Linux path

bjay

about getting out of noobism
i have looked around the site a bit for this information but nothing as straight to the point like i think i would like.
i would like some senior out here to advice about the path to learning linux for real, for example with cisco technology,there is the hierarchy from CCENT-> CCIE and ofcourse the flavors of voice,r/s,security and all that. lots of literature directed at each cisco level and ofcourse there is iou,dynamips for simulation not to mention packet tracer and the cisco academy for ccna and ccnp, so you get a sense of where u are going and how far u have gone with the technology.
i like linux for the sheer ability to customize the OS; cheap if deployed in a production environment and repeatedly mention use of tools and scripts to do task.(Asterix for telephony) etc
i would like to have this knowledge for my own fun and maybe work with it.
i just want to focus on on one good distro and focus well enough to learn linux and without a learning platform like cisco academy i think i will just go for RHCE as it list requirements and i can walk through that part....i want to run linux in VirtualBox but take it further....

good advise requested

cheers

YuckTheFankees

Linux+ (good fundamentals)> RHCSA > RHCE> RHCA (the CCIE of linux).

Download CentOS or Scientific Life, those two are the closest to Red hat. Also, just to let you know, you can not be RHCE certified without passing the RHCSA exam as well.

bjay

hello and thanks for reply
If you have been on this part for linux certification, what have you done about hands-on? Do /did u also run virtualbox, and can you throw in a word about kind of topology needed versus task and configurations.i am looking to run virtual box with one server(CLI only) and 2clients(windows and another linux box) , then start from samba and file shares,then take it on from there.
I dont believe in a certification that cant be renewed especially in a world of technology, i 'd rather LPI if linux+ still have no renewal policy.

log32

if we're talking about certifications only (I guess you do know a thing or two about using linux systems i assume)
you can choose between LPI and Red Hat
Red hat focuses on RH based systems
LPI is aimed for all kind of systems (Debian based, RHEL based etc)
If you ask me personally I started off with learning linux from books, until i was satisfied from my performance and knowledge, then I decided to take LPIC-1, today Im already LPIC-2 and learning for the last level, LPIC-3. (LDAP, Capacity planning, integration, security, etc).
but it's really up to you, I guess red hat is good as well (some people say it's better, but that issue divides really)
good luck
I can assist you with exam materials regarding LPI exams, but not with red hat.

bjay

yes i have been using linux off and on as my desktop but am ready to convert totally to linux now. i want to use linux and want to use the certification as a part to learning it.
how do i log all network traffic coming in through my dsl router,first to a linux server and then to the rest of my home network....
and yes i am game for LPI study materials

log32

hey bjay
have you got linkedin? I just normally not around the forums and mostly there, and in order to help you with materials, I can set up an FTP account on my server, feel free to contact me at linkedin: Dolev Farhi is my name.

bjay

Thanks you can send info to me blackjuice12[at]yahoo.com

log32

done, in your inbox

onesaint

bjay wrote: »

hello and thanks for reply
If you have been on this part for linux certification, what have you done about hands-on? Do /did u also run virtualbox, and can you throw in a word about kind of topology needed versus task and configurations.i am looking to run virtual box with one server(CLI only) and 2clients(windows and another linux box) , then start from samba and file shares,then take it on from there.
I dont believe in a certification that cant be renewed especially in a world of technology, i 'd rather LPI if linux+ still have no renewal policy.

If you read through some of the threads in this forum, this is covered more than a few times.

As YTF said, start with LPIC-1 and verify you know the basics of Linux. From their pick your favorite distro, RPM based (RHEL/CentOS) or pkg based (Ubuntu/Deb) and dig in further.

I'll speak to the Red Hat route as I'm most familiar with that. Post LPIC-1, pick up the RHCSA, then RHCE. A basic lab consists of a few VMs with Cent/Scientific/RHEL installed. I would use KVM, Xen, or ESXi for your VMs as these you will see in a production enviornment. Then practice the exam objectives, often. They can be found here for the RHCSA: Red Hat | Training | Exam objectives . The RHCE objectives can also be found on Red Hat's site.

The best sentiment I've come across regarding getting work with these certs goes something like this: No one will put you in a production *nix network with certs alone. You need experience to ensure you have an understand of how NOT to take down a network.

log32

onesaint, is RHCSA also a hands on test or is it written?

YuckTheFankees

All red hat exams are performances based, no written exams.

log32

alright that's cool, I hope to finish LPIC-3 Core in two or three weeks and then I'll go for RHCSA as well.

UnixGuy

It sounds like 22 catch (because it is), but try your best to get a job in Unix/Linux doing support/administration.

Certifications wise, do the RHCSA/RHCE. It will help you land a job, and you can go from there. There's no substitution for experience here.


Forums like unix.com and linuxquestions.org are very helpful. See what problems admins face, and try to solve them (you will learn in the process).


Have two linux machines on vmware (client/server), study for RHCE, and keep on practicing.