TAG | All you wanted to know about Linux certification but were afraid to ask |
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| by David M Williams | |
| Tuesday, 24 July 2007 | |
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Page 2 of 4 CompTIA Linux+
CompTIA (“the Computing Technology Industry Association”) is well-known for providing independent certification in a broad range of categories. Perhaps the best known of these is their A+ certification aimed at computer technicians and covering hardware installation, configuration, diagnosing problems, preventative maintenance and basic networking.
A criticism levelled of CompTIA is that in striving for maximal compatibility across technologies that it cannot, by necessity, offer depth in its assessments. This is evidenced by the stated objectives above; reading between the lines it’s clear that a Linux+ holder can be assured of being able to perform basic systems administration but there’s no guarantees anything more can be expected. Here’s some sample questions: A customer wants internal office information to be accessible by employees through a Web browser. Which of the following Linux services should be used?
A. Squid Which of the following packages is usually more important for a “workstation” installation than a “server” installation?
A. DNS A new employee having a problem with account login has the following entry in the /etc/passwd file: user1:*:51:501:John Doe:/home/user1:/bin/bash. What is wrong with this entry? A. The UID is not validB. The account is locked C. The UID and the GUID must match D. Spaces are not permitted between the first and last name A Linux superuser is unable to delete a file. The user is also unable to change permission for the file. What is the problem? A. The file is actually a hard link.B. The file has the immutable flag set. C. The file has been fragmented across directories. D. The superuser does not have permission to access the file. How did you go? The answers are Apache, XFree86 server, The account is locked, and The file has the immutable flag set, respectively. It may strike you that some of these are relatively basic; after all, if you want to make information available over the Web it stands to reason you’d use a web server – not a mail server or a proxy cache. However, others are more difficult and require uncommon knowledge – like the immutable flag, which can be read about more. Even so, it’s hard to escape the feeling the CompTIA exams are aimed at the “lowest common denominator” and are more suited for an inexperienced person wanting to break into IT rather than an embattled pro seeking to prove their skill. This feeling is enhanced by the fact CompTIA don’t offer any path leading to higher certs. If you want to take training to prepare you for the CompTIA Linux+ exam, you can find region-specific providers online. However, the list is either out-of-date or Australia is sorely-lacking in training companies who have ventured down this path with not one single listing. This means the only option for many is self-study. To assist, CompTIA have a range of training materials to help in this regard. You can also take practice exams to get in the zone for the real thing. The exam is graded on a scale of 100 to 900, with the minimum passing score being 655. Exams are taken through Vue or Prometric centres. |
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