September 23, 2014

A Linux Foundation Training Publication

www.linuxfoundation.org
Certifcation Preparation
Guide
LINUX FOUNDATION CERTIFICATION
PREPARATION GUIDE
Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide
2
Contents
About Linux Foundation Certifcations 3
About This Guide 3
Section 1 - Preparing for the exam 5
I - DOMAINS AND COMPETENCIES 5
LINUX FOUNDATION CERTIFIED SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR 5
LINUX FOUNDATION CERTIFIED ENGINEER 5
II - FREE TRAINING RESOURCES 8
Free Intro to Linux Course 8
Linux.com New User Guides 8
The Linux Foundation YouTube Channel 8
Learn Linux Guides 8
Ops School 8
Distribution-specifc Manuals & Guides 9
100 Linux Tutorial Videos 9
Free prep resources for RH, SUSE, etc 9
III - PAID TRAINING RESOURCES 10
LFS220 - Linux System Administration 10
LFS230 - Linux Network Management 10
Section 2 - Taking the exam 12
I - SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 12
II - YOUR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 13
III - UNDERSTANDING THE EXAM INTERFACE 13
Question and Section Navigation 13
TERMINAL COMMANDS 14
Quick Tip 14
IV - CHECKLIST FOR EXAM DAY 15
CONCLUSION 15
Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide
3
Welcome to the Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide! This guide is neither exhaustive, nor is it to be
considered a guarantee that if you use all the resources within, you will pass your Linux Foundation Certifcation
Exam.
Rather, this guide is intended to give you an idea of what the exam will cover, and point out some resources that can
help you strengthen your knowledge and experience in those areas. We hope you fnd this guide to be helpful in your
pursuit of a Linux Foundation Certifcation.
About Linux Foundation Certifcations
The demand for Linux has never been greater, and there are many jobs available to qualifed applicants. Linux
Certifcations play an important role in helping employers understand which applicants are qualifed, which is why
certifcation holders are often given preference in the hiring process. It has also been shown that people with
certifcations make more money than their uncertifed counterparts.
The fact is:
Todays Linux job market is global
The best Linux certifcations refect what you can actually do at the command line
More and more employers are using a variety of Linux distros as opposed to just one
Thats why Linux Certifcations are:
Online anytime, anywhere Now you dont have to travel to a testing center to get a top Linux
certifcation
Performance-based You can show off the command line skills you use on a daily basis no trick
questions, no multiple choice.
Distro-fexible You can take the certifcation exam in CentOS, openSUSE or Ubuntu. Linux
Foundation Certifcations demonstrate that you have the Linux skills and knowledge no matter
what distro you choose to take the exam in.
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The purpose of this guide is to help candidates feel confdent that they are ready to take a Linux Foundation
certifcation exam. It includes information about the actual process of taking the exam as well as some resources to
help you prepare to take the exam. This guide will be updated regularly, so if you have comments, suggestions, or
other feedback, wed love to hear about it. Send your feedback to [email protected].
1
Preparing for the
Exam
Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide
5
Section 1 - Preparing for the exam
I - Domains and competencies
The following two checklists are for the Linux Foundation Certifed System Administrator and Engineer exams,
respectively. Theyll show you what you should know before taking the exam and give you a guide to study from.
