LPIC-2 prep book coming out

Sybex is about to publish a guide for LPIC-2 exam, same author that wrote LPIC-1. Release date is (for now) set for May:
Amazon.com: LPIC-2 Linux Professional Institute Certification Study Guide: Exams 201 and 202 (9781118000151): Roderick W. Smith: Books

This is the only guide on LPIC-2 with the new objectives, as far as I've noticed.

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NightShade03

I'd be interested to see how this book is. I know that there are currently no books on the market for the LPIC-2 exams.

twodogs62

I am interested too. Gotta do level-1 first though....

Bl8ckr0uter

Interesting. Hopefully it will be a decent read.

/pub/beer/

I might give that a shot. With the LPI discount last month I took the 202 exam. Little prep work, but I did study for a day or two and cram the night before with whatever info I could find.

My impression of the exam was more of a "who needs to know some of this stuff by memory?". Not only odd ball questions on common programs, but just focusing on some things that I've never had to use. I failed it, as I expected, but it was really close. I left with a level of frustration that even if I just sucked it up and memorized some this stuff for a few days that it would eventually escape me and eventually the cert would expire and I'd be in the same boat.

UnixGuy

/pub/beer/ wrote: »

....

My impression of the exam was more of a "who needs to know some of this stuff by memory?". Not only odd ball questions on common programs, but just focusing on some things that I've never had to use. I failed it, as I expected, but it was really close. I left with a level of frustration that even if I just sucked it up and memorized some this stuff for a few days that it would eventually escape me and eventually the cert would expire and I'd be in the same boat....

I don't know anything about this exam, but from what you're describing, I see absolutely no point in such questions ! Waste of money right?!

/pub/beer/

The 201 exam is more kernel focused, so that has some use. The 202 was the services one and had things like apache, sendmail, and squid on it, but it also had odd ball stuff too.

Bl8ckr0uter

/pub/beer/ wrote: »

The 201 exam is more kernel focused, so that has some use. The 202 was the services one and had things like apache, sendmail, and squid on it, but it also had odd ball stuff too.

I thought the LPIC-2 exams were more "real" admin level. AS a *nix admin, are you saying you don't see the worth because of the information is more esoteric than real world, or are you saying that it just have very little worth at all?

/pub/beer/

If you just look at the 202 objectives its not that obvious. IMO, I don't think some of that knowledge is valuable. I feel this way with a lot of Linux multiple choice exams - but this one had me saying in my mind a lot "why would I memorize that, or remember that under normal circumstances?".

At least a recently published book would dive more into the current objectives and cover some of the obscure things in more detail. The book would make the LPIC-2 a little more worth while to pursue.

NightShade03

/pub/beer/ wrote: »

If you just look at the 202 objectives its not that obvious. IMO, I don't think some of that knowledge is valuable. I feel this way with a lot of Linux multiple choice exams - but this one had me saying in my mind a lot "why would I memorize that, or remember that under normal circumstances?".

At least a recently published book would dive more into the current objectives and cover some of the obscure things in more detail. The book would make the LPIC-2 a little more worth while to pursue.

I agree with this and will also add that some times these multiple choice exams can be a little outdated. At least with the Red Hat exams they can ask you to implement an SMTP server and you can use sendmail/postfix/or anything else. With this kind of M/C exam they are only asking about Sendmail (which is kind of dated). Seems useless because like already mentioned I've never used Sendmail...don't seem a time when I will need too...and if I did I'd probably look up anything I needed to know.

twodogs62

I agree too. LPI-1 makes most sense. Many basic things you would use, but the higher levels do seem to get into things one might not use as much.

I see LPI stretching what I know and enabling me to pick up on some new tools to do my job better.

But, then again if one uses this daily much of it will be known and not memorized.

But, then again Linux runs so well it is like how much do you have to mess with.

varelg

/pub/beer/ wrote: »

... My impression of the exam was more of a "who needs to know some of this stuff by memory?"...

But I am almost sure we all had those "who needs this..." moments on the 101 exam, so I don't see how surprising that might be at the upper LPIC levels. Such are their exams.
My biggest turn-off about LPIC-2 is its distribution neutrality: after the initial junior admin level you'll need to settle for a particular distro and keep building your skills in it while pursuing higher level cert if it's available for that distro AND you actually need one. There are a few higher- level Linux/*nix certs out there that fully or partially build upon knowledge gained while preparing for LPIC-1, like Novell's CLP, Red Hat's RHCSA or Oracle's Linux and Solaris admin. I'd take the two exams just before my LPIC-1 expires and just for the sake of the effort I put in getting LPIC-1.
But a book on LPIC-2 has been long overdue, the only other book published on this topic is O'Reilly's guide that covered both LPIC-1 and 2 but on outdated objectives. Online resources are scarce and half- baked so this title will be very welcomed among prospective candidates, considering how often the scarcity of prep material for LPIC-2 pops up as a subject on the LPI mailing list.
On the other hand, looking at how LPIC-1 became the de facto requirement for starting level Linux admin, it wouldn't be a surprise to see some of the above mentioned cert issuers waving part of their requirements for LPIC-2 holders.