RHCE Red Hat Certified Engineer Linux Study Guide (Exam RH302) (Certification Press) Reviews

• THE Book to have for RHCE exam preparation

  
  By A1T6PXM2M3N84A on 2004-05-09
  The Red Hat Certified Engineer is one of the most respected of the Linux certifications. Part of the reason is because of the difficulty of the exam. "Red Hat Certified Engineer Linux Study Guide, 4th Edition" covers all the points of the exam very well and includes the information you need to work with Red Hat in the real world. In addition to all the information you need to pass the exam, the book contains over 50 lab exercises and two complete RHCE exams and the entire book on CD. If you plan on taking the exam do the labs, don't just read over them.

  Michael Jang has consistently produced high quality books and this is one of his best. The book is strongly slanted toward passing the exam, which is okay since that is exactly what it purports to be. Throughout the book there are short comments marked off from the rest of the test which points to tips for real world items (called "on the job") and tips for the exam (called "exam watch"). Each chapter ends with a short summary, a "two-minute drill", self-test questions, and lab questions. The "two-minute drill" is great for exam preparation the day of the exam since it is pretty much the type of thing that you would put on note cards for a quick review anyway.

  This is real-life advice and is full or tips and troubleshooting problems. In the installation section it covers disk partitioning, swap space, bios limits, multiple controllers, and RAID. Some good solid advice and information about things like problems with a computer with both a SCSI drive controller and IDE drive controller in the same system. The installation troubleshooting section includes boot loaders, RAID, logical volumes, kickstart automated installation and pretty much everything you might run across. It even includes how to boot up into single user mode, a very important ability for some administrative tasks and gaining root level access (full access to everything) to the system. For some reason, although this is used in real-life for a lot of reasons, it seems to be left out of most books. They will tell you to switch to single user mode to fix a problem or gain root access, but don't tell you how to do it. This book tells you everything you need to know. It includes not only the graphical and utility methods to do things but also includes the information for how it changes the configuration. The information is so detailed that you can hand add the lines and/or configuration files and do it all by hand if you would prefer. This way you understand exactly what each item does and it is much easier to troubleshoot problems.

  The authors have included everything you need to know to install, troubleshoot, and administer a real-world server - shell configuration, kernel information, automation, X Windows installation and configuration, GNOME and KDE desktops, Apache server including security and virtual hosts, Squid proxy server configuration, secure FTP server, mail services including SMTP, sendmail, postfix, POP, and IMAP, Samba installation and configuration, printing services, DNS, BIND, DHCP, LDAP client configuration, firewall policies, network address translation, and the Linux rescue environment are examples of the breadth of coverage.

  It even includes how to work with the automounter, another item that is left out of most other books. The only error I found was on page 11, Table 1-2, where it has "First IDE drive = /dev/had" when it should be "/dev/hda". For that to be the only problem I found in a book of this size shows the care with which it was edited.

  This is simply the best book I have seen if you want to become a general Linux "guru". Not only does it have everything you need to pass the exam, it has everything you need to install and administer a Linux network. There are better books available on specific areas of Linux, for example a single chapter on Apache obviously cannot compete with a 600 page book on Apache server. Then again, this the best book around if you want an understanding of Linux that is general enough to provide a complete overview of how Linux works in the real world and is also detailed enough to provide everything you need to get everything you want up and running. "Red Hat Certified Engineer Linux Study Guide, 4th Edition" gets the highest recommendation I can give.
  
  

• Great book for review...

  
  By A1XNWHNTO9B72T on 2005-10-03
  This is a great book to get you started or to finish review for this exam however I think more experience than just reading this book is needed to pass the exam. I have been using Linux since 2000 and have been wanting to get this certification for some time. Rcently I was working with a company that provided a training budget and sent me to a RHCE boot camp so before I went to the class I purchased this book. I read the book, took the class, and easily passed the exam on the last day of class.
  
  If you have enough Linux experience to resolve most OS server issues then purchasing this book for review and other items you may not do on a regular basis should enable you to pass the exam. There are more than likely items on the exam such as LVCM, NIS, and quotas that a lot of people do not use on a regular basis so this book provides good information in regards to those types of subjects.
  
