Linux+ - Progress thread pt 2 (LX0-104)

Ok just checking in for the weekend. I've spent approx 30 minutes coming up with a strategy and 1 hour revising so far. I think my biggest mistake with the LX0-103 exam was not looking at the weighting of questions in the exam.

Domain

% of Examination

105 Shells, Scripting and Data Management

17%

106 User Interfaces and Desktops

8%

107 Administrative Tasks

20%

108 Essential System Services

17%

109 Networking Fundamentals

23%

110 Security

15%

Total

100%

The weighting for LX0-104 focuses mostly on Networking Fundamentals, Administrative Tasks and Shell Scripting in that order. Then Essential System Services, Security and User Interfaces show up too. I began looking through the User Interfaces (e.g X, X11, Fonts etc) but I found it so boring and dry so as a result of that, i've decided to spend 1 entire week per subject. So i'm going to the "juicy" stuff first.

I think it's too risky to study the dry stuff first because it will not help me get focused. I'll be doing the following:

Sat 1st Oct - Security
Sat 8th Oct - Networking Fundamentals
Sat 15th Oct - Administrative Tasks
Sat 22nd Oct - Shells, Scripting and Data Management
Sat 29th Oct - Essential System Services
Sat 5th Nov - User Interfaces and Desktops

Then i'll go over the content/practice exams and see what my weak areas are. Once I know my weak areas, i'll improve on them. Then, once I feel confident, sometime in late November or early December, i'll be booking my exam. I'll check in mid week with an update on how the security reading is going

CertifiedMonkey

si20 wrote: »

I think it's too risky to study the dry stuff first because it will not help me get focused.

I like that approach. Good luck with your studies.

Update: My girlfriend's birthday has lost me 2-3 days this week but i've spent the past 2 hours studying more on the security section of the book. I've found myself looking deeper into some of the commands this time around e.g using the man pages a bit more, delving into what options a command has. I believe this exam wont cover shell commands in detail so I think i've dodged a bullet. I find it extremely difficult to remember different switches for different commands.

One thing this Linux+ self-study has taught me: ensure you are desperate to learn the material before you embark on the course. When I started this way back in January of this year, I was preparing for a job interview which involved Linux. I was so ready to make a good impression. I learned a bunch of new commands and although a linux-newbie, I felt like I could learn and dramatically improve my skills. During the interview, I was asked all kinds of questions, from how do you install a package, to questions on obscure error messages in apache. Of course, I messed up. I got around 3/10 questions right. I got nervous and I totally forgot things like "dpkg -i" is used to install a debian package.

After that interview, I knew I wasn't going to get offered the job based on my poor results and I decided to persue the Linux+ to prove to myself that I could pass it. Now i've passed the LX0-103, i'm almost there. I've got one more hurdle to pass. And then i've proved to myself that I did have what it takes to learn more about Linux. That's great....but....it's too late for that job. I decided after that failed interview that if I didn't get into that Linux job, I would stick to Windows and get a job as a systems administrator.

So the big question in the very back of my mind is: have I wasted my time? Who was I proving this to? Was it worth it? along with a few other questions. I think it's too early to answer them, and I will answer them after the second test. But the Linux+ so far has been more than Linux. It has been a personal journey and made me realize what I want to do career-wise. I don't think any other cert/course has made me question whether or not i'm on the right path, but this has.

Right. Back to revision. I'm expecting to finish the security section of the book by tomorrow and by that point, I will have made notes, watched some videos (youtube and videos from the Robb Tracy book) and I *think* that will be the security section polished off. Expect another update sometime this weekend.

I feel you man. I'm still studying for the second test and it's slow going. I've decided to keep going with it because I think it would be a bigger waste to stop half way and not finish. I don't think you can ever waste time studying because you never "learn less". You may forget things here and there or almost completely, but if for some reason you have to come back to it the foundation is already there in your brain some where waiting for it to be relevant again.

