I would second the previous suggestions to install Linux. I wouldn't do
it as a dual-boot or virtual server (a la vmware), but rather get a used
pc -- we have a Discount Computer store here in Austin that has stacks
of old Dell desktops in the $50-$75 dollar range which would be fine
as a Linux machine -- colleges/universities commonly surplus such
computers. Choose a distribution (some are so easy to install nowadays
that you might not learn much!) -- perhaps Debian would be a good
choice. There are a couple books that I especially like: Michael Stutz's
"Linux Cookbook" on No Starch press, for instance. No Starch also has a
book called the "Debian System" that I'll bet is good. If you are really
brave and have some time on your hands, you might try a distribution
like Gentoo, which forces you to compile all of the software. They
happen to have superb documentation as well. Just the process of
installing the operating system is a useful execise. Other highly
regarded distributions are Ubuntu, Fedora (both easy to instal), Arch
Linux (a real hacker's distribution), and others. One of the nice things
about a dedicated machine is that you can *really* mess up (and you will
;-)) and always have the opportunity to erase the hard drive and start
over.

My all-time favorite resource/road-map for getting more unix
saavy is Eric Raymond's "How To Become a Hacker" available at
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html.

--peter keane

> Hello all,
>
> I realize this is a bit off-topic for this list, but I'm hoping someone
> might have some advice or recommendations for me concerning Unix training.
>
> I moved from cataloging to our systems position two years ago. At the time,
> we were on a maintenance contract with our ILS vendor, meaning I only needed
> to do very basic things with the server (my job primarily entailed running
> reports against our data and working with some other locally developed
> Access applications.)
>
> Last summer, we joined a consortium and migrated our catalog to their
> servers, and would like to do something else now with the server we were
> previously using for our ILS, probably along the lines of archiving locally
> produced media on it.
>
> But I obviously need more training.  It's a Sun box, running Oracle 9, and
> I've looked at several companies that do short term classroom training
> (i.e., www.learningtree.com ( http://www.learningtree.com/ )), but I've
> also been considering online coursework, either by Sun (
> http://www.sun.com/training/) or, perhaps O'Reilly
> http://www.oreillyschool.com/.
>
> I learn pretty well on my own (I figured out by myself most of the basic
> Unix stuff in respect to copying and moving files, working with vi, working
> with the crontab, etc.) but would want any course I sign up for to have an
> instructor to ask questions of.
>
> Does anyone have any experience with any of these programs they'd be
> willing to share?
>
> I'm sending this to several lists, so apologies for cross-posting.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Cindee Phillips
> [log in to unmask]
> Library Systems Administrator
> Rolfing Library/Trinity International University
> Deerfield, IL, 60015 / (847)317-4021
>