Learning?

[Fred Claus]

Anyone here actively supporting Linux for customers? I have Mint on my machine but it appears the only courses I could find on LinkedIn Learning are about being a system Admin and they use Red Hat.

1. Is it a good idea to take this 22 hour course or is Red Hat not really used much anymore?
2. Will it help me understand Linux and give me stuff I can use on my Mint system?

 

[britechguy]

Linux distros, on the whole, are much akin to Windows versions. What you learn about any one of them has extensive carryover to others.

While "the devil is in the details" will still apply, if it's learning Linux that's your goal, choose a distro and go with it. Then, afterward, you can figure out precisely what tweaking is required if you're using a different distro. When it comes to system administration, or most of it anyway, done from the command line the similarities are far greater than the differences.

 

[Fred Claus]

Perfect thanks. I've been using Linux for about a year now and love it. I don't have any clients yet but I've had a few people ask if I support Linux servers. With the growing number of requests in this area, I figured it would be something interesting to learn for the future.

 

[Sky-Knight]

There are basically two flavors of Linux out there... Debian and RedHat. The two are substantially different in how they think and most distributions are derivatives of the above two.

I'm a Debian guy, but even still I can get around RedHat platforms well enough, it just feels off. But as a Debian guy that means I'm more at home with Ubuntu, Mint, and Alpine. With Ubuntu being by far and above the most commonly used in my space.

 

[alexsmith2709]

There are basically two flavors of Linux out there... Debian and RedHat. The two are substantially different in how they think and most distributions are derivatives of the above two.

I'm a Debian guy, but even still I can get around RedHat platforms well enough, it just feels off. But as a Debian guy that means I'm more at home with Ubuntu, Mint, and Alpine. With Ubuntu being by far and above the most commonly used in my space.

I am the same. I much prefer debian based distros but cant quite happily find my way around red hat based ones if needed.
One of the main differences is the package manager used to install/uninstall software. Debian uses "apt" and red hat uses "yum" e.g. apt install package_name vs yum install package_name.

I do sort of support a web server running CentOS for a customer but i use debian based systems myself and i dont find it that difficult to switch between them

 

[Fred Claus]

Thanks everyone. I personally use Debian based systems as well. I've used Ubuntu before and I currently use Mint. I guess for my educational purposes I should ask those who want me to service their Linux if it's Debian or RedHat. That will tell me what is out there. I think I'm going to research and learn more of the debian side myself since that's what I use.

Do you all memorize command line code or do you have some sort of cheat sheet that tells you if you want to do this, type this?

 

[britechguy]

Do you all memorize command line code or do you have some sort of cheat sheet that tells you if you want to do this, type this?

Both, and not just for Linux. If it's something I have to do relatively frequently it ends up being memorized. If it's something I do relatively infrequently, but not "next to never," that I want handy it's in a self-created cheat sheet. If it's a "once every few years" thing then it's off to do that web search when I need to do it.

There is no dearth of material on "how to" under Linux.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Anyone here actively supporting Linux for customers? I have Mint on my machine but it appears the only courses I could find on LinkedIn Learning are about being a system Admin and they use Red Hat.

1. Is it a good idea to take this 22 hour course or is Red Hat not really used much anymore?
2. Will it help me understand Linux and give me stuff I can use on my Mint system?

RedHat is more enterprise, server level, based OS. Mint is for the desktop. I’ve never had a client running a desktop version of Linux. The people who desire to use it are able to help themselves.

Those that have Linux servers are running LOB app and the vendor maintains it. There’s just not a market for break fix Linux work.

 

[Sky-Knight]

The general use of the command line is something that's long since been committed to memory, and if you're familiar with the command shell, it's not all that different. Powershell is its own beast that we'll intentionally ignore for now.

But it really depends on what shell you're using, because that's going to determine how things behave. Bash is exceedingly common, but I prefer zshell more.

Red Hat does have a huge installation presence in government and larger corporate environments. But in terms of popularity, Debian and Ubuntu beat it handily.

But yeah, @nlinecomputers is right there is no break fix market for Linux. Linux is deployed in specialty environments where specific people support it, and if it's used at home the owner supports it themselves. You might get some hardware repair work in this niche, but that's all I've ever seen.

When I'm supporting Linux, it's because I'm the one that put it there.

 

[britechguy]

But yeah, @nlinecomputers is right there is no break fix market for Linux. Linux is deployed in specialty environments where specific people support it, and if it's used at home the owner supports it themselves. You might get some hardware repair work in this niche, but that's all I've ever seen.

Indeed. There have been constant refrains that Linux making its "big entrance" into the consumer market is going to happen any minute now. It's not going to happen, or it would have happened a long, long time ago.

Linux has been insanely successful as a backbone OS in data centers the world over. So, of course, there is a dedicated cadre of IT professionals who support it on a day to day basis. It reminds me of my days when Unix was just beginning to burst on the scene, later to be eclipsed by Linux. Unix, of course, being the direct progenitor of Linux, and Linux being the direct progenitor of things such as Android, to name but one of its spin-offs. Of course, one could call all the distros the direct descendents of some earlier Linux distro. It wouldn't surprise me to find a full family tree somewhere.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Yeah, the fact is Linux exists everywhere. There's hardly a human alive that doesn't use it. But they consume it cameras, watches, routers, switches, and other devices that hide what they're based on so well people don't even know they're Linux.