I've definitely learned a lot and even if my linux skills aren't "game day" ready I'm still happy that I've been exposed to the material I've been exposed to. Just the basic section I read a week ago during my studies about SQL made some "How To" tutorials about installing WordPress from the command line that I did about a year ago make sense in regards to the MariaDB/MySQL stuff I had to setup. Also it was nice to learn about a lot of the open source software and where I can find it along with different utilities that Linux offers such as "dd".

thomas_ wrote: »

I feel you man. I'm still studying for the second test and it's slow going. I've decided to keep going with it because I think it would be a bigger waste to stop half way and not finish. I don't think you can ever waste time studying because you never "learn less". You may forget things here and there or almost completely, but if for some reason you have to come back to it the foundation is already there in your brain some where waiting for it to be relevant again.

I've definitely learned a lot and even if my linux skills aren't "game day" ready I'm still happy that I've been exposed to the material I've been exposed to. Just the basic section I read a week ago during my studies about SQL made some "How To" tutorials about installing WordPress from the command line that I did about a year ago make sense in regards to the MariaDB/MySQL stuff I had to setup. Also it was nice to learn about a lot of the open source software and where I can find it along with different utilities that Linux offers such as "dd".

I think there's a feeling of isolation as well. Self-studying the Linux+ is a very lonely road. Thankfully we've got these forums but there are very few people on the same path (at least that I know of). When I was in the exam center for the LX0-103, everyone in there was taking a CCNA exam. I was the only exception. I think at times, the Linux+ feels like a chore because it's such a long winded course. I sometimes think they'd be better splitting it into two certs: Linux+ v1 and Linux+ v2 where the LX0-103 earns you the v1 cert and the LX0-104 earns you the v2 cert. I'm going to spend several hours studying it today and hopefully that will be the security section done.

You might try finding some sort of Linux User Group in your area if you were interested. I don't know if meetup is big in the UK or not.

Ok so i'm a day or 2 behind schedule. Not a problem, I can catch up. The security section is actually much more dry than I expected. There is a large amount of commands/file paths to go through. I'm hoping the second exam wont be a memory test! I'm almost done with the security chapter, I just need to read and perhaps mess about with GPG a bit more. The security chapter hasn't been too difficult. I'm curious to do some sample tests soon and see what kind of questions pop up.

I'm expecting to start the Networking Fundamentals chapter tomorrow and have it finished by Friday.

P.S Thomas_ that's actually a good idea. I have looked in the past and unfortunately, they don't seem to be a thing over here. But i'll have a look again to see if anything has popped up. That kind of thing would be very motivating.

I wouldn't get discouraged if you are not working in a Linux environment at WORK, majority of the job market involves Windows...I would definitely use a Linux box at home though, that way you can keep your Linux skills fresh. After you pass this last part of Linux+, you should dedicate yourself to watch at least 1 Linux youtube video everyday and let that reinforce what you have learned. I believe your strategy tackling this exam is very good method. I wish there were more practice test questions and/or labs built upon the Linux+ exam...I think there would be more interest if there were. Best of luck on your test! Cheers!

shochan wrote: »

I wouldn't get discouraged if you are not working in a Linux environment at WORK, majority of the job market involves Windows...I would definitely use a Linux box at home though, that way you can keep your Linux skills fresh. After you pass this last part of Linux+, you should dedicate yourself to watch at least 1 Linux youtube video everyday and let that reinforce what you have learned. I believe your strategy tackling this exam is very good method. I wish there were more practice test questions and/or labs built upon the Linux+ exam...I think there would be more interest if there were. Best of luck on your test! Cheers!

Thanks Shocan. I will definitely try to keep up with Linux after the exam is over.

I've just finished the self-assessment and got 15/20. I was surprised because I felt like I got even more wrong. As expected, the questions I got incorrect were filepaths. I will note this down and focus on it. This evening and all of tomorrow I will move onto the Networking chapter. Networking is my weakest area, so I think I will learn a lot. Expect a mid-week update. Cheers all.

Checking in for my mid-week update. It's my birthday on Sunday and so i've been slacking a little bit - but i'm going to study for the next few hours now despite it being 11:32pm. I posted a thread about not having a job right now and believe me - i've been looking. I've had two interviews with a company and they tell me there might be two more to do. I've called them several times, emailed them and man, they just don't reply or let me know where I stand. It has got to the point where it's kinda depressing. I admit - I feel at rock bottom. I can't find any work right now. I'll not drone on about it because I want to try to be positive. I've applied to around 8 jobs and none have got back to me. But i'll be honest: when i'm at rock bottom, that's usually when i'm at my best. So ironically, the fact i've got nothing to lose is going to help me.

