RHCE is the foremost industry certification on the planet today. It is also arguably the toughest certifcation to obtain under linux.
Background
Linux as we all know is a Unix - clone. It has a unique business model that has helped increase its user base, capabilites and stability.
The production linux kernels are today as stable as any lUnix available today and much more stable than Windoze RHCE is an industry certification for sysadmins
NOTE: RHCE syllabus & pattern are constantly upgraded and thus is information may not be accurate any longer. So better go to the sites I have mentioned throughout the review for up to date info
REVIEWER’s NOTE: I registered for the exam on 12th dec 2003. Then the centre said that I would be tested on RH8. TWO DAYS before the exam, they changed it to RH9. Thank god there was not much difference between the two! I managed to succesfully pass it(it was the first batch of RHCE in india on RH9!)
A few questions I had before giving the exam -
What is the pattern of the exam?
The exam is hands-on exam, that is you will have to actually install and debug a *live *system. There is one small multiple choice exam though.(it has now been removed. was there when I gave it)
Which platform/software combo is the test held on?
I gave(and successfully passed) the test on RH9. But nowadays it has been upgraded to RedHat Enterprise Linux 3(RHEL 3)
What are the courses that one should take
there are a host of courses available from redhat depending upon your skill level.
You must honestly evaluate your skill level and then do the courses required
I have not done ANY of the courses offered by Redhat but I have met people who have done them. and they say its good
Please go to http://www.redhat.com/training/rhce/courses/ for up to date details
the site is excellent and will help you a lot
How tough is RHCE?
well I would it is quite tough in the sense that it requires more proficiency and skill than any other exam you will have faced
How much do I need to know to pass RHCE?
In short, you need to know
basic and advanced installation
configuration and debugging of the system(the serioulsy screw up the system and ask you to make it bootable again)
General knowledge about linux, linux administration and usage is also very much req.
please refer to https://redhat.com/training/rhce/examprep.html for the latest syllabi and exam related info
What books/materials should you read?
Firstly download the file https://ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/html_single/Linux-html-single-HOWTOs.tar.gz. This has all the HOWTO’s in english . HOWTO’s are the indepth guides to linux. it is an 8 MB download. These HOWTO’s cover almost every topic possible in Linux. Use these as your reference guides
I used the Red Hat 9 bible. do not go too much in depth . just skim through the topics here. get the details from the HOWTO’s, and HOWTO’s are excellent for clearing of concepts too(for eg if you want to know how the SMTP protocol works in detail).
Also, the RHEL bible is out. I do not know how good that is . but have a look at it.
- use the man pages and the info pages. IMP: you will have man pages on the system during the actual exam. so if you forget a minor detail., train yourself to quickly find it.
- I also used the RHCE study guide by Michael Jang(Dreamtech publishers). But it was redhat 8. there should be a version for RHEL, but you should check.
- for solving day to day problems that you encounter, use IRC ., server freenode and channel #redhat, # linuxhelp and #linux . If what I just said did not make sense to you, go to http://www.irchelp.org and find out
So that’s what all I had to say. if you have more questions just add them as a comment
Remember: I cannot tell you the questions thay asked me. No RHCE can. That’s because we have to sign a non-disclosure agreement not to reveal any questions