  The great thing about the exam is that a lot of it is hands on so your not required to resolve problems in a certain manner but only required to come to the correct solution.
  
  I think the RHCE is a valuable certification to obtain for sys admins even though it has not necesarrily benefited me monetarily it has definitely expanded my knowledge base. I do know others who have gained this certification and either recieved raises at their current jobs or moved to different jobs that paid higher wages because of them having the RHCE certification.
  
  

• Simply a great RHCE Exam prep book

  
  By A1QFCMRNZJYX0T on 2004-10-01
  I am an RHCE now because of this book. I read it from cover to cover and had a friend create the test conditions outlined in the practice tests that come with the book. These things readied me for the class (RH300) that I took. I believe that some of you could read this book, do the labs and practice tests and pass the RHCE exam without the RH300 class; I wanted to take it.
  
  Jang outlines the material well and does a great job of teaching the more difficult points. The book directs you on where to obtain a copy of RHEL 3 (modified) or how to use RedHat Linux 9 as a substitute if you can't afford a real copy of RHEL 3.
  
  There are a few minor errors but nothing that detracts from the subject matter.
  
  Pay close attention to the troubleshooting chapter and practice, practice, practice. Do every lab, answer every question and try to make what you're learning work in other scenarios.
  
  I give it a 4 because 5 would infer that you could study this book and pass the RHCE all in one shot; and since I took the test I can safely say the one thing this book, or any other, can't do is properly simulate the test environment. You would have to know this stuff cold so you could deal with the exam environment and the inevitable pressure that comes with it... nothing can prepare you for that except the exam itself. So, for prep I give it a 4. For content and teaching I give it a 5.
  
  

• Indeed the best book on the market

  
  By A2R246GOL8GDMN on 2004-10-06
  I already attend the RHCE exam and...failed. Well I "only" pass RHCT, hence I know what to expect. At the time of my first exam, there were no good,actual preparation book. As I am announced again this year, I looked around and found this one (with the help of the other review). I already read about half of it and I can confirm. This is indeed _the_ book to prepare for RHCE. Some repetitions are annyoing (e.g. work as root during exam,...) but the core of the book is all what you need. And more; there is a chapter about kernel rebuilding which is not really required during RHCE but knowing more is not a disadvantage. _Together_ with the RH300 training (no I am not a Redhat employee ;-) ) this should enable the reader to pass the exam.
  
  

• Good Book - Just beware

  
  By A3R36L97GY88IW on 2006-12-17
  Great Book for RHEL version 3 of the test. Currently exam focuses on RHEL 4. This is a significant change in email services and other services which could hinder the test taker.
  
  Although it is in the notes, CENTOS operating system is a great way to practice on RHEL without a license to the Red Hat version.
  
  It is a step by step guide, if RHCE was still on version 3 I would say it was a great book.
  
  
  
  
• More than just a study guide.
  By A1M8PP7MLHNBQB on 2004-06-24
  The rise of Red Hat has been marvelous to watch. Starting with a 'free' operating system, they have produced an integrated software system that rivals the big kid on the block. With this kind of success, comes more success. Now you see job ads for people who know Red Hat. And with this comes certifications. How do you prove that you've even typed 'ls' into your system.

  This book is at once a study guide and a detailed overview of the Enterprise version of Linux. Yes, it will tell you what is going to be on the test, and the title and cover copy emphasises this. But the book is more than that, it also explains the why and wherefores of the operating system. It has real world exercises and instructions that cover what the serious user needs to know. The book could easily have been rewritten slightly and called something like "Everything you Need to know." It is not a beginners book.
  
  

• Decent Review could use a little more depth
  By A17ABFT4TA7JHC on 2004-08-25
  I bought this book based mainly on the reviews on Amazon. For the most part I'm not dissapointed in my purchase. I would like MJ to edit the next edition by taking out a things like the unnecessary repetitive exam tips that keep stressing how command line tools are much faster than GUI tools.. The Prerequisite section Chapter one states that one must be an accomplished Linux Administrator to take the RHCE. As such you are well aware of this fact and don't need to be told over and over.
  
