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64 Comments
- schestowitz, on 10/12/2007, -6/+33Excellent. Another generation of Synaptic point-and-click experts. I mean that in a good sense. Ubuntu is very user-friendly.
- dark_helmet, on 10/12/2007, -4/+23you *can* do advanced stuff in ubuntu, just they almost always have an easier way
- Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -1/+19I wouldn't go that far.....it's a nice distro.
The reason that people bash it is EXACTLY for that reason - it's good......Not GREAT. Not AMAZING. Not INNOVATIVE. It's just good. That's it. Stop putting it on a high pedestal. The 100,000 articles a day about doing meager tasks on it that I can do on any Linux distro are pissing people off.
It's not an attack on the distro itself. It's just......we get it. - Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17But then under Skills, wouldn't you put "Linux" ?
Interviewee: "Oh yes I'm certified in Ubuntu."
Interviewer: "Ah...sorry...we run RedHat Enterprise here."
You just screwed yourself over by needlessly narrowing your skillset down. That's all I'm saying. - Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15Then we'd be seeing articles like "How To Make a Left-Hand Turn With a Toyota"
- cayamara, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14Did you guys read the article or the info page from canonical (http://www.ubuntu.com/partners/certification/pro) ?? You have to pass LPI 101, 102 (Junior-Level-Adimistration) and a Ubuntu-specific certification. So it's not just about "using Ubuntu".
- Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14If I was looking over resumes and saw someone list "Ubuntu" under skills.......i'd laugh my ass off.
- dblyth, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11I don't really see the usefulness of a certification for one particular flavor of linux. To me that seems like a certification for being able to drive Toyota automobiles.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -7/+16Questions on the test:
1. Do you use Digg?
2. Are you confused when you come across Linux documentation that does not explicitly have "Ubuntu" in the title?
3. Do you brag about your Linux usage?
4. Are you tired of typing "sudo"?
5. Have you ever freaked out when a new release of Ubuntu is annonced, and in a panic to upgrade, forgot to backup all of your data?
If you answered "Yes" to all of these questions you have full right to call yourself Ubuntu certified! Congratulations! - mfratt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I have a tendency to install Ubuntu because of its great out-of-the-box compatibility, then install Fluxbox and all. As great as distros like Gentoo are, they just take too much configuration, especially on laptops, and I'm too lazy for that.
- charlief, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9How practical is this? I mean, why get certified in just 'Ubuntu'? I would think that they would also sponsor training classes for other 'Open-Source' products as well to ensure the usability of 'open-source'. Don't get me wrong.. I think this is pretty awesome.. however I don't see this continuing past it's first few years. If this does work however, I hope it will open-source training like this will flourish into something that will someday be able to take a good foothold into the world of technology out there and make it the new 'Microsoft Certification' type standard.
- Shaggy63, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6How about X certification or bash certs.
- NoOneButMe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6start with the LPI or Linux+ Cert's then.
- Shadowman, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Certifications are not what they used to be. And a cert for a Linux OS targeted at n00bs on their home PCs is even less useful. Something like "I'm certified on Windows ME"! You are better off with CompTIA's Linux+.
- evilTak, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Ooo, I can't wait for the release-specific certifications! I want a certificate that says I'm a Feisty Fawn Professional!
- jswensson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5In my opinion it's stupid with a certificate that is distribution specific. It's as stupid as books written for one specific distro.