Ok, on to Networking. It reminds me very much of the MTA Networking course I did. I fully understand the content. The only real difference is that the MTA was generic networking whilst the Linux+ is generic networking with a Linux twist. So it talks about Eth0 for example and Linux commands. It's nothing out of the ordinary and I think I will digest it all. I know it's worth 23% so I really do need to buck up my ideas on this one. Part of me is considering spending a total of 2 weeks on this one, purely because 23% of the exam tells me that there are going to be a lot of questions on networking, specific to Linux.

According to the Linux+ objectives, the following is covered:

109

Networking Fundamentals

 Demonstrate an understanding network masks and CIDR notation.
 Knowledge of the differences between private and public “dotted quad” IP-
Addresses.
 Knowledge about common TCP and UDP por
ts (20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 53, 80,
110, 123, 139, 143, 161, 162, 389,
443, 465, 514, 636, 993, 995).
 Knowledge about the differences and nd major features of UDP, TCP and
ICMP.
 Knowledge of the major differences between IPv4 and IPv6.
 Knowledge of the basic features of IPv6.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms, and utilities:
o /etc/services
o IPv4, IPv6
o Subnetting
o TCP, UDP, ICMP
109.2 Basic network configuration
 Manually and automatically configure network interfaces.
 Basic TCP/IP host configuration.
 Setting a default route.
 The following is a partial list of the used files, terms, and utilities:
o /etc/hostname
o /etc/hosts
o /etc/nsswitch.conf
o ifconfig
o ifup
o ifdown
o ip
o route
o ping
109.3 Basic network troubleshooting.

Manually and automatically configure net
work interfaces and routing tables
to include adding, starting, stopping,
restarting, deleting or reconfiguring
network interfaces.

 Change, view or configure the routing table and correct an improperly set
default route manually.
 Debug problems associated with the network configuration.
 The following is a partial list of the used files, terms, and utilities:
o ifconfig
o ip
o ifup
o ifdown
o route
o host
o hostname
o dig
o netstat
o ping
o ping6
o traceroute
o traceroute6
o tracepath
o tracepath6
o netcat
109.4 Configure client side DNS.
 Query remote DNS servers.
 Configure local name resolution and use remote DNS servers.
 Modify the order in which name resolution is done.
 The following is a partial list of the used files, terms, and utilities:
o /etc/hosts
o /etc/resolv.conf
o /etc/nsswitch.conf
o Host
o Dig
o getent

I've come across approx 70% of this stuff in the past. I've never messed with /etc/nsswitch.conf or getent - so there is a lot of stuff new to me, or stuff that I don't know well enough. So I will definitely learn some things during this chapter. I don't think i'll have it all covered by Sunday if i'm honest, so this will probably go into next week. I'll update this thread next week to let you know where I get up to. Thanks once again for following - the support definitely keeps me going.

si20 wrote: »

Checking in for my mid-week update. It's my birthday on Sunday and so i've been slacking a little bit - but i'm going to study for the next few hours now despite it being 11:32pm. I posted a thread about not having a job right now and believe me - i've been looking. I've had two interviews with a company and they tell me there might be two more to do. I've called them several times, emailed them and man, they just don't reply or let me know where I stand. It has got to the point where it's kinda depressing. I admit - I feel at rock bottom. I can't find any work right now. I'll not drone on about it because I want to try to be positive. I've applied to around 8 jobs and none have got back to me. But i'll be honest: when i'm at rock bottom, that's usually when i'm at my best. So ironically, the fact i've got nothing to lose is going to help me.

Ok, on to Networking. It reminds me very much of the MTA Networking course I did. I fully understand the content. The only real difference is that the MTA was generic networking whilst the Linux+ is generic networking with a Linux twist. So it talks about Eth0 for example and Linux commands. It's nothing out of the ordinary and I think I will digest it all. I know it's worth 23% so I really do need to buck up my ideas on this one. Part of me is considering spending a total of 2 weeks on this one, purely because 23% of the exam tells me that there are going to be a lot of questions on networking, specific to Linux.

