What is LPIC-1 Certification?

LPIC-1 (Linux Professional Institute Certification Level 1) is a globally recognized entry-level certification for Linux administrators. It validates their knowledge and skills in managing Linux systems, including installation, configuration, and maintenance. This article will provide a comprehensive guide to LPIC-1 certification, including its importance, eligibility requirements, exam details, preparation tips, and career opportunities.

Why is LPIC-1 Certification Important?

LPIC-1 certification demonstrates your proficiency in Linux system administration, making you a highly desirable candidate for various IT job roles. It serves as a benchmark for employers to measure your knowledge and skill level, providing you with a competitive edge in the job market. Furthermore, LPIC-1 certification enhances your credibility as a Linux professional, establishing you as a trusted expert in the field.

Eligibility Requirements for LPIC-1 Certification

There are no prerequisites for LPIC-1 certification. However, it is recommended that you have a basic understanding of Linux operating systems and fundamental command line operations before taking the exam. It is also advisable to have some practical experience working with Linux systems before attempting the certification.

Exam Details for LPIC-1 Certification

The LPIC-1 certification exam consists of two separate exams: Exam 101 and Exam 102. Each exam comprises 60 multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions, and you must score at least 500 out of 800 points to pass each exam. The exams are computer-based and last for 90 minutes each.

Exam 101 covers topics such as system architecture, Linux installation and package management, GNU and Unix commands, and devices, filesystems, and file-related commands. On the other hand, Exam 102 focuses on topics such as shell scripting, user interfaces and desktops, administrative tasks, essential system services, networking fundamentals, and security.

Preparation Tips for LPIC-1 Certification

To prepare for LPIC-1 certification, you need to have a thorough understanding of Linux system administration, including the topics covered in both exams. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the exams:

1. Familiarize yourself with Linux commands, including their syntax and options.

2. Install and practice using different Linux distributions to gain hands-on experience.

3. Join online Linux communities and forums to learn from experts and ask questions.

4. Use study materials, such as books, online courses, and practice exams, to test your knowledge and identify areas where you need improvement.

5. Practice time management skills to ensure you have enough time to answer all the exam questions.

Career Opportunities for LPIC-1 Certified Professionals

LPIC-1 certification opens up numerous career opportunities for Linux professionals. Some of the job roles that require LPIC-1 certification include Linux administrator, systems administrator, network administrator, DevOps engineer, and cloud engineer. Additionally, LPIC-1 certification can lead to higher-paying job roles, promotions, and increased job security.

Conclusion

LPIC-1 certification is an essential credential for Linux professionals seeking to advance their careers. It validates your knowledge and skills in Linux system administration, providing you with a competitive edge in the job market. To pass the certification exams, you need to have a thorough understanding of Linux commands, installation, configuration, and maintenance, among other topics. With LPIC-1 certification, you can pursue various job roles and enjoy higher pay and job security.

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The People Behind the Learning Portal: Marco Colombo, Learning Materials Author and Translator

The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) Learning Portal brings you cost-free teaching materials for teachers and students developed by Linux Professional Institute. Materials are written and translated into many different languages by members of an international community.

With this post, we get acquainted with Marco Colombo, an LPI certified professional who started his journey of developing LPI-related learning books years ago and is now part of the Learning Portal Team.

Marco, what is your academic and professional background?

I have a degree in Telecommunications Engineering, and I am currently working as a network administrator in an organization operating in higher education. I have always been a lover of technology and Linux, and I love to stay up to date, especially in the open source field. I do believe that in life you never stop learning and that you must always give the best of yourself, loving what you do.

When and how did you decide to use your skill in developing learning materials?

Immediately after earning the LPIC-1 certification.

The idea of collaborating with LPI in writing completely free educational material was undoubtedly a great way to put into practice what I learned during my certification journey, while allowing me to further hone my Linux skills. It's "Learn by Doing", quite literally!

While on my LPIC-1 certification journey, I started creating a series of exercises that could help me learn Linux. I decided to redesign the exercises into a series of questions and answers, perfectly matching the actual LPI exams. All that work became two, let’s call them "simulation books" for the 101-500 and 102-500 LPI exams. The books had quite a great success.

My vision behind them was to create educational material that could help anyone become an LPIC-1 certified professional. Each book consists of 250 questions and answers divided into 4 practice exams—simulating the actual exam—and 1 assessment test.

All the questions are explained step by step, so the reader can fully understand the general background to which each question refers. Now the books LPIC-1 101-500 Practice Exams and LPIC-1 102-500 Practice Exams are part of the official LPI Learning Materials too: Thank you, LPI!

What is your contribution, so far, to the Learning Portal, and what's next for you in this project?

Working on the Learning Portal, I have designed lessons for the Linux Essentials, LPIC-1, BSD Specialist, and Web Development certifications.

In the future, I would also like to contribute to the translation of the Learning Materials into Italian. The LPI Learning Portal is indeed a fascinating and engaging project.

Being a certified professional and a learning material writer makes you aware of the two sides of the coin: From this particular point of view, what is your advice to people studying for their LPI Exams?

My advice is: “practice, practice, practice!”

Of course you need to know, but you must make skills out of that knowledge: hence, you need to practice a lot. Because once you earn your Certification, you will have to face the actual work environment, and you need to be ready for it. Just stuffing in concepts is entirely useless, so: practice, practice, practice!

And how do you advise teachers and, more broadly, people involved in the use and even the production of Linux and open source learning material?

As I said, the LPI Learning Portal is an exciting project: I take this opportunity to invite teachers and Linux and lovers of open source to come forward and collaborate in the drafting of educational material that can help others. If each of us makes our knowledge available, the community will benefit a lot, in addition to empowering the community's individuals.

