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Which Linux Certification?

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by mike assel

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I'm trying to find out what the Linux verterans out there, as well as Admins that are looking to hire Linux techs, what you think the best Linux certification is? I'm talking entry level here. The one I hear is best, particularly from it's website ;), is Red Hat Certified Technician. I just wanted an unbiased opinion.

Thanks

16 replies

by jmgarvin

While I do quite like the RHCT, I just don't like how focused it is.

Check out LCPI or Linux+ (I prefer LCPI over Linux+)

by jaqui

a red hat or novell cert is as meaningless as a microsoft cert.

a company saying you can use thier product(s)

lcpi and Linux+ ( Comptia )
are not distro centric, so are a far better foundation to be working from.

by calithor

A Red Hat or Novell certification is not meaningless... you must know Linux in order to obtain either one...For Novell they were suggesting that one should get your LPI certification before attempting the Novell certification. Having either one of those certifications states that you know Linux as well as a particular distribution

by richard

Wrong.... Red Hat and / or Novell cert is not meaningless. linux+ is worthless, LPI has not grown up to enterpries network yet, although it is getting help from Novell.
Novell is an enterprise networking company and you must know Linux to be able to think about the Novell cert. Red Hat is well established in the U.S.
and it all boils down simply to what the markent wants to buy.... Screw what you may like or even think...
What are companies paying for and looking for.
In the U.S. ther can be no question. they are paying for Red Hat, and anything worth pursuing is worth pursuing on the Engineer level.
That said even the RHCT is in demand and getting jobs. If you are looking to get paid, make no mistake, get the certs that you see employers looking for and payiing for. Opinions are a dime a dozen and the best technology and / or theory does not always win out. Employers tell us what they are looking for. Sometimes we don't listen as good as we should.

by okieeagle

Novell, Cisco, and Microsoft Certifications are far from meaningless. Since a good majority of Data Centers throughout the world use one or all of the above listed products, those certifications become very valuable to both the employee and the employer. To say they are meaningless is misleading and false.

by apotheon

If you're going to get a Linux certification at all, get one that isn't distro-specific. I'd recommend getting some other resume-listable qualifications instead of certifications, though. Linux isn't a job skill that has been so infiltrated by the certification marketing dweebs that you can't get a job without certs yet, and I'd prefer to keep it that way.

At the moment, employers looking for Linux-skilled hires don't tend to even think about Linux certifications. If you have to get certs, get stuff like Network+ -- things that are OS-agnostic.

by jaqui

demonstratable skills are more important for most linux employers than certs.

there are only 6 different certs for linux that I have seen mention of.
Red Hat's 2
Novell's 1
LCPI 1 ( 2 levels )
Linux+ / CompTia 1
Mandriva 1

by jmgarvin

Ya, I don't want to see the marketing dweebs push Linux certs like they do MCSE. It means we'll have crappy *nix admins and crappy MS admins...wooo

by yaa

I've got my RHCT last September. I've been contacted by a recruiting agency at the end of October. I have had my CV on monster since 2000, but no agency contacted me when I didn;t have the RHCT...
And yes, I am now working abroad thanks to this RHCT...I'd say it is worth taking it.
However, if you are good at networking, you may try directly the RHCE.

by farouqp

i agree with you that RHCE is the best way to go. i too have been looking around and I have realised that it is taken the most seriuosly by employers out there. anything else is entry level like what i have which is Linux+. Hope to finish this year an RHCE

by jmgarvin

While I see your point, having a vendor specific cert is a gamble. One day Red Hat may not be the top dog, it might be SuSe, or Debian, or Slackware, or Gentoo, or...oh you get the point.

The problem with vendor specific certs is that they may or may not prove you actually know the content in more general terms. With some products it makes sense (Cisco), but with other products it isn't as clear as that.

If you are thinking long term, go with a generic cert. Plus LCPI has gotten all of the major vendors to contribute, so this helps quite a bit with credability!

by mountytech

The linux certifications are not that demandable as of yet, since they really have not matured. Most employers will look at experience, which is more important anyhow. If you need the certification for a resume builder I would consider the cost and time factor.

Any of the Linux certifications will look good on a resume.

by jrod86

Any certification will look good on an entry-level resume. Too often people get stuck on looking beyond entry level and forget what it means to start out in this profession.

For an entry level position, you need to have some qualifications in order to get it, as in a degree, certifications, internship, etc. If you have been working for 5 years and have two degrees, your resume should look much different (although I've seen many that are worse than entry level people's).

by bdragomir

If I would be you I would consider a non vendor specific one ...check LPI.org but you'll have to go up to level 2 in order to be considered good.
After this one you can say you know your way using any Linux not only RH.

by kernel.opensource

See first you learn linux then all the Certification are eassy.

Any way Redhat Certification is having value world wide.
SUSE is also good.

Once you are familiar with Linux it drives you

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