Thank you so much for your answers. Okay... here is what I think I'll do; scripting and linux from scratch first. While programs are compiling with LFS I'll work on python. I have a python book, it is Python, How to Program but it is old (2002). I also have a book entitled "Linux Shell Scripting with BASH". What do you recommend? I think I should do scripting with BASH because, while it too is old (2004), BASH has always been the same and therefore the age of the book is irrelevant (I think). :-)~MIKE~(-: On Mon, Aug 26, 2013 at 8:34 AM, George Toft wrote: > To add to what Paul said . . . > > What interests you? I know many sysadmins that don't develop code; many > developers that can't spell Linux (OK, they can, but they also think 777 > permissions fix everything, even access to data files). I've even met SA's > that couldn't script, but that limits their usefulness and shows a lack of > motivation and curiosity - both highly desirable traits in the workplace. > IMHO, learn scripting not just to learn it, learn it to make your work more > efficient. If you can document some manual task, you can automate it. > Then you can then run that automation on all the servers in your care and > have time left over, which makes you efficient. In a previous job, I had > over twice the number of servers as anyone else on my team, and four times > the company average because I documented and semi-automated the server > build finishing process, and I automated the daily health check. So all my > servers were consistent (almost identical) and I was done with my daily > routine by 10am. This gave me time to help others, project work, find ways > to improve processes, collateral duties and irritate management. > > And then there's security . . . I got a phone call one day asking to speak > to the head of IT Security. I work at a large organization and quickly > counted up 11 different security organizations - which one would you like > to talk to? Click. LOL. We have network, application, infrastructure > security organizations, and their operations, engineering and architectural > groups. And don't forget audit, compliance, and CISO. Most people think > network operations when they think of security, but there is so much more > to it. Looking at the 10 Domains of the CISSP (Certified Information > System Security Professional) certification shows there is a lot to "IT > Security." > > So whereas I hate to see security last in your list (most companies put > security last on their list, too), the reality is you need to have a solid > foundation doing *something* before you go down that road. Understanding > the fundamentals and history will help, like . . . why is there a shadow > file? . . . what is the directory sticky bit used for? . . . why isn't the > classic File Security Packet suitable for some common security situations? > Why did the NSA develop SELinux, then absolutely fail at deploying THEIR > OWN CREATION and allow Edward Snowden* inappropriate access to classified > materials (hidden question is what does SELinux provide that would have > prevented this situation; and the bonus question is prove my implied > assertion false)? If I were to point to one thing in security to pique > your curiosity, I would suggest looking up the FBI Top Ten for Unix > Security and understand how to find and fix those problems. As you can > tell by my questions, I'm not a developer, even though I was (a long time > ago in a galaxy far, far away), and that's a whole different world, too. > If coding interests you, pursue certification in secure code development - > that will help you in many ways. > > * I hope you ratbastards at the NSA read this email and understand how you > utterly failed in the most incompetent way. > > Regards, > > George Toft > > On 8/23/2013 1:11 PM, Paul Mooring wrote: > > I think there's a bit of a misconception for how the industry works that > leads to questions like this. Web design is really more of it's own thing > centered around graphic design and css, although programs *have* to know > html these days. Outside that it sounds like you are getting ahead of > yourself in terms of specialization, everyone doing non-entry level IT work > needs to know a bit of programming (you can call it scripting if you like) > and any non-entry level programmer needs to know a bit the systems they > right code for (sys-admin 101). > > If what you're worried about is building up the knowledge needed for a > career, in my opinion the right approach is "what don't I know?" If you > have never written any code before don't worry about learning web > development, go learn some basic scripting simple perl/ruby/python scripts > and the basics of writing code in general. If you're comfortable with that > but you don't know how your OS works, go set up a linux server or compile a > kernel or whatever else interests you. If you already know all that dive > into something deeper, pick up a new programming language or run through > linux from scratch. > > One more thought, I'm of the opinion you can't "learn security" > Securing a system is really more of a by-product of intrinsically > understanding that system and how it can be exploited. That implies that > if you aren't already very competent writing code and understanding system > internals you can't be a useful security person until you are. > > > Paul Mooring > Operations Engineer > www.opscode.com > > ------------------------------ > *From:* plug-discuss-bounces@lists.phxlinux.org > on behalf of Michael Havens > > *Sent:* Friday, August 23, 2013 11:31 AM > *To:* PLUG > *Subject:* what to learn > > you know, I've asked the question about what to learn multiple times. I > think I've been asking the wrong question. The new incarnation of my > question is what do you think I should learn. Programming is one option and > web design is another. Is there another option i'm not thinking of? I > guess security is a third. Any others? Things to consider when answering > that question would be what is needed? What is the potential? What isn't > being addressed.... things like that. > > I have more questions but I guess we should get that question out of the > way first. > :-)~MIKE~(-: > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings:http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >