Find packages, install them, configure them, make them
work, maintain them, then add them to your resume.  Say,
for example, qmail, qpage, hylafax, INN, NIS/NIS+, DNS,
sendmail, Apache, mod_ssl, PHP, MySQL, PostgreSQL.  The
key is, all of these packages can run on (Linux|*BSD|
Solaris|AIX|HPUX) and going through the PITA of working
with them will naturally provide you with experience.
Also, buy some O'Reilly Unix books.  sed/awk/perl/regular
expressions are all good things to know.

Something else you could do is get a copy of Slowaris/i386
(it's either no cost, low cost, or you just pay for the
media and shipping I _think_), install it, play with it,
make all of the above packages work on it, then add
Slowaris to your resume.

I just don't know about the whole "certification" thing.
I have no certifications.  People ask me how I learned
Unix, and I respond that I don't remember--how did you
learn to breathe?  I just tell people "I do Unix stuff.
Try me for 30 days.  If you're not satisfied with the
Unix stuff I do, I'll give you double your regular
expressions back."


D

* On Sun, Feb 04, 2001 at 12:53:05PM -0700, Ronald Ellis wrote:
> Same old story,
> 
> I am an 'in the trenches' NT admin who's been dying to get into Linux
> administration.  My experience in Linux is reduced to what I can (and
> have) set up in my local home network.  I am really looking to get into
> UNIX (any flavor), Linux adminstration.  Problem is, at my current
> skill set in UNIX (basic user, backup, mundane administration skills,
> some scripting) I'm having trouble getting serious consideration for a
> move into a more robust OS.  Of course at my salary level, it's almost
> too late to move over.
> 
> Anyone have any idea how to get into that?  Are there any certifications
> that would be valuable?  Sun?  RedHat?
> 
> Suggestions?
> 
>   -Ron
> 
> Ronaldellis@email.com