Linux/Systems Certifications

Linux and systems administration certifications covering enterprise Linux, system management, and Red Hat technologies.

Certification Status

Certification Exam Code Level Status Earned Renewal

Linux+

XK0-005

Foundational

EARNED

2019-01-28

CE required (Nov 2029)

CompTIA CLNP

Linux+ + Network+ (stackable)

Professional

EARNED

2019-01-28

Nov 2029

LPIC-1

101-500 + 102-500

Junior

EARNED

 — 

Renewal needed

LPIC-2

201-450 + 202-450

Advanced

EARNED

 — 

Renewal needed

RHCSA

EX200

Associate

PENDING

 — 

Target 2026

Linux+ (CompTIA)

Exam: XK0-005

Duration

90 minutes

Questions

90 (multiple choice + performance-based)

Passing

720/900

Cost

$358

Renewal

3 years (CE credits)

Topics

  • System management (32%)

  • Security (21%)

  • Scripting, containers, automation (19%)

  • Troubleshooting (28%)

Kernel Relevance

Linux+ Topic Kernel Location

Process management

kernel/sched/, kernel/fork.c, kernel/exit.c

File systems

fs/, VFS layer, fs/ext4/, fs/xfs/

Storage/LVM

drivers/md/, block/

Systemd

Userspace, but kernel cgroups (kernel/cgroup/)

Containers

kernel/nsproxy.c, cgroups, overlayfs

SELinux/AppArmor

security/selinux/, security/apparmor/

Value

Vendor-neutral Linux foundation. Validates core administration skills that map directly to kernel subsystems.

LPIC-1 (LPI)

Exams

Exam Topics Questions

101-500

System architecture, Linux installation, GNU/Unix commands, devices/filesystems

60

102-500

Shells/scripting, interfaces/desktops, admin tasks, essential services, networking, security

60

Details

Duration

90 minutes each

Passing

500/800

Cost

~$200 per exam

Validity

5 years (renewal required)

Kernel Relevance

LPIC-1 Topic Kernel Location

Boot process

init/main.c, arch/x86/boot/

Devices

drivers/, udev (userspace)

Filesystems

fs/, block/

Processes

kernel/sched/, /proc interface

Renewal Status

LPIC-1/2 require renewal every 5 years. Current status: Renewal needed.

Options: * Retake exams * Pass higher-level exam (LPIC-2 renews LPIC-1) * Submit CE credits

LPIC-2 (LPI)

Exams

Exam Topics Questions

201-450

Capacity planning, kernel, boot, filesystems, storage, networking

60

202-450

DNS, web servers, file sharing, network clients, email, security

60

Details

Duration

90 minutes each

Passing

500/800

Cost

~$200 per exam

Validity

5 years (renewal required)

Kernel Relevance

LPIC-2 Topic Kernel Location

Kernel compilation

Makefile, Kconfig, scripts/

Kernel modules

kernel/module/, drivers/

Boot loaders

GRUB (userspace), but kernel init/ interaction

Network configuration

net/core/, net/ipv4/

iSCSI/DRBD

drivers/scsi/, drivers/block/drbd/

Filesystem quotas

fs/quota/

Advanced Topics

LPIC-2 covers kernel compilation and module management directly:

  • Building custom kernels

  • Module loading/blacklisting

  • Kernel parameters (/proc/sys/)

  • Performance tuning

RHCSA (Pending)

Exam: EX200

Duration

2.5 hours (performance-based)

Format

Live system tasks

Cost

$500

Target

2026

Topics

  • Understand and use essential tools

  • Create simple shell scripts

  • Operate running systems

  • Configure local storage

  • Create and configure file systems

  • Deploy, configure, and maintain systems

  • Manage basic networking

  • Manage users and groups

  • Manage security (firewalld, SELinux)

  • Manage containers

Study Resources

Kernel Relevance

RHCSA provides hands-on foundation for kernel work:

RHCSA Topic Kernel Connection

Storage management

LVM → device-mapper (drivers/md/dm-*.c)

SELinux

LSM framework (security/selinux/)

Containers (Podman)

Namespaces, cgroups, overlayfs

Systemd

cgroups v2 (kernel/cgroup/)

Performance tuning

/proc/sys/, tuned profiles

Certification Path

Linux+ (foundation) ────────────────┐
                                    │
LPIC-1 (junior admin) ──────────────┼──→ LPIC-2 (advanced)
                                    │
                                    └──→ RHCSA (Red Hat specific)
                                              │
                                              └──→ RHCE (engineer)

Recommended path for kernel development:

  1. Linux+ or LPIC-1 (foundational understanding)

  2. LPIC-2 (kernel compilation, modules)

  3. RHCSA (hands-on system management)

  4. Begin kernel development studies

Daily Application

  • Arch Linux workstation administration

  • k3s cluster management

  • Container operations (Podman)

  • Performance troubleshooting with perf, strace

  • SELinux context management