Linux is the most well-known and utilized open source operating system. Linux provides variety, customizability, stability and security. Many programs run on Linux because it is faster, can run on older machines, and it is completely free. Due to its open source nature, Linux has a huge online community full of knowledge and troubleshooting prowess. A good understanding of command line and bash is a skill that can be adapted and applied to other operating systems as well. Linux is rapidly growing and so it is important for an IT professional to be able to familiar with how it works.
The LPI Linux Essentials training provides a general overview of the history of Linux, how it runs, and how to use it. A portion of the training is dedicated to explaining what open source means and how it differs from proprietary software.
The training begins with basic command line syntax that can be used to move around Linux systems. This portion of the training should have been longer and provided more examples and explanations, because without a solid understanding of how the basic movements works, it is difficult for someone who has only ever used a GUI to understand how the file system works. The next section of the training explained how to use the command line to get help. Again, this could have been a more complete explanation if it had included examples. The lack of examples results in an understanding of what man and info do, but not how to use them effective or efficiently. In the event I had a question about what command I needed to use, I would still use Google over the info pages because I cannot get the answer as quickly using the man or info commands.
The training then finally provides an explanation of the file structure, but again, it is likely to be confusing to someone who has never used Linux or any other command line system before. . The training then explains how to move files and how to archive files, but does not explain the value of archiving. There are also videos on how to extract data from files and how to turn commands into scripts so they can be run on command without the user having to type out the complete command every time.
The next portion of the training explains how the Linux operating system works. It would likely make more sense to have this portion at the beginning of the training, so people are familiar with the differences between Linux and a system a user is likely more familiar with, such as Windows or iOS. The training also provides a brief overview of computer hardware and networks.
After the explanations of the operating system, the training explains different user levels and how to add users. There is a hands-on training for creating a new user, but it is very basic and must be done on the lab servers which do not always work the way they should. Then there is a brief overview of how to add or remove permissions and create symbiotic links to directories. Finally, there is a practice exam to prepare you for the LPI Linux Essentials exam.
Overall, the training seems to be more geared towards people who have had exposure to Linux in the past. I imagine it would be confusing and difficult to understand for someone who had no command line experience or someone who had never used a system without a GUI before. The training could have had more hands-on experience and been geared less towards understanding the basics of computers and operating systems, or the history of Linux. The overall training is listed as 6 hours and 55 minutes, but I would say that only about 2 hours of it was really valuable for someone interested in gaining a general understanding of how Linux works.