And while all of that needs work, none of it requires knowledge of Linux itself to support.

 

[alexsmith2709]

Those that have Linux servers are running LOB app and the vendor maintains it. There’s just not a market for break fix Linux work.

Agreed. The only reason i provide linux support for a client is because a company had set it up for them and then they fired the company a few years later and as i was already providing support for other things they asked if i could do it when needed so i agreed. All i really do is to make sure updates are done periodically and install a new SSL certificate when needed. I did have to setup a new staging environment for a website recently but thats about it.

 

[Diggs]

It wouldn't surprise me to find a full family tree somewhere.

That would be here -

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Linux_Distribution_Timeline_21_10_2021.svg

 

[Sky-Knight]

That would be here -

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Linux_Distribution_Timeline_21_10_2021.svg

I always forget about slackware...

 

[nlinecomputers]

Indeed. There have been constant refrains that Linux making its "big entrance" into the consumer market is going to happen any minute now. It's not going to happen, or it would have happened a long, long time ago.

Linux has been insanely successful as a backbone OS in data centers the world over. So, of course, there is a dedicated cadre of IT professionals who support it on a day to day basis. It reminds me of my days when Unix was just beginning to burst on the scene, later to be eclipsed by Linux. Unix, of course, being the direct progenitor of Linux, and Linux being the direct progenitor of things such as Android, to name but one of its spin-offs. Of course, one could call all the distros the direct descendents of some earlier Linux distro. It wouldn't surprise me to find a full family tree somewhere.

It’s not impossible, but it would only happen if Microsoft pulled an Apple OS X and replaced Windows with a Linux based OS capable of seamlessly running legacy Windows code. Microsoft supposedly had a project back around 2004 trying to do just that but they eventually abandoned it. Rumors are it was killed by political pressure inside Microsoft rather than real technology issues. Ironic as Windows development at the time was a total clusterfrak with Windows development hitting major stumbling blocks with them abandoning Longhorn to develop Vista.

 

[britechguy]

It’s not impossible, but it would only happen if Microsoft pulled an Apple OS X and replaced Windows with a Linux based OS capable of seamlessly running legacy Windows code.

In other words, it is impossible.

But one of the worst things that could happen in the computing world would be for Microsoft to "go full Linux, or mighty close to it." While "fortress Linux" is a complete myth, it remains a far less juicy target for nefarious actors principally because, in the grand scheme of actual financial gain from hacking, it's got limited appeal. Were every desktop on the surface of God's green earth running some variant of Linux, you had better believe that "the fortress" would be under much more vigorous, consistent, and repeatedly successful attacks than it is now.

 

[Sky-Knight]

@nlinecomputers and @britechguy that day is inching closer every day though.

The native execution environment for M365 Click to Run is ARM now, not AMD64 or i386. Windows is emulating ARM to get Office to appear on your desktops... right... now...

The perpetual licensed stuff is still click to run, on the same release channels! At least up until they expire.

Then you take a peek at what MS is doing with HyperV under the hood... Windows 10 already has WSL, and Windows 11 has planned improvements in this space to assist developers. Windows 11 is aiming at becoming the Windows / Linux / Android / iOS development platform supreme.

As for the market, if it's going to "Linux Jump" it will do so with this apparent forced march to Win11 in Oct 25. But I don't think so, the only time I see Windows losing share is when people jump into mobile devices entirely for their work flows. It's already quite reasonable to not have a PC at home, but it'll be a bit yet before that's sane on the business side. But that TOO is almost a reality, AVD is a thing, and it's powerful.

Microsoft is giving us options on a scale few appreciate. But they aren't stupid... Linux as a primary desktop would be a Business reality RIGHT NOW if we had a OneDrive client.

 

[phaZed]

The native execution environment for M365 Click to Run is ARM now, not AMD64 or i386. Windows is emulating ARM to get Office to appear on your desktops... right... now...

Sorry, that is not correct. It's the other way around... the click to run app is x64/i386 and it will download the appropriate installer for ARM/x64/i386 based on the system that the installer is running. The 64-bit ARM version of Office apps is emulating (well, Windows is) x64 for plugins and add-ons - and the Click to Run installer..

64-Bit Office for Windows on ARM

Office offers improved performance and compatibility with existing 64-bit add-ins thanks to Windows' new x64 emulation capability. Check it out!

insider.office.com

This new version of Office is designed specifically for the next version of Windows on ARM. It has been recompiled for the ARM architecture to run fast, bring greater memory availability, offer better support large documents, and maintain compatibility with existing 64-bit add-ins using the new x64 emulation capability provided by Windows.

When installing a 64-bit version of Office on ARM hardware that is running the latest Windows Insiders build, the Office installer will automatically install ARM-optimized versions of Office applications. From installation through usage, Office on ARM will feel and perform just like Office on Intel-compatible processors.

Currently there is not an ARM emulation on x64 - but there is x64 emulation for ARM versions of Windows - which is why they can run the x64 installer.

 

[Sky-Knight]

@phaZed ARM native was released two years ago for Mac, and is generally available now for Windows on ARM.

Check the article you linked again, look at the screen shots, that's ARM64, not AMD64! The emulation layer is only used for the plugin support as far as I know.

 

[GTP]

I have several business clients using Linux on workstations as well as a small handful of home users.
I very rarely need to resolve issues as they are very reliable systems.