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Old 01-13-2015, 07:29 AM   #1
drgambit
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Angry Is Linux Essentials supposed to be this tough???


I consider myself computer-literate, but new to Linux. I would like to get some Linux education and some certifications under my belt in order to fit in some administrator role. So I decided to start with LPI's recommendation in certification and start with the 'bottom', which is Linux Essentials.

Here's the thing, I have been reading the "LPI Linux Essentials Certification All-in-One Exam Guide" just to get a grasp on what I need to learn about the certification. I reach the end of the book and take the practice exam, I fail. There is A LOT to know in this book, so much so that I have been reading chapters over just to get a handle on everything that is provided.

I start getting flustered and look for something else online, and then I find the CBT nuggets courses. I watch a few of the videos and see that these courses are VERY different than what I have been reading, they are very easy and don't go over into much detail as to what I have been reading in the book I have!

My thoughts is that 'Linux Essentials' is more of a beginners guide/introduction to Linux, and you shouldn't be inundated with smaller details, but I could be mistaken...

So now I am at a crossroads, as always more information is better, but I don't want to overload myself (and waste time) over something that I will probably re-learn when I start taking COMPTIA Linux+ (which will be right after - hopefully - passing the Linux essentials exam)

Does anyone actually know if the Linux Essentials certification exam is super-detailed or not? Upon reading other threads, I have found that CBTNuggets is a very good source for education, could it be that I just purchased a very detailed book and I am making a mountain out of a molehill?

I swear this is driving me to drink
 
Old 01-13-2015, 10:36 AM   #2
Skydiver069
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Re: LPI Essentials - difficulity rating

Oddly enough, I had the same question on my mind today. I've read/skimmed through the "Linux Essentials" manual by LINUP FRONT (free to d/l), and the past few days have watched the core LPI Essentials Training videos by the UrbanPenguin on YouTube (a search for LPI brings them up at the top). For the next few days I plan on working through the Lessons - Hands-On.

In my case, I've been using Linux for a few years, however, I never really took the time to learn the mechanics, etc.. I/E: Where configuration files are stored; Manually installing apps with ./configure / make / make install ..; etc.. Even though I started with cmd line based around Red-Hat 5.1/5.2.

Anyway, like yourself, I'm trying to gauge the difficulty of this exam. My guess is that if I do the Lessons and get a grip on those, then I should be ok. Might need to review certain sections of the training videos, but that's to be expected. Although they talk about Bash Scripting, etc.., I don't believe we'll be expected to know how to write any in-depth scripts.

There's my two cents.. Anyone else with personal experience to share on this certification?
 
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Old 01-13-2015, 10:42 AM   #3
business_kid
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In my opinion, Linux is not something you can pick up overnight. It is a large field. It's like medicine, or electronics - you can only become really good at part of it at a time.

Red Hat uses systemd and selinux, and they take a large amount of course work. Linux essentials I presume is a different setup, as your 'linux nuggets.' Pin your goal down. Do you want to be a sysadmin? Programmer? Tech support? Virtualisation? Security? Kernel Developer? Application Engineering? How good is your C/C++, perl, python, sed, awk, & bash? If they are like mine (Terrible), your field is narrowed.

People come here (Ireland) from the 'States, and they 'do' Ireland in a week. They sit on a bus with 70 others and get bussed to the various big name beauty spots; the buses stop outside the most expensive souvenir shops (who bribe the drivers and they are totally exhausted, and gone by the time they start enjoying themselves.

You can't 'do' linux!
If it's difficult as hell, it sounds like a good course. The prospectus on the Beginner's course seems like a good way to start. Servers don't run X, so no point & click there.
 
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Old 01-13-2015, 11:06 AM   #4
sidzen
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Red face

I thought OP was speaking of linux-essentials pkg in 'buntus repos!

Perhaps McGrath's Linux In Easy Steps?
 
Old 01-13-2015, 10:21 PM   #5
drgambit
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skydiver069 View Post
Oddly enough, I had the same question on my mind today. I've read/skimmed through the "Linux Essentials" manual by LINUP FRONT (free to d/l), and the past few days have watched the core LPI Essentials Training videos by the UrbanPenguin on YouTube (a search for LPI brings them up at the top). For the next few days I plan on working through the Lessons - Hands-On.

In my case, I've been using Linux for a few years, however, I never really took the time to learn the mechanics, etc.. I/E: Where configuration files are stored; Manually installing apps with ./configure / make / make install ..; etc.. Even though I started with cmd line based around Red-Hat 5.1/5.2.