The LPI Learning Portal is a community, as you say: what is your experience so far, what tools and features do you use in the process? What can you tell us about the workflow? And what "opensourceness" can you recognize in a project about education?

The experience within the community is just brilliant. Each person who decides to collaborate is entrusted with a specific activity based on abilities and availability. The drafting, verification, and translation activities are expertly coordinated by professionals who are always ready to provide their invaluable help if needed.

Read the previous post: The People Behind the Learning Portal: Dr. Markus Wirtz - Manager Learning Materials

Source: lpi.org

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LPIC 1 vs Linux+: Where to Start

If you're ready to set down the path of Linux specialization, there are several key certifications that will help you. While some exams are tailored to vendor-specific distributions, Red Hat certifications being the most notable, there are two that stand out in the vendor-neutral, entry-level space: CompTIA Linux+ and Linux Professional Institute (LPI) LPIC-1.

Until April 2019, CompTIA and the LPI had a partnership that guaranteed LPIC-1 certification to anyone who passed CompTIA's Linux+ exam. CompTIA's reasoning and the LPI's explanation diverge on a few details of their breakup, but that's not entirely the point here.

Here's what matters: which certification should you pursue? Is Linux+ or LPIC-1 right for you?

A Look at Linux+: A Breakdown

According to CompTIA, it's new Linux+ certification exam targets IT pros who use or will use Linux to manage everything from cars and smartphones to servers and supercomputers. It also will help candidates who work in enterprise environments that use Linux. The biggest change from the previous Linux+ exam is that it covers security in-depth, alongside new topics like kernel modules, cloud management, and DevOps.

If you're in the early stages of your system admin career and want to establish a solid groundwork for working in Linux environments, Linux+ is a great option. The fact that it's distro-neutral means that it's applicable to any Linux system, which will make you a valuable asset to wider range of organizations.

CompTIA is a well-known name in the IT certification industry. Their certifications certainly add a great deal of weight to a professional resume, especially in the United States, where their vendor-neutral certifications are easily recognizable. For U.S.-based IT professionals, especially those interested in working for organizations such as the Department of Defense, Linux+ offers attractive credibility. CompTIA certifications are DoD-approved.

Linux+ certification is also a great option for professionals who want to continue further down the CompTIA certification path, for example with cybersecurity certs like CySA+ and CASP+.

However, Linux+ does have its drawbacks. It's generally considered one of the easier IT certification exams, and many professionals believe that it doesn't carry the same weight as more prestigious certifications. Others claim that these faults result in an exam that doesn't indicate whether or not a professional is up to the task of Linux administration.

A Look at LPIC-1: The Breakdown

The LPIC-1 is the first certification in the Linux Professional Institute's multi-level Linux certification program. The LPIC-1 validates "the candidate's ability to perform maintenance tasks on the command line, install and configure a computer running Linux and configure basic networking."

Because the LPIC-1 certification requires two exams, it's generally regarded as more difficult than the CompTIA exam, as it casts a wider net and contains more extensive questions.

The LPIC-1 was released in 1999, making it the oldest available vendor-neutral Linux certification. The LPI is a non-profit organization that embodies Linux's open-source ethos. There are 175,000 certificate holders across over 180 countries, so this organization has unparalleled clout on a global scale. Put together, this makes the LPIC one of the world's most recognized certifications for Linux professionals, especially among the IT community itself.

LPIC-1 is also distro-neutral and ideal for IT professionals interested in pursuing positions such as system administrator, network administrator, and system engineer. Because the LPI embodies the community-driven nature of open-source software, this alignment makes LPIC-1 certification an even more attractive option.

Linux+ vs LPIC1: Which Should You Earn?

First, in a vacuum, we recommend the LPIC-1. We believe that LPI's position as a globally recognized body of Linux experts who strive to uphold the technology's foundational principles sets it apart from the competition. No matter where you are or what type of Linux environment you'll be working in, LPIC-1 certification will always be useful and relevant.

Secondly,  what are your career goals and desired trajectory? If you're a devoted Linux fan who wants to climb the LPIC ladder toward LPIC-3, then you'll want to start with LPIC-1. Another reason in LPIC-1's favor is if you're applying to positions outside the U.S. or want to work in IT, the hiring manager is more likely to have a tech background and therefore value LPI certifications.

If you're a U.S. professional, want to pursue a career that doesn't focus so heavily on Linux administration, or applying with an organization that isn't as IT-centric, then Linux+ may be a better option. In this case, the CompTIA certification will be more recognizable and provide a better pathway.

Final Thoughts

Linux is found in nearly every server room these days. Long gone are the days of it being a fad or an OS for hobbyists. In fact, many enterprises are now using Linux in some form or another. Even Microsoft has embraced Linux after years of dismissing open source technologies.

As a result, the demand for IT pros with Linux skills has increased rapidly in recent years. The best way to start building a Linux foundation is through certification — and you can't go wrong with LPIC-1 or Linux+. Start adding Linux to your IT skill set today.

Source: cbtnuggets.com

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LPIC-1 exams available online in Spanish

In 2020, Linux Professional Institute (LPI) started offering its certification exams online. Since then, the exam development team has been working hard to offer these online exams in different languages as well. In addition to English and Japanese, the LPIC-1 exams are now available online in Spanish.

For some time, candidates for Linux certification have been able to take the first-level exams, LPIC-1, in Spanish. But to do so, candidates needed to travel to test centers or other places where exams are held. This is difficult for people outside major urban centers, and dangerous in many regions following the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Today LPI announces the availability of LPIC-1 exams in Spanish online from a home, workplace, or college, through the Pearson VUE OnVUE testing system.

