Every other teenager and tens of thousands of university students have installed Linux and configured it for this job or that. That doesn't mean they're qualified to run Linux servers for a company that relies on them, regardless of what they may claim on their résumés. Your claim to real professional Linux competence will be bolstered by a Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC), the most basic of which LPIC 1 Certification Bible will help you earn. The contents and organization of this book are derived from the published LPIC exam (101 and 102) objectives, and it was written by two LPIC 1-certified authors.

By and large, this is an introductory Linux book, with sections on installing the operating system, getting around at the command line, manipulating files, and doing essential administration of users, devices, and network connections. As such, you'll find this book rewarding even if you're not particularly interested in earning your LPIC 1 certificate. The authors present lists of options and details, and include listings of command-line input and output, to illustrate what you should see as you work with Linux (Red Hat is the demo distribution). Questions and answers appear at chapter ends and on the companion CD-ROM. — David Wall

Topics covered: The subjects you're expected to know to pass the LPIC 1 exam, including Linux installation, configuration, and administration. Basic networking matters are discussed, but advanced network topics are reserved for books about the LPIC 2 exam.