INTRO

COMMENT

4 LINUX MAGAZINE 10 · 2000

We pride ourselves on the origins of our magazine
which come from the very start of the Linux revolu-
tion. We have been involved with Linux market for

six years now through our sister European-based titles Linux Magazine (aimed at professionals)
and Linux User (for hobbyists), and through seminars, conferences and events.

By purchasing this magazine you are joining an information network that enjoys the benefit

of all the knowledge and technical expertise of all the major Linux professionals and enthusiasts.
No other UK Linux magazine can offer that pedigree or such close links with the Linux Communi-
ty. We're not simply reporting on the Linux and open source movement - we're part of it.

MAKE LINUX

YOUR FUTURE

If you want a well-paid job in IT, learn Linux. That might surprise some people
who thought that the biggest demand was for people with Microsoft experi-
ence. But however you look at it, it seems a pretty safe bet that systems admin-
istrators with good knowledge of Linux will be in increasingly high demand in
the years to come.

Linux is now the fastest growing operating system on the planet. Desktop

use is already on a par with the Apple Macintosh, while over 30 per cent of

enterprise servers are now said to run Linux. And according to research company IDC these figures
are set to grow by 25 per cent year on year for the next three years.

Now consider the effect of the nationwide shortage of skilled IT personnel which is leading the

Government to consider relaxing immigration rules for people with the desired qualifications.
Already, if you have good technical expertise, companies are falling over themselves to offer you a
job. So how can you acquire the expertise they seek quickly and cheaply?

Learning Linux is the obvious choice. Unlike other operating systems used in commercial environ-

ments it costs next to nothing to acquire a copy and it doesn't need extravagant hardware in order
to run. Most of what you will learn running Linux on your home PC can be applied equally when
using it on much more powerful enterprise hardware platforms. You might want to fork out for a
few books to help your studies along, but much of the information you need is available free, online.
And there are plenty of opportunities to obtain practical experience that you can put on your CV by
getting involved with open source projects.

Some Linux distributors are developing qualifications like the Red Hat Certified Engineer scheme.

Achieving certification would be a good goal to aim for. But possessing such certificates isn’t yet
considered as essential by employers as it is in the Microsoft world. There are many ways other than
by taking an exam to demonstrate what you have learnt.

Linux is an operating system with a glittering future. It could be your future too. If you are look-

ing to give your career a boost, what are you waiting for?

Our thanks to everyone who wrote complimenting us on our launch issue. We're very happy to

have got it just about right first time. We still welcome your comments and constructive criticisms
about the content of the magazine itself and the CD. We know that many of you would prefer not
to have a full distribution on the CD most of the time: if you are one of those people, tell us what
else you would like to see there.

Until next month,

Julian Moss
Editor

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burg, Fritz Reichmann,
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Linux Magazine is published monthly by Linux New Media UK,
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zine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy
of the information contained within it or any consequences
arising from the use of it. The use of the CD provided with the
magazine or any material providied on it is at your own risk. The
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