The mission of LPI is to promote the use of open source by supporting the people who work with it. As part of this mission, it has expanded test-taking in two important ways: by translating exams and Learning Materials into more and more languages, and by offering them online to give more and more people around the world the chance to take them.

More Info:

LPI Certifications

101-500: Linux Administrator - 101 (LPIC-1 101)

102-500: Linux Administrator - 102 (LPIC-1 102)

Source: lpi.org

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LPIC-1 101 Learning Materials released in Spanish and Portuguese

The LPIC-1 Learning Materials for the 101 exam are now available in Spanish and Portuguese. This comprehensive guide is part of a series of Learning Materials developed by Linux Professional Institute (LPI) volunteers around the world to alert candidates to the topics they will encounter on the LPI exams. The Learning Materials are not meant to be a substitute for the other sources of information: training programs, books that are available through many publishers, and--of course--intensive, hands-on experience with the computer systems themselves.

Also Read: 101-500: Linux Administrator - 101 (LPIC-1 101)

LPI is committed to providing access to knowledge about free and open source software to as wide a range of users and administrators as possible. As part of that goal, LPI has been translating both its tests and its training materials into a number of languages.

A growing number of the exams is available online in Spanish and Portuguese, using the Pearson OnVUE service. Where pandemic conditions allow people to gather in person, the LPIC-1 exams are also available in these languages.

"With the translation of the Learning Materials for the first LPIC-1 exam into Spanish and Portuguese, we have reached another important milestone," says Dr. Markus Wirtz, Manager Education Programs LPI. "My special thanks go to the translators and reviewers for their great work."

Further translation efforts are underway, and will be reported on lpi.org

Source: lpi.org

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The Linux LPIC Level-1 Certification at a Glance

What is the LPI Certification?

The Linux Professional Institute has primarily created Linux certifications for getting entry into senior-level positions. The Linux Professional Institute, which is also referred to as LPI, is a nonprofit organization that is based in Canada. The organization encourages the usage of free software, Linux, and Open Source. The organization offers Vendor-Neutral Linux Certifications to information technology professionals throughout the world. It presently has 400 training partners, which signifies that it is the largest Linux Certification (Vendor Neutral) body in the world.

LPI certifications are also rated as the best among all the different Linux Certifications that are available online.

Overview of LPI Certification

LPI certification is very simple and is a group of there different certifications. All of the certifications are dependent on one another, as you will realize once you read this article.

The first certification on the LPI certification track is LPIC-1, which is fundamentally an entry-level certification that is designed for individuals who can configure and install a workstation operating Linux. Such individuals can also configure the fundamental network and monitor the maintenance of the system directly from the command line. LPIC-1 is also known as Linux Administrator.

The LPIC-2 is termed as Linux Engineer. It is a mid-level certification that has been basically created for professionals who can manage both medium and small-sized mixed networks.

LPIC-3 is known as Linux Enterprise Professional. It is a senior-level certification that is recommended for Linux Professionals who can plan, troubleshoot, conceptualize, and design Linux installations in environments that are an enterprise in context.

To obtain LPIC certification, you need to pass two multiple choice exams. The cost of each exam is $200. Pearson VUE administers the exam. Linux essentials certification is beneficial for all those individuals who are just beginning their Linux careers. Linux essentials include all the core skills such as Linux operating system and command-line editing.

Linux LPIC level-1 certification at a Glance

As mentioned already, the LPIC certification is an excellent choice for individuals who are interested in the IT field.

LPIC differentiates engineers from various levels. The original 3 level system is extremely compatible with real-world scenarios and experience. Many Linux enthusiasts and engineers take advantage of Linux LPIC level-1 certification to take their knowledge to the next level.

Linux LPIC level-1 certification is a junior levelcertification that requires you to clear two exams. There are no prerequisites for the exam.

The first exam is “LPIC-1 101-500”. The exam includes file systems, system architecture, bolts, and nuts of Linux installation and Unix commands.

The second exam is “LPIC-1 102-500”. This exam measures individuals’ expertise in the shell environment, running scripts, managing databases, and running of SQL commands.

To pass the LPIC exam, you also need to have a stronghold on configuring settings for the desktop and user interfaces. You also must be fluent in securing Linux systems and creating network connections.

Skills Required for Linux LPIC-1 Certification Exam

To pass Linux LPIC level-1 certification, you need to have some level of expertise in different areas of Linux. To appear for this exam, no prior knowledge related to Linux is necessary.

• You must learn how to work on the command line such as shells, the role of command shells, the shell prompts, navigation of the file system, changing of the shell, and important environment variables.
• You must learn about using pipes, redirects, and You must have firm knowledge about the standard quoting rules, nesting of commands, and brace expansion.
• To pass Linux LPIC level-1 certification, you must have firm knowledge about managing ownership and file permissions. You must know about the directory permissions, changing of file permissions, and certainly, file ownership.
• To pass the Linux LPIC level-1 certification test, you need to have some knowledge about deleting, creating, and displaying of files. You are expected to know about directory manipulation, file manipulation, and file system links.
• You should know how to work with compression and archives.
• You must know how to use the filters for the processing of text streams.
• It would help if you had a firm grip on how to use the regular expressions for the searching of the text files.
• To clear the Linux LPIC level-1 certification exam, you must know how to do the primary file editing operations using VI.
• You should know how to kill, create, and oversee the processes. You must know how to utilize the advanced screen and signals.
• It would be best if you are highly skilled in DEBIAN AND YUM package management.
• A certain level of knowledge relevant to working with partitions, disk quotas, and file systems.
• You need to have a certain level of understanding of the Linux Boot Process.
• You must know how to configure and identify the hardware settings.
• In the end, you must learn about the fundamentals of Linux if you want to pass the Linux LPIC level-1 certification.

