You can really distinguish yourself from the field of consultants by earning your Sair Linux & GNU Certified Professional (LCP) rating. The first step down that road (for most people, anyway) is the installation and configuration exam (3X0-103), which tests your ability to convert a bare-metal machine to one running any of several Linux distributions configured according to requirements. Combined with a machine or two and some time to experiment with them, Installation & Configuration, Sair Linux and GNU Certification Level 1 ought to do the trick for Linux novices who need to learn about Linux variants and some of the tools they run.
Tobin Maginnis breaks from test-prep conventions by making this book remarkably text-heavy, and his iconoclasm pays off for the certification candidate. The text is strong, generally readable, and encourages you to experiment with the concepts and features you have to understand to pass the test. Where it's appropriate, Maginnis does provide tables that list command options and other details, but his approach is usually more like that of a tour guide than a reference librarian. You may wish for more practice exam questions--the 100 or so that appear in the back don't come with explanations (and they're numbered strangely, to boot). Regardless, this book deserves praise for its evenhanded treatment of the top Linux distributions and emphasis on the features they have in common. --David Wall
Topics covered: The concepts, facts, and procedures you need to understand to pass the installation and configuration exam (3X0-103) en route to Sair Linux & GNU Certified Professional (LCP) certification. Most coverage goes to the Linux 2.2.x kernel itself, but the author walks you through installation and configuration of Red Hat Linux 6, SuSE Linux 6.1, Caldera OpenLinux 2.2, and Slackware 4. He also highlights some differences that show up in a few other distributions. Other coverage goes to hardware compatibility, preinstallation planning, the bash shell and its important commands, and top utilities.
Product Description
The Sair Linux and GNU Certification program, designed and developed by the industry-leading members of SAIR, Inc. and its advisory board, provides you with a clear path for improving your Linux skills and knowledge base. This new series of books will help you gain the necessary tools to become Linux certified, which can lead to more job opportunities and a higher salary! In Installation and Configuration, the Sair Linux and GNU Certification team draws upon their years of experience to provide expert advice and guidance on installing and configuring all major distributions of Linux, including Red Hat, Caldera, Debian, and SuSE. They cover all of the areas that you'll need to know in order to pass the 3X0-101 exam including: theory of operation, base system, shells and commands, system services, and applications. Each section also contains study questions and sample test questions to help you prepare for your exam.
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