A general Linux certificate is much better. - AstralSin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I learned Linux back in 1998 when there was no "easy to use" distribution and these days I use Gentoo Linux for a computing experience I can't live without. I was 17 years old when I started learning Linux. Are you people just that scared that you wont use any linux distro but the one made for "noobs" or for those transitioning from Windows. First of all, Ubuntu doesn't offer much in the way of transitioning, it doesnt even use KDE which is the more Windows-like desktop environment. All this crap that Ubuntu is a better transition from Windows than any other distro is just pure propaganda. Come on all you Windows users that want a better desktop, don't listen to these Ubuntu fanatics. Sure Ubuntu is a nice distro, but there are others you should consider as well such as SuSE 10.2, Mepis, Sabayon, and my favorite (though admittedly the install is quite brutal, but very informative at the same time) Gentoo. The truth is, if you wanna learn Linux, you shouldnt use the one that tries to be like Windows, you should use one that tries to be Linux and just learn it. I learned this wonderful operating system when I was 17 years old, I'm 25 now. Are you people saying that you're not as smart as a 17 year old kid in saying that you're scared to try Linux because its not Windows? Just give it a try people. GIVE LINUX A CHANCE! (but keep your options open to more than just Ubuntu)
- ordminute, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4RH certified professionals make around 2 times as much money as MCSE's here in Europe. If there's one cert as a Sysadmin you want to get, it's a Linux one and at best, one involving admin of RH boxes. With the rise and rise of Ubuntu this in itself would be a smart peice of paper to have under your belt.
Here in the EU whole cities advertise for Linux capable sysadmins, and some of the guys I've met are flying high on what they know as a result. - Chandon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4As an advanced Linux user, I have to say that Ubuntu is awesome. It makes the things that should be simple simple, and lets me spent my time working on the hard things that I expected to be hard. The people who trash on Ubuntu as a noob distro either haven't actually used Ubuntu or think that thing should be hard just for the sake of being hard. Sure, if you're constantly making source changes to xlib or something then Gentoo might be better, but for a functional desktop Ubuntu legitimately deserves all the hype it gets... Not only does it Just Work(tm), but the community supported package repositories are about the same size as Debians... i.e., they're huge.
- heavyal, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Well, I imagine you have to start somewhere. Being certified in Ubuntu as well as having had a background in working in various Unix-like environments would likely grab the attention of anyone looking at your resume (if the company in question was of course based around some kind of open source OS). As a senior web developer at my company I know that if I saw someones resume with this on it I would definitely be willing to at least chat with them - having a background in any kind of Linux usually means that you've done more than push buttons such as those who work with the MS Windows interface.
- Shadowman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@TheGilmanator
Yes, Ubuntu is a good distro and if it attracts more Windows users to Linux that's great. But it is not the "best" Linux distribution. The beauty of Linux is you have many options. People try Ubuntu and they think it is awesome but don't realize that many other Linux distros are just as great if not better.
And certifications are generally for software that is used in enterprise environments. Ubuntu would like to be there but they are not now.
So I think you should shut the ***** up and don't be such a dick - Hydraulix, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4This whole Ubuntu thing is out of hand. It's just another distro. Ubuntu shouldn't get a certification, if any distro should Debian would be a better choice. Since Ubuntu is based off Debian. Don't get my wrong, I don't mind Ubunu. In fact, I just replaced my Gentoo laptop with Ubuntu. It's a quick, simple distro that anyone can pick up. I just needed it for desktop type stuff that in Gentoo would have taken forever to install. But, this whole "I installed Ubuntu and now I'm the master at Linux" ***** has to go. Ubuntu really doesn't get into depth of Linux. Hell, you could start calling Ubuntu Mandrake 2.0 and I wouldn't even notice. The only certification I see a need for is Redhat. Since, every job I've ever worked at uses RHEL for their linux boxes. The day you show me a Ubuntu box in a production environment, is the day a certification is needed.
- mabhatter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Debian, the distro proper, doesn't have a company to get paid support from. YES you can get support from somewhere else, but it's not the same to a corperate purchaser.... they wouldn't "get it". Canonical has a pretty logo, phones, and a billing address!!!! Now they have a certification to match it. It goes together.... that's the key... now we could get certified in it, and we have a company to point to with a product we "know". Companies like that. It makes them feel special when they "buy in" to the new software package.
- mabhatter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I'll tag this one..
