This is what I like about studying for certifications. They force you to look into subjects at a deeper level than you may otherwise have done. One of the topics in LPIC-2 is Kernel maintenance - understanding the kernel, how it works, the concept of dynamically loaded modules, compiling the kernel and modifying the configuration prior to compiling. It is very intriguing learning about this low-level part of the Linux OS.
It is a complex topic though, and compiling a kernel can take a while, depending on configuration. I managed to compile and install my first kernel today. :)
Meanwhile, since I’ve now obtained my SUSE 11 CLA from Novell (not sure if anything will come through in the post, though), I must really refresh my memory on openSuSE. My primary distributions have been Ubuntu and Fedora.
Whilst downloading various linux distributions including the latest versions of Ubuntu and Fedora, I found out that I could download SteamOS, which is Valve’s own distribution for running its Steam platform. Problem is it only supports x64 which I don’t have (yet)
Nearly two weeks after I obtained the qualification, I finally got the physical version in the post - and now also doubled up as a SUSE CLA.
I’ve finished studying for the first of two exams for the LPIC-1 certification, and I have found some exam questions (about 600 of them), and have started to go through them.
The first thing that struck me about these questions is either I’ve not been studying all the topics, or some topics have been removed out of the exam. For example, some of the questions reference LILO, but according to the LPI page on the 101 exam, there’s no mention of LILO (but there is mention of Grub 2 and Grub Legacy). Then again LILO and Grub Legacy are quite limited by today’s standards, so it could be that they really are removed out of the exam. Guess I’ll have to take that chance.
-
Pass the LPIC 1 Exam (razercattleya.wordpress.com)
-
LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell (razercattleya.wordpress.com)
-
LPI study material (community.spiceworks.com)
-
Revisiting Certifications (javacodegeeks.com)
-
Lilo (wiki.archlinux.org)
I’m going to make the leap and go for my first Linux Exam this week. I’m taking the introductory exam - the Linux Essentials exam. Whilst not a mandatory requirement for the main LPIC certification, it is a recommended one. And it can’t hurt knowing more than needed. Besides, I’ve already booked a proper training (seminar/group) week next year for the LPIC-1 course. I’ll probably book the LPIC-2 course too, whilst I can still afford it. :-\