Conclusion

Linux LPIC level-1 certification is a beneficialcertification that will help you advance in your career. However, just like any other certification, getting it is not a cakewalk. You need to work hard and prepare well for your exam if you want to obtain the certification. There are many online study materials, practice tests, you tube videos available on the internet through which you can easily prepare for the actual LPIC certification exam.

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102-500: Linux Administrator - 102 (LPIC-1 102)

The world’s largest and most recognized Linux Certification

LPIC-1 is the first certification in LPI’s multi-level Linux professional certification program. The LPIC-1 will validate the candidate's ability to perform maintenance tasks on the command line, install and configure a computer running Linux and configure basic networking.

The LPIC-1 is designed to reflect current research and validate a candidate's proficiency in real world system administration. The objectives are tied to real-world job skills, which we determine through job task analysis surveying during exam development.

Current Version: 5.0 (Exam codes 102-500)

Objectives: 102-500

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this certification

Requirements: Passing exams 102

Validity Period: 5 years

Languages: English, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified) and Chinese (Traditional). Exams in following languages will be released in 2019: Italian, Spanish, French.

102-500: Linux Administrator - 102

102-500 LPIC-1 Exam Syllabus

To become LPIC-1 certified the candidate must be able to:

◈ understand the architecture of a Linux system;
◈ install and maintain a Linux workstation, including X11 and setup it up as a network client;
◈ work at the Linux command line, including common GNU and Unix commands;
◈ handle files and access permissions as well as system security; and
◈ perform easy maintenance tasks: help users, add users to a larger system, backup and restore, shutdown and reboot.

LPIC-1 Exam 102

Exam Objectives Version: Version 5.0

Exam Codes: 102-500

About Objective Weights: Each objective is assigned a weighting value. The weights indicate the relative importance of each objective on the exam. Objectives with higher weights will be covered in the exam with more questions.

Topic 105: Shells and Shell Scripting

105.1 Customize and use the shell environment

Weight: 4

Description: Candidates should be able to customize shell environments to meet users' needs. Candidates should be able to modify global and user profiles.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Set environment variables (e.g. PATH) at login or when spawning a new shell.
◈ Write Bash functions for frequently used sequences of commands.
◈ Maintain skeleton directories for new user accounts.
◈ Set command search path with the proper directory.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ .
◈ source
◈ /etc/bash.bashrc
◈ /etc/profile
◈ env
◈ export
◈ set
◈ unset
◈ ~/.bash_profile
◈ ~/.bash_login
◈ ~/.profile
◈ ~/.bashrc
◈ ~/.bash_logout
◈ function
◈ alias

105.2 Customize or write simple scripts

Weight: 4

Description: Candidates should be able to customize existing scripts, or write simple new Bash scripts.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Use standard sh syntax (loops, tests).
◈ Use command substitution.
◈ Test return values for success or failure or other information provided by a command.
◈ Execute chained commands.
◈ Perform conditional mailing to the superuser.
◈ Correctly select the script interpreter through the shebang (#!) line.
◈ Manage the location, ownership, execution and suid-rights of scripts.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ for
◈ while
◈ test
◈ if
◈ read
◈ seq
◈ exec
◈ ||
◈ &&

Topic 106: User Interfaces and Desktops

106.1 Install and configure X11

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should be able to install and configure X11.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Understanding of the X11 architecture.
◈ Basic understanding and knowledge of the X Window configuration file.
◈ Overwrite specific aspects of Xorg configuration, such as keyboard layout.
◈ Understand the components of desktop environments, such as display managers and window managers.
◈ Manage access to the X server and display applications on remote X servers.
◈ Awareness of Wayland.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ /etc/X11/xorg.conf
◈ /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/
◈ ~/.xsession-errors
◈ xhost
◈ xauth
◈ DISPLAY
◈ X

106.2 Graphical Desktops

Weight: 1

Description: Candidates should be aware of major Linux desktops. Furthermore, candidates should be aware of protocols used to access remote desktop sessions.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Awareness of major desktop environments
◈ Awareness of protocols to access remote desktop sessions

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ KDE
◈ Gnome
◈ Xfce
◈ X11
◈ XDMCP
◈ VNC
◈ Spice
◈ RDP

106.3 Accessibility

Weight: 1

Description: Demonstrate knowledge and awareness of accessibility technologies.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Basic knowledge of visual settings and themes.
◈ Basic knowledge of assistive technology.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ High Contrast/Large Print Desktop Themes.
◈ Screen Reader.
◈ Braille Display.
◈ Screen Magnifier.
◈ On-Screen Keyboard.
◈ Sticky/Repeat keys.
◈ Slow/Bounce/Toggle keys.
◈ Mouse keys.
◈ Gestures.
◈ Voice recognition.

