New Course: Linux LPI LPIC-2: Exam 202

CBT Nuggets trainer Shawn Powers released the second of two courses preparing learners for the LPIC-2 certification exams. His Linux LPI LPIC-2: Exam 202 course includes an explanation of terms and processes, along with practical applications and hands-on configuration of actual Linux machines. Learners pursuing the LPIC-2 should first complete Shawn's Linux LPI LPIC-2: Exam 201 course.

LPI LPIC-2: Exam 202 is an intermediate-level course designed for IT pros with some experience at the command line and familiarity with basic networking.

We asked Shawn about his new course and how learners can get more out of the CBT Nuggets Learning Experience.

Q: Why should companies train their IT professionals in Linux? What value does an LPIC certification bring?

Certifications from LPI are great because they cover a broad range of topics system administrators will encounter. This new LPIC-2 course is the most advanced training we offer, and that means even seasoned sysadmins can learn ways to do their jobs faster, better, and/or more efficiently. I've been a Linux sysadmin for 20 years, and even I learned a few things while teaching the course!

Q: From a learner perspective, what did you keep in mind when creating this course?

Some of the topics covered are those that we don't experience every day on the job. So when I approached the topics, I tried to explain what and why we were doing things. Mainly because "being on the test" might be a valid reason to learn things, but if you consider "why it's on the test," the learning makes so much more sense.

Q: Any out-of-the-box tips for learners to get the most out of your course?

I sound like a broken record when it comes to advice on taking my courses, but the tougher the material, the more important it is: DO the exercises yourself as well as following me as I do them. Do things slightly different from my demos and see if you can make things work without just following my steps to the letter. I do all my training in virtual machines, which means learners can do the same thing without expensive hardware!

Q: What's one real-world application someone can expect to use, thanks to this course?

There are a bunch of great topics in this course that can make a sysadmin's job easier, but if I had to pick one, maybe static DHCP. It's incredibly nice to have computer IP addressing take place in a single configuration file as opposed to manually configuring computers. It's possible folks are already doing static DHCP entries, but if not, it's worth the effort!

Q: What was your favorite Nugget to create?

Probably the PAM Nuggets (PAM Configuration and PAM Modules). Mainly because I haven't configured PAM in so many years, it was great to dig into the topic again and relearn things I'd forgotten. It was a good reminder for me as well because things have changed since I last messed with PAM, and it's important to stay on top of things like that!

Q: What's the one thing you hope learners take away from this training?

Confidence. I mean, I know it's a certification prep course, so I hope people get their certs, but for me, it's even more important for learners to gain the confidence a well-rounded education on a topic provides!

Start learning today to conquer Linux LPI LPIC-2: Exam 202!

Learn more about the CBT Nuggets Learning Experience.