According to the Linux+ objectives, the following is covered:

I've come across approx 70% of this stuff in the past. I've never messed with /etc/nsswitch.conf or getent - so there is a lot of stuff new to me, or stuff that I don't know well enough. So I will definitely learn some things during this chapter. I don't think i'll have it all covered by Sunday if i'm honest, so this will probably go into next week. I'll update this thread next week to let you know where I get up to. Thanks once again for following - the support definitely keeps me going.

What type of IT jobs are you looking/applying for?? I would get this Linux+ passed & outta the way, then I would focus on IT Security...this field in IT is really hot right now. Soon as I passed my Security+, I was being hit up daily by recruiters (off indeed.com & careerbuilder.com). Another thing I do is see if I can improve my resume, MONTHLY...then upload to those sites...It seems like you get more exposure whenever I did this...Best of luck on your job search! Cheers!

shochan wrote: »

What type of IT jobs are you looking/applying for?? I would get this Linux+ passed & outta the way, then I would focus on IT Security...this field in IT is really hot right now. Soon as I passed my Security+, I was being hit up daily by recruiters (off indeed.com & careerbuilder.com). Another thing I do is see if I can improve my resume, MONTHLY...then upload to those sites...It seems like you get more exposure whenever I did this...Best of luck on your job search! Cheers!

At the moment i'm looking for 2nd/3rd line support roles but if i'm honest, my CV shows a lot of digital security (degree, certs, work exp) so I get a few emails and calls about security roles, but most often, they're too far for me to commute (some 150 miles away). It's a pain really, i'm just not located in a great place for IT roles!

Ok, an update about the Linux+. I'm expecting to finish the networking section this weekend. I think i'm a week behind because my birthday got in the way and i've been searching for jobs as well. I will be honest and say: i'm not doing the LX0-104 because I enjoy it now - i'm doing it because I have to, in order to get the Linux+ cert.

When I started out on this, it was because I was on track to get a Linux job. With my current situation, it's hard enough finding a Windows job - a Linux job is completely out of the question. But i'm going to press on and try and get two sections of the book done this week to make up for what i've missed. I'm still expecting to book the exam late December. So i'm giving myself about 8 weeks more to study for the LX0-104 and go for it.

Andy from Sactown

I don't know what "2 sections of the book" means for you, but if you're unemployed why not knock that out a little faster? Put on a pot of coffee and put in an 8 hour work day, since gaining meaningful employ, of which this is a subsection, kind of is your job at the moment.

Andy from Sactown wrote: »

I don't know what "2 sections of the book" means for you, but if you're unemployed why not knock that out a little faster? Put on a pot of coffee and put in an 8 hour work day, since gaining meaningful employ, of which this is a subsection, kind of is your job at the moment.

I find that knocking out a cert fast can be counterproductive. In my experience, those that knock out a cert quickly gain very little knowledge and ultimately become stuck in a real world scenario. An example of this would be when I did my MTA certification. I did it with a friend of mine, I studied for 60 days and she studied for 30 days. We both passed, she even scored 20 more points than me in the exam, but in the real world, when faced with a problem that wasn't in the book, she couldn't do it, or even begin to work it out logically.

I will definitely be pulling a 7-8 hour day tomorrow but I wouldn't want to rush into the exam sooner because I like to know exactly how things are put together. "2 sections of the book" is simply two different chapters. The book is split into several chapters for each exam. I'm aiming to cover 2 entire chapters in a week which is probably overkill, but I think I can do it given the circumstances!

Andy from Sactown

si20 wrote: »

I find that knocking out a cert fast can be counterproductive. In my experience, those that knock out a cert quickly gain very little knowledge and ultimately become stuck in a real world scenario. An example of this would be when I did my MTA certification. I did it with a friend of mine, I studied for 60 days and she studied for 30 days. We both passed, she even scored 20 more points than me in the exam, but in the real world, when faced with a problem that wasn't in the book, she couldn't do it, or even begin to work it out logically.

