Looking for resources in Washington, DC

[lizbeth]

I don't know if there really is an appropriate place on this board to post this but here it goes:

So for the first time in 10+ years of using Linux and various distributions of it, I have finally spent the money on a textbook to actually *learn* Linux using only the console, no graphical user interface... This is what the majority of actual Linux Administrators learn. Though admittedly this is the most basic book I have bought. I might be able to test in this knowledge and get a certificate IF I find an opensource event in the area that sponsors the test that is assigned with this one basic book. While it is true I know a lot about Linux from the perspective of a casual user, I don't know everything in this book.

After this comes actual certification training for LPI and such once I have studied those books in depth. There is no actual requirement for training, only a requirement to pass the certification to be certified. Testing and classes are available online and locally. I'm opting for the less expensive online training that I can do at my own pace unless I find an evening program in the Washington DC Metro accessible region that the Veterans Administration training program will pay for. I have until April 2014 to use such resources so time is important.

If you know of such a program for earning Linux Certification(s), please let me know. Thanks!

[DrHu]

I don't know about training: many companies that already offer windows or Apple training will no doubt have some Linux admin training/networking and so on available, but they will tend to be expensive and narrowly focused
http://tldp.org/LDP/sag/html/sag.html
--even as a general user with enough looking, you probably already get (know) enough of this data
But it doesn't necessairly relate to what a company may want/need to see in a Linux administrator..

One can always check Linux certifications, such as RHCE
Red Hat: biggest Linux supplier system in the USA, and most commercial

http://www.flipdog.com/jobs/washington- ... nistrator/
http://jobview.monster.com/getjob.aspx? ... .mc_n=FDJD

• What you need for this position:
  
  -Bachelor's degree or equivalent expertise
  -Must be experience in UNIX/LINUX environment preferred Red Hat Certified Engineer
  -Must have experience with Perl programming
  -Must have hands on experience with ISP products or services
  -Ability to maintain ISP servers
  -Must have experience with DNS, SMTP, FTP
  -Experience in HTTP, SNMP, RADIUS or SSH preferred
  -Experience with source management techniques CVS
  -TCP/IP, VLANs, IP subnetting
  -Ability to manage Firewall servers and web services
  -Experience with Spam Virus detection and blocking
  -Experience in NFS and RAID storage

--you can see they are asking for some certification (RHCE preferred, they don't specify any other), plus networking, servers, firewalls and anti-virus
I would also check jobs sites, they can show you what employers expect from a Linux admin
--most I suspect want skill in scripts (bash, perl and so on) as a minimum

RHCE, the preferred distribution specific certificate for a US Linux admin position..
http://www.redhat.com/training/certifications/rhce/
--you can see that a distribution specific certificate would be more useful to an emploiyer (they will be using such a distribution and want that skill set)

LPI certificates are probably a better general certificate and possibly good for companies that may not use a commercial Linux OS
--so for example Ubuntu or Mint ? (or whatever distrowatch indicates is more popular) could be a way to go

In any case.

• Scripting
  --the bash shell + perl or python
• Networking
  --servers plus tcp (especially IP6.)
  --VPN and remote management
• Firewalls
• Anti-virus
• New devices
  --example smartphones: Blackberry servers
• Telephony and smartphones
  PBX, for example Asterisk, andoid, ios (apple). Blackberry
  There is plenty to work on

..And you definitely don't need to get it all (even as a survey or general idea), since you can pick your spot and become an expert in that..
--So web programming, forum management

If you are just starting, I might suggest libraries or some open source companies may have Linux opportunities available
--but even there there is like to be a mix of Windows (Microsoft) and Linux (some..): it will be hard to find any commercial company that goes all Linux (servers + desktops)

[lizbeth]

Thanks for that! You are incredibly helpful and insightful!