The best Linux training is done by actually getting the Linux OS (operating system) running on a computer system, so you can get practical experience learning how to use Linux.

You can get Linux running by: installing Linux from a Linux CD / DVD, or by booting a system with a Linux live CD / DVD. Another excellent way to get Linux is to download Linux free as a virtual machine and run Linux in Windows!

First, you download the free virtual machine player program and install it in Windows. Then you download Linux as a free virtual machine, in single large file. The single Linux download file contains several compressed files that make up the Linux virtual machine.

You uncompress the single Linux download file into a folder to put the Linux virtual machine files onto your Windows hard disk. One of these files is the main virtual machine file that is opened to run the Linux virtual machine.

To run Linux in Windows, you just run the free virtual machine player and open the main virtual machine file!

Linux Tips You Need to Know about Linux Virtual Machines - So You Can Easily Run Linux in Windows

1. There are hundreds of free Linux virtual machines available for download, but all Linux virtual machines are not created equal.

To create a Linux virtual machine, a person installs the Linux OS on a computer system with various Linux software programs and configuration settings. The person doing the Linux installation decides what Linux software components are installed and what Linux configuration settings are made. After the installation, the person then creates the Linux download file that contains the virtual machine files, and then makes it available for download.

For example, some virtual machines will be installed with a Linux desktop, but others, such as one that has been installed to be a Linux server, won’t. Some will have a Linux firewall installed (and turned on) and others won’t.

2. Get the Specs of the Linux virtual machine before doing the Linux download.

When you go to a web site to get a Linux virtual machine, be sure to have a look at the specs of the Linux download (virtual machine) file to see what Linux software components it has installed. Unfortunately, some web sites that have virtual machines don’t show very much information about their Linux download files.

Linux Tips: If you are a new Linux user, be sure to only download virtual machines that have a Linux desktop. This will make it easier for you to run Linux software programs and to open a terminal emulation window on the desktop. You open a terminal emulation window to get to the Linux command line prompt and run Linux commands.

Linux Tips: Always be sure to get the password of the root user for your virtual machine. This will enable you to log in and work as the root user and do Linux administration tasks.

Written by Clyde Boom.

Linux GUI utilities provide an easy “point-and-click” method of doing Linux administration tasks, but they are time-consuming and awkward to use. You can run a simple Linux command to do the equivalent task in a fraction of the time it would take to use a Linux GUI utility.

When you get Linux training, be sure that it is focused on how to use Linux commands. Also, if you are interested in getting Linux certification, you need to know how to use Linux commands to be able to pass, not Linux GUI utilities. Linux Tips - How to Use Linux “Patterns” (Linux Wildcard characters)

Some Linux documentation uses the term “pattern” to refer to Linux wildcard characters.

Wildcard characters are used in a “pattern” to cause a Linux command to work on multiple items, such as multiple directories and files in the Linux file system.

The two Linux wildcard characters are the * (asterisk) and ? (question mark).

Using an * (asterisk) with a Linux Command

An * (asterisk) is used in a pattern to represent “all” characters of an item (directory or file).

The Linux command below shows an example of the using the cp (copy) command to copy all (because of the * without any other letters or numbers) files in the current directory into the directory named memos.

]# cp * memos

Linux Tips: Keep in mind that Linux commands are “case sensitive”. Always type the letters in upper or lower case, as shown.

Linux Tips: Also, be sure to use spaces where they are shown. For example, in the Linux command above, you need a space (just a single space) between cp and the * and you need a single space between the * and memos.

The * (Linux wildcard character) can be combined with one or more letters at the front of it or after it.

The following Linux command is an example of the using the cp (copy) command to copy all files in the current directory beginning with the letter r into the directory named memos.

]# cp r* reports

The Linux command below copies all files ending in “sxw” into the directory named weekly.

]# cp *.sxw weekly

The next Linux command copies all files containing “mem” (anywhere in the file name) into the directory named monthly.

]# cp *mem* monthly

Using a ? (question mark) with a Linux Command

The ? (question mark) is used in a pattern to represent a single character.

The Linux command below shows an example of the using the mv (move) command to move files that have a single character and end in “cfg” into the directory named june.

]# mv ?.cfg june

The following Linux command moves all files beginning with “month”, and having two characters after “month”, and ending in “sxw”, into the folder named years.

]# mv month??.sxw years

Written by Clyde Boom.

Linux distributions (versions), especially the major Linux distros, include several “point-and-click” Linux GUI utilities. These utilities can be used to do Linux administration task. However, you have to do an awful lot of pointing and clicking to get anything done in these Linux GUI utilities.

What takes several clicks (and way too much time) with a Linux GUI utility can be done almost instantly by running a Linux command. However, new Linux users usually find Linux commands tricky to learn - but they are well worth learning. Also, if you are working on some kind of Linux certification, you will get tested on Linux commands, not on Linux GUI utilities. Another benefit of learning Linux commands is that they are virtually identical on all 130 + Linux distributions. So, the best way to learn how to use Linux, to do Linux system administration, is to learn how to use Linux commands.

Linux tips: When you get Linux training, including Linux certification training, be sure to learn how to use Linux commands. Don’t waste time learning Linux GUI utilities.

Linux Tips - How to Use Multiple Options with a Linux Command

1. Most Linux commands have several options.

Linux command options are used to control the output of a Linux command - and some Linux commands have over 50 options!

2. For almost all Linux commands, the options are prefixed with a - (dash).

For example, the following Linux command runs the ls command with the l (el) option. The l stands for “long” and it gives you a longer (and more detailed) listing of files and directories in the Linux file system.

]# ls -l

Linux Tips: In these examples, the ]# represents the Linux command line prompt. You don’t type in the prompt!

3. Linux command options can be combined.

The ls command is used to list the directories and files in the Linux file system. It has an l (for long) option and an a (for all) option. The a option shows “all” files, including hidden files.

The following command uses the l and a options to give you a long listing of all files.

]# ls -l -a

4. Linux command options can be combined without a space between them and with a single - (dash).

The following command is a faster way to use the l and a options and gives the same output as the Linux command shown above.

]# ls -la

5. The letter used for a Linux command option may be different from one command to another.

For example the -r option of one command may not provide the same output as the -r option for another command.

Written by Clyde Boom.