Anyway, like yourself, I'm trying to gauge the difficulty of this exam. My guess is that if I do the Lessons and get a grip on those, then I should be ok. Might need to review certain sections of the training videos, but that's to be expected. Although they talk about Bash Scripting, etc.., I don't believe we'll be expected to know how to write any in-depth scripts.

There's my two cents.. Anyone else with personal experience to share on this certification?
Exactly! Even the LINUP FRONT study guide appears easier than what I have... hopefully there's somebody who has taken the test can shed some light on this!
 
Old 01-13-2015, 10:33 PM   #6
John VV
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"Linux" is NOT something you learn from a book

just like

"Windows" is NOT something you learn from a book

also there is a VERY!!! big difference in a windows DESKTOP OS like win7 and 8.1
and a SEVER class os like RHEL 7.0

also there is the difference in a DESKTOP install VS. a SERVER install

two very drastically different uses and very different set ups
( the SAME thing goes for windows home systems and windows servers )


you learn by DOING


set up headless servers on opposite sides of your room ( or desk- 2 laptops) and practice

Last edited by John VV; 01-13-2015 at 10:39 PM.
 
Old 01-17-2015, 11:30 PM   #7
Skydiver069
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John, I understand your views on how best to learn.. I've been working with Backtrack (Ubuntu) for ~7yrs, as well as, Red Hat and various Linux based firewalls prior to that. Tonight, I've started to go through the Ubuntu 14.04.1 server install to feel that out; using another PC and installing to a USB SSD. I'm comfortable with many cmds and features the LPI Essentials exam appears to be focused on, and will be tapping into my weak areas next. Still, it helps going through a book and videos to gain an understanding for which content areas one is expected to know.

That said, it doesn't matter how much you DO; if you're weak or unprepared on a few areas when going into an exam, you might just be throwing $$ out the window. This applies to any certification.

Last edited by Skydiver069; 01-17-2015 at 11:37 PM.
 
Old 01-17-2015, 11:48 PM   #8
sag47
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Exams aside; what do you actually want to do with your Linux career? I could possibly guide you as large scale Linux infrastructure in a fortune 50 company is my day job. I've made other beginner recommendations and suggested good ways to learn Linux areas of interest interactively. However, if you have specific goals in mind a guiding hand always helps.
 
Old 01-19-2015, 08:47 AM   #9
sundialsvcs
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Offhand, I'd say that this continuing-education effort on your part is, right now, going exactly as its Instructional Designers intended.

If you think that a curriculum like this is something that you will "breeze through," and you actually do, then the course probably isn't well-designed. (Or, it simply is too remedial for you ... but good courses aren't designed to be completely "remedial.")

The foundation courses of any curriculum are intended, not only to act as a foundation upon which everything else may sit, but also to help you to identify and to then focus-upon exactly what it is that you wish to learn. They purpose to show you how to frame that question, how to make that selection effectively, and where and how to proceed after you've decided. These courses are often the hardest to write, and the hardest to complete. But, in many ways, they're the best.

Linux is a big system, and it's only getting bigger. You can't "know it." You can only, at best, teach yourself where and how to look. (But this, itself, is an important skill which the curriculums do try to help you learn.)

If you pursue a Linux-based curriculum, you will inevitably specialize. A lot. And, you will eventually join and work on a particular team of specialists. The designers know that. One of the "foundation course" purposes is to give the various teams enough knowledge about what-the- the members of other teams are actually talking-about in those long, boring meetings, so that they can work together effectively.

If you right now feel that a Red Hat course is "-bustin' hard," then you're getting your money's worth out of the learning experience. Their designers are very, very good. (Focus your efforts on the course. "The certificate" is merely an afterthought.)

Last edited by sundialsvcs; 01-19-2015 at 08:53 AM.
 
Old 01-20-2015, 11:34 PM   #10
Skydiver069
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sag47, in my case, based on my current experience with BackTrack, etc.., I see myself continuing to use Linux in the security auditing field, as well as for playing a part in end-point security solutions, along with other server related tasks. To be specific at this point, I can't yet say. Your 'Where is the best place to start' posting was in-depth and informative for my knowledge level. Learning heavy scripting doesn't sound too exciting just yet, but then again, I haven't massaged the cmd's enough yet to see the real reasons for wanting to automate various tasks.

sundialsvcs, I can't speak for drgambit, but I can say the LPI Essentials training has presented a few learning curves for me. Fortunately, I have had previous Linux experience, so it wasn't all fresh material to my eyes. My goal now is to lock down this course; write the exam; then grow with both BackTrack and Kali command based tasks, apps and tools, etc.. I have built a few baseline Ubuntu 14.04.1 servers over the past few days, just to go through the steps. They (it) hasn't yet been configured to do anything more then act as a platform for me to test out the lessons.

