There are several opportunities available to those who want to put the time and effort into learning how Linux works since it is such a widely used operating system. Here we will go over the top 10 Linux certifications . Before we get into the details, let’s take a look at some general issues related to obtaining a Linux certification. If you are interested in certifying yourself to improve your job position or to get one, I invite you to continue reading…
Index of contents
- Why study Linux?
- The best Linux certifications
- LFCE (Linux Foundation Certified Engineer)
- LPIC-3 300
- LFCS (Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator)
- LPIC-2
- LPIC-1
- CompTIA Linux+
- Others more specific for a specific distro
- RHCA (Red Hat Certified Architect)
- RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer)
- RHCSA (Red Hat Certified System Administrator)
- Oracle Certified Professional Oracle Linux 8 System Administrator
- Resources to study and learn about Linux
- Guide to CompTIA, LPIC and LFC Certifications (Spanish)
- Guide to LPIC-1
- Guide for LPIC-2
- Guide for LPIC-3 300
- Para Linux Foundation
- Guide to CompTIA Linux+
- About Linux
- What is Linux?
- Security
- Versatility
- Flexibility
- conclusion
Why study Linux?
There are many reasons, one of them is that it is a key skill to work in the IT sector. There are different skills in information technology (IT). Employees are always learning new technologies, programs, devices, operating systems, etc. to develop their skills. Linux is one of these skills that are among the most in demand on the job boards .
Especially system administrators , or network engineers learn Linux and use this knowledge in their daily work. Therefore, this skill is very important in you. This will open many doors for you to improve your current job position or to get a job as an administrator and a good salary.
Linux provides good opportunities for your professional career, as we have said. With Linux skills, these opportunities are greatly increased. You will see that the number of jobs that are in demand for Linux is increasing and that there is a wide variety to choose from.
To add more data, the ninth annual report on open source jobs from the Linux Foundation Research and edX revealed that Linux skills were the second most in demand , behind only cloud skills.
Keep in mind that it is present in such important infrastructures as AWS, GCP and even Microsoft Azure, the cloud is practically entirely Linux, in addition to web servers, other types of servers, and HPC is dominated by Linux. And not only that, it is also a good platform for software development, so programmers should also have Linux knowledge.
The Open Source Jobs Report also found that 88% of technology professionals use DevOps practices. It is true that DevOps is a set of principles and practices that do not necessarily require knowledge of Linux, but they do require an operating system and it turns out that Linux is the most popular for this type of practice. Therefore, the most demanded in companies in the sector.
And that’s without counting many other fields in which Linux is important, such as robotics, IoT, embedded, etc.
| Precio | Minimum score to pass | Duration | total questions | Language | |
| Oracle Certified Professional Oracle Linux 8 System Administrator | $245 | 60% | 90 minutes | 60 | English |
| CompTIA Linux+ | $348 | 720/900 | 90 minutes | 90 | English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish |
| LPIC 1 – Linux Administrator | $120 | 500/800 | 90 minutes for each exam | 60 in each of the two exams | English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish |
| LPIC 2 – Linux Engineer | $120 | 500/800 | 90 minutes for each exam | 60 in each of the two exams | English |
| LPIC 3 – 300 – Linux Enterprise Professional Certification | $120 | 500/800 | 90 minutes | 60 | English |
| LFCS (Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator) | $375 (exam only) or $575 (course+exam) | 66% | 2 hours | performance based | English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, German |
| LFCE (Linux Foundation Certified Engineer) | $375 | 57% | 2 hours | performance based | English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, German |
| RHCSA (Red Hat Certified System Administrator) | $450 | 210/300 | 3 hours | performance based | English |
| RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer) | $450 | 210/300 | 3 hours | performance based | English |
| RHCA (Red Hat Certified Architect) | Variable according to exams | 210/300 for each exam | Depends on the exam | Requires passing at least 5 of the exams | English |
The best Linux certifications
Among the best Linux certifications, and among the most acclaimed in the sector, that you can do are (from best to worst):
From ProfessionalReview we especially recommend the LPIC-1, LPIC-2, LPIC-3, LFCS and LFCE, which are the most valuable to obtain a better job position and the most valued in the IT sector.
