Should I Learn LINUX with the CCNA | CCNP? - Network Engineer

Oct 21, 2026 · 7 min · 6 segments

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Speakers: Network ChuckHost

Top entities: Cisco certifications×5 David Bombal×8 Cisco×8 Linux×41 Graphical Network Simulator-3×9

Show signals: SuitabilitySafeAudience≈641k followers

Should Network Engineers Learn Linux?1:16 – 5:07

Network ChuckHost

1:16

Now, I get this question pretty often, and it's, should I learn Linux along with my CCNA? And, you know, I wouldn't get bogged down with it to begin with, because Linux is a whole thing.

Network ChuckHost

1:26

I mean, it's a whole new world.

Network ChuckHost

1:28

It's like learning Windows if you've never dealt with Windows before.

Network ChuckHost

1:30

Imagine that.

Network ChuckHost

1:31

If you're going through your CCNA, you're just starting out, focus on that.

Network ChuckHost

1:34

Get that stuff down.

Network ChuckHost

1:35

But I would absolutely add Linux to your training path, to your list.

Network ChuckHost

1:42

Now, why do I say that? Well, most of Cisco's new stuff, if you're doing a Cisco security, you'll have Cisco Firepower and their various appliances.

Network ChuckHost

1:50

If you're doing collaboration, you'll have Cisco Call Manager or any of their other appliances.

Network ChuckHost

1:56

It's all Linux-based.

Network ChuckHost

1:57

Now, while you don't have to know a ton of Linux to administer them on the front side, on the back side, you might have, on the back side, on the back end, you might have to do some things.

Network ChuckHost

2:04

So knowing Linux is a huge plus.

Network ChuckHost

2:07

It's pretty important.

Network ChuckHost

2:08

Cisco even created a little training path to learn some Linux, and I think it's very important to learn some Linux.

Network ChuckHost

2:16

I would by no means consider myself a Linux expert, but I have spun up Ubuntu, I've done some Debian, I play with Python inside Linux, so I use it and I'm trying to learn it.

Network ChuckHost

2:28

I've done a few things, like I've spun up, I've done OpenVPN in a Debian box, and I've played with the Raspberry Pi, which is Linux-based, So I think it's very important to learn it and become very familiar with it because I think, I forget where I read it, but you can look it up right now.

Network ChuckHost

2:44

Majority of the world's servers, web servers, are running off Linux, off of Tomcat, Red Hat.

Network ChuckHost

2:50

That's how things are now.

Network ChuckHost

2:52

Many companies are Linux only.

Network ChuckHost

2:54

So many of the appliances we will run into, like if you deal at all with Nexus switches, which is Cisco's data center class switches, that's Linux based.

Network ChuckHost

3:02

The file system is Linux based.

Network ChuckHost

3:03

So when it comes to should I learn Linux? Yeah, I put it in the same I put in the same box as Python and the skill set kind of the next generation network engineer.

Network ChuckHost

3:12

You're going to have to know networking Python and yeah, Linux.

Network ChuckHost

3:18

Pick your flavor.

Network ChuckHost

3:19

You'll learn it.

Should Network Engineers Learn Linux?1:16 – 5:07

Network ChuckHost

1:16

Now, I get this question pretty often, and it's, should I learn Linux along with my CCNA? And, you know, I wouldn't get bogged down with it to begin with, because Linux is a whole thing.

Network ChuckHost

1:26

I mean, it's a whole new world.

Network ChuckHost

1:28

It's like learning Windows if you've never dealt with Windows before.

Network ChuckHost

1:30

Imagine that.

Network ChuckHost

1:31

If you're going through your CCNA, you're just starting out, focus on that.

Network ChuckHost

1:34

Get that stuff down.

Network ChuckHost

1:35

But I would absolutely add Linux to your training path, to your list.

Network ChuckHost

1:42

Now, why do I say that? Well, most of Cisco's new stuff, if you're doing a Cisco security, you'll have Cisco Firepower and their various appliances.

Network ChuckHost

1:50

If you're doing collaboration, you'll have Cisco Call Manager or any of their other appliances.

Network ChuckHost

1:56

It's all Linux-based.

