So, you’re looking to get into Linux. Good. You’ve probably heard it’s the backbone of… well, everything. The cloud, most web servers, Android phones, smart toasters. And you’ve heard that getting certified is the first step.
This is where most people get stuck.
They hit a wall of acronyms: Linux+, LPIC-1, RHCSA, LFCS. They spend weeks trying to figure out the “best” one, as if there’s a single magic ticket.
Let’s be honest. The “which cert first?” question is a classic beginner’s trap. It’s a form of productive-feeling procrastination. The truth is, the best certification for you depends entirely on what you want to do.
Are you trying to get your first help desk job and prove you know what a “kernel” is? Or are you trying to become a serious system administrator who can actually be trusted with a production server?
The answers lead to very different paths. As someone who has hired for Linux roles and has seen people with “paper certs” freeze up during a real-world outage, I have some strong opinions.
The Vendor-Neutral “Foot in the Door” Certs
Most people start by comparing the CompTIA Linux+ and the LPI LPIC-1. It makes sense. They’re both “vendor-neutral,” meaning they teach you “Linux” as a general concept, not a specific flavor like Red Hat or SUSE.
CompTIA Linux+ (Exam XK0-005)
You’ve heard of CompTIA. They’re the A+ and Network+ people. The Linux+ is their entry into this world, and it has one huge thing going for it, especially in the United States: HR departments recognize the brand.
It’s a single, 90-question exam that mixes multiple-choice with a few “performance-based” questions (which are basically mini-simulations). It covers system management, security, scripting, and a bit of automation.
But let’s be blunt. It’s a CompTIA exam. It proves you can define chmod and know the basics of the filesystem hierarchy. It does not prove you can troubleshoot a complex permissions issue under pressure.
- Cost: Around $369 USD.
- Who it’s for: The absolute beginner, the person trying to get a T1 help desk job, or the IT generalist who just needs to add a “Linux-aware” badge to their resume. It’s a great way to structure your learning, but it’s not the end-all.
LPI LPIC-1 (Exams 101-500 and 102-500)
This is the other big vendor-neutral cert. The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) is a non-profit, and their certs are generally more respected globally, especially outside of North America.
To get the LPIC-1, you have to pass two exams. This alone makes it a bit more comprehensive than the Linux+. The content is similar—system architecture, command line, file management, basic networking—but it feels a bit deeper.
The “two exam” model is a pro and a con. It’s a bigger hassle and costs more (each exam is ~$200, so ~$400 total), but it also forces you to learn the material in two distinct, manageable chunks.
I’ve met plenty of sharp admins who started with an LPIC-1. It shows commitment. But it still shares the same fundamental flaw as the Linux+: it’s a multiple-choice test. You aren’t really doing the job.
The One That Actually Matters: RHCSA
Now we need to talk about the 800-pound gorilla in the room: the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA).
If you ask a senior sysadmin or a DevOps engineer which “beginner” cert they respect, 9 times out of 10 they’ll say the RHCSA.
Why?
Because it’s not a test of your memory. It’s a test of your ability.
The RHCSA (Exam EX200) is a 100% practical, hands-on lab. You are put in front of a live, running (or sometimes broken) Red Hat Enterprise Linux system and given a list of tasks to perform in 3 hours. Tasks like:
- Configure networking and hostname.
- Manage users and groups, including complex permissions.
- Find files and create reports.
- Partition storage and manage Logical Volumes (LVM).
- Install and update software.
- Manage system services and boot targets.
- Configure a firewall and SELinux.
You either can do these things, or you cannot. You can’t guess your way through it. You can’t memorize brain dumps.
I cannot overstate how different this is. I’ve interviewed candidates who had three different multiple-choice certs but couldn’t resize a logical volume to save their life. The person with an RHCSA might not know the obscure awk command I just thought of, but I know they can manage a server without setting it on fire.
But… Is the RHCSA Really for Beginners?
This is the most important question. And the answer is a “yes, but.”
It is not for a person who has never used a computer before. It is not for someone who just wants to dabble.
It is the correct first certification for a “serious beginner.”
A “serious beginner” is someone who has decided, “I want to be a Linux System Administrator,” and is willing to put in the work. This exam requires 3-6 months of dedicated lab time. Not just reading, but doing. You need to build your own virtual lab (using VirtualBox or KVM) and practice the exam objectives until you can do them in your sleep.
