[TriLUG] Learing linux....good projects on my test box?

[Chad Thomsen]

I am a windows/as400/cisco/motorola  system admin who finally decided to
pick up linux and REALLY try and learn it.  By the way the power and
flexibilgy of Linux rocks, and I REALLY like the fact that I can teach my
self all kinds of stuff with out having to purchase some super expensive
developer pacakage (Microsoft Visual Studio).  Anyways back to the topic.  I
am trying to find out a few good projects I can do to my home machine to
learn linux form a system adminstrator point of view.  So far I have a
Centos box here at work with Apachee/Snort/MySQL/Base loaded up, and a Red
Hat 9 box at home. My home machine is a true lab box as in I can crash it
and I won't loose sleep.   As far as reading materials I have the
"Introduction to Linux" PDF found all over the internet, and Red Hat 9
unleashed.  I have also put Cygwin on my win box at work so I could get mor
comfy with the shell.

As far as future projects, I figured I would start by setting up
Apachee/Coppermine/MySQL (or use Gallery) to set up an internet site with a
buch of photos since I like to tinker with photography when not riding
mountian bikes or doing system admin type work.  I also figured I would
teach myself PERL so I can do some administrative type scripting on my Linux
boxes.  Is PERL the way to go?  I ask this because Windows, which I am most
familiar with, allows you to script in a few languages (java, vbscript, and
others if you install add ons).

Sorry if this post sounds really "newbieish" but I don't really have many
folks to talk to about Linux as I am an army of one at work when it comes to
operating systems and networks.  Any opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Chad