linux help please

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i am about to use red hat linux for the first time and being new to linux i have a few questions

1.can i use red hat by just the command line
2.i am setting up a cisco lab soon,is it worth having a pc running linux in this setup.
3.what is the difference between red hat and other distro's

 

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1. Yes, you can use Red Hat or any other Linux distro completely from a terminal window and not use X Window (the GUI) at all. As a Linux newbie tho, you might want to install X Window just to give yourself a cushion. The Linux command line structure is quite a bit different than DOS/Windows.

2. I don't know if there is an advantage to running a Linux box when setting up a Cisco lab. All the "action" is going to take place between switches and routers and you will need to become familiar with the IOS command structure.

3. First of all, a distro is the collection of package that are bundled with the linux kernel. Basically, they define the characteristics of the distro from what commands are supported in a terminal window, the default shell, the look and feel of X Window, what applications are supported, how software is installed, the whole shooting match. The underlying operating system kernel is the same, tho so ultimately, dispite the billions of distros around, there really is only one "core" Linux.

Red Hat (depending on what version you are running) is pretty user friendly. It is pretty easy to install and manage, at least in the graphic interface. I'm running a number of different Linux distros as virtual machine including Fedora Core 3 (which is the free version of Red Hat) and it is very user friendly.

 

trip summed up 1 and 3 nicely, ill attempt 2

while there really is no requirement for this, linux generally comes with vastly superior and more diverse network testing tools than windows
ping, tcpdump, nmap, ethereal, etherape, and the lovely hping!!!

All of which could be used to help u test connectivity, access lists, etc etc, also coming with numerous services you could test connectivity from a windows box across your cisco LAN to say, a httpd server, or an ssh server, based on ACLs you have set up

if you have the means, why not go for it

 

Thanks for the details on 2, Ryan. Nicely done.

 

thanks guys
i think i will add my linux pc to my cisco lab as i think it will offer a more real world setup rather than just using windows.
any advice on setting up a cisco lab phoenix would be appreciated.i dont have mega money to spend but i dont want to spend money only to find out i dont have the right equipment.
i am starting the ccna in about 2 months and moving on to ccnp later so maybe you could advise on a lab setup for ccna first and then upgrade to a lab that is suitable for ccnp