  I wish MJ would have written this more for the accomplished Linux Administrator and not for somebody jumping from MS technology.. you will be hard pressed to pass if you aren't very UNIX and RedHat savvy. Add more complex labs with better answer details.
  
  He has laid a good foundation here and I'm hoping to pass this test soon by self study and lots of practice (and several years of on the job redhat). Hopefully the next edition will be more focused and geared towards Linux Administrators.
  
  
• Excellent prep guide and reference book
  By A1DOFSXD6XH11R on 2004-08-23
  This is by far the best RHCE book on the market. I work as a senior system administrator with experience in other Unix versions. After taking the training class and reading this book, I passed the test on my first try. Make sure that you read it throughly and perform all the labs in the book. The labs are very close to the actual exam scenarios. The book is very clearly written and comprehensive. Remember that hands-on experience is vital to pass the test and labs are crucial if you need to practice your skills before the test.
  
  
• Prepare you to face real-life challenges
  By A24G2MF45BH44R on 2004-09-22
  I used this book to prepare for my RHCE exam and luckily passed the exam in June, 2004. It took me two months to prepare and pass the exam.
  
  Compared with its previous edition, this book has added many useful materials reflecting RHEL 3. I own both editions. Although the previous edition does not fit the new Red Hat exam any more, I found both editions informative. If you want to learn Linux, both books offer you most. But, if you want to focus on the exam, just use this book. Indeed, in this edition, many more good "real-life" advices worth following.
  
  This book is one of my major resources to prepare for the RHCE exam. In addition to that, I also found useful to read through Red Hat documentation, such as RHEL Reference Guide, System Administration Guides, and Security Guide. These are also easy to digest and useful. When you finish all labs and instructions in this book, make sure you practice through Red Hat documentation as mentioned above. With solid preparation, you will find it easy to pass the RHCE at the first attempt.
  
  Although the point is to gain the certificate, it would be a better approach by gaining the required skills and studying in the right direction and with the most useful materials. After all, the exam costs several hunded bucks for each try.
  
  
• I read the book and passed the RHCE
  By AX268359RPIEM on 2005-05-04
  I ordered this book two months before I took the RHCE exam and read it 40 minutes each day to and from work. I passed the RHCE. I believe if you are an experienced UNIX administrator, this book will help you prepare for the exam. I found it to be very insightful and am grateful to the author for writing it. That doesn't mean that this book guarantees you to pass the RHCE, I don't think any book could do that. Your ultimate success on the RHCE depends on your ability to master Red Hat Linux and demonstrate that knowledge during the test. That comes from practice, practice, practice, and to that end, this book assisted me well by providing information and exercises to practice with.
  
  
• Move along - nothing to see here
  By A75BFV1RZ84B4 on 2005-05-14
  Some IT people shouldn't write books - Michael Jang is one of them - the book could be about a third of the size if you took out all of the repetitive statements. He is a lazy author, cut and paste from one page to the next and just change a couple of words. I had to keep checking that I wasn't re-reading the same page.
  
  If you're competent enough to sit for your RHCE then don't waste your money on this book. Research the exam objectives on RedHat's web site.
  
  
• Good exam preparation support!
  By A3US74OHJUERAE on 2006-07-10
  I used this book in addition to RedHat's instructor led training, and managed to pass the test on my first try with a score of over 90%!
  
  
• No CD, despite the summary above.
  By AYAGIVIW1BE9Z on 2007-07-16
  Review of the Fifth Edition, out of the box: Despite what the summary from the Author states above, this book comes with no CD. The PDF version of the book, which I used heavily for reading on the train, is no longer a part of this product. The sample tests are now paper and pencil.
  
  I will read this book, but I will not pre-order again from this publisher again.
  
  
• Excellent Study Guide
  By on 2004-04-29
  This is one of the best study guides I've read. Some people expect that a book should take you from novice to master simply by reading it. The truth is you only get out of it the effort you put into it. Some of the examples in the book were remedial for me, others not so much. I think this book provides good information for those that will take the time to use it and learn from it. I will be taking my RHCE exam in a few months, and look forward to passing it. This book is a good resource for anyone serious about taking the RHCE exam.
  
