The Wrap 📦

Yesterday, our close-knit group completed an intensive 16-week hands-on course in Enterprise Linux Administration, culminating in a live incident response session.

Over the course of hundreds of hours, I pushed myself to go above and beyond in my studies and responsibilities. Along the way, I formed strong connections with like-minded peers, navigating the modern educational landscape of YouTube, Discord, and KillerCoda.

I am truly grateful to have stumbled upon this seemingly random community and to have experienced the structured, effective teaching methods of Scott Champine (Het Tanis), an experienced and traditional educator.

Discord 💬

To understand the environment, we must first understand the platform. Discord is a communication platform that combines text, voice, and video chat, designed to create communities where people can interact in real-time. What makes it unique is its seamless integration of customizable servers, topic-specific channels, and robust tools for both casual conversation and collaborative work.

Working on discord harbored a comfortable sense of passive interaction. Unlike say Zoom, Skype or any other similar video communication platform, Discord allows for people to come and go as they please, have multiple presenters and open voice chat, replicating a real world meeting more closely.

This allowed for impromptu discussions / presentation, greatly improving the learning experience.

Study group 🏘️

Early in the course, I applied my leadership skills by organizing a formal schedule for our study group meetings. These sessions covered course assignments in detail while also exploring related topics through collaborative, interactive projects.

The format was casual and engaging. I would share my screen to walk through scenarios while the group discussed the subject matter. Others also shared their screens, demonstrating tips and tricks in unison.

One of the most effective tools I introduced was a shared note using Etherpad. Similar to Google Docs, Etherpad allows multiple people to edit a document simultaneously. However, it stands out by enabling access without requiring sign-in credentials, making it easy to share with anyone.

These activities relied heavily on trust, as it would have been easy for someone to disrupt the sessions. My leadership skills were frequently tested by off-topic individuals or disruptive participants, but such issues were usually short-lived.

Gains 💪🏻

Coming into the course, I already had a solid understanding of Linux, backed by a few years of experience. Additionally, I had completed RWXRob’s (Rob Muhlestein’s) Beginner Boost DevOps course a year prior.

What set this course apart was its group-learning dynamic. During Rob’s course, I worked alone, building projects and debugging through hard-fought, self-directed methods like reading documentation, brute-forcing solutions, and referencing forums. In contrast, group work brought added motivation, inspiration, and a collaborative approach to problem-solving. It helped eliminate mundane, off-topic roadblocks, allowing us to focus on core learning and progress more efficiently.

Connections ⛓️

Through the study group and community discussions, I’ve developed a strong connection with the ProLUG community and feel confident that I can rely on the server for discussions, questions, and troubleshooting. In the near future, I plan to give back by supporting future coursework and helping new learners navigate their journey.

Thankful 🙏

I’m deeply grateful to Scott Champine (Het Tanis) for offering this free course and dedicating so much of his time to it. I’m equally thankful to the server members who joined the study group and dove headfirst into the intricacies of systems.

Until next time! ✌️

ProLUG Links ⛓️

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/m6VPPD9usw Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@het_tanis8213 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/het_tanis ProLUG Book: https://leanpub.com/theprolugbigbookoflabs KillerCoda: https://killercoda.com/het-tanis