What Linux is most suit to learn system administration

[garry_3peace]

Hello... I wonder what distros suit me, if I wanna learn system administration. There are so called debian base and redhat base Linux right? I already have Kubuntu, so what redhat-base linux is suitable to learn to become a system administrator ?

[elija]

Well CentOS is a free rebranded and recompiled RHEL

[garry_3peace]

I see. Btw, when I see the download site, there is live-cd and bin. But the bin file is seems unbelievable, 6 cds! What is that? Installation disc? Can I install it from live cd?

[GNU-Fan]

What download site?

Anyway, you can usually install from a LiveCD. Or you can also install with a NetInstall CD (few MB big). You can also download all the CD images and install from these.

What you choose depends on the internet connection of the machine you install on and how many target machines you have.

For example, if you want to install only on one machine and have a fast internet connection, you take the smallest image available. Everything else will be downloaded the moment it is installed.

On the contrary, if you do not have any internet connection available, then of course you need to have everything put on CD/DVD before you can install.

[garry_3peace]

I was trying to download CentOS 5. So I go here :
ftp.osuosl.org :: Oregon State University Open Source Lab

there are live cd and bin files.
CentOS-5.2-i386-LiveCD.iso
CentOS-5.2-i386-bin-1of6.iso
CentOS-5.2-i386-bin-1to6.torrent
CentOS-5.2-i386-bin-2of6.iso
CentOS-5.2-i386-bin-3of6.iso
CentOS-5.2-i386-bin-4of6.iso
CentOS-5.2-i386-bin-5of6.iso
CentOS-5.2-i386-bin-6of6.iso
CentOS-5.2-i386-bin-DVD.torrent

I have a feeling that the bin file is to install. While if I use the Live cd, it can install but need a connection to Internet (It has "Network Installation", no somekind of install from Live CD). But I believe, somehow I can install it from cd. Just like Knoppix which can use syntax knoppix-installer. Just a little googling I think...

[waterhead]

I would recommend the DVD version, that way you can do a complete install of everything you may want. You don't even need an internet connection then.

I see that the DVD is only available through BitTorrent. I just tried it, and it is downloading very quickly, with speeds of 1000 KB/s.

[garry_3peace]

Unfortunately I don't have DVD Writer. So I can't burn it into DVD even I can download it. I've just finish download the live cd
Hopefully, there is some way to install just from cd. There should be a way.

[waterhead]

That'll work just fine.

The only advantage to having the full DVD or all of the CD installation disks, is that you don't need a working internet connection to do a full install. This would include the developmental files and programs that many of us use to "tweak" our distro, or to install things from source.

If you have a working internet connection, then everything you may want or need can be downloaded after the install. As GNU-Fan has already said.

[garry_3peace]

Yes. Now I'll try to install. Thanks everyone

[waterhead]

I just wanted to "warn" you. CentOS can be very limited as to what can be done with a stock install. It is usually meant for servers, so things like drivers for high end video cards and wireless cards can be difficult to get working.

For that, Fedora would be preferred.