I'm familiar with basic Linux commands but I'm looking for structured resources to help me develop my skills to the level of a Linux administrator. I'm interested in courses, labs, projects, or good books that offer hands-on experience. Any suggestions?
4 Answers
Check out the Linux Upskill Challenge! It’s a free month-long, hands-on course that can really boost your skills.
You should definitely check out some RHCSA (Red Hat Certified System Administrator) tutorials on YouTube. They are really helpful for beginners!
If you have an old laptop or spare machine, you could set up a Proxmox host and create a couple of RHEL VMs. They offer a free license on their website. Another option is to check out Sander van Vugt's RHCSA certification guide book; it's packed with structured labs and exercises. You don't even have to take the exam—it's great for learning!
Beanologi has some decent training videos for RHCSA v9. Even though they might be a bit outdated, they are still a solid starting point. Also, RHEL developer copies are free, or you might want to use RockyLinux or AlmaLinux since they're pretty much the same as RHEL in terms of package management. I used to work with Debian before transitioning to Linux admin roles, and I found that many skills transferred over. The biggest hurdle was switching from apt to dnf, but the syntax is fairly similar. Setting up RHEL VMs on your PC to practice skills like configuring SSH and SELinux can be a game-changer as those topics are part of the RHCSA exam objectives!
Thanks for the tips! For your VMs, did you use Rocky or Alma, or did you stick with actual Red Hat ISOs? Also, any dnf or LVM tips for someone coming from a Debian background?