🚀 go-pugleaf

It's 15 Nov 97  18:12,
We'll return to zebee@zipper.zip.com.au and All's
discussion of Training and Certification

 ze> The problem is that the "skills" are msotly knowing how it all fits.

 ze> It's damned hard to *really* know tht till you have done it.

So true. :-)

 ze> There are plenty of people who "use linux at home" but that doesn't
 ze> mean they can troubleshoot mail queues, do routing, run a newsfeed,
 ze> configure a proxy server or handle time used accounting.

 ze> Let alone have a good clue about security issues.

 ze> To get that experience, you ahve to do those things.  You have to run
 ze> a real newsserver, runa real web server, have other people
 ze> hanging off them.

I tend to agree.  In the Linux world, there's no substitute for
experience, but fortunately, as you point out below, it's not hard to
gain this experience.

 ze> Join APANA.  get a couple of el cheapo 386s or 486s and old cards
 ze> and co-ax and network 'em together.  set up user accounts.  use your
 ze> webserver and newsserver.  set up the DNS.  get your mates round
 ze> to use the boxes.  hook an old 14.4 up to one of them and
 ze> get people to dial in and use ppp and shell and pop.

 ze> If you have all that happening and working and you can talk
 ze> intelligently about newssfeeds and control files and expire times, if
 ze> you can show you understand about how sendmail works and the issues of
 ze> POP and fetchmail and aliases and even virtual domains...

And liaising with a few others who are doing the same thing is
worthwhile as well.  These things aren't particularly difficult... once
you've done it, but until then, totally confusing.  Having a helping
hand out there can make a huge difference (as does reading all relevant
docs :) ).

 ze> IN other words you ahve to make your own experience if no one
 ze> will give it to you.  You prove to them you have done the
 ze> job and that you understand the issues.  You still won't be more
 ze> than a trainee, but you will be a trainee who can be productive
 ze> in a couple of weeks, not several months.

True, and this sort of experience does count for something.  I'm working
now, because of it. :-)  And the business world adds another dimension
(regardless of OS you're using), as one encounters issues that are of
lesser importance in the hobbyist world (such as internal security,
company confidentiality, etc).

 ze> Using Linux is a start, but it teaches you bugger all about real
 ze> systems admin.

Quite true.

... I wish I was more like I think I am...
--
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