  
• A great place to learn about the RHCE!
  By A24H5JZ0EIRC5Y on 2004-05-11
  I've toyed for years with taking the RHCE, but one problem I've had is that most of the study materials (and classes) I've researched seem to have traded in clarify for complexity. Fortunately Jang's book doesn't fall into that category, and it's a very good balance of technical depth and clear, logical explanations that I think will help you grok the RHCE exam and pass it.
  
  
• A great book for the RHEL 3 exam
  By A25YK7G1A0CPHN on 2006-06-27
  Having been in a management position for a while I was a bit rusty and felt I didn't have the current hands on experience required to sit this exam directly. I used this book as prep for the 4 day Red Hat Boot camp leading up to the RHCE exam. It covered the topics required for the exam quite well, despite some obvious typos (Whatever you read, you should read critically anyway. IMHO)
  
  The book helped me familiarise myself with the syntax and tools required to pass the exam (Which I did with 100% on the second sitting - told you I was rusty).
  
  Note, that it is written for RHEL 3. There a quite a few changes for RHEL 4 so I wouldn't recommend this book unless it has been appropriately updated for the most current distribution.
  
  I think the best reference anyone can give is to answer a single, very simple question: If I had my time over, would I still have bought this book... "YES I definately would" (just make sure it's current)
  
  
• Fifth Edition includes coverage for RHEL5, but can't find online extras
  By A1B42LX3L1YF4G on 2007-07-15
  I only bought this book a few days ago, so I'll have to update this review when I'm further along. BUT-- one warning: The online appendices (including info on setting up virtual machines using XEN for practice) are nowhere to be found. The link in the book is apparently outdated, and no amount of searching the McGraw Hill website uncovered the downloadable content.
  
  I'm sure they'll correct this error eventually, but if you're planning on buying and using this book today, be warned!
  
  
• Very well done, comprehensive prep book.
  By AT9P41MGYRA0D on 2007-08-01
  I read Edition 5 of this book right before taking the RH300 prep course, and it helped a great deal. The book alone may or may not be enough to pass the exam, unless you already fully understand things like SELinux.
  Jang provides many useful lab exercises in the book, so you should download VMware Server and CentOS 5!! Going through these labs is what makes the book a good learning tool.
  But in conjunction with the RH300 class, this book is outstanding. Highly recommended.
  
  
• Welcome to Red Hat
  By A1KA0WB4D0N9ZY on 2007-08-11
  This is a good book to go through if you're already a serious Linux user. If not, become one or take a class instead. The book starts with a quick over view of the basic skills for which you won't be tested but will need to finish the exam (like using vim). It then proceeds through the exam objectives from hardware to system to applications (bottom up). At the end of each chapter are a 'Two Minute Drill' and a self test. The two minute drills is a bulleted-list summary of the chapter and the self exam is in the fill-in-the-blank format, but even then it's a little inadequate for the actual exam.
  
  
• Great Exam Prep
  By A1QX789YG00V5R on 2006-03-17
  I wish I could say I had finished the book and passed the RHCE, but I am still a month or two away. Still, I have advanced my Linux knowledge significantly and am having a blast. Of the 6 or so Linux books I own, this is the best and should have been the first. If you are thinking about taking the RHCE or are just wanting to make Linux admin easier and/or more straightforward, then this book is a must have.
  
  
• RHCE Guidelines
  By A681UG4WTGRUL on 2005-07-19
  This book tries to cover all topics of exams for RHCT and RHCE.
  
  It is helpfull because it guides you beyond the various topics, but It shows just the basic configuration of services, probably because just them is required on exams.
  
  At the end of all chapthers are good exercises that helps you to fix the concepts learned before.
  
  
• Good content except for an unbelievable number of typos
  By A39FJD5KF8TYHF on 2006-02-04
  The subject is covered well but the book is full of typos and they are not unimportant typos. The examples have many errors. You just can't trust it.
  
  Osborne has an errata file for the book on their web site but only for the 3rd ed. and it is useless for the 4th ed. Osborne get your act together!
  