I thing Ubuntu is the "last best hope..." because it is uniquely Linux, but at the same time tries to stick to the windows idea of simplicity. Actually, Ubuntu is almost Mac-like more than Windows-like.... but that's a good thing. They try to keep the menu bar names for applications something that a Windows user would recogize where to go... but not the SAME like Lindows did. It's good, solid LINUX that is cleaned up and polished to be easier to use... there's very little they change from Debian other than "packaging" options like application names and menu options. On a side note I started a few years ago as a Knoppix fan... when I didn't have machines/disk space to install distros to and loved it using KDE. But since I've been using vanilla Ubuntu, default KDE in Knoppix or Kubuntu feels very "overdone".. it's a case of too many cooks... What Ubuntu has done is taken "LINUX" and made one really good sandwitch out of it instead of a "swiss army knife".. like that 80 gadget monster they came out with. I like Suse and I've visited Red Hat a little, but they don't really make the "deep cuts" in their distros that beginners need. They're still catering to the "kitchen sink" crowd by installing gobs of extras and not providing "just the basics". And personally, I haven't had as good of luck with them as I have with Knoppix or Ubuntu on MY hardware.
Also, Ubuntu isn't just about ME using it... I'm working on OTHER people in my house too... the typical "learn by rote" ones that are lost if you change the color scheme. I've tried Suse and Xandros before and people just get mad if it's TOO windows-like... but not actually windows because "it's not the same". Ubuntu is different enough that people don't assume and simplified enough they can figure it out.
Also, you have to remember Ubuntu is going for a bigger crowd... at 17 you can do whatever because you're a kid.. at say 33 you've got kids and a wife that want computer time too!!! Things like Gentoo are out of the question... I don't get the main machine (only one worth running linux on) for the requisite 10-16 hours an install takes..... Like EVER!! A distro like Gentoo is simply not an option right now.. .looks like fun though. Most Linux fans need something a little more "ready to wear". - lengau, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Gentoo is a GREAT distro on which you can learn the ins and outs of Linux. Run Gentoo for a year or two and you're likely to know everything you need to know about everything that you use. But after a year or two, Gentoo becomes a pain (compiling just about everything becomes a pain after a while, and manual configuration is really unnecessary in this day and age). If there were a binary-based Gentoo distro, I'd definitely try it and may even switch to it. But right now, I'm back on Debian based OS's (Kubuntu, for example). This isn't because I don't know how to do the complex stuff, it's just that I don't want to.
Honestly, I'd like to have a more liquid update cycle (like Gentoo, rather than updating everything at once, I update it when there's an update for it). But right now, Gentoo needs to suit my needs by making binaries for all of my programs, and letting me choose when I want to compile from source. Likely, I'll do so for the kernel and X, but get binaries for everyhing else. And I'm happy that way. - stevex0r, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Gentoo needs to suit my needs by making binaries for all of my programs, and letting me choose when I want to compile from source"
Isn't compiing from source the whole point of running gentoo? If you didn't have that then why not run a redhat or debian based distro and install debs or rpms from apt/yum. Why bother with gentoo if you're not going to put up with the long compile/config times to squeeze that extra 5 to 10 percent out of your hardware. Gentoo is 1337 and installing software in binary form rather than compiling from source isn't 1337.
Besides if you really wanted to be 1337 you would run bsd instead of gentoo. Gentoo is sort of the nsync of linux distros compared to bsd which is like new kids on the block. - MrTea, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2There should be a Gentoo cert.
- karamba_kid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Yeah it's not a specific ubuntu bug, it's a bug in the madwifi drivers. In ubuntu this driver is supplied by the linux-restricted-modules package. If you look at the exploit code on security focus for this particular bug it says that it works in ubuntu 6.10. I haven't been able to test it myself so I can't speak with first hand experience.
- djcronos, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8Being a sysadmin myself, it's amazing to see how many people think Ubuntu is JUST a n00b distro. The fact that Ubuntu has things that are easily accessible via a GUI/X Window Manager doesn't make it inferior. Keep in mind, Ubuntu is still a linux distro, and has all the workings of a linux distro. Just because Ubuntu makes it easier for end-users to become familiar with a different OS doesn't mean it has crippled any of the "advanced" features of linux itself.
