INTRO
Day21? 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!
Extend your learning
Spend your free “surfing” time avoiding articles on Gnome, KDE or i3 – and 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!
Certs
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 cert. There are really just three certs/tracks that count:
* CompTIA Linux+
https://www.comptia.org/certifications/linux
* LPI LPIC-1: Linux Administrator
https://wiki.lpi.org/wiki/Main_Page – VERY extensive description of the coverage of their various certs/courses.
* Red Hat
https://www.redhat.com/en/services/all-certifications-exams – You could spend a lot of time and money here! (but it might well pay off)
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.
Cheap professional training
- LinkedIn Learning
- Udemy
https://www.udemy.com/topic/linux/
- CBT Nuggets
https://www.cbtnuggets.com/it-training/linux-found-cert-sys-admin
All the best!
- Steve (@snori74)