LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell, Second Edition - O'Reilly's Latest Release

For Immediate Release
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Pass the LPI Linux Certification Level 1 and Level 2 Exams
O'Reilly Releases "LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell, Second Edition"

Sebastopol, CA--Certification of professionals is a time-honored tradition
in many fields, including medicine and law.  With the proliferation of
small computer systems and networks, the information technology profession
has seen both a demand for and growth in certification programs of its
own, including those in the once-unconventional field of Linux.
Understandably, there's been some controversy surrounding certification of
Linux professionals. Many who've learned "hands-on" fear that
certification will give an edge in the job market to less experienced
candidates who hold the appropriate certification. While these fears are
not unfounded, the benefits of a certification program may far outweigh
them. As the use of Linux continues to grow and make headway into the
mainstream market, it's clear that Linux professionals and those who hire
them need to have an objective means of measuring and describing one's
skills.

"Linux has penetrated the enterprise market and now there are plenty of
jobs for true professionals," says James Stanger, one of the authors of
the new "LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell" (Prichard, Pessanha,
Langfeldt, Stanger, and Dean, Second Edition, O'Reilly US $59.99).  He
adds, "LPI certification helps guarantee that people really know what
they're doing to get those jobs. This is important because the success of
Linux depends on true professionals, not just open source/Gnu/Linux
zealots."

The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) program is a job-based
certification that currently consists of two levels that focus on two-year
(Level 1) and four-year (Level 2) experienced candidates. Level 1 tests a
basic knowledge of Linux installation, configuration, and command-line
skills. Level 2 goes into more depth regarding system troubleshooting and
network services such as email and the web.

"Since the first edition of 'LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell' was
released, LPI has added their Level 2 exams, plus they significantly
reworked the Level 1 exams," observes Steven Prichard, another coauthor of
the book. Pritchard adds, "As far as I know, this is the only book
currently available that covers the LPI Level 2 exam material."

According to the authors, there are many Linux pros who don't care about
certification. They see more value in hands-on skills. But this is what
makes LPI certification different: its focus is hands-on. "By learning
what the LPI asks you to study for, you'll be able to know important Linux
commands, and not waste your time on arcane knowledge," says Stanger.

"Linux has become mainstream," Stanger continues. "As a result, you should
learn Linux from those who work most closely with the professionals, and
that's the LPI. Linux will only increase its dominance of the enterprise
space in the future; from programmers to database administrators to
high-end storage and system integration experts, those who know Linux will
find more opportunities." Stanger also points out that the knowledge
gained from "LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell" will work in any Linux
distribution, from Red Hat to Novell to Debian/Ubuntu/Knoppix, or any
other. "Knowing Linux through the LPI's perspective frees you to consult
and make money."

The primary audience for "LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell, Second
Edition" is, of course, candidates seeking the LPI Certification. The book
will help them with the specific information required to be successful
with both the Level 1 and Level 2 exams. Owing to the breadth of coverage
required by the LPI Objectives and the book's one-to-one coverage, it also
makes an excellent reference for skills and methods required for the
day-to-day use of Linux.  It will also prove to be a valuable reference
for new Linux users and administrators looking for a broad, detailed,
introduction to Linux.

"There was a time when working on Linux meant 'system administration,'"
recalls Stanger. "This is no longer the case. Programmers are LPI's
biggest audience. Because the LPI certification is based on job task
analyses, the topics in this book cover the skills and knowledge that any
Linux professional needs."

Additional Resources:

For more information about the book, including author bios, see:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/lpicertnut2/

For a cover graphic in JPEG format, go to:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/lpicertnut2/cover.html

LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell, Second Edition
Steven Pritchard, Bruno Gomes Pessanha, Nicolai Langfeldt, James Stanger,
and Jeff Dean
ISBN: 0-596-00528-8, 961 pages, $59.99 US, $77.99 CA
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