Want to really learn linux.

[nitrobass24]

I am just your avg computer nerd who mostly uses windows because its easy, but I have learned to like linux over the years, and can configure ubuntu to do just about anything I would want a generic desktop to do.

But I want to really learn the ins and out and what it really has to offer.
I see post occasionally saying linux is superior to windows server blah blah blah, but I just dont see it, and im thinking its because I dont really know what linux can truly do.

Ive been interested lately in HPC's and clustering, and I think linux is prob going to be best suited for that type deal. I would like to take a couple of my computers and make a linux HPC cluster on it to run F@H at some point after I really learn the ins and outs.


So my question is what distro can I really learn linux with?
I am kind of leaning towards a CentOS install, because they seem to have clustering information, and seem to have really solid documentation.

What do you guys think?

 

[deathstar550]

The Rocks Cluster Distribution speciallizes in HPC clustering. It has pretty much all the standard tools gathered in one neat distribution. When you need to quickly set up a cluster, use Rocks. It seems to be in fairly common use, and certain HPC vendors (Cray) officially support it in their systems.

Cent OS is also a solid choice for learning. Lots of CentOS/RHEL out in the wild, so it's definitely one of the best-supported distributions by software vendors. Great documentation, as you mentioned. Anything you learn here is easily transferable to RHEL and any other distributions in the Red Hat family, such as Rocks Cluster or Scientific Linux.

 

[PHiZ]

I wouldn't worry so much about the distro, I would focus on learning the fundamentals of how unix based operating systems work. This means doing things by hand, outside of the GUI.

I think the best way to learn is to pick a project and then do it. Suggestions: install and configure SAMBA for file-sharing, or configure Apache to serve a website to your local network.

Perhaps learn how to optimize and recompile your kernel.

 

[nitrobass24]

Compiling my own kernel?

that would be intense....i like it.


Yea i was thinking Rock at first but I dont want some thing thats just gonna be run this installer and pow i have cluster.

I really want to learn linux so I guess I will start with CentOS, and how it goes and adjust.

 

[darkpark]

There's more than one way to skin a cat and more than one way to accomplish something on a linux distribution regardless if they provide you with the gui tools.
As PHiZ stated, don't worry about which distribution you use. Learn to do things from the command-line and know which configuration files that have to be modified. Take whatever linux distribution you want, setup SAMBA, file-sharing, configure it as a PDC, etc.. Once you get that working than move onto doing the clustering.

Oh yeah, if you really want to break your teeth on some linux learnin' than try Slackware. There's no package management at all so applications have to be compiled first.

 

[nitrobass24]

Well Ive decided that I would like to buy a book to follow or something.
Something that would guide my learning opposed to me just messing around.

And suggestions for a good read?

 

[alan2308]

Well Ive decided that I would like to buy a book to follow or something.
Something that would guide my learning opposed to me just messing around.

And suggestions for a good read?

You can't go wrong with anything from O'Reilly. Also take a look at The ABS Guide, I found it to be a real great reference.


I'm also going to have to burst your bubble on running F@H on a cluster. Short answer, it just isn't going to work. It's been gone over before in the DC section and at the Folding Forum, they'll need to release a custom client optimized for your setup as any network you can throw at the SMP client is still going to be a substantial bottleneck. One of the developers had said that he would write such a client, but so far nobody has taken him up on it.