LFCE (Linux Foundation Certified Engineer)
| course information | Contents |
| ·
o Number of Questions: Performance Based o Time: 2 hours o Cut note: 57% o Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and German o Cost: $375
|
· Commands, file systems and essential functions.
· Management of Users and Groups and System Environments. · Operation of Running Systems, Boot, Restart, · Installation, Configuration and Troubleshooting. · Configuration of Services, DNS, SSH, HTTP, and · Virtual Machine Maintenance. · Networks, IP Routing, and Synchronization · Storage Management, LVM Storage, · RAID Devices, and Configured File Systems. |
Candidates with 3-5 years of Linux experience can take the LFCE (Linux Foundation Certified Engineer) exam to become certified. This exam emphasizes the practical application of advanced knowledge of Linux. This exam is performance-based and focuses on the practical application of knowledge. With no prerequisites, this exam can be taken by anyone. This certification is valid for three years.
LPIC-3 300
| course information | Contents |
| · Number of questions: 60
· Time: 90 minutes · Cutting note: 500/800 · Language: English, Japanese · Cost: $120 |
· OpenLDAP Configuration and Authentication Backend
· Samba – Basics, Sharing Basics, · User and group management · Samba – Name services and domain integration · I work with Windows and Linux clients. |
The LPIC 3 – 300 – Mixed environment certification is a Linux distribution-oriented enterprise-level professional certification program. An LPIC 2 qualification is required to obtain this certification. The LPIC 3 – 300 certification is the highest level of professional specialization in Linux distributions. You can earn the LPIC 3 – 300 certification and two other specialty certifications at this level. The prerequisites and validity periods for the LPIC 3 – 300 certification are the same as those for the LPIC 3 certification.
Apart from this, which is usually the most popular, you can also take the LPIC-3 303 – Security exam with an emphasis on security during system administration, as well as LPIC-3 306 – High Availability and Storage Clusters , aimed at to experts in the management of high availability systems and storage clusters.
That is, let’s say that the LPIC-3 are three different specialties that can be done separately or all of them if you want to learn as much as possible.
LFCS (Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator)
| course information | Contents |
| · Number of Questions: Performance Based
· Time: 2 hours · Cut note: 66% · Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and German · Cost: $375 (exam only) or $575 (course+exam) |
· Commands, file systems and essential functions.
· Management of Users and Groups and System Environments. · Operation of Running Systems, Boot, Restart, · Installation, Configuration and Troubleshooting. · Configuration of Services, DNS, SSH, HTTP, and · Virtual Machine Maintenance. · Networks, IP Routing, and Synchronization · Storage Management, LVM Storage, · RAID Devices, and Configured File Systems. |
The LFCS (Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator) certification is a great option for people who want to become Linux system administrators. Candidates are tested in real-world situations and on-the-job simulations. This certification is delivered online and is valid for three years. It’s comparable to in-depth experience for potential employers. No prior knowledge of the subject is required for this certification.
LPIC-2
| course information | Contents |
| · Number of questions: 60 for each of the 2 exams
· Time: 90 minutes for each exam · Cutting note: 500/800 · Language: English · Cost: $120 |
· Starting the system
· Kernel Linux · File system and devices · capacity planning · Advanced storage device management · Network configuration and system maintenance · File sharing and network client management · domain name server · Web and email · system security |
The LPIC 2 – Linux Engineer certification is one of LPI’s multi-level professional certifications. The candidate can manage small to medium sized networks with this certification. To earn this certification, the candidate must hold an active LPIC-1 certification. However, the LPIC-1 and LPIC-2 exams can be taken in any order. The duration of this certification is 5 years.