Why would Ubuntu come out with 6.06 LTS if they were just trying to attract and cater to only n00bs? They introduced the LTS specifically for IT professionals, so they can be sure they will be using a distro that isn't going to completely change the next revision and break things. LTS = Long Term Support. LTS was introduced to compete somewhat with RHEL.
Or is it inferior because it uses apt-get and/or the ability to use a GUI to install packages? So what? It doesn't mean you need to use it.
Don't get me wrong - I definately think a Gentoo cert would be a helluva lot more respectable than a Ubuntu cert - but having an Ubuntu cert, especially one that requires you to pass LPI 101, 102 (Junior-Level-Adimistration) and a Ubuntu-specific certification, still qualifies for some merit in my book. - noamsml, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Great, another ***** useless certification. This whole thing is a con anyway. Maybe the FSF should get together and make a GNU certuification; it might actually be worth something.
- Shadowman, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4"At this point it doesn't even matter if the Interviewee is familiar with RH or not. He damn sure knows more Linux than the guy interviewing him" - he does? They are both GNU/Linux but there are significant differences between RHEL and Ubuntu! Red Hat is much more widely recognized than Ubuntu, especially in the US. The differences are not "largely superficial" in an enterprise environment. And many interviewers may have never even heard of Ubuntu.
- DoubtfulSalmon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2After you install ubuntu, you'll be certifiable all right!
- demonicume, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4i'll take the course simply because i'm interested in extending my knowledge beyond windows. its hard to learn Linux via google.
- Chandon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I recommend Ubuntu because it's a fully featured desktop-targetted Linux distribution with an active and helpful community and a full Debian-style package repository. It also has full commercial support available in case you need that before you can roll it out on 50,000 desktops in your company.
Sure, Gentoo has some neat features as a Hobbyist distro. And maybe Mepis installs more porn-codecs like WMV by default, but Ubuntu gives you basically all the power of Debian while still allowing you to run the same OS as you give your annoying relatives who expect you to fix their computer.
So yes... if you want to learn Linux, go through the pain of Gentoo. It's worth it. If you want a useful desktop computer, install Ubuntu... I know of no better desktop OS. - 022A, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Good.
As silly as it is, the availability of certification for any piece of software lends a good amount of credibility to it in the eyes of non-technical people. - tech42er, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I use Ubuntu because it's Debian-based. As for why I don't just use Debian, I have no reason, other than the fact that I've got Ubuntu up and running, and I see no reason to change it. I'm not a terribly advanced Linux user, but I'm also not a n00b and I didn't want Ubuntu b/c it was like Windows. That's what I was trying to get away from! I wanted a distro that I could learn bash and python on and Ubuntu provides that. The forums also really helped me when I was starting out. Now, as for why I chose Ubuntu, it wasn't the only distro I considered. I looked at others, but I wanted a real "free" distro (i.e. no enterprise editions), and Debian was a little too advanced (it also seems fairly ideological and an example of demagoguery) for me. So, there you have it. That's why I use Ubuntu. Tell me why I should switch to Gentoo.
- mabhatter, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2any interviewer expecting to get Linux admins should know their way around distros... it's unlikely you'd get hits for "just" Red Hat or "just" Suse from an open call... but you may get somebody who's done Ubuntu for 2 years and passed some cert tests. If you know enough to pass those cert tests, you already know more about your system than most MCSEs do about windows! And you've shown above average interest in Linux in general... you might get stuck on some RH specialities, but you'd be proven capable to "figure it out" something far more important in sys admin... after all, most companies expect you to "do more" with what they got.. not just "babysit" it... the ability to go out and learn new things is mandatory, even more important than certs.
- kevdotbadger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1bash certs is all you need.
- 022A, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3"This is stupid. ubuntu is the Windows XP of the linux world. People use it because they don't know any better & with all the ubuntu propaganda around, people don't know there are better choices for linux out there. The fanboys are thinking "WOW! If I get this, I'll be elite!"