Topic 107: Administrative Tasks

107.1 Manage user and group accounts and related system files

Weight: 5

Description: Candidates should be able to add, remove, suspend and change user accounts.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Add, modify and remove users and groups.
◈ Manage user/group info in password/group databases.
◈ Create and manage special purpose and limited accounts.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ /etc/passwd
◈ /etc/shadow
◈ /etc/group
◈ /etc/skel/
◈ chage
◈ getent
◈ groupadd
◈ groupdel
◈ groupmod
◈ passwd
◈ useradd
◈ userdel
◈ usermod

107.2 Automate system administration tasks by scheduling jobs

Weight: 4

Description: Candidates should be able to use cron and systemd timers to run jobs at regular intervals and to use at to run jobs at a specific time.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Manage cron and at jobs.
◈ Configure user access to cron and at services.
◈ Understand systemd timer units.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ /etc/cron.{d,daily,hourly,monthly,weekly}/
◈ /etc/at.deny
◈ /etc/at.allow
◈ /etc/crontab
◈ /etc/cron.allow
◈ /etc/cron.deny
◈ /var/spool/cron/
◈ crontab
◈ at
◈ atq
◈ atrm
◈ systemctl
◈ systemd-run

107.3 Localisation and internationalisation

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should be able to localize a system in a different language than English. As well, an understanding of why LANG=C is useful when scripting.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Copy, move and remove files and directories individually
◈ Copy multiple files and directories recursively
◈ Remove files and directories recursively
◈ Use simple and advanced wildcard specifications in commands
◈ Using find to locate and act on files based on type, size, or time
◈ Usage of tar, cpio and dd

Terms and Utilities:

◈ /etc/timezone
◈ /etc/localtime
◈ /usr/share/zoneinfo/
◈ LC_*
◈ LC_ALL
◈ LANG
◈ TZ
◈ /usr/bin/locale
◈ tzselect
◈ timedatectl
◈ date
◈ iconv
◈ UTF-8
◈ ISO-8859
◈ ASCII
◈ Unicode

Topic 108: Essential System Services

108.1 Maintain system time

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should be able to properly maintain the system time and synchronize the clock via NTP.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Set the system date and time.
◈ Set the hardware clock to the correct time in UTC.
◈ Configure the correct timezone.
◈ Basic NTP configuration using ntpd and chrony.
◈ Knowledge of using the pool.ntp.org service.
◈ Awareness of the ntpq command.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ /usr/share/zoneinfo/
◈ /etc/timezone
◈ /etc/localtime
◈ /etc/ntp.conf
◈ /etc/chrony.conf
◈ date
◈ hwclock
◈ timedatectl
◈ ntpd
◈ ntpdate
◈ chronyc
◈ pool.ntp.org

108.2 System logging

Weight: 4

Description: Candidates should be able to configure rsyslog. This objective also includes configuring the logging daemon to send log output to a central log server or accept log output as a central log server. Use of the systemd journal subsystem is covered. Also, awareness of syslog and syslog-ng as alternative logging systems is included.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Basic configuration of rsyslog.
◈ Understanding of standard facilities, priorities and actions.
◈ Query the systemd journal.
◈ Filter systemd journal data by criteria such as date, service or priority.
◈ Configure persistent systemd journal storage and journal size.
◈ Delete old systemd journal data.
◈ Retrieve systemd journal data from a rescue system or file system copy.
◈ Understand interaction of rsyslog with systemd-journald.
◈ Configuration of logrotate.
◈ Awareness of syslog and syslog-ng.

Terms and Utilities:

◈ /etc/rsyslog.conf
◈ /var/log/
◈ logger
◈ logrotate
◈ /etc/logrotate.conf
◈ /etc/logrotate.d/
◈ journalctl
◈ systemd-cat
◈ /etc/systemd/journald.conf
◈ /var/log/journal/

108.3 Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) basics

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should be aware of the commonly available MTA programs and be able to perform basic forward and alias configuration on a client host. Other configuration files are not covered.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Create e-mail aliases.
◈ Configure e-mail forwarding.
◈ Knowledge of commonly available MTA programs (postfix, sendmail, exim) (no configuration).

Terms and Utilities:

◈ ~/.forward
◈ sendmail emulation layer commands
◈ newaliases
◈ mail
◈ mailq
◈ postfix
◈ sendmail
◈ exim

108.4 Manage printers and printing

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should be able to manage print queues and user print jobs using CUPS and the LPD compatibility interface.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Basic CUPS configuration (for local and remote printers).
◈ Manage user print queues.
◈ Troubleshoot general printing problems.
◈ Add and remove jobs from configured printer queues.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ CUPS configuration files, tools and utilities
◈ /etc/cups/
◈ lpd legacy interface (lpr, lprm, lpq)

Topic 109: Networking Fundamentals

109.1 Fundamentals of internet protocols

Weight: 4

Description: Candidates should demonstrate a proper understanding of TCP/IP network fundamentals.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Demonstrate an understanding of network masks and CIDR notation.
◈ Knowledge of the differences between private and public "dotted quad" IP addresses.
◈ Knowledge about common TCP and UDP ports and services (20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 53, 80, 110, 123, 139, 143, 161, 162, 389, 443, 465, 514, 636, 993, 995).
◈ Knowledge about the differences and major features of UDP, TCP and ICMP.
◈ Knowledge of the major differences between IPv4 and IPv6.
◈ Knowledge of the basic features of IPv6.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ /etc/services
◈ IPv4, IPv6
◈ Subnetting
◈ TCP, UDP, ICMP

109.2 Persistent network configuration

Weight: 4

Description: Candidates should be able to manage the persistent network configuration of a Linux host.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Understand basic TCP/IP host configuration.
◈ Configure ethernet and wi-fi network configuration using NetworkManager.
◈ Awareness of systemd-networkd.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ /etc/hostname
◈ /etc/hosts
◈ /etc/nsswitch.conf
◈ /etc/resolv.conf
◈ nmcli
◈ hostnamectl
◈ ifup
◈ ifdown

109.3 Basic network troubleshooting

Weight: 4

Description: Candidates should be able to troubleshoot networking issues on client hosts.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Manually configure network interfaces, including viewing and changing the configuration of network interfaces using iproute2.
◈ Manually configure routing, including viewing and changing routing tables and setting the default route using iproute2.
◈ Debug problems associated with the network configuration.
◈ Awareness of legacy net-tools commands.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ ip
◈ hostname
◈ ss
◈ ping
◈ ping6
◈ traceroute
◈ traceroute6
◈ tracepath
◈ tracepath6
◈ netcat
◈ ifconfig
◈ netstat
◈ route

