[iinfi]

hi i m new here ... hope this is the correct section to post this ...

i m gona learn linux system admin n oracle DBA frm training institue to clear RHCE and ODBA exams over a period of time...

how long does it normally take for a person to clear RHCE ?? (how many months preparation??)

course contents:
1.Red Hat Linux Essentials
2.Red Hat Linux Administration
3.Red Hat Linux Networking

all three are going to be covered over a period of 15 days ... its crash i understand ....

is the exam RHCE completely practical (performance) based these days?
no written(online) or multiple choice??
will there be a viva as in college pracs?? (of course will grill more)

thanks ...

P.S.
is fedora core and RH similar distros??? wats the difference betn the two?? can we use fedora while studying for RHCE??

[KyKo]

I will just answer your PS: You would be better served going with CentOS which is a rebuild of Red Hat Linux, whereas Fedora is sponsored by Red Hat, but rather different from Red Hat Linux.

[Lazydog]

Here is my take on your questions.

From the sounds of your post you are no where near ready to take something like this on. This course is not a training course but a prep course for the test. You cannot learn linux in 15 days and expect to take the test.

If you cannot answer the question you've asked then you are not ready for the exam. This 15 day course you are taking sounds like a bootcamp and these are normally geared towards people that have a good understanding and just want to take this type of course before going to take the test. These course are not geared towards the beginner. Taking this course as a beginner is only wasting you money and the time of the instructor and everyone else in the course as you take valuable time away from everyone there just to try and help you keep up.

You should really talk to either the teacher or someone who know what the prerequisites for this course are before you tackle this one. Don't get me wrong, I think that it is great that you want to learn but you cannot learn linux from a crash course geared towards people that already have the basic and advance topics down.

[iinfi]

hi ..

thanks for your reply. i fully understand that this is a short period..
well... a couple of months is all the break i can get frm work. hence decided to attend this course and then later practice whenever i can buy time.
whnever in the past i tried to dig deeper into linux i v hit roadblocks ... hence thought this course coupled with oracle DBA course wud help me giv me a break into an IT career which i so desperately long for ...
its gona be a tough battle ... i m ready for it ..
any further inputs frm you folks wud be greatly appreciated.
thanks again

[Lazydog]

As stated before, I believe this to be a bootcamp type course and I do believe you will find yourself left behind in a short period of time. This would be unfair to the other people in the course.

I would suggest that you download CentOS and install it on a system and begin there. Learn the system and how to install it. Then search the web for howto's to learn how things are setup and installed. Maintain a system at home for a while playing with the setup and get to know how things work.

Taking this course to break into the field is not the proper way of doing things. Most companies today are going to require some sort of work experience, verifiable hands-on experience.

If time is a problem then you are going to have to be able to learn on your own, as most people have done. While courses are good I have not found one to date that will teach you what you need to know in a few weeks to break into the business. There is simple too much to know and that experience you only get by working with the systems for some time.

To break into the field there has to be a opening. Even with some training there is no guarantee that you will find a job. IT jobs are being shipped over seas by the hundreds now because they have cheap labor and things can be done remotely today.

Take note that I am not trying to discourage you, I'm just telling you what you are up against. While computers and networks will be around for a long time so will people that will do it cheaper overseas.

[iinfi]

well ... buddy you have been of gr8 help ...
pardon my ignorance. how long do you think it would take for an average person to get to the level of RHCT? 4-5 months?? or more that??

[daark.child]

Linux is quite a complex operating system and even people with a lot of knowledge about Linux fail the RHCE exams. What you need to do is work through the requirements listed on the Red Hat site at your own pace and when you feel that you are ready, take the exam. If you are new to Linux, 4 - 5 months will be pushing it a bit. Take your time, so that you do not end up wasting your money.

[meton_magis]

Let's say this. I have been using Linux as my sole operating system (i wiped my windows drive, and have ONLY used linux at home) for almost 2 years now. I have also gone to school for linux (redhat training partner) in that 2 years time. I have completed all linux related courses to obtain an assosiates degree of applied science in linux network administration.

I have also signed up for the RHCE in a month, and have gotten 2 weeks off of work before the test, to which i will be doing nothing but studying and practicing for this test.

Even with all of that, i am unsure as to wether or not i will pass. And i have passed the RHCT, and know what to expect on this test. This is not a test to be taken lightley. At 800$ for the test alone, this is not something you can cram for and be done with. All the information you need is available to you during the test (all man/info pages are available), so you will not fail this test due to not being able to do it, but due to not knowing it well enough to not have to look at a man page. The time constraint will get you. You have to know everything listed on the redhat training website like the back of your hand. NOT TO MENTION that you have NO idea what the troubleshooting section will be.

I dont mean to scare you, but it would be wise to go for something so far outa reach. i would suggest that you take the RHCT exam and pass it before you take the RHCE. true it becomes useless after you get the RHCE, but the difference between 250$ and 800$ is enough to get some perspective.


as far as the other parts,
The tests are 100% performance, there is are questions beyond what is you name. Fedora is close enough to RHEL that if you are ready for the test, either one will do, but centOS is the closest thing to RHEL.

[iinfi]

big thanks to all of you for your valuable input ...
will take things step by step ...
will get back to you folks for more help whnever i need.

cheers