What the *****?
Because they don't know any better? Hmmm, what kind of person would that be, someone who's new to Linux maybe? If someone who's new were to jump into a tough distro they'd either give up before they even partitioning a disk or spend half a day trying to compile xine from source and going through hell with dependencies.
Honestly, someone like myself might even consider that fun, but it would be hard as hell to justify the time it would take to move forward at that pace.
Ubuntu is easy, so what. What the hell does that have to do with you?
This ***** about people thinking they're "elite" is pure projection from dorks who believe that *they* are special for running some other flavor of linux and feel threatened by the OS becoming more accessible. - rmerrick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Who do you recruit for? Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines?
- DoubtfulSalmon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Oh Great. Brace yourselves folks for another wave of tossers who think that five straight days of study and 400 multiple-guess questions makes them an expert at something.
Certifications, all certifications, are a crock. When I'm recruiting, I put people with certs in their own little pile, and I only bother to read them if I haven't got any applications from people with actual experience and actual skills. Even so, it's very rare that anyone with a pile of certs can actually cut it when they get their hands on actual computers in an actual real-world environment.
An Ubuntu cert is going to be every bit as valuable as an MCP or an MCSE: they all say "I am great at multi-guess questions", and that's *ALL*. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1A better broader training from N3P
http://n3p.se/en.php - karamba_kid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Maybe they will finally be able to certify some people to patch their system...of course I'm referring to the 2 week old remote exploit which still hasn't been patched in ubuntu. This has caused me to seriously consider switching distros. http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2006-6332
- Chandon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Reference that shows that Ubuntu has this hole and is unpatched? The link references a bunch of other bug databases, but not a Ubuntu bug.
- ClayDragon, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4I don't understand why so many so-called "advanced linux users" bitch about Ubuntu all the time? It's a GNU/Linux system like any other! You can compile programs by hand, use a terminal instead of the GUI, throw out all kinds of packages if you don't want them, etc. I admit I am a rather novice linux user (soon to be 2 years) and I do use Ubuntu, but nevertheless I do many things with the console and with shell scripts, etc. But hey, I admit, it's incredibly l33t if you use something like Gentoo where you have to compile everything from source for half a day. Kinda boosts your h4x0r ego, right? Well, never used it, but I heard horrible stories from absolute linux pros...
Commence digging down now! - raynevandunem, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1GoboLinux?
Oh right, most folks pass it off as "too Windows-ish" because of its filesystem hierarchy, my bad. - Chandon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I'm no Linux noob. I think my first Linux install was Debian "hamm" back in 1998 over a 56k modem. Hell, I'm no Unix noob - I had to support Solaris web servers professionally for a year. I'm a skilled Perl programmer. I ran Gentoo for a while, on AMD64 when the architecture was new enough that whenever you tried to compile something you got an annoying error message about "-fPIC" - I figured it out and got it working.
And... Today I run Ubuntu. Why? Because it's powerful and has sane defaults. Stuff frequently Just Works, which is nice because I don't have to spend the time configuring it. And Ubuntu is powerful - I can't think of a single thing that I'd expect a distro to do for me that Ubuntu doesn't do. It's got a giant package repository, so I never have to screw around with source archives. I'm not seeing a single downside. - Cyrealm, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3Sounds about as useful as a RedHat Linux Certified Professional. =)
- Crucinator, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I think this is great idea by the Ubuntu community. Yes, some people believe other linux distros are more deserving of certification (especially on the corporate level), but Ubuntu has a unique niche is has carved for itself. Speaking from experience, Ubuntu is an excellent springboard to the *nix environment. With years of M$ experience, I hadn't considered spending extra time and resources using *nix boxes. After discovering Ubuntu this past year, and gradually learning the intricacies of the kernel, bash, etc; I am interested in tinkering with other distros. I think anything that will motivate people to learn and use *nix, like a certification, is a good thing.
- WeAreAllGreen, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1After I install Ubuntu, I'll be a certified professional. :)
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