Linux Certifications
by Allan Hoffman
With IT managers embracing Linux, certification in the open-source operating system is increasingly viewed as a sign of professionalism among techies with Linux know-how.
Linux certification is not yet viewed as a must-have, but it is clearly gaining acceptance as IT departments deploy Linux and seek techies with bona fide credentials.
Linux professionals can choose from a number of different credentials offered by Linux vendors and not-for-profit organisations. Techies considering certification will need to weigh a number of factors, including the flavour of Linux deployed at work, their desire to seek out (or avoid) certifications tied to a specific vendor and the cost of certification and training.
Credentials Controversy
But take note: Certification is a somewhat touchy issue in the open-source community. Open-source advocates voice concern about embracing certifications, a trend viewed by some as more of a product marketing ploy than a genuine effort to create credentials of value to IT professionals.
Even among certification advocates, opinions vary from criticism of vendor certifications to a wholesale embrace of certification as a sign of the maturity of Linux.
"Do you get your driver's license from Ford?" says Evan Leibovitch, president of the Linux Professional Institute (LPI), a not-for-profit group that serves Linux and open-source software users, vendors and developers. "Why should people tolerate this in IT, but they don't tolerate it in other fields?"
"We're not in this to sell training or software," says Leibovitch. "It's been important for us to stress that certification is not the be-all and end-all of the hiring process."
At the same time, Linux certification is clearly becoming more popular. Three Linux certifications were among the 10 listed in a December 2004 CertCities.com roundup of "hot" certifications.
