there's no way to use a backup cd.

[Sinixstar]

Ah, yes, it always comes down to the Gates rules:

1. Microsoft is more standards-compliant.

2. The standard is whatever Microsoft does.

3. The standard (meaning whatever the behavior of the currently shipping product is) will be changed as often as necessary to ensure that reverse-engineering the behavior bug-for-bug is an endless treadmill, ensuring the truth of #1.

Far be it from me to complain about such a doubleplusgood OS!

7x57

Standards are a funny thing...

Back when IE3 was released, and Microsoft introduced the Microsoft.XMLHTTP object for IE. They did this so you could incorporate something called "Data Islands". Everybody went absolutely bonkers. They jumped up and down screaming about how this was against the "standards" and a violation of "standard security practices" and so on and so forth. Microsoft got severely roasted as a result. That was in the mid/late 90s?

Jump forward to 2004/2005 - and a lot of people are patting themselves on the back over this revolutionary things called "AJAX". It takes advantage of an object that microsoft introduced a bunch of years previously called "XMLHTTP". It allows the browser to reach out an asynchronously read XML and update only chunks of data on a page. Web2.0 is born...

Or - then there's the debate about Javascript 2.0.
For years, people have been complaining that Microsoft didn't want to follow the "standards" of getting "getters" and "setters" in their development platforms. In the discussions about the future of javascript - microsoft holds everybody's feet to the fire about using getters and setters as common interfaces, and "everybody" again goes bonkers. Scoffing at microsoft's attempts to control the standards process. After microsoft spent years trying to get their platforms in line with what everybody has been pushing for, Microsoft have the NERVE to ask everybody else to adhere to the same standards.


In short - the "standards" argument is stupid. If everybody followed the "standards" - there would be no progress. It takes somebody to break out of the acceptable mold and do something new for there to be any progress. Nevermind that the Microsoft as the evil empire sentiment just doesn't hold water....

[Sinixstar]

I look at the Windows/*Nix/Apple debate as kind of futile.

Whatever works for you, and makes you comfortable. I deal mostly in windows. Why? Because it works for me. It's what i've used for years by default - and it's what I have to do most of my work in. If i'm doing my job - the end user has no idea what kind of computer i was working on, or what kind of computer my code is running on. If I switched - it would be an exercise in pure ego stroking.

[nick]

Just beginning, I took a few classes on Linux and didn't like it. But I would love to learn more, I know that if you have a decent enough understanding that you can get a good paying job with it. I feel that I havent given it a chance and would like to learn more.

If you're looking into this as an occupation, you might want to start with fundamentals of networking before learning Linux or any other OS.

[nick]

Ah, yes, it always comes down to the Gates rules:

1. Microsoft is more standards-compliant.

2. The standard is whatever Microsoft does.

3. The standard (meaning whatever the behavior of the currently shipping product is) will be changed as often as necessary to ensure that reverse-engineering the behavior bug-for-bug is an endless treadmill, ensuring the truth of #1.

Far be it from me to complain about such a doubleplusgood OS!

7x57

Fair or not, that's what one has to integrate with in most companies I dealt with.

[KillZone45]

What level are you at when it comes to IT?

Just beginning, I took a few classes on Linux and didn't like it. But I would love to learn more, I know that if you have a decent enough understanding that you can get a good paying job with it. I feel that I havent given it a chance and would like to learn more.

[7x57]

To add to that, what's more of a standard, something that's used by 20% of the systems, or by 80%?

Ah, yes, it always comes down to the Gates rules:

1. Microsoft is more standards-compliant.

2. The standard is whatever Microsoft does.

3. The standard (meaning whatever the behavior of the currently shipping product is) will be changed as often as necessary to ensure that reverse-engineering the behavior bug-for-bug is an endless treadmill, ensuring the truth of #1.

Far be it from me to complain about such a doubleplusgood OS!

7x57

[7x57]

Windows server farm? Don't make me laugh, there's a reason you don't see Windows running on any system in the top 500 list.

http://www.top500.org/list/2010/06/100

Um...nothing on Top500 is a server farm.

7x57

[JDay]

Yes, FreeBSD isn't Linux, but it's a great OS for most server applications nonetheless.

Gentoo Linux, the best of both worlds.

[danito]

Jack of all trades master of none, keep your skills current and you will stay employed my friend (Cisco, Windows, VMware, *nix, scripting, networking are good things to be proficient in)

The whole Linux vs. windows debate is pointless. Use the right tool for the job given the current circumstances. Personal bias will not keep you employed. I have a love hate relationship with both Microsoft and Linux. I have been in the IT profession for almost 16 years now and it was not what I went to college to learn. I have an applied science degree in manufacturing and design, I learned my IT skills through hands on practice and necessity, sink or swim)

[locosway]

If you want to be a sysadmin you need to know more than just Linux. You also need a basic understanding of programming and various scripting languages. Then, depending on what you admin, such as web servers, you'll need to know basic html, php, and so on. It also wouldn't hurt to know ruby and python.

Many companies want you to have a 4 year degree in some sort of computer field if you're going to be an admin. I'm self taught, and now with the economy the way it is, it's very hard getting a job. This is why I'm going back to school now.

[bigmike82]

Most books are very meh.

I have to actually play with the software more so than just reading the books. To that end, one of the best books I've seen on the topic is a book teaching you FreeBSD by having you configure and install a large suite of common server applications. I can't find the damn title and I don't see it on my bookshelf at the moment...if I find it, I'll shoot you the title.

Yes, FreeBSD isn't Linux, but it's a great OS for most server applications nonetheless.

There we go!

http://www.amazon.com/Building-Internet-Server-FreeBSD-6/dp/1411695747/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276009671&sr=8-1

A bit outdated at this point, though still a good intro.

http://www.amazon.com/Building-Server-FreeBSD-Bryan-Hong/dp/159327145X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276009810&sr=1-1

There's a slightly newer one.

[nick]

What is the best way to get to be familiar with the Linux OS? I wouldn't mind being proficient enough to be a sysadmin.

A good book on the basics would be a good start. Most of such books that actually get published are good enough for the purpose.

This will also give you the idea on how to continue after that.

Many community colleges also offer various Linux courses, but the quality of instruction is often subpar. However, if you're lucky with your professor, you can learn a lot, and community colleges still have some good professors. Just do your research.

I might have some e-books on the subject. Let me know if you're interested, and I'll look them up. What level are you at when it comes to IT?

[nick]

"Don't make me laugh, there's a reason you don't see Windows running on any system in the top 500 list."

Care to retract that? There's actually 5. Yeah, it's 1%, but it pretty much shoots the point that Windows can't run on super computers out of the water.

Moreover, not being an OS of choice for supercomputers is kinda irrelevant to it being an OS of choice for many other applications. To the best of my knowledge, my clients aren't running supercomputers