There is no doubt that Linux is one of the most popular operating systems to run server-side applications. I have seen almost all Java applications running on Linux, barring a couple that run on Windows as a service.

If you take out standalone apps like IDEs or tools, most of the real-world Java applications run on Linux, e.g. payment gateways, trading systems, and other financial applications.

That's why it's very important for any programmer, IT professional, or developer to learn and understand Linux, both the operating system, as well as command line.

Linux as one of the most important skills you can have because it serves you for a long time. It not only makes you more productive and teaches automation via writing scripts, but it is also mandatory for many IT jobs, e.g. support engineers, testers, developers, and system admins.

Without knowing Linux, it can be difficult to find out what's going on in an application that runs on Linux. It also separates a good programmer from an average one. A good programmer is often good on Linux commands as well.

If you want to learn Linux or UNIX, both the operating system and command line, then you have come to the right place. In this article, I'll share some of the free Linux courses you can take — your own pace and at your own time.

These courses are free but it doesn't mean they are of inferior quality. They provide a nice overview of many essential Linux concepts, including the Linux command line and essential commands like find, grep, sed, curl, and chmod.

Of course, they are not as comprehensive as some of the paid courses out there, but still, you can use them to start your Linux journey.

5 Online Training Courses to Learn Linux for FREE

In general, whenever I have to learn a new programming language, framework, or library, I do three things: First, I join an online course; second, I buy a good book, and third, I create an example project to start with.

These three things have helped me learn many useful tools, technologies, frameworks, and libraries, and I also suggest you follow these same steps.

In the past, I have shared some great Linux command-line books, and today, I'll share some of the free online training courses to learn Linux.

You can first take these courses and then read the above-mentioned books to learn and master Linux concepts. Once you have a good idea, you can start a project like writing a shell script or something to take your knowledge to the next level.

This article contains courses on both Linux OS as well as the Linux command line, which is more important. Anyone who wants to learn Linux can use these free courses but its more suited for developers, QA, system admins, and developers.

This is a good introductory course on Linux that will tell you more about Linux, its history, and what different Linux distributions mean, e.g. CentOS, RedHat, Fedora, Ubuntu, etc. Basically, all the knowledge you need to learn the Linux commands.

Here is the link to join the course: Introduction to Linux

You will also learn how to set up your test lab to run the Linux commands using VirtualBox and CentOS.

Once you have got your set-up, the course will then teach you basic Linux commands, e.g. how to create and move files and directories, how to archive and compress files, how to combine two or more commands using pipes, and how to redirect output to a file.

In short, this is a good introduction to Linux for beginners who are learning Linux first time. After attending this course, you will have enough passion to learn more about Linux and find out more about your favorite Linux distribution.

This is an awesome course to learn the Linux command line. As I have said before, the command line is an incredibly useful tool for developers and programmers.

If you want to get into Ruby on Rails, Django, Unix customization, and so much more, learning the command line will help you immensely.

Here is the link to join the course: Learn the Linux Command Line: Basic Commands

In this course, you will learn most of the essential Linux commands related to file management, process management, system management, etc.

The command line course is mainly for Linux users, but Mac users can also benefit, though not everything is applicable to them.

For beginners, the command line may seem difficult and complex, and it may be hard to sit down and learn on your own, and that's where this course steps ups. It will teach you how to use the command line and skip the boring, unnecessary stuff that you may never use.

This is a free Linux course offered by Red Hat themselves. In this official Red Hat training course, Steve Bonneville, a technical curriculum architect for Red Hat Training, will teach you the basics of Linux and demonstrate the basic practical techniques for Linux users as well as system administration tasks for IT professionals.

Here is the link to join the course: Red Hat Enterprise Linux Technical Overview

As Linux is used to host server-side applications, in the cloud, as well as on containers that host applications on data center, it has become one of the must-know technologies for IT professionals, and the same is interested in this course.

After finishing this free Linux course, you will have a good understanding of the Linux operating system. Short lectures and demonstrations will cover distribution, shell, kernel, userspace, file hierarchy, permissions, and more.

This is another awesome free course to learn Linux from someone who has worked more than 25 years in Linux.

The author, Jason Cannon, started his IT career in the late 1990s as a Unix and Linux System Engineer, and he shares some of his real-world Linux experience in this course.

Here is the link to join the course: Learn Tutorials and Projects

In this course, you will learn some of the practical tasks in Linux, e.g. how to install an SSL Certificate on CentOS Linux and Apache, how to load Balance HTTP and Web Traffic Using Nginx, and how to configure MySQL Master-Slave Replication on Ubuntu Linux.

These practical tasks will help you to get going in Linux and give you the confidence to work in real servers.

If you want to learn the Linux command line but happen to work on Mac or Windows, then this is the perfect course for you.

In this course, you will learn how you can set up an Ubuntu Linux server on VirtualBox to get a taste of Linux command line on Mac or Windows itself.

Here is the link to join the course: Learn Linux on a Mac

This is the first step towards learning Linux commands, particularly if you do most of your work on Mac or Windows. Although it takes a lot of time to become an expert in the Linux command line, having a lab setup is the best way to try out those commands by yourself.

Also using a VM like VirtualBox on Mac or Windows is a safe idea because you can easily delete it and start again if something goes wrong, and more importantly, you can work offline without an Internet connection.

In today's world, Linux is very widely used in Internet infrastructure powering web servers as well as public cloud infrastructures like Amazon AWS and private clouds running on OpenStack.

So, it is really worth it if you gain some basic experience on the Linux OS before you start working on cloud servers.

That's all for now on the top free courses to learn Linux online. As I have said before, Linux is a must-have skill for any programmer or IT professional. You can do a lot more if you know Linux.

It also opens a door of opportunities because most of the real-world applications run on a Linux server. And the best part about learning Linux is that it will serve you for a long time. It will not become obsolete in the same way a framework or library will.

Thanks for reading this article! If you like these free Linux courses, then please share with your friends and colleagues. And if you have any questions or feedback, then please drop a note in the comments.