Diary of a Network Geek

… And thank you very much Novell!

Okay, so it’s not shock to anyone reading this that I’m a giant Novell bigot, right? So, when Novell comes down on the side of Linux, should you be suprised that I’m gonna’ talk it up? I didn’t think so…

Of course, if you’re a Linux lover, you’ve already been following the outrageous claims that SCO has made regarding “their” code that was released via GPL into Linux. Guess what? Turns out that it was never their code at all. Novell owns the code in question and they’re all for it being in the Open Source community. In fact, some time ago, I noted that Novell is going to release their excellent OS, Netware, on a Linux kernel in addition to the current Netware kernel. So, these folks are really going after the Open Source market. And, based on what I read on Slashdot, they’re being pretty well recieved.

Hey, maybe I won’t have to sell out to the Evil Empire of Microsoft after all!

Hey, this Linux stuff is catching on!

No, seriously… Linux seems to really be picking up in popularity in smaller countries trying to get up to speed, as it were, in the computer world. It’s especially popular in the more, er, “financially challenged” countries. (I hate the whole “Third World” label.)
As an example, here’s in InfoWorld article about how the Government of Thailand has gotten behind Linux.

Cool stuff.

I just passed my Linux+ test!

I took it this morning before lunch and passed in the first try. Woo-hoo! It seemed like a kind of strange test, to me, but I figure that’s because it’s my first CompTIA test. It had a lot of hardware questions on it. And, some of the questions about Linux seemed not very “real world”. But that’s all water under the bridge now, because I passed!
And it’s about time I had something relating to networking and business, not to mention my career, to post here.

So, now I’ve gotten one of the four or five certifications that I want to get in the next year. That means that I have to start working on my CCR to update my CNE from Netware v5.x to Netware v6.x. That means reading the Novell Netware 5.x to 6 Upgrade Exam Cram 2 book and working the SelfTest Software pre-test. But, first, I’m taking a couple of days R&R for good behavior!
And, I’ve been thinking about getting Novell’s Linux Certification, too. Hmmm…. The path of certification never seems to end.

Time for a little Novell propaganda.

As a Certified Netware Engineer, I always appreciate hearing stories about how people are moving from WindowsNT to Novell. Here’s an example of a hospital that moved to Novell for the stability. Frankly, it frightens me how many hospitals run on an operating system, WindowsNT, that needs to be rebooted on a regular basis.
Also, there’s an announcement on Novell’s Main Certification page about their new certification program: the Novell Certified Linux Engineer. Now, this is cool. A big name, known for being a leader in certification programs, getting behind Linux. I think that’s great. I hope this really takes off. I won’t be able to worry about it for a year or so, but I look forward to pursuing this certification, too. Way cool.

Wanna’ be the next Red Hat?

Well, here’s a site called Linux From Scratch that will help you do it. The whole site is dedicated to creating a Linux distribution from the ground up. And, if you have a particular application in mind, like a firewall, you can go to Beyond Linux From Scratch and get info there.
Of course, Red Hat has all the marketing and support stuff knocked out already, but still, you could have your very own distro. Hmmm, imagine that, the Official Diary of a Network Geek Linux Distro. Sounds yummy, doesn’t it?

Well, enough dreaming, back to studying for my Linux+ test!

Well, it’s new to Linux, anyway.

Opera Software announced on the 11th, that they have a a beta version of their browser for Linux! Now, that’s pretty cool because they once said that they wouldn’t do that. Or, at least that they didn’t plan to do that. I think the fact that yet another company is designing Internet software for the client side of Linux is a great sign. It really validates my choice of focusing on a Linux+ certification.

The world is changing and so is IT. I really think Linux is the next big thing for the desktop, still. It’s just taking longer than we’d anticipated.

So far, so good.

Well, I’m almost done with the ExamCram Linux+ book and it looks like it’ll be a relatively easy test. Of course, I also have the Self Test Software exam for Linux+ as a second study guide, so I should be able to bang this out in one shot. At least, that’s the plan.
I know this is a low-level, introductory certification, but I think it will help me branch out into other areas. That’s my career goal, these days, to make my virtual toolbox a little more well rounded and complete. Having some kind of Unix, or Unix-clone, cert is a step in the right direction. Updating my CNE, of course, is in the plans, too. As is getting a CCNA. I really think that a Jack-of-all-trades approach is the right one in the current economic climate, so that’s what I’m trying to accomplish.
Only time will tell, of course, but I sure hope that it’s the right direction to move.

Linux+ Exam Cram

Yep, that’s what I’m reading now. I’ve actually had it for some time, as you can tell by the publication date and the fact that it’s currently out of print. But, the exam is still good and, when I pass, I’ll be Linux+ certified for life.
That’s the nice thing about the CompTIA certifications. They’re good for life. One test, one certification. Forever. Pretty sweet. And, since I’m tired of being a one-trick Novell pony, lifetime certification looks pretty darn good.

I’ll keep you all posted on my progress.

Well, 10 minutes per chapter, anyway.

I just finished Teach Yourself Linux in 10 Minutes last night and was fairly impressed. Of course, it was a review of Linux for me, not a true knowlege dump, but it was a good refresher. And, it gave me some new information that I hadn’t had before. I tend to learn things on the go, as I’m trying to accomplish a goal of some kind, so sometimes, I miss things. This was certainly the case with Linux. So, since I’d gotten this book some time ago and never read it, I decided it was time to fill in some gaps.
This is pretty basic stuff, but it’s a good introduction to Linux for someone that has never really used it before. It talks the reader through the basics, starting with logging in and going all the way through printing and basic shell-scripting. It’s fairly comprehensive, for an introductory book, and each chapter is broken down into managable chunks. And, yes, each chapter takes about 10 minutes to read.

All in all a good book and worth the money.

Let the games begin!

Well, things have been going so well at work that I thought I’d start working on some certifications. I need to update my CNE to version 6, but there are some other certifications I want, too.
For instance, I’ve been lusting after my Linux+ for some time. In fact, I bought the
Linux+ Exam Cram book some time ago and just haven’t gotten around to reading it. But, I also ordered the
Novell Netware 5.x to 6 Upgrade Exam Cram book, the
Security+ Exam Cram 2 book, and the
CCNA Routing and Switching Exam Cram book. I’ve also bought the Self Test Software practice tests for these certifications.
I’ve actually been working on the CCNA on and off, but I decided that it’s time to really step up the whole professional qualification side of my resume. I’ve worked with most of these technologies for some time now, but to get past human resources, I need some kind of cert to prove it. IT is kind of weird that way. Not that I think I’m going to be looking for another job any time soon, mind, but the last time I thought that, I found myself out looking. Better to be prepared. (You’d think I’d have learned that back in the Boy Scouts!) Besides, as good as it looks over at Loomis, Fargo & Co., they still haven’t made me an offer yet, so anything can happen. If the worst happens, I’d like to be better prepared this time. And, of course, it’s fun to have an alphabet soup of certifications trailing after my name. Maybe it’s time to become a certified locksmith, too…..