Chapter 1. Introduction to Linux

This book was written to help a new Linux administrator learn how to do all the various administration tasks in the Linux operating system. It is also a good resource for a current network administrator who may find some gaps in his or her knowledge and wish to fill those in. However, it is not really a “teach yourself Linux” book for the complete Linux novice. We’re assuming that you have a basic understanding of Linux. You don’t have to be a top-notch, experienced professional—in fact, you don’t have to have any professional experience with Linux at all, just a basic working knowledge—the type of experience an end user or casual hobbyist might have. Perhaps you have installed Ubuntu, Fedora, or Kubuntu and experimented with it a little bit. Now you are ready to move on to the next stage in your Linux knowledge and become a Linux professional. The goal of this book is to take that basic knowledge you already have to the next level and enable you to work with Linux professionally as a network administrator. If you are completely new to Linux, then some of this book might be a bit difficult for you to follow. You may want to start with my book Moving from Windows to Linux from Cengage press.