Before I start, I just wanted to mention that I did check in the "I'm new to Unix, what books should I read" sub-forum but didn't find anything that I thought was useful (or maybe I don't know what I'm looking for!).
I'm a Windows Admin, have been for quite a few years, all the way from NT4 and upwards. In my new job, we are about to take on 60+ new Solaris 10 servers and already have quite a few in place. With the current state the world is in financially there are talk of job cuts and I have been advised by my boss to make myself as indispensible as possible by combining Unix/Solaris experience alongside my Windows experience.
My problem is that I have literally no idea where to even begin learning. Learning Windows in its various guises was easy since I had people to help me along the way (and also I was a lot younger, learning came easier!!). I've bought two books on Unix already that I thought would help me (Unix for Dummies, and Unix in a Nutshell) but unfortunately one assumes I have no knowledge of anything computer related, and the other looks like an extremely useful resource, but a bit beyond my scope at the moment.
Bear in mind that I know basically nothing, but am extremely keen to learn, can anyone advise on where I should start? I have access to Solaris 10 on my laptop, so I will have a working system to play with.
but the best start would be to forget all about windows and do a clean start... most people look for things they know from an other os and thats the problem. solaris is all about editing files... so a good start is learning "vi". next is installing and patching a solaris installation. learn how to add new software (pkgadd...). setup and manage network interfaces (ifconfig...). learn how to access the mashine via "ssh" and how to transfer files between boxes (scp, nfs, samba).
Duke is exactly right... forget what you know about windows and don't compare the os's. you'll hate everything about unix if you do this. you'll only get more frustrated. you need to look beyond the window wizards/point and click stuff. there is a book that is really pretty good called "Essential System Administration" published by O-Reilly. Covers many sysadmin roles/responsibilities in the unix world. however, it does not cover any one specific flavor. its a generic approach... so showing active process stats in linux might use "top" and solaris might use "prstat". and if your environment is a single unix flavor... god you're in luck
you can also grab another box called "Solaris 10 - Sun Certified System Administrator for Solaris 10" Its basically a study guide for the SCSA test. however, its pretty good from the ground up. what i suggest you do is grab the box and a sparc or x86 solaris box. make it into your sandbox and practice. read through the books/articles and practice what they are talking about. make zones, use ldoms, make swap files, back up a full version of the os, configure a network! once you get a hang of it all, you'll be amazed at the speed in which you can move through the environment on a command line.
Ultimately, there are some fundamental similarities that you are likely already aware of.
The operating system manages the hardware.
The operating system provides an environment for applications to run in/on
File management and directory structures behave in a similar fashion
Scripts are written to manage mundane tasks
etc...
The uniqueness of the operating systems (whether Windows vs. UNIX vs. Linux vs. VAX vs. HP Calculator vs. whatever) are in how you manage various components as well as in how feature-rich your tools are.
Configuration in the UNIX world generally happens via the command line, rather than the extensive use of dialog boxes. In Solaris, you will be called upon to edit text configuration files. In Solaris, you have a 'cron' to manage scheduled tasks. In Solaris, your operating system is broken out into several directories (/var, /usr, /opt, /etc)
Any time that you expect to build a new host, you likely make a list of the services that you expect a host to provide - ie: account management, disk mirroring, secure file transfer, apache, etc. Do the same thing with your Solaris laptop. Focus on one area at a time, and play with configuring these on your laptop. Don't be afraid to get in and mangle stuff on your laptop. You can always reload the OS and try again.
If you are looking for a specific command, but don't know where to start (or what it might be called), you can check out the UNIX Rosetta Stone to get you started. Select "Solaris" from the list in the top left, then click "Draw Table". It has a bunch of commands grouped together by topic. Find one that looks related, and then go to your laptop and type "man <command>" (without the <>). 'man' is your friend - get used to it. It is our "clippy"
Once you are comfortable with some of the concepts - you don't need to know everything - then you can start asking some questions, and the nutshell book will help with clarity.
i don't want to deviate too far from the OP but,
avronius - you are right on these examples. an os is an os. however, i've found the window admin side to be well... extremely window oriented. i've found unix side to lack this feature. this can be very intimidating for someone who is not comfortable on a command line.
i worked with a guy who came from hp-ux. we hired him on as a solaris admin... all he did was compare the two OS's and say "well in hp-ux it was this... and in hp-ux it was that." i've since left that place but have talked to several others that say he can't grasp solaris and they aren't too happy with him.
i'm currently working on a project that is built off rhel4. initially i was struggling because 1) i don't know linux and 2) i was comparing solaris to linux. i found as soon as i gave this practice of comparing OS's up and began to find the proper commands easier (with the help of understanding basics of an OS).
To anyone who disagrees with DukeNuke2 and pupp please take their comments in context. Pupp explained what he meant quite well, but it is a case of "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".
Nobody is suggesting that all of the windows knowledge be abandoned, merely that when learning Solaris it is better not to try to compare it to another OS so vastly different in management tools and interfaces as windows. It is much easier to learn Solaris by temporarily suppressing windows knowledge and assuming that everything is new until comfortable.
As pupp said comparison to what you already know can hinder progress, instead of learning the "new way" you simple bemoan the fact that it's not what you already know, and resent having to change. Treat it as something separate so that you are not dealing with change, instead it is all new knowledge and it will be much easier to progress.
Ultimately however the windows knowledge is useful when dealing with mixed environments where NFS/CIFS and AD/Samba are used, which is a large percentage of the total market. Someone who can cross-over between disciplines is extremely valuable.
In the event that you feel that my comment was derisive, please take a moment to re-read my comment. You will notice that it is prefaced (quite clearly) with "I PARTIALLY disagree". The original poster is looking for input from a VARIETY of points of view. While I MOSTLY agree with pupp, I chose to offer my differing viewpoint.
I'd look for a class maybe in some university's continuing education program, to get you started.
If your employer has any sort of education program, you may be able to take a course from Sun at your employer's expense.
Start with the basics, ie., learn to be a user first, then go into the administration part.
system shock - i was thinking about that as well. always a great option. my only problem with that is with what the OP had stated:
to me... this seems like a "learn solaris fast" kind of deal. on top of the fact that his boss is talking about job cuts! shelling out money for someone with job cuts on the horizon... i doubt it. if he were willing to spend the $1500 himself on a basic solaris 10 admin course (like the ones exceed offers), then hell... why not. although, i personally wouldn't. i've taken those courses (one of my last jobs had this as "for educational purposes, we will send you to class" thing) and they aren't THAT good. its basically the sun docs in a more streamlined approach.
I see what you are saying... it is just that sometimes, depending on the company's size and/or practices, the money for employee education may have already been allocated, so an employee wouldn't be asking the company to spend extra money, but taking advantage of money that's already spent in the books. In my case for example, I work for a financial institution, and we have training available that was paid for early this year, so I wouldn't be able to go to my boss and ask him to send me to say, an EMC class, but I could attend a SuSE admins class, because the company has an agreement with Novell and pays for education credits annually at the beginning of the year.
definitely. he needs to take advantage of all 'free' training asap. gets you out of work for a week and finally catch up on some sleep!!! ahahah. obviously this is all pending this is the way it is for him.
