Recognized/Recommended Linux Certification?

[sharq]

I hope this is the right forum to post this in, if not please move it to the right one, or atleast tell me where to post it.

Hi,
I have been thinking about doing a linux certification. I am an intermediate user of linux, don't know everything, but not like I'm starting from scratch. I was wondering what certification is recognized in the field? I guess this question is more for system admin's. I know of the Linux+, LPI, Redhat certification, amongst others. I was wondering which certification is recognized, or you consider to be one that employers would look for or know about. I understand that a different employer might have different needs, but I would like one that is recognized, and as comprehensive as possible.
Thanks.

EDIT: Would much rather not focus on specific distro, so I am leaning away from the redhat one, but let me know if that is the one you were going to suggest.

 

[Nothinman]

RedHat is probably the one I'd choose if I had to, they're one of the best known and most supported and if you end up in a place using Linux they'll probably be RedHat, atleast in the US.

 

[pitupepito2000]

Since you said non distro specific, I would have to say the Linux+ ceritification. But I would personally go with the RedHat since, they are geared more towards enterprise, and they provide customer support something that many companies look for. On the other hand one thing that you have to consider is that one of this certifications is as good or important as a couple of years of good experience with Linux because with linux, you have to be prepared and learn how to solve problems on your own.

I would personally suggest you to get the RedHat cert, and to try to also learn things on your own by setting up things such as webserver, mysql, other databases, ssh, linuxfromscratch, and others. While you are trying to set things up and get things working many different things will break and you will have to fix them, which is the best way to learn linux.

I hope this helps,
pitupepito

 

[drag]

I would personally suggest you to get the RedHat cert, and to try to also learn things on your own by setting up things such as webserver, mysql, other databases, ssh, linuxfromscratch, and others. While you are trying to set things up and get things working many different things will break and you will have to fix them, which is the best way to learn linux.

Well that's fine for learning linux, but passing a cert test is a entirely different thing.

Most trouble shooting in any OS is based off of hunches and half-knowledge of how the OS operates. You go: It could be this, then you fix the potential problem.

If that fixed it then great, but if it didn't, you just try something different. Usually it goes from easiest to hardest.

Of course the more you know, the quicker and better you are at doing stuff and you end up remembering and storing all these little tricks and trivia you picked up.

However a Cert test is almost ALL trivia.

You get questions like:
If you have a file ended with .tar.gz what command do you use to unarchive that?
a. tar zxfv
b. tar --extract
c. gunzip -trz
d. unzip

Well lots people don't quite remember it, but know it's a tarball so you do a "man tar" to look it up, so you would pass it. However I doubt you can use man files to find your answers, so pratical experiance doesn't matter so much in this situation.

So instead of testing your knowledge and wisdom (which is nearly impossible to do in a reasonable manner) it tests your trivia remembering abilities. I guess the idea is that if you know linux well then you would know the answers just from habit, which is true enough.

So if you want a cert, what I would do is: 1. Be reasonably familar with Linux, 2. Find a good training/cramming course that does lots and lots and lots of sample questioning. Especially from older/sample Cert tests.

Good cram/training courses use questions much more difficult or have many more questions then a actual real-life test. So if you take the course and get a good grade on all the sample tests then you can be reasonably sure of passing the test in real life.

 

[sharq]

Thanks, I guess it seems redhat is the favored choice.
I am still looking for more opinions on this matter, and if possible someone who has done a linux cert. or maybe someone who is an employer of sorts.
The way I learnt linux was to just dive in like you suggested. With the help of google and man pages, there really isn't anything that I can't learn/solve, but employers want the tangible proof that you know something. So considering I don't have any work experience in linux (I just graduated) then a cert. should hopefully help get the ball rolling, fingers crossed
Thanks, and keep the advice coming.

EDIT: drag, taking a course is out of the question, they cost way too much, can't afford em. But yes, I will be buying a book for the cert. I decide on, and if I have to, 2 books to get as much practice and info as possible. Plus then the rest is whatever q's I can find online. BTW, I do have a working knowledge of linux, I use it on my desktop pc and occasionally laptop, and the answer to your q I knew off the top of my head (only cause I've done it a million times, don't ask me about bzip though, I would need man for that ), tar-zxvf.

 

[Sunner]

I agree on the RedHat certs.

