On the road to LPIC-1

JJbiggle

Well, I decided to take the LPIC-1. I just can't stomach taking the 70-291 right now. I am taking alot of flac for taking this exam from just about everybody around me (invovled in IT). My collegues say that the LPIC is a waste of time, and that I should finish my MCSA. I beg to differ, I learned a vast amount when I took the Linux+, and looking at the texts for LPIC-1. I feel I am going to learn alot more.

Any suggestions on testing sotware for the LPIC-1?


Sombody actually told me linux is a waste of time!

impelse

Sure you will learn a lot more and you will enjoy it. But don't you bealive that you could finish MCSA and later keep with Linux, so you complete something and go to the next.

darkerosxx

JJbiggle wrote:

Sombody actually told me linux is a waste of time!

It can be perceived as a waste of time if you don't work with it and could be spending your time working on stuff you do work with. However, I'd say do what you feel is better for you in the long run. You can't go wrong studying Linux stuff, but I would think if you have a Linux+ cert, you'd be better off doing RHCT or MCSA/E study, again, depending on what you work with on a daily basis.

Slowhand

I definitely agree with the others, get 70-291 out of the way now and get your MCSA. If you don't, you won't have the benefit of the full cert and you'll have a harder time "getting back to it" than just banging it out ASAP.

As far as LPIC goes, I'd say it's a good thing. Something like RHCE is probably going to be more popular, but the LPIC-3 is a very, very advanced cert, giving you skills and knowledge on Linux as a whole, not just Red Hat. I think you should definitely go ahead and get LPIC-1, then move up that ladder.

What I think a lot of people mean when they say "Linux is a waste of time" is either that they don't use it, (just like people who **** on Windows,) or they mean that certification on Linux is a waste of time. Most Linux folks tend to look poorly on certification as a whole, being that Linux and Unix is the "hacker's operating system", (hacker meaning a person who writes code, messes with programs, does everything on their own,) and isn't always approached in a standard way. Many IT professionals who use Linux also tend to feel that certification isn't enough to learn all the nuances of *NIX and value number of years' experience over any cert or in some cases even a degree.

JJbiggle

I do plan on taking the 70-291 after LPIC-1. I am going to finish my MCSA and get it out the way. A friend of mine said I was dodging 70-291 (which I very well may be). If you look at my certifications on my avatar they are in order of how I have tooken them. I took Linux+ and Security+ because I was interested in it. I have a very difficult time studying for something when I am not interested in it and 70-291 would fall right into that category.



The only people in IT who I see critizing certifications are usally the ones that have no certifications.

Now I am just babbling, I needed to get this is off my chest. My own wife is bugging my about my MCSA!

LinuxLee

JJbiggle wrote: »

Somebody actually told me linux is a waste of time!

That is the typical juvenile response from someone who feels threatened by Linux because they doubt their own ability to master it.

UnixGuy

I agree with the advices given to you.

See, I work exclusively with UNIX, and I know a lot of folks working with linux and UNIX, and I have to second "Slowhand" that certifications are taken lightly when it comes to *NIX, experience is what really matters.

If you have taken Linux+, then this is a very good step and if you want to make use of it, go get a job with Linux right now !


what matters in UNIX/Linux world is that your resume have things like:

1. Setting up SAMBA, configuring "sendmail" server for a large financial institution, High availability using LVM (or SVM or ZFS)

2. 3 years experience administering FreeBSD UNIX

3. Shell scripting PERL/Python/C

4. Veritas Storage Foundation suite (this is very advanced but invaluable !)

...and so on.


Having actual experience is way more important in UNIX/Linux, because it's very rare that someone trust you in production machines without actual experience. And unfortunately certs are taken lightly by *NIX professionals, I've seen RHCEs taken lightly, although it's the most respected. Also, Veritas experience is more important than certs, and so on.


In a nutshell, my suggestion is: Get a job in Linux/UNIX right now! Get experience, get exposure, learn more advanced/challenging stuff. Then move on with your certs. You will be getting more money with UNIX/Linux than Microsoft simply because the number of UNIX/Linux professionals is less than Microsoft professionals. Having Windows experience/Background is very useful, since a lot of jobs now require you to have Multi-platform experience. VMware experience will be very good also.

UnixGuy

LinuxLee wrote: »

That is the typical juvenile response from someone who feels threatened by Linux because they doubt their own ability to master it.

I've heard a lot of similar things. The problem is, I've met a lot of "IT Professionals" who don't really know what UNIX/Linux is and what it is used for ! They don't know what SAN is and what it is used for !

They will say why going through all the effort of typing useless commands if you can do it with Wizards ! Well that's true but sometimes you MUST use UNIX/Linux and in there's no graphical Wizards !

I use and recommend Windows for desktops/laptops, but I can't run my financial critical db on windows, and sometimes some companies and banks have very strict requirements and they can't tolerate 10 minutes downtime ! They will penalty our company if their servers went down!

I once got a suggestion of replacing Solaris 8 with Windows XP Home Edition because Solaris 8 is old !! lol !!

jibbajabba

He - I know where you are coming from. After all those Microsoft certs I was fed up with it myself that I started looking into Linux .. It even felt refreshing to read something else

My company tries to push me towards SQL Server but I am still fed up with Windows sometimes that I still haven't open a book yet lol ...

JJbiggle

I actually work in both environments everyday, however I do work with windows more. I have stopped studying for the LPI. I am currently scheduled and studying for the 291. I just really hate MS exams. It seems to me the test you on limitations of the operating system and related services rather than its abilities. I found studying the L+ to be fun I learned a lot.

So I plan to complete my MCSE, and then if i have not already blown out my brains due to MS questions, I do plan to take the LPI.


Goodbye LPI.. For now...

jibbajabba

JJbiggle wrote: »

I actually work in both environments everyday, however I do work with windows more. I have stopped studying for the LPI. I am currently scheduled and studying for the 291. I just really hate MS exams. It seems to me the test you on limitations of the operating system and related services rather than its abilities. I found studying the L+ to be fun I learned a lot.

So I plan to complete my MCSE, and then if i have not already blown out my brains due to MS questions, I do plan to take the LPI.


Goodbye LPI.. For now...

lol - sounds like me .. I enjoy studying for the RHCE but hate everything M$$ related at the moment .. not sure why, but I do ...