109.4 Configure client side DNS

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should be able to configure DNS on a client host.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Query remote DNS servers.
◈ Configure local name resolution and use remote DNS servers.
◈ Modify the order in which name resolution is done.
◈ Debug errors related to name resolution.
◈ Awareness of systemd-resolved.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ /etc/hosts
◈ /etc/resolv.conf
◈ /etc/nsswitch.conf
◈ host
◈ dig
◈ getent

Topic 110: Security

110.1 Perform security administration tasks

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should know how to review system configuration to ensure host security in accordance with local security policies.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Audit a system to find files with the suid/sgid bit set.
◈ Set or change user passwords and password aging information.
◈ Being able to use nmap and netstat to discover open ports on a system.
◈ Set up limits on user logins, processes and memory usage.
◈ Determine which users have logged in to the system or are currently logged in.
◈ Basic sudo configuration and usage.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ find
◈ passwd
◈ fuser
◈ lsof
◈ nmap
◈ chage
◈ netstat
◈ sudo
◈ /etc/sudoers
◈ su
◈ usermod
◈ ulimit
◈ who, w, last

110.2 Setup host security

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should know how to set up a basic level of host security.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Awareness of shadow passwords and how they work.
◈ Turn off network services not in use.
◈ Understand the role of TCP wrappers.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ /etc/nologin
◈ /etc/passwd
◈ /etc/shadow
◈ /etc/xinetd.d/
◈ /etc/xinetd.conf
◈ systemd.socket
◈ /etc/inittab
◈ /etc/init.d/
◈ /etc/hosts.allow
◈ /etc/hosts.deny

110.3 Securing data with encryption

Weight: 4

Description: The candidate should be able to use public key techniques to secure data and communication.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Perform basic OpenSSH 2 client configuration and usage.
◈ Understand the role of OpenSSH 2 server host keys.
◈ Perform basic GnuPG configuration, usage and revocation.
◈ Use GPG to encrypt, decrypt, sign and verify files.
◈ Understand SSH port tunnels (including X11 tunnels).
◈ The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ ssh
◈ ssh-keygen
◈ ssh-agent
◈ ssh-add
◈ ~/.ssh/id_rsa and id_rsa.pub
◈ ~/.ssh/id_dsa and id_dsa.pub
◈ ~/.ssh/id_ecdsa and id_ecdsa.pub
◈ ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 and id_ed25519.pub
◈ /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key and ssh_host_rsa_key.pub
◈ /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key and ssh_host_dsa_key.pub
◈ /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ecdsa_key and ssh_host_ecdsa_key.pub
◈ /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key and ssh_host_ed25519_key.pub
◈ ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
◈ ssh_known_hosts
◈ gpg
◈ gpg-agent
◈ ~/.gnupg/

Future Change Considerations

Future changes to the objective will/may include:

◈ Remove ifup/ifdown and legacy net-tools command
◈ Remove TCP wrappers

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101-500: Linux Administrator - 101 (LPIC-1 101)

The world’s largest and most recognized Linux Certification

LPIC-1 is the first certification in LPI’s multi-level Linux professional certification program. The LPIC-1 will validate the candidate's ability to perform maintenance tasks on the command line, install and configure a computer running Linux and configure basic networking.

The LPIC-1 is designed to reflect current research and validate a candidate's proficiency in real world system administration. The objectives are tied to real-world job skills, which we determine through job task analysis surveying during exam development.

Current Version: 5.0 (Exam codes 101-500)

Objectives: 101-500

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this certification

Requirements: Passing exams 101

Validity Period: 5 years

Languages: English, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified) and Chinese (Traditional). Exams in following languages will be released in 2019: Italian, Spanish, French.

101-500: LPI Linux Administrator - 101

101-500: LPIC-1 Exam Syllabus

To become LPIC-1 certified the candidate must be able to:

◈ understand the architecture of a Linux system;
◈ install and maintain a Linux workstation, including X11 and setup it up as a network client;
◈ work at the Linux command line, including common GNU and Unix commands;
◈ handle files and access permissions as well as system security; and
◈ perform easy maintenance tasks: help users, add users to a larger system, backup and restore, shutdown and reboot.

LPIC-1 Exam 101

Exam Objectives Version: Version 5.0

Exam Codes: 101-500

About Objective Weights: Each objective is assigned a weighting value. The weights indicate the relative importance of each objective on the exam. Objectives with higher weights will be covered in the exam with more questions.

Topic 101: System Architecture

101.1 Determine and configure hardware settings

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should be able to determine and configure fundamental system hardware.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Enable and disable integrated peripherals.
◈ Differentiate between the various types of mass storage devices.
◈ Determine hardware resources for devices.
◈ Tools and utilities to list various hardware information (e.g. lsusb, lspci, etc.).
◈ Tools and utilities to manipulate USB devices.
◈ Conceptual understanding of sysfs, udev and dbus.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ /sys/
◈ /proc/
◈ /dev/
◈ modprobe
◈ lsmod
◈ lspci
◈ lsusb

101.2 Boot the system

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should be able to guide the system through the booting process.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Provide common commands to the boot loader and options to the kernel at boot time
◈ Demonstrate knowledge of the boot sequence from BIOS to boot completion
◈ Understanding of SysVinit and systemd
◈ Awareness of Upstart
◈ Check boot events in the log files

Terms and Utilities:

◈ dmesg
◈ BIOS
◈ bootloader
◈ kernel
◈ initramfs
◈ init
◈ SysVinit
◈ systemd

101.3 Change runlevels / boot targets and shutdown or reboot system

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should be able to manage the SysVinit runlevel or systemd boot target of the system. This objective includes changing to single user mode, shutdown or rebooting the system. Candidates should be able to alert users before switching runlevels / boot targets and properly terminate processes. This objective also includes setting the default SysVinit runlevel or systemd boot target. It also includes awareness of Upstart as an alternative to SysVinit or systemd.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Set the default runlevel or boot target
◈ Change between runlevels / boot targets including single user mode
◈ Shutdown and reboot from the command line
◈ Alert users before switching runlevels / boot targets or other major system events
◈ Properly terminate processes
◈ Awareness of acpid.

