List of Best Linux Certifications in 2023

By Devpriyam Sharma 01-May-2023

The largest organisations in the IT industry highly recommend Linux certifications for the professionals they employ. In addition, these certifications and their training programs are desirable for experts in the following roles, among others:

System administrators
Data administrators
DevOps engineers
Software programmers
Linux administrators
Network engineers
Python developers

Benefits of a Linux Certification:

Linux certifications are your best option for increasing your domain knowledge and earning a globally recognised credential.

Recruiters today are keeping an eye out for Linux certification credentials on resumes. These candidates have a higher chance of getting hired.
Open cloud platforms are emerging and growing fast, which has resulted in high demand for certified Linux professionals.
Linux certifications help you apply for several different job roles. Even if the market is unstable, you will always find a role that you are qualified to fill.
Professionals with Linux certifications are paid more than non-certified professionals. Even if you get certified while in an organisation, your increments will be higher than your non-certified counterparts.

How to Choose the Best Linux Certification:

There are several certifications Linux offers for professionals who wish to progress along this career path. With any of these credentials, several new career avenues will open for you. Some of the tasks you will carry out will be managing servers, applying load balances, batch scheduling, and working on shell scripts. You get an edge over your competition and stand out among your peers with these certifications.

Let’s take a look at some of the top certifications today.

1. GCUX: GIAC Certified Unix Security Administrator

The GCUX certification solidifies a professional’s knowledge and understanding of Linux and Unix systems, digital forensics, and application security. After you clear the exam and earn this certification, you will be able to secure these systems and manoeuvre through security problems using various tools like AIDE, SSH etc.

If you are interested in cybersecurity, you can pursue this certification. The GCUX certification is aimed at:

Security professionals
Security administrators
Incident responders
Auditors
Technicians of UNIX systems
InfoSec analysts

To maintain competency in the ever-advancing IT domain, you must renew the GCUX certification once in four years.

2. Linux+ CompTIA

The Linux+ CompTIA certification teaches you the fundamental skills in keeping with market trends. It is an employment-focused certification and includes tasks carried out within Linux distributions, command line, installation, networking, maintenance and configuration. It gives you hands-on experience to configure, support and monitor servers running the Linux OS. Its primary focus is security, storing and visualising kernel modules, device management at an enterprise level, troubleshooting, git and automation, command line and server-side, SELinux, and firewalls.

3. LPI: Linux Professional Institute

This is a professional certification program with multiple levels.

LPIC-1: Linux Administrator

With this certification, you will learn to carry out command line maintenance, installation and configuration of Linux systems, and basic networking. The administrator credential is proof of your skill in managing system administration in real-world situations. It has no prerequisites and is valid for five years. To get this credential, you need to clear the 101 and 102 exams. There are several specific domains covered under this certification. These are:

System Architecture
Linux Installation
Package Management
GNU and Unix Commands
Linux Filesystems, Filesystem Hierarchy Standard and Devices
Shell & Shell Scripting
Desktops and Interfaces.
Administration
System Services
Fundamentals of Networking
Security

LPIC-2: Linux Engineer

This certification allows professionals to develop the skills required while administering small or medium networks. You need to have a valid LPIC-1 certification before you can apply for this credential. Like the LPIC-1, the LPIC-2 credential is also five years old. The domains covered under this credential are:

System StartUp
Linux Kernel
FileSystem and Devices
Advanced Storage Device Administration
Capacity Planning
File Sharing and Network Client Management
Web and Email
Domain Name Server
System Security
Network Configuration & System Maintenance

LPIC-3 (300): Linux Enterprise Professional

Also known as the Mixed Environment certification, this credential represents an advanced proficiency level regarding distribution-neural Linux. You need to have an LPIC-2 certification before you can apply for this credential, which has a validity period of 5 years. The domains covered are:

OpenLDAP Configuration and Authentication Backend

Samba – Basics, Share Basics, User & Group Management

Samba – Name Services and Domain Integration

Working with Windows and Linux Clients.

You will notice that this credential is called LPIC-3 300. That is because, at this level, two other specialisation certifications are offered. You can earn any of these three credentials and get certified in those domains as your specialisation. Each of these specialisations has the same prerequisites and validity as the 300.

These other credentials are as follows.

LPIC-3 (303): Linus Enterprise Professional - Security

This Linux certification focuses on security as a domain of the Linux administration across enterprises. It covers

Cryptography
Operations Security
Applications Security
Access Control
Network Security

LPIC-3 (304): Linux Enterprise Professional - Virtualisation and High Availability

This credential focuses on virtualisation and high availability as a domain of the Linux administration across enterprises, pertaining to Cluster Storage and Cluster Management specifically.

4. Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator

If you are just starting as a Linux System Administrator or a related role, the LFCS certification will be the perfect start for you. This certification validates an applicant’s skills on the basis of their performance on real-world task simulations and scenarios. For potential employers, this is equivalent to work experience. It is carried out online and is valid for 3 years after you’ve earned it. You don’t essentially require prior experience or knowledge of the subject matter while applying for this exam. Its primary focus is

Essential Commands, File Systems, and Features.
Operation of Running Systems, Booting, Rebooting, Installing, Configuring, and Troubleshooting.
User and Group Management and System-wide environments
Service Configuration, DNS, SSH, HTTP and Virtual Machine Maintenance.
Storage Management, LVM Storage, RAID Devices, and Configuring File Systems.
Networking, IP Routing, and Synchronisation

You May Also Like: Top 10 Red Hat Linux Certifications Courses in 2023

5. Linux Foundation Certified Engineer

If you have worked with Linux and its products and services for about 3-5 years, then the LFCE certification is for you. It allows you to achieve a higher expertise level for job roles more advanced than the one you currently hold or last held. The exam for this certification is performance-based and focuses on real-world workplace situations. The main focuses for this certification are:

Essential Commands, File Systems, and Features
Networking, IP Routing, and synchronisation
Operation of Running Systems, Boot, Reboot, Install, Configure, and Troubleshoot
Service Configuration, DNS, SSH, HTTP and Virtual Machine Maintenance
Storage Management, LVM Storage, RAID Devices, and configure File Systems
User and Group Management and System-wide Environments

6. Red Hat Certified System Administrator

Of all the certifications in the Red Hat certification path, the RHCSA is among the most popular credentials. It has been designed for senior administrators and IT professionals as well as students with a Red Hat certification background. An RHCSA certification enables you to master daily commands of Linux, which will allow you to pass the qualifying EX200 exam. To clear this exam, you need a strong understanding of core Linux tools, networking, packages and filesystem hierarchy.

Start Training Today

A Linux certification can boost your career in the IT sector with its growing recognition and appeal. Start training today by enrolling in a Linux certification training course online with us.

Enquire Now

Associated Course

RH342- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Diagnostics and Troubleshooting

32 Hours

English

Devpriyam Sharma

Devpriyam is a Microsoft Certified Trainer with rich experience in Database Administration, System Administration, Oracle Applications, Troubleshooting, and Backup & Recovery concepts. I deliver training on various Database Systems Management tools.