LINUX FOUNDATION CERTIFIED SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR
LINUX FOUNDATION CERTIFIED ENGINEER
Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide
6
Command-line
Editing text fles on the command line
Manipulating text fles from the command line
Filesystem & storage
Archiving and compressing fles and directories
Assembling partitions as RAID devices
Confguring swap partitions
File attributes
Finding fles on the flesystem
Formatting flesystems
Mounting flesystems automatically at boot time
Mounting networked flesystems
Partitioning storage devices
Troubleshooting flesystem issues
Local system administration
Creating backups
Creating local user groups
Managing fle permissions
Managing fstab entries
Managing local users accounts
Managing the startup process and related
services
Managing user accounts
Managing user account attributes
Managing user processes
Restoring backed up data
Setting fle permissions and ownership
Local security
Accessing the root account
Using sudo to manage access to the root account
Shell scripting
Basic bash shell scripting
Software management
Installing software packages
LINUX FOUNDATION CERTIFIED SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR
DOMAINS & COMPETENCIES
Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide
7
Network administration
Confgure network services to start automatically
at boot
Implement packet fltering
Monitor network performance
Produce and deliver reports on system use,
outages and user requests
Route IP traffc statically and dynamically
Troubleshoot network issues
Network flesystems and fle services
Confgure systems to mount standard, encrypted
and network fle systems on demand
Create, mount and unmount standard Linux fle
systems
Provide/confgure network shares via NFS
Transfer fles securely via the network
Update packages from the network, a repository
or the local fle system
Network security
Confgure Apache log fles
Confgure the frewall with iptables
Install and confgure SSL with Apache
Remote access
Confgure the frewall with iptables
HTTP services
Confgure an http client to automatically use a
proxy server
Install and confgure an Apache web server
Install and confgure the Squid proxy server
Restrict access to a web page with Apache
Restrict access to the Squid proxy server
Setting up name-based virtual web hosts
Email services
Confgure email aliases
Install and confgure an IMAP and IMAPS service
Install and confgure an smtp service
Restrict access to an smtp server
LINUX FOUNDATION CERTIFIED ENGINEER
DOMAINS & COMPETENCIES
Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide
8
II - Free training resources
FREE INTRO TO LINUX COURSE
If you are new (or relatively new) to Linux, we suggest you enroll in the free, 100% online and self-paced Intro to
Linux course on edX. You do not need to pay for the Verifed certifcate (though you may choose to do so if you
wish). Everybodys background and experience is different, so feel free to use as much or as little of the course as you
need to increase your familiarity. There is no requirement for you to take the whole course or even to pass the fnal
exam. It is there to make sure that you have the foundational knowledge that will help you, particularly for the Linux
Foundation Certifed System Administrator exam.
https://www.edx.org/course/linuxfoundationx/linuxfoundationx-lfs101x-introduction-1621
LINUX.COM NEW USER GUIDES
These new user guides, while focused on helping people install Linux for the frst time, do provide some valuable tips
and tricks, which are especially helpful when youre looking at a fresh install of Linux in the exam terminal.
http://www.linux.com/learn/new-user-guides
THE LINUX FOUNDATION YOUTUBE CHANNEL
The Linux Foundation YouTube channel is packed with resources, including keynotes and presentations from
LinuxCon and other conferences, tutorials, and other informational videos about Linux in general. In particular, youll
want to take a look at the Linux Training playlist.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLinuxFoundation
LEARN LINUX GUIDES
The Learn Linux section of Linux.com offers a vast array of resources to help you learn Linux, regardless of your
current skill level. For basic questions, you can look in the Linux Tutorials section. For specifc items, you can look
through the online Linux Documentation, or for more advanced questions, you can get help in the Linux Answers
section.
http://www.linux.com/learn
OPS SCHOOL
Ops School is a community-built course and reference guide for people interested in a career in systems
administration. Not all of the articles are complete, but the vast majority are well-written and technically correct. They
are organized by topic and diffculty, making it easy to fnd the subject youre interested in. A couple of lessons that
you might fnd helpful are:
Text Editing 101 - http://www.opsschool.org/en/latest/text_editing_101.html
Unix Fundamentals 101 > File systems - http://www.opsschool.org/en/latest/flesystems_101.html
Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide
9
DISTRIBUTION-SPECIFIC MANUALS & GUIDES
Each of the exam-eligible distros has a vast body of helpful content and guides to help you with whatever issue youre
currently struggling with. Once youve selected your exam distro, it would be a good idea to look up the individual
items on the Domains and Competencies checklist for your distro, even if its just to refresh your memory. The links
below are for offcial resources created and blessed by the distro maintainers.
