Go from true newbie to capable system administrator with this list of the top 10 Linux Certification Books for the System Administrator.
If you want to go over all the necessary command line tools and know the common switches for these command line tools, the how’s and why’s of command operations, the important config files and their locations, and more, read on, and check these Linux study guides out.
Top 10 Linux Certification Books for Professionals
1. RHCSA/RHCE Red Hat Linux Certification Study Guide (Exams EX200 & EX300), 6th Edition (Certification Press) by Michael Jang
Purchase this book to expand on your Linux skills. This Linux certification book is easy to follow. It’s content is good and very well-written, with examples that you are able to apply daily and prep for the exam. You’ll find the exercises and labs to be thought out and effective.
2. Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification (Networking (Course Technology)) by Jason W. Eckert
This Linux certification book is a great workbook, with accompanying questions. It will provides you with the basics, teaching you all you need to know in order to navigate, as well as manage, a Linux file system. This guide is hands-down, a top read on Linux. It covers everything from day one material to down to kernel compilations of information in a straight-forward, real-life approach.
3. LPIC-1/CompTIA Linux+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide (Exams LPIC-1/LX0-101 & LX0-102) by Robb Tracy
This Linux certification book is awesome for those who are new to Linux administration. It also works well as a refresher for those materials that advanced users may have forgotten. If you want to brush up on topics that are included in the exam before taking it, find this to be extremely helpful.
4. CompTIA Linux+ Complete Study Guide Authorized Courseware: Exams LX0-101 and LX0-102 by Roderick W. Smith
Are you wondering how great this book is? If you are seeking Linux+ certification with little to no experience, this book has everything you would require to bag a maximum score at the exams. This Linux certification book covers about 80-90% of the material included in the exam and is an excellent source, highlighting the exam objectives for each test.
5. LPIC-2 Linux Professional Institute Certification Study Guide: Exams 201 and 202 by Roderick W. Smith
This Linux certification book is divided well into two parts. The first section discusses lpic 201, while the second half talks about lpic 202. This book is definitely not boring. As a useful and interesting read for all of its chapters, you’ll want to say thank you to the author afterwards.
6. LPIC-1: Linux Professional Institute Certification Study Guide: (Exams 101 and 102) by Roderick W. Smith
Study for both exams by virtually only using this Linux certification book, and get Linux + and LPIC-1 certified. It covers 95% of the study material that is included in the exams. Only a true master is capable of dominating all the topics covered in the exam, so you end up paying your deepest respects to Roderick Smith. The author explains himself in perfect clarity, with practical tips and scenarios, as well as practice exams at the end of every chapter.
7. LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell by Adam Haeder, Stephen Addison Schneiter, Bruno Gomes Pessanha and James Stanger
This Linux certification book is clear and concise, with plenty of examples. It is organized and a great read, from cover-to-cover. It really helps with sharpening your skills. This book is also split into two parts, one for every exam, including practice questions and exams in each part.
8. LPIC I Exam Cram 2: Linux Professional Institute Certification Exams 101 and 102 by Ross Brunson
Firstly, my description of this book can not reflect how awesomely this Linux certification book gets you prepared for the LPIC exam. The beauty of it is its conciseness and simplicity. It discusses exactly what information you need to know without getting too drawn out and wordy, with explanations that are crystal clear and information that is superbly presented.
9. Mike Meyers’ Linux+ Certification Passport (Mike Meyers’ Certficiation Passport) by Michael Jang
If you purchase this Linux certification book, pay particular attention to the exam tips provided throughout the book. They are spot on for the test. This book is well organized and follows the CompTIA Linux+ domains. Each of the chapters offer clear examples and end with quizzes to assess the knowledge you have gained. The included CDROM has two practice exams, with an optional 3rd one on the publishers website.
10. DB2 9 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows: DBA Guide, Reference, and Exam Prep (6th Edition) by George Baklarz and Paul C. Zikopoulos
This Linux certification book has useful material, especially for beginners. If you are not a beginner, you will find considerable new information. There is also a section covering the free downloadable DB2DEMO program which is an excellent resource for sample SQL queries for new functionality.
The comprehensive and easy-to-understand books included in this list of top Linux certification books include exercises that help you level up and solidify your knowledge. If you are not one to keep many books, you will certainly be keeping a few of these. If you have found any of these or other study guides useful as a system administrator, leave me a comment below.