I will definitely be pulling a 7-8 hour day tomorrow but I wouldn't want to rush into the exam sooner because I like to know exactly how things are put together. "2 sections of the book" is simply two different chapters. The book is split into several chapters for each exam. I'm aiming to cover 2 entire chapters in a week which is probably overkill, but I think I can do it given the circumstances!

I can see that; I suppose a lot of the approach to speed is relative to prior experience.

I've been blazing through linux+, but I was also rolling my own kernels and having to use command lines tools to set everything up "back in the day(tm)" since all the GUI tools absolutely sucked, so it's all relative.

If you have prior linux and networking exerience, LX0-104 doesn't look too intimidating at all. If not, well that's a horse of a different color.

Finally got the networking section done. For some reason, I found it extremely dull and it was a real, real chore to get through it. I was expecting it to be fun, but then networking isn't really my thing and the fact that Linux holds config files all over the place ended up frustrating me. I did the self-assessment and got 17/20 which would be a good pass in this section. So i'm moving on.

I've sadly got a bit out of sync with my original schedule because I just found it difficult to find the willpower to get through the networking chapter. So here's my new schedule:

Sat 1st Oct - Security
Sat 8th Oct - Networking Fundamentals
Tue 25th Oct - Administrative Tasks
Tue 1st Nov - Shells, Scripting and Data Management
Tue 8th Nov - Essential System Services
Tue 15th Nov - User Interfaces and Desktop

This actually works out well, providing I don't lose any more time. Once I get to 15th November, I can do my final studies and re-visit chapters and book my exam for early December which is the goal I set myself at the beginning of the year.

Yeah, my original schedule is off, but I didn't have one nearly as structured as yours. A part of me wants to finish Linux+, but a part of me wants to start on CCNP R&S because that would be more relevant to my current job and I think would help me in the job market whenever I want to look for a new job.

I find job humting depressing too. I keep a spreadsheet of the jobs I applied for, the job posting link, the candidate login link, whether I've heard back, whether I've interviewed, etc. For me, it helps to ease the pain. I always shoot for applying to at least one job a day no matter what. This is because I know that the vast majority I'm not going to hear back from, so order to increase the chance of hearing back from someone I need to put more applications out. I usually have to apply to around 50 jobs before I get one.

You might want to make 3-4 different versions of your resume that targets the differences in the tyoes of jobs you are applying to that way you can be more relevant to the job postings without having to rework your resume for every single job posting.

thomas_ wrote: »

Yeah, my original schedule is off, but I didn't have one nearly as structured as yours. A part of me wants to finish Linux+, but a part of me wants to start on CCNP R&S because that would be more relevant to my current job and I think would help me in the job market whenever I want to look for a new job.

I find job humting depressing too. I keep a spreadsheet of the jobs I applied for, the job posting link, the candidate login link, whether I've heard back, whether I've interviewed, etc. For me, it helps to ease the pain. I always shoot for applying to at least one job a day no matter what. This is because I know that the vast majority I'm not going to hear back from, so order to increase the chance of hearing back from someone I need to put more applications out. I usually have to apply to around 50 jobs before I get one.

You might want to make 3-4 different versions of your resume that targets the differences in the tyoes of jobs you are applying to that way you can be more relevant to the job postings without having to rework your resume for every single job posting.

Thanks Thomas_ , I'll be honest - your messages keep me going. I'm glad it's not just me who is struggling to see this thing through. I've never been like this with a cert before. I think the Linux+ is just a lot bigger than I expected. It's my first CompTIA cert and it's supposed to be one of the hardest they do (so i've read on this website).

The thing is, some people say that they've completed the Linux+ within weeks. As I mentioned above, I see that as a huge, huge negative. If I was a business, i'd rather hire a guy who took 20 weeks to pass it than a guy who took 3 weeks to pass it. I just don't believe someone who took 3 weeks can consume the massive amount of information the Linux+ provides (unless they were doing a solid 8-9 hours on it per day). I'm trying to take in everything it's telling me. I'm at the point where i'm overloaded with information - stuff i'll probably never need! I'm going to take you up on the spreadsheet - that's a fantastic idea and I don't know why i've not done that myself.