My goal for the certification(s) is for my own satisfaction, and to cater to those who want to see certs on a cv. That's what happens when you live in a Gov't town, even though CDN Gov't hates Linux (that I've seen). No harm, no foul, as I'm not a big fan of Gov't contracts. This is also why I'm not heavily focused on obtaining Microsoft certifications.
 
Old 01-21-2015, 04:17 PM   #11
sundialsvcs
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As I've said here in the past, I love to pick up certification-study books on the dollar-books pile and look through them, because they do represent someone's assessment of "stuff that you really need to know how to do, and why." Even though every company wastes no time promoting its product, its particular flavor of Linux and so-on, it's still good material.

If, for whatever reason, I actually wanted to get a certification, I'd (persuade my employer to pay for me to ...) attend formal training in a classroom. A good classroom. And, basically, I'd look to my experiences in that classroom, doing the labs, and(!) interacting with other students, and (you betcha ...) hob-nobbing with them, to be the real thing that I went for. Not the piece of paper.

Definitely make yourself aware of what your local community college is doing. In the college where I taught for many years, there were over 10,000 adult evening students, most of which already had at least baccalaureate degrees. (In one of my classes, there was a PhD professor from the local University.) It's inexpensive, it's accredited, and, fair warning, it's college!

And, "this time of the rolling year" (in the USA), bear in mind that anything that you pay for self-education related to your business can be deducted on your income taxes.
 
Old 01-25-2015, 10:59 PM   #12
Skydiver069
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Came across this document today; and after a quick review, it appears to overview and provide critical info for the LPIC-1 certification. I found it useful to review while in preparation for the Essentials Exam.

Linux and LPIC Quick Reference Guide:

http://perso.crans.org/~raffo/books/...lpic-guide.pdf

Also, I have yet to find an active forum with members discussing their experiences with the Essentials PDC exam. Regardless, I've reviewed various material - training vid's and manuals, and have played and practiced with most cmd's discussed. I still need to anchor-in the Variables/Expressions and basic scripting content, along with knowing which distribution is best for which circumstances, but other than that am feeling pretty good. Might not make my target date of EOM for the exam, but I don't feel I'll be far off should I opt for an extra wknd of review-time.

Last edited by Skydiver069; 01-25-2015 at 11:03 PM.
 
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Old 01-27-2015, 07:06 AM   #13
drgambit
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A quick follow up:

I took the test last weekend, and I passed! I would have to say that a combination of the book I purchased, the cbt nuggets courses, and the free linup front book helped greatly in my knowledge. The test had some real zinger questions, but if you study those materials, you should have a pretty good grasp on what is out there.

Also, there might be some questions that none of the study guides have. I found this to be the case for a few questions, and I found that pretty disheartening, but I made my best guess. My only advice is to have a small laptop/throwaway computer/VM ware session and screw around with a few linux distros. I focused on SUSE for my studying.
 
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Old 01-28-2015, 06:32 PM   #14
Skydiver069
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Dr. G, first off congratulations on passing! Now, any chance you can expand on the areas that you feel were not raised in the study material?

You're comment has me curious, as I'd like to know if this means one would need to add additional focus to, say, Installing, Partitioning, Networking, SSH, etc.. ?? Right now I'm using the LinUpFront book, along with UrbanPenguin, Guru99, and other video training as the base training material; then adding in which areas (cmd's, etc.) the LPI.org site indicates I should know. Locating training material via independent sites or public video doesn't seem to be a problem. I just want to ensure I know what areas I'll need to focus on before going in. Tks..

P.S. Yes, I am doing the hands on too. I've written a few basic scripts so far, and am also reviewing others in order to extract methodologies, designs, etc..

Last edited by Skydiver069; 01-28-2015 at 06:41 PM. Reason: Spelling and Lingustics improvements
 
Old 02-10-2015, 08:21 PM   #15
sundialsvcs
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Yes. And, now, don't disclose any of the "questions that none of the study guides have."

The whole point of certifications is to simulate, in a test environment, "the ... ... ... ... outcome" that pays so many mortgages throughout the planet. Congratulations on your success. You learned, and then the certificate helped to confirm it. The experience confirmed and achieved, for you, the educational designer's aims. Enjoy the well-earned moment.
 
  


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