David Russell

The last few months, I have spent much of my free time really investing in learning Linux. (Free time, by the way, is time available after God, family, work, etc., and for me that has been unfortunately slim of late.) Sure, I’ve used Linux a lot in recent years and have almost always had at least one Linux VM on every machine I own, but for the most part I depended on the desktop side of Linux which, while great, isn’t really what holds the power of Linux.

Late last Fall, I converted a laptop that had a broken screen into a headless Ubuntu server. I have mostly set this up as a media and file server (to the PS3) and use it also as an HTPC hooked via HDMI to my HDTV. It’s great for both applications. But since I mostly manage the server remotely via SSH, I started getting really used to the command line.

So I started to do more there, but also on the plethora of existing external web servers that I manage, both personal and business. I’d figure out some really nifty way of doing something, like automating the backup of a MySQL database, on my personal servers, vet the process there and then incorporate them into the business side where practical.

Once I tasted the automation pie, I was thoroughly hooked on the power of Linux and the terminal. I started learning shell scripting, got pretty good at vim, firmed up some existing knowledge of CRON, and more. I also started learning more about Linux at the system and network levels, learning how to get data about running processes, analyzing RAM and CPU usage, viewing log files, manipulating data and configuring network interfaces. I’ve since set up several more web servers that are now in production for various sites, but instead of depending on a managed VPS with some prepackaged host configuration, I’m doing the work from scratch. Much more fun and rewarding.

I’ve used several distributions, mostly Ubuntu, but also Arch, Debian and CentOS, even toyed with FreeBSD. I’ve used CentOS a lot in web server environments, but I am currently using and loving Debian for home servers, web servers and just general use. It helps that my main introduction to Linux came by way of Xandros and then Ubuntu. But Debian seems to be just right for a solid server environment. It gives me the familiarity I want from my experience with Ubuntu (apt, etc.) but without all the extras that are mainly geared toward improving the desktop.

I still use Ubuntu for the main media server/HTPC in my home, but I have another server set up with Debian and have really enjoyed tweaking it for various uses. All my work servers are CentOS and that will remain. But I also have a personal hosted VPS running CentOS that I may change that out to Debian.

Now I’m into window managers, namely awesome. It’s a whole new blend of desktop and command line. I love the simplicity and speed of it. This entry is being written using Debian and awesome WM. Rad stuff.

I have a bunch of friends who love Linux and who will likely comment below to add their two cents on a fave distro or use for Linux. I’ve had some great inspiration along the way. But I have to give a lot of credit to Scott Wehrenberg (@swehren) who has been a go-to-expert for me these past few months. His full-time use of Linux and superlative command of the system has inspired me to really dig deep. And he’s always on for a 1:00 AM instant message session when I have a question about some syntax for grep or need a better approach to tune a bash script. Thanks, Scott.

The bottom line for me is that I am having a ton of fun learning Linux. Hopefully, that will inspire someone else to grab a distro and bash around a bit. :)

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I have been a little torn lately with where to publish the technical side of my life. Twitter seems to be morphing into more of a place where I talk about life and ministry and lighter tech as opposed to the heavier geek stuff. But I really have a passion for the technical, even though I’ve never considered myself much of a developer. I figure if I do have an outlet for more technical conversation, this is probably the best place for it.

So I might throw up a few posts over the next few weeks about things I have learned or are learning about Linux and UNIX. Perhaps it will benefit someone else.