Linux Shenanigans

Time for a Confession #

I have a confession to make. I love developing on Linux OS’s and I definitely like using Linux OS’s but, with my background in law firms and my current job demanding it, I’ve pretty much been stuck in the Windows world. I know, I have to accept it and I do, but I’m sorry.

Now… with my dirty secret out there, I feel much better.

Time for a Test #

I recently had the opportunity to sample some of the wonderful exams that are offered by the Linux Foundation. One of the potential exams I could take was the Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS) exam. I bet anyone reading this post was thinking, “Why the heck would he start off with that confession?” or “Who cares about you not using Linux?” but, you see, this is where it all comes back together. I’ve been able to set up media servers, web servers, application servers, and other things on Linux boxes at home, but, I used my rudimentary knowledge and a lot of my googling skills, which I’ve developed while being a developer, to get through things.

If one has never taken one of the Linux exams, one might not know that one can’t use the developers best friend (google) when taking the exams. It all has to come from inside one’s own head… One’s own head is crammed full of all of the things used in work on a daily basis, when do the dogs need to go out?, what do I have to make for dinner, when is the wife getting home…. oh my god my head is too full!!!!!

Nonetheless, I didn’t want to waste the opportunity I was given, so I did some quick refreshing on the Linux commands I knew and I sat for the exam.

Round 1….. Fight. #

I needed to take the test within a certain limited amount of time so I didn’t have a lot of time to study for it. I spent the weekend going over the materials Linux gives out as well as a few study collections from github and I dove in.

Proctor #

I’ve had an interesting path in life and I’ve had the opportunity to take lots of exams in the traditional ways: in person in undergrad, at law school, and for some Microsoft qualifications years ago, oh, and a small little test called the Bar exam. I’ve also taken a lot of exams on various electronic systems, including with ExamSoft. A software that takes over one’s entire computer by forcing it to reboot into its interface so one can’t access any other software. I remember thinking how invasive both ExamSoft and the Bar exam was. I had to be fingerprinted for the Bar exam!

None of this (though ExamSoft/the Bar comes close) prepared me for the live proctoring I would face during the Linux exam. I can understand wanting to prevent cheating, but… they made me pan and scan around my entire room with my webcam. Since I was using my laptop’s webcame, I had to move it around and try and guess where it was pointing. But… then I went to fast and had to do the whole thing over from scratch. After this, I had to show there was nothing on my desk or under my desk. Oh, and by the way, you can’t wear headphones so I have to leave the exam and re-enter. Now, show us the insides of your ears. That Kleenex box looks highly suspect, show it to me. Ugh…….

The Exam #

Anyway, now that my stress levels are super high, it is time to actually start the exam. And guess what? I actually really enjoyed taking the exam. In my preparation I became very familiary with the man command. It is one’s best friend when google is not available. I used it and worked my way through all of the questions and, two hours later, finished my exam.

I didn’t think I would pass the exam, and I didn’t, but I still did better than I thought.

But wait, there’s more! #

With an exam like the LFCS, one gets a free retake if one fails. We shall see how it goes. In the meantime, I also have the SC103 exam to look forward to…. Let’s see how it goes