CentOS: http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos
openSUSE: http://doc.opensuse.org/
Ubuntu: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CommunityHelpWiki
100 LINUX TUTORIAL VIDEOS
If youre more of a visual learner, check out the 100 Linux Tutorials page on linux.com. There are now more than
100 videos on that page covering a wide array of topics and issues, many of which are related to the Exam Domains
and Competencies.
http://video.linux.com/categories/100-linux-tutorials-campaign
FREE PREP RESOURCES FOR RED HAT, SUSE, ETC
Since all reputable Linux certifcations (e.g. LPI, Red Hat, SUSE) have been developed by experts, you will likely fnd
that free resources available as preparation for those exams will also be useful in preparing for the Linux Foundation
exams.
Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide
10
III - Paid training resources
If you are interested in a more guided approach to test preparation, there are some additional paid options you may
want to consider:
LFS220 - LINUX SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION
This 4-day course covers all the domains and competencies required for the LFCS exam. The course is delivered
online (using screen sharing and a conference call line), so youll be able to ask questions or get more clarifcation on
specifc items. You will also spend some quality time in hands-on learning and discovery throughout the course to aid
your learning and retention.
The course is $1,595 with early bird discount, and a complimentary registration for a Certifcation Exam is included in
that price.
http://training.linuxfoundation.org/linux-courses/system-administration-training/linux-system-administration
LFS230 - LINUX NETWORK MANAGEMENT
This 4-day course covers all the domains and competencies required for the LFCE exam. The course is delivered
online (using screen sharing and a conference call line), so youll be able to ask questions or get more clarifcation
on specifc items. You will also spend some quality time in hands-on learning and discovery throughout the course,
which aids your learning and retention.
The course is $1,995 with early bird discount, and a complimentary registration for a Certifcation Exam is included in
that price.
http://training.linuxfoundation.org/linux-courses/system-administration-training/linux-network-management
PLEASE NOTE THAT PAID TRAINING IS NOT REQUIRED TO PASS EITHER EXAM.
2
Taking the Exam
Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide
12
Section 2 - Taking the exam
I - System Requirements
Linux Foundation Certifcation exams are proctored by a live person via webcam and you will answer all exam
questions using a terminal in your web browser. You dont have to install anything extra, but there are a few hardware
and software requirements that must be met in order to take the exam. Because your time to take the exam is limited
to two hours, you want to make sure your equipment is ready and meets minimum requirements well in advance of
taking the exam. You dont want to lose any precious exam time dealing with technical diffculties.
You can use this link to check your system compatibility at any time:
https://www.examslocal.com/ScheduleExam/Home/CompatibilityCheck
The system requirements include:
Chrome or Chromium browser - You must be running at least version 32 of Chrome or Chromium because the
exam video feed relies on the WebRTC extension. (This is the same technology Google uses for Hangouts.)
A single functioning webcam - Please dont have more than one connected. To make sure that your webcam will
be suffcient, try holding up your ID while viewing your webcam feed to ensure your placement and resolution are
suffcient for the person viewing your feed to read your ID.
A functioning microphone - Please check to make sure it is working before you start your exam session.
Cookies enabled - You must enable cookies for third-party applications to take the exam. Dont worry, you can
enable them when starting your exam and then disable and delete them as soon as you complete your exam.
Bandwidth - You can take your Linux Foundation Certifcation Exam when and where you want. However, it is
incumbent upon you to ensure that you have a fast, stable Internet connection. We recommend turning off any
bandwidth-intensive services (fle sync and sharing apps like Dropbox, BitTorrent, etc.) and if you share your Internet
connection with anyone else, asking them to avoid using bandwidth intensive services (like video streaming) while
youre taking your exam. Minimum recommended speeds: at least 500kb/s down and 256 kb/s up
Ports - Make sure that port 80 and port 443 are open on your machine.
Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide
13
II - Your Physical Environment
You only have two hours to complete your Linux Foundation Certifcation Exam and the clock keeps running once you
start, so youll want to make sure that you take the exam somewhere distraction-free where you can focus 100%.
