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05.31.07
3 Methods of Linux System Administration
 By
Clyde Boom
When you are a new Linux user needing to get Linux training, it is often confusing to decide what to focus on.
Should you learn how to use Linux for just one Linux distribution (a.k.a. version, distro)? Should you focus on learning Linux GUI utilities - or should you learn Linux commands for doing Linux system administration?
3 Methods of Linux System Administration and Why Using Linux Commands is the Best Method
1. Using Linux GUI utilities for Linux System Administration
Many Linux distributions have "point-and-click" GUI (graphical user interface) utilities that allow you to do common and popular Linux tasks, like manage the Linux file system, create Linux users, and manage Linux user and group permissions.
However, these Linux GUI utilities are usually specific to a single Linux distribution.
So, learning how to use a Linux GUI in one Linux distro is basically useless if you have to use a different distro later, or if you're working in an environment with multiple Linux distributions.
Linux Tips: To run a Linux GUI utility, you need to have a Linux desktop installed and sometimes a desktop isn't installed on a Linux server because it isn't needed. In addition to this, the Linux system administration pros only use Linux commands because Linux GUI utilities are too slow to run and time-consuming to use.
2. Doing Linux System Administration Tasks with Linux Commands that are Specific to a Linux Distribution
The major (popular) Linux distributions all have several commands that are specific to that single distribution. In other words, for each popular Linux distribution, there are several Linux commands that are specific that just that distribution.
For example, a Linux distribution will likely have a command that is used to manage Linux partitions (disk space) and this command is specific to that distribution.
Learning how to use Linux commands that are only available on a single Linux distribution is a huge waste of time - if there is an equivalent GNU / Linux command - and there almost always is.
For example, the Linux fdisk command is a GNU / Linux command that is used to manage the partitions on a Linux system and this command exists on all Linux distributions.
So, rather than learn a command that is specific to a single Linux distribution, learn the GNU / Linux commands because these commands are common to all Linux distributions.
3. Using Linux Commands that are Common to All Linux Distributions - The GNU/Linux Commands
The GNU / Linux commands are the most popular Linux commands - and they are common to all Linux distributions.
Linux Tips: Linux distributions (a.k.a. versions, distros) are rising and falling in popularity all the time. If you just learn how to use Linux by running the GUI utilities in one distro, and then you stop using that distro, then you have to learn all the GUI utilities of the next distro. If you learn how to use Linux commands, then you learn how to use Linux for all distros!
How can you tell which Linux commands are the GNU / Linux commands?
Get an excellent set of Linux videos that shows you the popular GNU / Linux commands and then try these Linux commands yourself. Then you can learn Linux the easy way - by watching it and then working with it!
About the Author:
Watch Learn Linux Video Tutorials now at www.iLearnLinux.com and get over the steep Linux learning curve (goa).
Clyde Boom, Author and Expert Trainer with 20+ Years of Training Successes.
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