You need documentation that is appropriate to your level of
Linux expertise. Otherwise, you might feel overwhelmed or may not
find the necessary information to answer any questions. The
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Reference Guide
deals with the more technical aspects and options of a Red Hat
Enterprise Linux system. This section helps you decide whether to
look in this manual for the information you need or to consider
other Red Hat Enterprise Linux manuals, including online sources,
in your search.
Three different categories of people use Red Hat Enterprise
Linux, and each of these categories require different sets of
documentation and informative sources. To help you figure out where
you should start, determine your own experience level:
- New to Linux
-
This type of user has never used any Linux (or Linux-like)
operating system before or has had only limited exposure to Linux.
They may or may not have experience using other operating systems
(such as Windows). Is this you? If so, skip ahead to Section 3.1
Documentation For First-Time Linux Users.
- Some Linux Experience
-
This type of user has installed and successfully used Linux (but
not Red Hat Enterprise Linux) before or may have equivalent
experience with other Linux-like operating systems. Does this
describe you? If so, turn to Section 3.2
For the More Experienced.
- Experienced User
-
This type of user has installed and successfully used Red Hat
Enterprise Linux before. If this describes you, turn to Section 3.3
Documentation for Linux Gurus.
For someone new to Linux, the amount of information available on
any particular subject, such as printing, starting up the system or
partitioning a hard drive, can be overwhelming. It helps to
initially step back and gain a decent base of information centered
around how Linux works before tackling these kinds of advanced
issues.
Your first goal should be to obtain some useful documentation.
This cannot be stressed enough. Without documentation, you only
become frustrated at your inability to get a Red Hat Enterprise
Linux system working the way you want.
You should acquire the following types of Linux
documentation:
-
A brief history of Linux — Many
aspects of Linux are the way they are because of historical
precedent. The Linux culture is also based on past events, needs,
or requirements. A basic understanding of the history of Linux
helps you figure out how to solve many potential problems before
you actually see them.
-
An explanation of how Linux works
— While delving into the most arcane aspects of the Linux
kernel is not necessary, it is a good idea to know something about
how Linux is put together. This is particularly important if you
have been working with other operating systems, as some of the
assumptions you currently hold about how computers work may not
transfer from that operating system to Linux.
-
An introductory command overview (with
examples) — This is probably the most important thing to
look for in Linux documentation. The underlying design philosophy
for Linux is that it is better to use many small commands connected
together in different ways than it is to have a few large (and
complex) commands that do the whole job themselves. Without
examples that illustrate this approach to doing things, you may
find yourself intimidated by the sheer number of commands available
on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system.
Keep in mind that you do not have to memorize all of the
available Linux commands. Different techniques exist to help you
find the specific command you need to accomplish a task. You only
need to know the general way in which Linux functions, what you
need to accomplish, and how to access the tool that gives you the
exact instructions you need to execute the command.
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux Installation
Guide and the Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Step By Step Guide are excellent references for helping you get
a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system successfully installed and
initially configured. The Red Hat Enterprise
Linux Introduction to System Administration is a great place to
start for those learning the basics of system administration. Start
with these books and use them to build the base of your knowledge
of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Before long, more complicated concepts
begin to make sense because you already grasp the general
ideas.
Beyond reading the Red Hat Enterprise Linux manuals, several
other excellent documentation resources are available for little or
no cost:
-
https://www.redhat.com/ — On the Red Hat website,
you find links to the Linux Documentation Project (LDP), online
versions of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux manuals, FAQs (Frequently
Asked Questions), a database which can help you find a Linux Users
Group near you, technical information in the Red Hat Support
Knowledge Base, and more.
-
https://www.linuxheadquarters.com/ — The Linux
Headquarters website features easy to follow, step-by-step guides
for a variety of Linux tasks.
You can participate in newsgroups by watching the discussions of
others attempting to solve problems, or by actively asking or
answering questions. Experienced Linux users are known to be
extremely helpful when trying to assist new users with various
Linux issues — especially if you are posing questions in the
right venue. If you do not have access to a news reader
application, you can access this information via the Web at
https://groups.google.com/. Dozens of Linux-related
newsgroups exist, including the following:
-
linux.help — A
great place to get help from fellow Linux users.
-
linux.redhat
— This newsgroup primarily covers Red Hat Enterprise
Linux-specific issues.
-
linux.redhat.install — Pose installation questions
to this newsgroup or search it to see how others solved similar
problems.
-
linux.redhat.misc — Questions or requests for help
that do not really fit into traditional categories go here.
-
linux.redhat.rpm — A good place to go if you are
having trouble using RPM to accomplish particular objectives.
If you have used other Linux distributions, you probably already
have a basic grasp of the most frequently used commands. You may
have installed your own Linux system, and maybe you have even
downloaded and built software you found on the Internet. After
installing Linux, however, configuration issues can be very
confusing.
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux System
Administration Guide is designed to help explain the various
ways a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system can be configured to meet
specific objectives. Use this manual to learn about specific
configuration options and how to put them into effect.
When you are installing software that is not covered in the
Red Hat Enterprise Linux System Administration
Guide, it is often helpful to see what other people in similar
circumstances have done. HOWTO documents from the Linux
Documentation Project, available at https://www.redhat.com/mirrors/LDP/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/howtos.html,
document particular aspects of Linux, from low-level kernel
esoteric changes to using Linux for amateur radio station work.
If you are concerned with the finer points and specifics of the
Red Hat Enterprise Linux system, the Red Hat
Enterprise Linux Reference Guide is a great resource.
If you are concerned about security issues, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Security Guide is a great
resource — explaining in concise terms best strategies and
practices for securing Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
If you are concerned with the finer points and specifics of the
Red Hat Enterprise Linux system, the Red Hat
Enterprise Linux Reference Guide is a great resource.
If you are a long-time Red Hat Enterprise Linux user, you
probably already know that one of the best ways to understand a
particular program is to read its source code and/or configuration
files. A major advantage of Red Hat Enterprise Linux is the
availability of the source code for anyone to read.
Obviously, not everyone is a programmer, so the source code may
not be helpful for you. However, if you have the knowledge and
skills necessary to read it, the source code holds all of the
answers.
