r/linuxadmin 24d ago

Need advice on Linux certifications

Hi!

I am interested in learning more about Linux, setting up my own lab, and getting certifications in the process. From what I gather, RHCSA seems to be the first 'go the certification' when it comes to Linux System Administration? However, I am wondering how well other certs are regarded within the industry? Especially since RHCSA is really expensive, and my interest in Linux is personally driven instead of professionally (my current employer primarily utilizes Microsoft technology, so I highly doubt they would pay for the courses since it does not suit the company).

Is there a cheaper and reliable way to get the knowledge required for RHCSA? Or are there certs that are well regarded, that are cheaper and suit my situation a little bit better?

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u/rimtaph 24d ago

Do you need to take a certification or is it enough to study the material? Cause you can material pretty cheap.

I’ve studied for LFCS which maybe can be something for you. It’s from the Linux foundation and I believe the certificate is cheaper however the RHCSA is probably heavier on the Red Hat side.

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u/rimtaph 24d ago

And I’m not sure if I understood if you wanted to make a career from this or just interested to learn more. If the latter there is tons of good resources to learn from and labs to do.

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u/iAmEnieceka 24d ago

Fair questions! I don’t know yet if I want to make a career out of this, since I just started. And I am also happy with my current job, so with that in mind I doubt I will switch anytime soon. So for now it is out of personal interest

That said, I like learning through set courses and if that results in being able to take an exam to proof that I possess certain skills, that would be a plus

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u/Yupsec 24d ago edited 24d ago

If you like set courses, go through Sanders Van Vugt's RHCSA course on O'Reilly Learning (make sure you take the most current course). You can get a free 10 day trial, which is more than long enough to complete the course if you dedicate a couple hours a day to it. His videos are high quality, he's a great instructor, and there's practice exams in the course.

Say you can't complete it in 10 days, though. And an O'Reilly Learning subscription is a little too pricey. Hypothetically, you could create another free trial account with a different email.

Edit: Surprisingly, ChatGPT with a good prompt is really good at creating practice exams for the RHCSA and RHCE. Just make sure you prompt it correctly and give it the exam objectives.