Terms and Utilities:

◈ /etc/inittab
◈ shutdown
◈ init
◈ /etc/init.d/
◈ telinit
◈ systemd
◈ systemctl
◈ /etc/systemd/
◈ /usr/lib/systemd/
◈ wall

Topic 102: Linux Installation and Package Management

102.1 Design hard disk layout

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should be able to design a disk partitioning scheme for a Linux system.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Allocate filesystems and swap space to separate partitions or disks
◈ Tailor the design to the intended use of the system
◈ Ensure the /boot partition conforms to the hardware architecture requirements for booting
◈ Knowledge of basic features of LVM

Terms and Utilities:

◈ / (root) filesystem
◈ /var filesystem
◈ /home filesystem
◈ /boot filesystem
◈ swap space
◈ mount points
◈ partitions

102.2 Install a boot manager

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should be able to select, install and configure a boot manager.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Providing alternative boot locations and backup boot options
◈ Install and configure a boot loader such as GRUB Legacy
◈ Perform basic configuration changes for GRUB 2
◈ Interact with the boot loader

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

◈ menu.lst, grub.cfg and grub.conf
◈ grub-install
◈ grub-mkconfig
◈ MBR

102.3 Manage shared libraries

Weight: 1

Description: Candidates should be able to determine the shared libraries that executable programs depend on and install them when necessary.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Identify shared libraries
◈ Identify the typical locations of system libraries
◈ Load shared libraries

Terms and Utilities:

◈ ldd
◈ ldconfig
◈ /etc/ld.so.conf
◈ LD_LIBRARY_PATH

102.4 Use Debian package management

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should be able to perform package management using the Debian package tools.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Install, upgrade and uninstall Debian binary packages
◈ Find packages containing specific files or libraries which may or may not be installed
◈ Obtain package information like version, content, dependencies, package integrity and installation status (whether or not the package is installed)
◈ Awareness of apt.

Terms and Utilities:

◈ /etc/apt/sources.list
◈ dpkg
◈ dpkg-reconfigure
◈ apt-get
◈ apt-cache

102.5 Use RPM and YUM package management

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should be able to perform package management using RPM and YUM tools.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Install, re-install, upgrade and remove packages using RPM and YUM
◈ Obtain information on RPM packages such as version, status, dependencies, integrity and signatures
◈ Determine what files a package provides, as well as find which package a specific file comes from
◈ Awareness of dnf.

Terms and Utilities:

◈ rpm
◈ rpm2cpio
◈ /etc/yum.conf
◈ /etc/yum.repos.d/
◈ yum
◈ yumdownloader

102.6 Linux as a virtualization guest

Weight: 1

Description: Candidates should understand the implications of virtualization and cloud computing on a Linux guest system.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Understand the general concept of virtual machines and containers.
◈ Understand common elements virtual machines in an IaaS cloud, such as computing instances, block storage and networking.
◈ Understand unique properties of a Linux system which have to changed when a system is cloned or used as a template.
◈ Understand how system images are used to deploy virtual machines, cloud instances and containers.
◈ Understand Linux extensions which integrate Linux with a virtualization product.
◈ Awareness of cloud-init.

Terms and Utilities:

◈ Virtual machine
◈ Linux container
◈ Application container
◈ Guest drivers
◈ SSH host keys
◈ D-Bus machine id

Topic 103: GNU and Unix Commands

103.1 Work on the command line

Weight: 4

Description: Candidates should be able to interact with shells and commands using the command line. The objective assumes the Bash shell.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Use single shell commands and one line command sequences to perform basic tasks on the command line
◈ Use and modify the shell environment including defining, referencing and exporting environment variables
◈ Use and edit command history
◈ Invoke commands inside and outside the defined path

Terms and Utilities:

◈ bash
◈ echo
◈ env
◈ export
◈ pwd
◈ set
◈ unset
◈ type
◈ which
◈ man
◈ uname
◈ history
◈ .bash_history
◈ Quoting

103.2 Process text streams using filters

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should should be able to apply filters to text streams.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Send text files and output streams through text utility filters to modify the output using standard UNIX commands found in the GNU textutils package.