Here are some things to consider:
Think about possible sources of distractions (kids, loud music, pets) and have a plan for minimizing
them.
Use the bathroom right before you start your exam.
Turn off cell phones, instant messaging programs, notifcations, email, etc.
Take off your Google Glass, Samsung Gear, Apple Watch, or any other electronic device. Theyre not
allowed.
See Testing Location Requirements in the Candidate Handbook for more detailed info:
http://training.linuxfoundation.org/go/candidate_handbook

III - Understanding the Exam Interface
Because the exam is delivered 100% through the browser, its important for you to take a few minutes to familiarize
yourself with the experience.
Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide
14
QUESTION AND SECTION NAVIGATION
Dont feel compelled to do questions in the order presented. You can come back later. And if you think you might forget which
Section and Objective number youre working on, type it into the chat window. (Use it like an electronic notepad!)
Objectives can only be navigated linearly and jumping to a new Section puts you at Objective 1. If you want to get to a later
objective in a Section, you may fnd it quicker to jump to one Section further ahead and then use the back button to navigate
back.
Please note that you are free to switch through the exam questions at any time, but there is a 20 second delay after you jump
to a question before you can jump to the next one. We know its inconvenient, but its there to preserve the integrity of the
exam.
Terminal Commands
Since your terminal is running within your browser, there are several important guidelines that you should pay close attention
to. These are shown in your terminal at the start of your exam and are available at any time using man lf_exam:
1. Root privileges can be obtained by running sudo -i.
2. Rebooting of your server IS permitted at anytime.
3. Do not stop or tamper with the gateone process as this will END YOUR EXAM SESSION.
4. Do not block incoming port 8080/tcp.
5. Use Ctrl+Alt+W instead of Ctrl+W. Ctrl+W is a keyboard shortcut that will close the current tab (youll receive a
pop-up warning should you try to use it)
6. Ctrl+C & and Ctrl+V are NOT supported in your exam terminal, nor is copy and pasting large amounts of text as
this may result in instability in your terminal. To copy and paste limited amounts of text (1-2 lines) please use:
a. Linux: select text for copy and middle button for paste (or both left and right simultaneously if you have no middle
button).
b. Mac: command+c to copy and command+v to paste.
c. Windows: Ctrl+Insert to copy and Shift+Insert to paste.
Also, take extra care when working on items that might affect your terminal as you only have one available.
QUICK TIP
Every candidate gets a standard install of the distro they selected to take their exam in (CentOS, openSUSE, Ubuntu).
These standard installs may not have all the services that you like to use, and they may also have some services that
you actively avoid. You are free to download and install programs and services via your exam terminal (so long as you
comply with all exam rules). You are also free to disable any services that are already confgured. So feel free to install
YAST, disable SELinux, or make any other changes that will help you feel at home while taking the exam. Just remember
that installation and confguration time counts against your two-hour exam time limit, so youll want to balance your time
Linux Foundation Certifcation Preparation Guide
15
accordingly.
IV - Checklist for Exam Day
Make sure your government-issued photo ID is available and double check that the name matches your Linux
Foundation ID Profle on identity.linuxfoundation.org.
Check your Internet connection and turn on your browsers ability to accept third-party cookies.
Review the guidelines for using the exam terminal to avoid muscle memory accidents using commands that
are not supported. Use of Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V resulting in terminal instability is the most common error.
Practice looking up man, info and help pages for a few minutes beforehand. This will help you to get into the
rhythm should you need to look something up during the exam.
Conclusion
Achieving a Linux Foundation Certifcation truly is an achievement, and we hope you fnd this guide to be helpful in reaching
that goal. And in true open source fashion, if you fnd additional resources that are helpful, please let us know at
[email protected] and we may include them in a future version.
Thank you for your contribution and good luck!
The Linux Foundation promotes, protects and standardizes Linux by
providing unifed resources and services needed for open source to
successfully compete with closed platforms.
To learn more about our Linux Training program, please visit us at
training.linuxfoundation.org.