All i've got on my mind at the moment is doing the MTA Server course, getting that done in early 2017 and then embarking on the MCSA - which has been one of my goals for a very long time.

Do I think I can pass the LX0-104? I do. The self-assessments have been fairly straight forward - there have been a couple of things I genuinely didn't know, but I definitely think I can pass this and put it behind me. I think if/when I get through this, I will be very proud of myself for seeing it through!

Let me know how you do with your Linux+, I definitely understand why you're tempted to persue other certs.

If I didn't have bad luck, i'd have no luck at all. Life is really getting in the way of this exam. Today I had to take my car in to the garage because it's on a recall. I waited around for 2 and a half hours only to be told "we've not started on it yet". Are you kidding me?? Seriously? So I tell them to cancel it, I need to get back home.

I get home and get a call "can you attend a telephone interview at 3pm?". It was 1:30pm at the time. I jumped on my computer and began putting some notes together to revise from for the exam. The telephone rang at 3:10pm and I had an hour long interview. I was absolutely exhausted after it. It was a very, very intense interview to say the least. Highly technical - probably beyond me if i'm truthfully honest. I feel like I did well all things considered.

4:10pm I started cooking and by the time i'd had something to eat, washed up, had a shower, got ready to sit down at my computer again it was 9pm. I've just spent the last hour on the LX0-104 and I feel like the day has gone by in a flash.

The exam is getting booked 100% in December whether i'm fully ready or not. I think I will be ready; as I said last time with the LX0-103 - when i'm under pressure, I am at my best. Today was just impossible to predict. I expected my car to be done within 30 minutes and I didn't expect to be given 1 hour 30 mins to prepare for an hour long technical interview.

I'll make up for it tomorrow and over the weekend.

Here's a late week update. I'll start by being honest - i've barely touched the LX0-104. I've been ill (nothing serious, just headaches/cold symptoms etc) Staring at a screen is killing me. Also - getting a job has taken priority. I've had an interview this week and passed it (Wahoo!) and I have the final interview next Monday. The job is for a Windows AD/Server consultant/admin, so I wouldn't be dealing with Linux.

However - a company has expressed interest in me because I was doing the Linux+ and they want me to have an "informal chat", they stress it's not an interview, however, it sure sounds like one.

So where does that leave me? Well, it has been a very busy week with all that going on. I'm working through the 'Administering The System' chapter. I'm finding that i've been reading without carrying out the practicals which is poor practice, I know. Anyway. I'm reading through Bresnahan and Blum's book at the moment and the whole usermod and groups thing is quite difficult to follow - but that could be down to me not feeling well and mis-interpreting it.

I set about a personal task. I created two users: student and simon (created with useradd)
I checked their groups using 'groups <username>'

It was as follows:
student : users
simon : users

Ok, so now, to add them to a new group called LX104, I had to create the group:

'groupadd LX104' < this command creates the group.

Now, doing 'cat /etc/group' shows the group and who is in it.

It looked like this: 'LX104: x:1000:'

Now this is where the book is confusing. The -G command for 'useradd' puts the user in a group. So if I do 'useradd -G LX104 tom' it will create the user tom and also add the user tom to the LX104 group.

If you do 'gpasswd -M simon LX104' - this command will replace tom with simon, so simon is the ONLY member of the group. Notice the command is inconsistent from the useradd command? grrrr Linux's inconsistencies are frustrating

Read: this is a dangerous command! You could literally overwrite an entire group using it. The book doesn't say that this command could be deadly, but it is.

The more 'correct' way to add users, is actually 'usermod -a -G LX104 student' which would add student to the group (and keep simon in it, untouched).

To delete a user from a group, you have to use 'gpasswd -d simon LX104'. Running 'cat /etc/group/' would then show that you have 'LX104: x:1000:student' (only student in the group LX104).

Linux's command line is powerful, there's no debating that, but I think the command line is also a bit of a downfall. It's extremely easy to make a mistake and unless you know it inside out and go out of your way to perform tests like the one i've just done - the phrase 'a little knowledge is dangerous' comes to mind...