Terms and Utilities:

◈ bzcat
◈ cat
◈ cut
◈ head
◈ less
◈ md5sum
◈ nl
◈ od
◈ paste
◈ sed
◈ sha256sum
◈ sha512sum
◈ sort
◈ split
◈ tail
◈ tr
◈ uniq
◈ wc
◈ xzcat
◈ zcat

103.3 Perform basic file management

Weight: 4

Description: Candidates should be able to use the basic Linux commands to manage files and directories.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Copy, move and remove files and directories individually
◈ Copy multiple files and directories recursively
◈ Remove files and directories recursively
◈ Use simple and advanced wildcard specifications in commands
◈ Using find to locate and act on files based on type, size, or time
◈ Usage of tar, cpio and dd

Terms and Utilities:

◈ cp
◈ find
◈ mkdir
◈ mv
◈ ls
◈ rm
◈ rmdir
◈ touch
◈ tar
◈ cpio
◈ dd
◈ file
◈ gzip
◈ gunzip
◈ bzip2
◈ xz
◈ file globbing

103.4 Use streams, pipes and redirects

Weight: 4

Description: Candidates should be able to redirect streams and connect them in order to efficiently process textual data. Tasks include redirecting standard input, standard output and standard error, piping the output of one command to the input of another command, using the output of one command as arguments to another command and sending output to both stdout and a file.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Redirecting standard input, standard output and standard error
◈ Pipe the output of one command to the input of another command
◈ Use the output of one command as arguments to another command
◈ Send output to both stdout and a file

Terms and Utilities:

◈ tee
◈ xargs

103.5 Create, monitor and kill processes

Weight: 4

Description: Candidates should be able to perform basic process management.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Run jobs in the foreground and background
◈ Signal a program to continue running after logout
◈ Monitor active processes
◈ Select and sort processes for display
◈ Send signals to processes

Terms and Utilities:

◈ &
◈ bg
◈ fg
◈ jobs
◈ kill
◈ nohup
◈ ps
◈ top
◈ free
◈ uptime
◈ pgrep
◈ pkill
◈ killall
◈ screen
◈ tmux

103.6 Modify process execution priorities

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should should be able to manage process execution priorities.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Know the default priority of a job that is created
◈ Run a program with higher or lower priority than the default
◈ Change the priority of a running process

Terms and Utilities:

◈ nice
◈ ps
◈ renice
◈ top

103.7 Search text files using regular expressions

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should be able to manipulate files and text data using regular expressions. This objective includes creating simple regular expressions containing several notational elements as well as understanding the differences between basic and extended regular expressions. It also includes using regular expression tools to perform searches through a filesystem or file content.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Create simple regular expressions containing several notational elements.
◈ Understand the differences between basic and extended regular expressions.
◈ Understand the concepts of special characters, character classes, quantifiers and anchors.
◈ Use regular expression tools to perform searches through a filesystem or file content.
◈ Use regular expressions to delete, change and substitute text.

Terms and Utilities:

◈ grep
◈ egrep
◈ fgrep
◈ sed
◈ regex(7)

103.8 Basic file editing

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should be able to edit text files using vi. This objective includes vi navigation, vi modes, inserting, editing, deleting, copying and finding text. It also includes awareness of other common editors and setting the default editor.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Navigate a document using vi.
◈ Understand and use vi modes.
◈ Insert, edit, delete, copy and find text in vi.
◈ Awareness of Emacs, nano and vim.
◈ Configure the standard editor.

Terms and Utilities:

◈ vi
◈ /, ?
◈ h,j,k,l
◈ i, o, a
◈ c, d, p, y, dd, yy
◈ ZZ, :w!, :q!, :e!
◈ EDITOR

Topic 104: Devices, Linux Filesystems, Filesystem Hierarchy Standard

104.1 Create partitions and filesystems

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should be able to configure disk partitions and then create filesystems on media such as hard disks. This includes the handling of swap partitions.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Manage MBR and GPT partition tables
◈ Use various mkfs commands to create various filesystems such as:
     ◈ ext2/ext3/ext4
     ◈ XFS
     ◈ VFAT
     ◈ exFAT

◈ Basic feature knowledge of Btrfs, including multi-device filesystems, compression and subvolumes.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:


◈ fdisk
◈ gdisk
◈ parted
◈ mkfs
◈ mkswap

104.2 Maintain the integrity of filesystems

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should be able to maintain a standard filesystem, as well as the extra data associated with a journaling filesystem.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Verify the integrity of filesystems
◈ Monitor free space and inodes
◈ Repair simple filesystem problems

Terms and Utilities:

◈ du
◈ df
◈ fsck
◈ e2fsck
◈ mke2fs
◈ tune2fs
◈ xfs_repair
◈ xfs_fsr
◈ xfs_db

104.3 Control mounting and unmounting of filesystems

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should be able to configure the mounting of a filesystem.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Manually mount and unmount filesystems
◈ Configure filesystem mounting on bootup
◈ Configure user mountable removable filesystems
◈ Use of labels and UUIDs for identifying and mounting file systems.
◈ Awareness of systemd mount units.

Terms and Utilities:

◈ /etc/fstab
◈ /media/
◈ mount
◈ umount
◈ blkid
◈ lsblk

104.4 Removed

104.5 Manage file permissions and ownership

Weight: 3

Description: Candidates should be able to control file access through the proper use of permissions and ownerships.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Manage access permissions on regular and special files as well as directories
◈ Use access modes such as suid, sgid and the sticky bit to maintain security
◈ Know how to change the file creation mask
◈ Use the group field to grant file access to group members

Terms and Utilities:

◈ chmod
◈ umask
◈ chown
◈ chgrp

104.6 Create and change hard and symbolic links

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should be able to create and manage hard and symbolic links to a file.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Create links
◈ Identify hard and/or soft links
◈ Copying versus linking files
◈ Use links to support system administration tasks

Terms and Utilities:

◈ ln
◈ ls

104.7 Find system files and place files in the correct location

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should be thoroughly familiar with the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS), including typical file locations and directory classifications.

Key Knowledge Areas:

◈ Understand the correct locations of files under the FHS
◈ Find files and commands on a Linux system
◈ Know the location and purpose of important file and directories as defined in the FHS

Terms and Utilities:

◈ find
◈ locate
◈ updatedb
◈ whereis
◈ which
◈ type
◈ /etc/updatedb.conf

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