From what I've heard, they're rather difficult to pass without lots of real world experience.
Seems like many people actually have a bit of respect for the RH certs unlike many other certs for this very reason.

 

[pitupepito2000]

sharq, I have not gotten a linux cert because of how expensive they are, but I did get a ciso certificiation, and drag does have a point I do remember they asking dumb silly trivia questions that were just a pain in the butt. I took a class from ciso to train for the cert. I took 3 terms worth of it, and it was great, it was also cheap.

I would suggest looking in your near community colleges, they provide great training for certifications for little money. Also before you buy a certification book why don't you go to your near library and check out the books from the different certifications and look at which ones do you like the most.

good luck,
pitupepito

 

[Panther505]

Originally posted by: Sunner
I agree on the RedHat certs.

From what I've heard, they're rather difficult to pass without lots of real world experience.
Seems like many people actually have a bit of respect for the RH certs unlike many other certs for this very reason.

The RHCE is not trivial!! There is *almost* no trivia (there is none now that the multiple guess it gone) in the test. It is Troubleshooting, Setup and Configuration.

I cannot speak any more on it because of the NDA that I signed when I took the test.

Out of my class of 15 ppl that took it there were only 3 that got the RHCE, and maybe 2 more that got the RHCT.

If you take the class... STUDY what RH says will be covered in the class as it it NOT a brain dump, ie they don't teach all the little stuff(actually the stuff that is convered in the 251 class- 4 days, is covered in 1.5 days in the 300 level class).

Panther505

 

[Sunner]

Originally posted by: Panther505

Originally posted by: Sunner
I agree on the RedHat certs.

From what I've heard, they're rather difficult to pass without lots of real world experience.
Seems like many people actually have a bit of respect for the RH certs unlike many other certs for this very reason.

The RHCE is not trivial!! There is *almost* no trivia (there is none now that the multiple guess it gone) in the test. It is Troubleshooting, Setup and Configuration.

I cannot speak any more on it because of the NDA that I signed when I took the test.

Out of my class of 15 ppl that took it there were only 3 that got the RHCE, and maybe 2 more that got the RHCT.

If you take the class... STUDY what RH says will be covered in the class as it it NOT a brain dump, ie they don't teach all the little stuff(actually the stuff that is convered in the 251 class- 4 days, is covered in 1.5 days in the 300 level class).

Panther505

Reread my post, I said it was not easy, not the other way around.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: Sunner

Originally posted by: Panther505

Originally posted by: Sunner
I agree on the RedHat certs.

From what I've heard, they're rather difficult to pass without lots of real world experience.
Seems like many people actually have a bit of respect for the RH certs unlike many other certs for this very reason.

The RHCE is not trivial!! There is *almost* no trivia (there is none now that the multiple guess it gone) in the test. It is Troubleshooting, Setup and Configuration.

I cannot speak any more on it because of the NDA that I signed when I took the test.

Out of my class of 15 ppl that took it there were only 3 that got the RHCE, and maybe 2 more that got the RHCT.

If you take the class... STUDY what RH says will be covered in the class as it it NOT a brain dump, ie they don't teach all the little stuff(actually the stuff that is convered in the 251 class- 4 days, is covered in 1.5 days in the 300 level class).

Panther505

Reread my post, I said it was not easy, not the other was around.

Hehe he's mixing you up with me. I said certs are mostly trivia.
That's just from past personal experiance with other certs.

Most of them you can earn if your reasonably knowledgable in there respective area and you cram for a couple weeks before the test.

But it's nice to find out a cert that probably is worth getting. I'll have to look into it.

 

[Panther505]

Originally posted by: Sunner

Originally posted by: Panther505

Originally posted by: Sunner
I agree on the RedHat certs.

From what I've heard, they're rather difficult to pass without lots of real world experience.
Seems like many people actually have a bit of respect for the RH certs unlike many other certs for this very reason.

The RHCE is not trivial!! There is *almost* no trivia (there is none now that the multiple guess it gone) in the test. It is Troubleshooting, Setup and Configuration.

I cannot speak any more on it because of the NDA that I signed when I took the test.

Out of my class of 15 ppl that took it there were only 3 that got the RHCE, and maybe 2 more that got the RHCT.

If you take the class... STUDY what RH says will be covered in the class as it it NOT a brain dump, ie they don't teach all the little stuff(actually the stuff that is convered in the 251 class- 4 days, is covered in 1.5 days in the 300 level class).