LPIC-1
| course information | Contents |
| · Number of questions: 60 for each of the 2 exams
· Time: 90 minutes each of the two · Cutting note: 500/800 · Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese and Japanese · Cost: $120 |
· System architecture
· Linux installation · package management · GNU and Unix commands · Linux file systems, standard file hierarchy, and devices · Shell y Shell Scripting · Offices and Interfaces. · Administration · System Services |
A candidate who has earned the LPIC 1 – Linux Administrator certification is capable of performing command line maintenance tasks, installing and configuring a Linux system, and establishing a basic network. This certification validates a candidate’s ability to handle real-world system administration and Linux fundamentals. There are no prerequisites required for this certification, and it is valid for five years. Tests 101 and 102 must be passed to earn this certification. This is one of the best Linux certifications for beginners.
CompTIA Linux+
| course information | Contents |
| ·
o Number of questions: 90 o Time: 90 minutes o Cutting note: 720/900 o Languages: English, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish o Cost: $348
|
· Security, storage and display,
· kernel modules · Enterprise level device management · Git and automation · Server-side and command-line usage · Networks · firewall · Problem solving · SELinux |
CompTIA Linux+ is a job-focused Linux certification that provides a complete foundation in Linux skills. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the tasks performed on Linux distributions, the Linux command line, maintenance, installation, configuration, and networking. You will learn to configure, maintain, and monitor Linux servers using hands-on experience.
Others more specific for a specific distro
These other exams are also among the best, but they are more specialized for a particular distribution , like Red Hat’s for RHEL or Oracle’s for Oracle Linux. However, it is worth naming them (from best to worst):
RHCA (Red Hat Certified Architect)
| course information | Contents |
| · Requires passing at least 5 Red Hat exams | · Multiple options depending on the path taken |
The RHCA (Red Hat Certified Architect) credential allows you to meet a number of requirements. Includes RHCE, RHCEMD (Red Hat Certified Enterprise Microservices Developer) or RHCJD (Red Hat Certified JBoss Developer) certifications. To obtain the RHCA – Infrastructure or RHCA – Enterprise Applications certifications, there are two different routes. These certifications can be earned in any combination. To find out more about Red Hat Linux certifications, visit the official website. There are numerous qualifications and pathways available, so take a look.
RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer)
| course information | Contents |
| · Number of Questions: Performance Based
· Time: 3 hours · Cutting note: 210/300 · Language: English · Cost: $450 |
·
o Automating the deployment, management and support of multi-system environments o Ansible automation and shell scripts o system administration
|
To get RHCE certified , you must first get RHCSA certified. An RHCE can automate Red Hat Enterprise Linux tasks, integrate and automate Red Hat technologies. The new RHCE certification, based on Linux 8, focuses on automating system administration tasks using Ansible and Shell Scripting. Certification must be renewed every three years.
RHCSA (Red Hat Certified System Administrator)
| course information | Contents |
| · Number of Questions: Performance Based
· Time: 3 hours · Cutting note: 210/300 · Language: English · Cost: $450 |
·
o Manage files and directories, command line environments, and documentation. o Operate running systems, identify processes, run virtual machines, and control services o Storage Configuration o File system configuration o Manage basic services o Manage users and groups. o Manage SELinux security and settings
|
Being RHCSA (Red Hat Certified System Administrator) certified enables you to perform core system administration tasks in Red Hat Linux environments. This certification is a core exam and forms the foundation for other Red Hat certifications.
Oracle Certified Professional Oracle Linux 8 System Administrator
| course information | Contents |
| · Questions: 60
· Time: 90 minutes · Cut note: 60% · Language: English · Cost: $245 |
· Deployment, configuration, and administration of the Oracle Linux 8 production server environment
· Installation, configuration and monitoring of a running system · Familiarity with Oracle Linux |
The Oracle Certified Professional Oracle Linux 8 System Administrator certification ensures that you have the knowledge to deploy, configure, and manage a production Oracle Linux 8 server environment. It provides a reliable foundation for learning to use Oracle Linux, as well as for installing, configuring, and and monitor a running system. You will learn to use all the new features of Oracle Linux, as well as the latest versions.