w00t, h4xx0r. . . or something. . .

Slowhand

Passed my Linux+ today!

Didn't do as well as I'd have liked, (got a 710,) but I had only been studying for it for three weeks. Prior to my "official" studying time, I'd had only some basic experience with Linux, like installing Fedora 4 using the GUI. I had no experience on the command-line, and didn't know a thing about how the kernel, the daemons, permissions, etc. . . worked. The real brunt of my hands-on work is coming from where I currently work, which is a mixed environment comprised of Windows 2K/2K3 servers and Red Hat Enterprise 4 servers. The more I learn, the more I get to work on. Now that I'm Linux+ certified, and have a more in-depth understanding of how Linux work, I'm going to be handed a significant amount of work to do on those Red Hat servers, either working solo or assisting another systems admin.

I've been using the Sybex book, along with the TestOut course. The TestOut course was my core training, it put me through my paces, learning just about everything I needed to know. (Given, once or twice with each command and topic isn't nearly enough to be a Linux expert, it did give me a clear idea of each concept.) The book helped to reinforce the ideas, and I feel like I've learned a lot about Linux's inner workings. Most of the test was comprised of command-line syntax and very specific flags and filepaths, so I don't feel like I hadn't learned a lot of it, I just couldn't remember every flag for every command or every path to every config file. From here on out, it's going to be about experience, plain and simple, and lots of on-the-job training to get familiar with the specifics. (That's what I bought that big, thick "Linux in a Nutshell" book for.)

What's next? I was thinking about reinforcing the concepts I learned with Linux+ by heading on down the LPIC-1 path, and then on to LPIC-2. After that, I'm sure I'll be all open-sourced out, and be ready to hit the books for CCNA. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go recomplie the kernel so I can have myself some drinks. . .

Webmaster

Congratulations!

sprkymrk

Very good, especially if you only had limited experience with Linux before.

Slowhand

Thank you. I was pretty pleased, having gone in green, so to speak. A lot of the concepts were familiar from the Windows world, so it wasn't as if though I was learning everything from the ground up, just how to do it with Linux, and how Linux's CLI handles the things I'm used to working with in the Windows GUI.

There were some concepts that stood out, and I learned a lot of new things about, studying for this test, that were very different from the Windows world:

Administration:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/frustrations/58f5/

Getting help:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/sysadmin/5b7e/

Permissions:
http://www.jinx.com/scripts/details.asp?affid=-1&productID=328

And, of course, I learned about the closeness and solidarity of the open-source community:
http://www.jinx.com/scripts/details.asp?affid=-1&productID=307

mikej412

Congratulations!

Slowhand wrote:

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go recomplie the kernel so I can have myself some drinks. . .

Hum.... Linux home automation system with a "certification study security lock" on the booze cabinet? I'm glad my Cisco Routers aren't that smart!

!30

Grat's!

If this subject appear , let me ask you.What distro's do you use for preparing ? Which one do you like the most ?
What type of information do you get from Linux+ ? configuring server's ( proxy'. etc. ) , iptable's , kernel recompilation , module's , routing ( forwading ) , or just basicaly command's and the rest ?

Just curios , I wanted to take it to , now I'm preparing with Debian .. I like it , but let's see .

Slowhand

The exam, itself, tends to assume Fedora Core 1. The training material I was using, (TestOut,) used Fedora Core 1 and 2, and made mention of how things differ in Debian and Slackware. For the most part, though, the test is pretty focused on Red Hat based distros.

I actually used a couple of different distros to prepare. For my own test lab, I had a Fedora Core 5 machine, a Slackware machine, and a SuSE 10 Enterprise Server machine, (I'd gotten the software for free at Linuxworld.) At work, we've been using Red Hat Enterprise Server 4 for our customers systems, and FreeBSD 6.2 for most of our own work, but I think there's a Debian machine hiding out on our network, somewhere.

All in all, I'd say that the rpm-based distros, like Red Hat and SuSE are my favorite, right along with BSD (even though it's not actually Linux, but close enough.) I enjoyed working with Slackware, but the novelty wore off after the umpteenth tarball install erroring out due to dependency issues. I honestly didn't work with Debian all that much, nor any of the other distros all too much, so I can't really say one way or the other which one I liked the least. I can say, however, that I think I like working with Fedora the best.

Ricka182

congrast!

rcoop

Congratulations!!! Great feedback too!

Take Care,
RCoop

!30

Just asking you guy's :

I'm now learning Linux . I'm getting over most of distribution , trying to understand very well them.I'm doing it . I understand .I think this is the point.

How Linux is one of the key's to networks I want to understand it to.
I want t take in a few months Linux+ , is this a great examen , for proving me that I really know some Linux ? or is not .

I hope that I'll get an answer from you guy's ..

Slowhand

Linux+ is a good foundational exam. It builds up basic knowledge that'll help you, not only in the workplace, but also in preperation for more advanced exams and when you're doing more advanced Linux work.

RussS

Congrats - good stuff.