[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux Certifications

[MadHat]

Opinionated wrote:
> 
> Kelly Scroggins wrote:
> 
> > There are several Linux certifications out there.  Which one is THE one
> > to have.  Is it one of the GNU oriented (LPI, SAIR), or vendor specific,
> > Red Hat, or Caldera?  etc.
> 
> Right now, they are all pieces of paper.  And the tests are in their
> infancy.  Personally I'd vote for SAIR's certification.  It's the lowest
> cost certfication and Distribution Neutral.  RedHat and Caldera are,
> obviously,  certification in only their own distribution.  LPI offers a few
> Distribution specific certification tests.  I have seen books for Red Hats
> 302 Certification and SAIR's certification in the bookstore.

I am RHCE and I can say compaired to the M$ cert tests and other I have
taken, theirs was put together rather well.  I am not saying it is worth
more than the piece of paper it is writen on, but the test itself is
well thought out and it was carried through nicely.  I would expect than
any cert is going to be aimed _more_ toward a particular distro (I can't
see it being manageable any other way).  There are too many differences
in some distros to cover them all, and you have to cover these items
(like the SysV Init Scripts, as compaired to BSD style Init script), so
it seems they would have to focus on one.

> 
> Since I'm not on the NTLUG preferred list, I think I'm free to say that I
> thing NTLUG is really missing the boat here.  NTLUG, with the combined

What do you mean "preferred" list?

> expertise of the Linux membership, could come up with their own
> certification for reasonable cost, and the certification would carry the
> same 'weight' in linux credentials as LPI, SAIR, etc.  (I'd help, but I
> can't set up the certification tests on my own).

What would be the use?  If too many people try to do Linux Certs, none
of them will ever mean anything.  If NTLUG did a cert, who would see
that peice of paper any differently than the peice of paper that you get
from Global Knowledge or RedHat.  Becides without a major company, like
RH or Caldera backing the Cert, who is going to place confidence in the
cert?

>  I'm afraid this probably
> won't happen here though since NTLUG largely regards Linux as not ready for
> prime time, therefore, how can you have a certification test that would be
> ready?

I appreciate your input on the matter, but please don't troll like
this.  

-- 
%_=split';','2e;hac;40;not;64;ju;66; Perl ;68;st a;6f;ker;75;her';
print map $_{unpack "H2",$_}, split //,
'madhat at unspecific.com'
# aka Lee Heath, but don't tell anyone.