Network ChuckHost

1:57

Now, while you don't have to know a ton of Linux to administer them on the front side, on the back side, you might have, on the back side, on the back end, you might have to do some things.

Network ChuckHost

2:04

So knowing Linux is a huge plus.

Network ChuckHost

2:07

It's pretty important.

Network ChuckHost

2:08

Cisco even created a little training path to learn some Linux, and I think it's very important to learn some Linux.

Network ChuckHost

2:16

I would by no means consider myself a Linux expert, but I have spun up Ubuntu, I've done some Debian, I play with Python inside Linux, so I use it and I'm trying to learn it.

Network ChuckHost

2:28

Network ChuckHost

2:44

Majority of the world's servers, web servers, are running off Linux, off of Tomcat, Red Hat.

Network ChuckHost

2:50

That's how things are now.

Network ChuckHost

2:52

Many companies are Linux only.

Network ChuckHost

2:54

So many of the appliances we will run into, like if you deal at all with Nexus switches, which is Cisco's data center class switches, that's Linux based.

Network ChuckHost

3:02

The file system is Linux based.

Network ChuckHost

3:03

So when it comes to should I learn Linux? Yeah, I put it in the same I put in the same box as Python and the skill set kind of the next generation network engineer.

Network ChuckHost

3:12

You're going to have to know networking Python and yeah, Linux.

Network ChuckHost

3:18

Pick your flavor.

Network ChuckHost

3:19

You'll learn it.

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Should Network Engineers Learn Linux?1:16 – 5:07

Network ChuckHost

1:16

Now, I get this question pretty often, and it's, should I learn Linux along with my CCNA? And, you know, I wouldn't get bogged down with it to begin with, because Linux is a whole thing.

Network ChuckHost

1:26

I mean, it's a whole new world.

Network ChuckHost

1:28

It's like learning Windows if you've never dealt with Windows before.

Network ChuckHost

1:30

Imagine that.

Network ChuckHost

1:31

If you're going through your CCNA, you're just starting out, focus on that.

Network ChuckHost

1:34

Get that stuff down.

Network ChuckHost

1:35

But I would absolutely add Linux to your training path, to your list.

Network ChuckHost

1:42

Now, why do I say that? Well, most of Cisco's new stuff, if you're doing a Cisco security, you'll have Cisco Firepower and their various appliances.

Network ChuckHost

1:50

If you're doing collaboration, you'll have Cisco Call Manager or any of their other appliances.

Network ChuckHost

1:56

It's all Linux-based.

Network ChuckHost

1:57

Now, while you don't have to know a ton of Linux to administer them on the front side, on the back side, you might have, on the back side, on the back end, you might have to do some things.

Network ChuckHost

2:04

So knowing Linux is a huge plus.

Network ChuckHost

2:07

It's pretty important.

Network ChuckHost

2:08

Cisco even created a little training path to learn some Linux, and I think it's very important to learn some Linux.

Network ChuckHost

2:16

I would by no means consider myself a Linux expert, but I have spun up Ubuntu, I've done some Debian, I play with Python inside Linux, so I use it and I'm trying to learn it.

Network ChuckHost

2:28

Network ChuckHost

2:44

Majority of the world's servers, web servers, are running off Linux, off of Tomcat, Red Hat.

Network ChuckHost

2:50

That's how things are now.

Network ChuckHost

2:52

Many companies are Linux only.

Network ChuckHost

2:54

So many of the appliances we will run into, like if you deal at all with Nexus switches, which is Cisco's data center class switches, that's Linux based.

Network ChuckHost

3:02

The file system is Linux based.

Network ChuckHost

3:03

So when it comes to should I learn Linux? Yeah, I put it in the same I put in the same box as Python and the skill set kind of the next generation network engineer.

Network ChuckHost

3:12

You're going to have to know networking Python and yeah, Linux.

Network ChuckHost

3:18

Pick your flavor.

Network ChuckHost

3:19

You'll learn it.

Should I Learn LINUX with the CCNA | CCNP? - Network Engineer

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Should I Learn LINUX with the CCNA | CCNP? - Network Engineer

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