Panther505

Reread my post, I said it was not easy, not the other way around.

Nope. I was reinforcing it. I wasn't even disagreeing with drag. Just clarifying that the multiple guess is gone. I had about 12 months of daily linux experience when I took it and I only got a 71% on the RHCE section of the 3 part.

RHCE then LPI 1 & 2 would be the way that I would go (actually is the way that I am going). If Novell offers a cert for SuSE then I would look at adding that once they define what it encompasses.

Panther505.

 

[sharq]

Then I guess it will have to be RHCE for me. I was thinking about linux+, but its better to go with something that is recognized, and if it is comprehensive, even better.
I looked up the prices for the classes at the community school close to me and they start at $1000. It also seems they only offer linux+ certs. The Cisco certs cost even more than $1k. A book would cost me ~$60, so even if I buy 2 good books for $120 total, that's still significantly less than the course. The tests I have noticed start at $250. I don't know how much RHCE or Cisco will cost. The cost of giving the test I can cover, and the cost of the book(s) also. It's the extra amount I can't. So I will be on my own in giving these, and the web will be my guide/help.
I am doing this cert as I am hoping it'll help me in getting a sys admin. kind of job. That is the kind of stuff I enjoy doing. If anyone has any more opinions/advice, please do share. And thanks to all who already have shared.

EDIT: About the library, I checked it, they don't carry any certification books for linux. I will check the major university libraries that are within driving distance to me, hopefully they should carry something. Thanks for the idea. My local Borders and Barnes and Nobles don't carry any linux cert books. Correction, the borders has a RHCE book for RH8, which is kinda outdated me thinks.

 

[Sunner]

All those kinds of courses are expensive as hell.
I went to two Solaris courses for a grant total of ~$4.000.
At least Sun had a really good restaurant, and I got me this really nice pocket flask, had to supply the Jägermeister myself though

 

[sharq]

hehe, well hopefully I can get a job with a couple of these certs, then I might actually be able to afford a course or two, if needed. I'm trying to not have to go back to school for masters, was EXTREMELY glad (notice how glad? ) to be done with it, not looking forward to going back, so trying hard to get a job.

 

[Fiveohhh]

Anyone try CBT nuggets for some training? was thinking about it 21 hrs of video for $299 thats for both RHCE and linux+ their demo videos on their site seem real informative.Text

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Sunner
All those kinds of courses are expensive as hell.
I went to two Solaris courses for a grant total of ~$4.000.
At least Sun had a really good restaurant, and I got me this really nice pocket flask, had to supply the Jägermeister myself though

I went to a Sun course for free

But I didn't get a cert or anything out of it. The one course I did go to that offered a cert (which I didn't bother with) cost more than the two courses you took.

Overall, I hate certs. From the tests I've taken on them, they seem like crap. If RH is making certs better though, my hat goes off to them. I'll have to consider looking into it. Of course, that means I'd have to learn Linux

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
If RH is making certs better though, my hat goes off to them.

... Would that happen to be a fedora? And is it red?

</horrible humor>

 

[Sunner]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: Sunner
All those kinds of courses are expensive as hell.
I went to two Solaris courses for a grant total of ~$4.000.
At least Sun had a really good restaurant, and I got me this really nice pocket flask, had to supply the J&auml;germeister myself though

I went to a Sun course for free

But I didn't get a cert or anything out of it. The one course I did go to that offered a cert (which I didn't bother with) cost more than the two courses you took.

Overall, I hate certs. From the tests I've taken on them, they seem like crap. If RH is making certs better though, my hat goes off to them. I'll have to consider looking into it. Of course, that means I'd have to learn Linux

Yeah, I don't like certs much myself, they're mostly useless IMO, though as has been mentioned, I've actually heard good things about the RH certs.
A good example of a not so useful cert would be my Legato Networker cert, I actually got it without having to take a test cause they had some problems with the test.
Now that's an easy cert

 

[sharq]

Ok, now I'm wondering if any of you could recommend a good book for RHCE? I searched all of the libraries near me, including college libraries, and none of them carry any RHCE books, only one of em had a certification book for linux, and it was for the Sair GNU cert. My only option is amazon.com for reviews of books, so I'd like to hear from you guys too.
Thanks.