Anyway, i'll have this section done by next week now and then move on. I'm going to be scheduling the exam for about 6-7 weeks out.

Thanks!

Keep it going, don't give up! I have bailed on Project+ and now starting to study Linux+ 103...cheers!

shochan wrote: »

Keep it going, don't give up! I have bailed on Project+ and now starting to study Linux+ 103...cheers!

Thanks! I'm feeling much better today. Working on the LX104 right now. Can I ask why you stopped working on the Project+ ? That is something I was looking at. Wasn't sure whether or not to go for it in future, but you might be able to give me an idea of what it's like.

si20 wrote: »

Thanks! I'm feeling much better today. Working on the LX104 right now. Can I ask why you stopped working on the Project+ ? That is something I was looking at. Wasn't sure whether or not to go for it in future, but you might be able to give me an idea of what it's like.

It was more focused on management instead of technical work. I think it may have helped me with managing projects better, but I couldn't get into the material...It was dry and boring...I tried numerous types of studying: Udemy, YouTube, & 003 Sybex book. After taking a few assessment tests and end of chapter tests, I was failing majority of them. It just wasn't technical enough for me and lost interest. At least I was able to get my $50 back & use it towards the Linux+ cert.

shochan wrote: »

It was more focused on management instead of technical work. I think it may have helped me with managing projects better, but I couldn't get into the material...It was dry and boring...I tried numerous types of studying: Udemy, YouTube, & 003 Sybex book. After taking a few assessment tests and end of chapter tests, I was failing majority of them. It just wasn't technical enough for me and lost interest. At least I was able to get my $50 back & use it towards the Linux+ cert.

Thanks for the heads up! I did think it might be like that. I remember doing some project work in one of my previous roles and it was the most mundane thing ever. The project manager was on 60k+ and seemed to do very little aside from keeping a nice spreadsheet updated once or twice per week. I might give that one a miss then! Good luck with the LX103

quickman007

Just going to chime in real quick. I've got the Project+ and I would recommend reading through the material to get a basic understanding of the project lifecycle. Probably not going to see much ROI with the cert, though. Shochan is correct when he says it's dry and boring!

Super quick update: I'm STILL going through chapter 7's "Administering The Sytem". It is spread over 50+ pages which I think (i've not checked for sure) is the biggest section of the LX104. I get the feeling that this section is going to be covered in serious detail in the exam, so i'm making sure I understand every sentence. So far it has covered users and groups (i've personally discovered how dangerous some of the commands can be (see a few posts above for where I made some commands bold). It has covered skel config, UIDs, chage, groups, config files, sytem/environmental variables along with log and journal files!! This is only one chapter and i've got 40 more pages left in this chapter...

I will say this much: The LX104, like the LX103 doesn't seem exessively difficult, it's just extremely hard to know the sheer volume of information it's providing. I'm yet again having to change my schedule to reflect how big this chapter is and how much it covers.

My new timetable:

Sat 1st Oct - Security (DONE)
Sat 8th Oct - Networking Fundamentals (DONE)
Tue 25th Oct - Administrative Tasks (IN PROGRESS)
Tue 8th Nov - Shells, Scripting and Data Management (TO DO...)
Tue 15th Nov - Essential System Services (TO DO...)
Tue 22nd Nov - User Interfaces and Desktop (TO DO...)

Somehow....and I don't know how, but i'm still on track to have the exam in December. My biggest downfall was not realising how big "Administrative Tasks" is and under-estimating how much time it needed. I hope that the final 3 chapters will be relatively short in comparison and that after 22nd November, I can get one last week of going over my notes and doing some practice questions before I can take the exam in early December.

Again guys, thanks for the support. I know for a fact that without people posting and reading this, I wouldn't have nearly as much motivation

Note to self: Chapter 6 & Chapter 9 left in Bresnahan & Blum book.

Keep at it, you're definitely making good progress. I finally finished the second half of my pearson vue book. I plan on working my through the Linux Academy course for LX0-104. I've downloaded the MP3s so I can listen to them in the car and also want to try to make my way through the videos while following along on a virtual machine.