The RHCSA is hard. It has a high failure rate. It’s more expensive (around $500). But passing it proves something to employers, and more importantly, it proves something to you.
In 2025, with RHEL and its clones (Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux) dominating the enterprise and cloud space, the RHCSA is the single most valuable credential you can get for a sysadmin career. It’s one of the best linux certifications for 2025 precisely because it’s hard.
What About That Other Lab-Based Cert? The LFCS.
I should mention the Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS). It’s from the Linux Foundation, the organization that literally employs Linus Torvalds. That’s a good pedigree.
Like the RHCSA, it’s a hands-on lab exam. The big difference is that it’s vendor-neutral. You can choose to take the exam on a system based on Ubuntu, openSUSE, or a RHEL-clone.
So why isn’t it more popular? Honestly, it’s a marketing and recognition problem. It’s a great exam, and some people prefer it because it’s not tied to Red Hat. But it just doesn’t have the same “oomph” on a resume. When a manager sees “RHCSA,” they know exactly what that means. LFCS is still a bit of an “oh, what’s that one?”
It’s a solid #2 choice if you are philosophically opposed to Red Hat or know you’re going into a pure Debian/Ubuntu environment.
The Big Mistake: Memorizing Instead of Learning
A common mistake I see from people chasing these linux certs for beginners is that they get stuck in “study mode.” They buy five different courses, read every book, and spend all their time on practice exams.
This is a disaster, especially for the RHCSA. You must spend 80% of your time in the command line.
Your goal is not to pass the test. Your goal is to become the person who can pass the test.
Get a cheap VPS from a cloud provider. Get VirtualBox. Install AlmaLinux. Try to set up a web server. Then try to secure it. Then watch it get hacked (it will) and figure out how. That hands-on “oh crap” moment is worth more than 100 hours of reading.
A Practical Linux Certification Roadmap for 2025
So, what’s the actual plan? If I were starting from zero today, here’s the roadmap I’d follow.
Phase 0: The “Is This For Me?” Phase (Cost: $0)
- Time: 2-4 weeks.
- Action: Do not buy anything. Download VirtualBox (free) and two operating systems: AlmaLinux (or Rocky) and Ubuntu Desktop.
- Goal: Just use them. Install them. Break the networking. Try to fix it. Follow a simple tutorial on how to install a LAMP stack. Get a feel for the command line. If you hate this part, this career isn’t for you. If you feel that spark of “ooh, I made it do a thing!”… proceed.
Phase 1: The Choice
- Path A: The “I want a job, fast” / “I’m a generalist” path.
- Cert: CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-005).
- Action: Buy a good video course and study guide. Focus on the objectives.
- Outcome: You’ll learn the “language” of Linux and have a recognized cert for your resume. This is a great pair with a Network+ for a help desk or junior NOC role.
- Path B: The “I want to be a SysAdmin/DevOps Engineer” path.
- Cert: Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA).
- Action: This is a commitment. Buy a lab-focused training course (Sander van Vugt’s RHCSA course is legendary for a reason).
- Outcome: You will be genuinely competent at the command line. You won’t just be “book smart”; you’ll be “keyboard smart.” This is the foundation for your entire career.
Phase 2: The 2025 Context (Linux + Cloud)
Here’s the part that’s non-negotiable in 2025. You can’t just know Linux. You have to know where it lives—and it lives in the cloud.
Your Linux knowledge is the foundation for the real high-paying jobs in AWS, Azure, and GCP. Every single one of those cloud instances is just a Linux server you’re renting.
A person who knows Linux then learns AWS will be 10x more effective than someone who just learns the AWS web console. They’ll be the one who can actually SSH into a broken instance and figure out why the app is failing, instead of just clicking “reboot.”
So, your roadmap doesn’t end with Linux. It starts there.
- Ideal 2025/2026 Roadmap: RHCSA -> AWS Certified Solutions Architect -> CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator) or an automation cert like the RHCE (which is all about Ansible).
A person with that stack (Linux + Cloud + Containers/Automation) is basically unemployable in the best way possible. You’ll be fending off recruiters with a stick.
Don’t get lost in the weeds of which cert is “best.” Pick the path that matches your goal. If you’re serious, you know my recommendation. The RHCSA is the trial by fire. It’s the one that forges you into a real administrator. It’s hard, but the best things always are.
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