Before anything, happy new year!!! We made it to 2026!š(survived trails and tribulationsš„²)
The stranger things show has a new season, and I have loads of anime on my netflix watch list that I am ITCHING to watch, but then I did realise that, time waits for no one, so I had to forfeit all of that and use my free time to continue learning the course.
No, but seriously, procrastination is such a killer of dreams. I just decided to do things when I have to, because if I got cosy and did watch the stranger things, I wouldn't even be typing this blog right now, because I would have used up my entire day to binge watch shows. That was just by the way:
Before I start with my summary for the Linux course I am currently learning from š Linux Course.
I decided to learn Linux using the Linux Foundationās LFS101 course because it is widely considered the "gold standard" for beginners. I read on google that it is the non-profit organization that employs Linus Torvalds (the creator of Linux),so learning from them is like learning about an engine directly from the people who designed it.
And if you don't know who Linus Torvalds is, he is the software engineer that created the Linux kernel and Git. And he started this at 21 years, which is really impressive. (After I read this I was wondering why they decided to choose a penguin to represent the Linux kernel, that penguin reminds me of those penguins in that cartoonš, that is probably their cousin or something).
Installing Ubuntu on my Laptop
The beginning of the 'Linux philosophy and concepts' in the Linux foundation course advises for us to install a Linux based kernel on our machine to help understand it. And I did see careers in DevOps and cloud engineering are based on the Linux kernel. I didn't want to completely change my main pc to a Linux kernel, because it is my first time and I have never used it in my life so I didn't want to take any sort of risks. I have a laptop that I don't use as often so I am using that for the switch . (If you don't have an extra machine for this, there is an option where you can just have a dual operating system) personally, I just wanted to have a fully installed Linux kernel on my pc, so I got rid of windows completely. There are other Linux based kernels but depending on what tutorial you follow, where in my case, they went with Ubuntu, so I am going with it as well just to have a smoother learning experience.
The installation took me about 1 hour and 30 minutes (probably because the laptop I installed it on is not the fastest machine out there) I used their official site to download the ISO file, and they give you a detailed explanation of what to do, depending on the kind of installation you want to do. The link for that is: Ubuntu.
One of the reasons why I love the Linux foundation course, is the fact that its self paced and you can just get back to where you left off. I am going on a rather slow pace since I have school modules to study as well, but I do make time to learn this on the side and document my studied which helps me to retain the knowledge I got.
Summary of Linux Philosophy and Concepts
š ļø 1. The Core Philosophy (The "Unix Way")
Linux inherits its DNA from Unix, which follows a very specific set of design principles. This is why it feels so different from Windows:
Small is Beautiful: Write programs that do one thing and do it well. Instead of one massive app, Linux uses dozens of tiny tools.
Everything is a File: This is a fundamental concept. Whether itās your hard drive, your keyboard, or a document, Linux treats it as a file. This allows you to use the same tools to manage almost everything.
Chainability (Pipes): Because tools are small, you "pipe" them together. You take the output of one command and feed it into the next to perform complex tasks.
Avoid Interactive User Interfaces: Linux tools are designed to be "non-interactive." This is crucial for DevOps because it allows us to automate everything using scripts.
š§ 2. The Relationship: Kernel vs. OS
Itās important to distinguish between the "engine" and the "car":
The Kernel: This is the actual "Linux." It is the core software that manages your hardware (CPU, Memory, Disks). It acts as the middleman between your apps and your laptop's physical parts.
The Distribution (Distro): Since the kernel alone doesn't do much for a user, "Distros" like Ubuntu, Fedora, or Debian bundle the kernel with a GUI, a terminal, web browsers, and package managers to make a complete Operating System.
š 3. The "Big Three" Distro Families
In the course, you'll see that almost every Linux version belongs to one of these three lineages. For a DevOps student, knowing these is like knowing different dialects of the same language.
While there are hundreds of Linux versions (called distributions or "distros"), almost all of them descend from one of these three main lineages. Think of these like the "Founding Houses" of the Linux world:
šµ The Debian Family
Notable Distros: Ubuntu (what I'm using!), Linux Mint, Kali Linux.
What itās known for: This family is the "friendly neighbour." Itās famous for being incredibly user-friendly, having the largest community support, and offering a massive library of software packages. If you search for a Linux tutorial online, 9 times out of 10, itās written for Ubuntu/Debian.
š“ The Red Hat Family
Notable Distros: RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux), Fedora, CentOS Stream.
What itās known for: This is the "corporate powerhouse." It is the gold standard for big business stability. If you end up working as a DevOps Engineer for a bank or a massive tech firm, you will almost certainly run into Red Hat. Itās built for "Enterprise" grade security and long-term reliability.
š¢ The SUSE Family
Notable Distros: openSUSE, SLES (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server).
What itās known for: This family is a major player in the enterprise space, particularly in Europe. Itās known for having amazing system management tools (like YaST) and is often used in retail systems and huge data centres.
š ļø Quick Tech Check: What am I running?
Since I installed Ubuntu, I am officially part of the Debian family. I can actually verify how my system handles software by using the specific "package manager" for this family.
Code Breakdown: If I want to update my list of available software, I type: sudo apt update
sudo: This stands for "SuperUser DO." Itās like saying "I am the boss, give me permission to do this."
apt: This is the Advanced Package Tool. This is the "app store" of the Debian/Ubuntu world. If I were on a Red Hat system, I would use dnf instead!
update: This tells the system to go online and check if there are newer versions of my apps available.
Why this matters: In DevOps, youāll spend a lot of time "patching" servers. Knowing whether you need to use apt (Debian) or dnf (Red Hat) depends entirely on which "family" your server belongs to!
š 4. Open Source & Licensing
The Linux Foundation emphasizes that Linux is Open Source under the GPL (General Public License).
Freedom to run: Use it for any purpose.
Freedom to study: Look at the source code (the "engine") to see how it works.
Freedom to redistribute: You can give copies to your friends or even sell your own version (as long as you keep it open).
Time to Revise!
Iāve officially updated Flashy (The flashcard site) š Flashy with a brand-new section! You can now choose between the Foundations deck (for all your terminal commands and directory structures) and the new Philosophy & Concepts deck.
If you want to make sure the "Small is Beautiful" rule or the "Everything is a File" concept actually sticks, go ahead and give it a spin. Itās been a lifesaver for me while I balance my school work with this Linux deep-dive.
āļø Whatās Next?
Now that weāve got the mindset and the philosophy down, itās time to look under the hood of how the machine actually wakes up. My next post will be covering Series 03: Linux Basics and System Startup.
Weāll be looking at:
The Boot Process (from BIOS to Kernel).
What exactly happens during "Initialization."
How Linux manages services in the background.
Procrastination almost won today with Stranger Things calling my name, but finishing this summary and updating the app feels way more rewarding. See you in the next one! šš§
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