Phase 1: Linux Bash and Networking fundamentals
Author: GPS
How does this phase apply to Cloud?
The cloud is a bunch of Linux Servers networked together. Learning the fundamentals of how networking works, and how to interact with these servers via commands, and automating those commands via a script, is what this phase is about. If you're already a Linux admin or network engineer, you can apply your skills to the cloud.
How to break down this phase
I would suggest spending time on these three topics and this timeline:
| Order | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Bash Commands |
| 2 | Introduction to Bash Scripting |
| 3 | Introduction to Networking |
Of course feel free to spend as much time as you'd like, people have asked for a timeline and breakdown so I've added it.
Resources
| Topic | Title | Notes | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bash | Linux Basics for Hackers | This book made learning Linux FUN! It's pretty easy to follow and take a chapter day by day. | You don't need to read the whole thing, the first 9 chapters cover most of what you need to know. |
| Bash | The Linux Command Line | I used this more as a reference to reinforce topics from the first book. | Optional, but helpful |
| Bash for Beginners | YouTube Video Series | An introduction to Bash! | A 20 part YouTube series covering the fundamentals of Bash. |
| Test your Bash skills with OverTheWire! Bandit Game | Bandit | A game to teach you the fundamental Bash commands you'll need for cloud and even security | This will cover more than the fundamentals. Similar to Linux Basics for hackers, it has a security focus. |
| Bash Scripting | Introduction to Bash scripting | Fantastic intro to bash scripting, Joe Collins voice is soothing! | This will introduce you to concepts you'll use in the next phase. |
| Networking | Networking basics (2020) | This 15 minute video covers all the essential networking concepts at a high level. | Spend a day watching this and Googling each concept. Read more on each concept on your own. |
| Networking | Fundamentals of computer networking | You'll learn the fundamental principles of computer networking to prepare you for the Azure admin and developer learning paths. | Read this after the previous video. |
| Networking | Azure networking services overview | You'll learn the fundamental principles of computer networking to prepare you for the Azure admin and developer learning paths. | Optional, but I think it's a great time to introduce yourself to cloud services in the networking category, in this case Azure. |
Projects
Here are some projects to reinforce what you've learned in this phase. I recomenned blogging or creating video content on your projects.
| Title | Resource | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Install Linux on a computer | Research a distro and install it (We like Pop!_OS) | No bettter way to learn Linux than using it! |
| Setup a LAMP server | A pretty popular Linux admin task. | |
| Deploy a NAS server | Checkout FreeNAS | |
| Deploy your own cloud | Checkout NextCloud | A fun way to create your own private cloud. |
| Convert video files | Checkout ffmpeg use it to write a script that converts a .mov file to mp4 | Great way to practice scripting skills. |
Things you should be able familiar with at the end of this phase
Commands
- Navigate with the
cdcommand. - How to list the contents of a directory and using the
lscommand. - Create, copy, move, rename, directories and files with
mkdir,cp,rm, andtouchcommands. - Find things with
locate,whereis,which, andfindcommands. - Understand how to learn more about commands with the
which,man, and--helpcommands. - Familiar with finding logs details in
/var/log - How to display the contents of a file with
cat,less,more,tail,head. - Filtering with
grepandsed. - Redirection of standard input, output and error with
>operator andteecommand. - How to use pipelines with the
|operator. - Manipulate files with
nanoorvim. - Install and uninstall packages. Depends on distro, debian based use
apt. - Control permissions with
chown,chgrp,chmodcommands. - Creating users and the
sudocommand. - Process management with
ps,top,nice,kill - Manage environment aud user defined variables with
env,set,exportcommands. - Add directories to your
PATH. - Compression and archiving with
tar,gzip,gunzip. - How to access a Linux server with
ssh.
Networking
Concepts you should be familiar with.
- OSI Model
- IP Addresses
- MAC Addresses
- Routing and Switching
- TCP/IP
- TCP and UDP
- DNS
- VPN tunneling
- TLS and SSL
Bash Scripting
- What is a shell?
- What is Bash?
- Why does a script have to start with #!?
- What is a variable and how to use them
- How to accept user input
- How to execute a script
Certifications you might want to look into
There are several Linux certifications and you can chose to study for any of them really, but a lot of them cover WAY more than what you need to know for a solid foundation and are more focused on Linux administration.
There are also TONS of networking certifications out there, and similar to the Linux ones, they are more focused on giving you a lot of knowledge so you can become a networking engineer/specialist, again at an introductory level, it's a little overkill. If you did want to get one, take a look at the Cisco certifications which are pretty much industry standard and/or Comptia Network+
At the end of the day, if you want to take them, go for it :)