  
• Best book to get prepared for RHCE exam
  By AAZVCOI6KX664 on 2006-10-25
  I bought this book one year ago.It took me a month to read everything and practice the main points and then...I've got RHCE from the first attempt without any pressure and great confidence. All my collegues refused to read this book and all of them are taking this exam third time without any
  success.
  Thanx to Michael I am an owner of RHCE
  
  
• A Must book for Red Hat People
  By A1U0MWZ3RRNLAP on 2007-07-17
  Hello
  I had the chance to write this review after buying this great book.
  Heard lots about the author, M. Jang, i can't tell you guys; he knows the stuff more than Red Hat People!
  If you going to RHCE Certification, This book is all what you need, simply coz it covers the system from A to Z, this book is a magic!
  Not only for your Certification, but as a reference too, you will need it sooner or later, after passing the RHCE exam (Which is guaranteed with this book) and while you are in the field, this book is a MUST to add to your tool built.
  Thanks Mr. Jang for this great Book, i will be a loyal customer to you after what i saw in this great Book.
  My money well spent.
  
  Sincerely
  
  
  
• A Well Written Study Guide
  By A23XQ2ZRP988CS on 2007-12-14
  This book is a well written study guide for the RHCE exam. It also covers the RHCT exam adequately also, but I was focused on the RHCE.
  
  The exam hint/highlights that are called out in the shaded boxes are very useful and significant. They keep you focused on the exam goals and try to keep the reader from unnecessary subjects or diving too deep into a subject when all that may be needed is the simple setup and configuration of a service. The constant reminder that the exam is a time-based challenge as much as it is a skill-based challenge is helpful. The exercises are very relevant to the skills needed to sit for the tests -- I strongly recommend completing them before the test.
  
  Overall, I highly recommend this study guide for anyone serious about becoming certified as an RHCT/RHCE.
  
  
• A MUST HAVE if you expect to pass RHCE exam!
  By A28WH0RAQPGGT on 2008-02-13
  I took the RH300 and failed my exam. I then read this book cover-to-cover and repeated the sample exams over and over until I knew everything by heart. I went in and re-took the RHCE exam and am now certified. Without this book, it just wouldn't have happened.
  
  
• Absolutely essential for RHCE exam candidates!
  By A1IUY2W4ATZ1FX on 2008-04-12
  I picked this book up about a month before my RHCE exam was scheduled. I had been studying using the course objectives and the Red Hat Deployment Guide, but felt I was missing that extra jump to put me ahead of the game. This book was EXACTLY that extra jump. As a direct result of studying this book, I nailed the first half of the RHCE (100%), and got 93%/89% on the RHCT/RHCE portions of the second half, respectively. I'm an RHCE now, and I owe it in part to the author of this book. This book is no substitute for real experience. I have been working with Linux for well over 15 years, and running a 50% Linux datacenter for that last 9. But experience isn't everything, because most people, even in a high-linux datacenter environment, don't use all of the technologies that are tested on this exam. Do yourself a favor, buy this book.
  
  Pay special attention to his break/fix instructions and the "Exam tips." You will thank me later for that advice.
  
  
• Good RHCE study guide
  By A31BGUC1TM5MWD on 2006-11-05
  The book has more information than I thought. It is well-written and has a lot questions to test your level of knowledge of the subject. To make better use of it as the author specified in the book, grab some old pcs and have somebody setup the environments for you to practice the labs. The more you practice the lab, the more the confidence increases. I will definitely recommend this book. I will come back to update my review when I take the test.
  
  
• Good book for learners as well
  By A3KMPSRZRRS8PY on 2007-03-18
  Enough hands on assignments to bring someone up on linux. Course is well designed and nicely defined through alternative mothods. Author feels this book is for experienced UNIX adminstrators but I was quite dull at unix / linux and started this book as an experienced windows administrator. Everything went fine and little more help I sought from free unix guides.
  
  I would recommend and like to keep this copy for my future on-job referneces.
  
  
• An excellent RHCE study guide! One of a kind!
  By A23VCFGE3KJZP6 on 2007-03-26
  I passed my RHCT mainly because of this book. It is written in a clear, direct, and student-friendly context which lets you want to experiment the whole Red Hat learning experience. Jang is a skilled writer and although there are a few typos, it's an excellent book overall. It's the closest thing to actual Red Hat training. Use it to study for both RHCE and RHCT as RHCT's content is a subset of RHCE. Good hunting!
  
  

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