DEADLINE END OF FEB December 2026
Welcome to one of my biggest-ever exam challenges.
Every year, I set IT certification challenges. Some are for one exam, and others require you to pass two more within a certain timeframe. Well, this year, it’s the turn of Linux. We’ve done security, cloud, Cisco, and CompTIA, so this is brand new.
You have over 12 months to pass FOUR Linux Professional Institute Exams: the Linux Essentials—LPIC1 – LPIC2 and LPIC-3 Security. The challenge starts today and ends on 28 February 2026. Each LPI exam takes around two months of work, so you have plenty of time, but you need to start NOW. The Security+ challenge we ran a few years ago went well, with four winners, but the recent CompTIA challenge had only two, each making $2500 in prize money.
The Linux LPI exam challenge is:
- 10 Prizes of
$1500$3000 – PRIZE DOUBLED!
Compulsory exams are:
- Linux LPI Essentials
- Linux LPIC-1
- Linux LPIC-2
- Linux LPIC-3 Security
The CompTIA Linux+ is omitted because the LPI no longer recognizes the Linux+ as an LPIC-1 equivalent.
The LPI exams start from a complete beginner and move to a high-level Linux security expert, but don’t worry. As you complete each lesson, you slowly build up your knowledge and practical skills, and the topics build on each other. After you pass all four exams, you will be able to:
- Administer Linux systems
- Support large Linux networks
- Configure Linux cloud networking
- Harden networks and perform security audits
- Audit networks for compliance
Learn Linux in 2026
I’m sure you have heard of Linux, but few IT people choose it as a career, which is strange considering a few impressive facts about Linux usage:
- Dominance in Supercomputing: According to the latest updates, almost 100% of the world’s top 500 supercomputers run on Linux. This includes giants like the Summit supercomputer, which is used for advanced scientific research. Linux’s consistent performance, scalability, and flexibility make it the go-to operating system for high-performance computing.
- Mobile Dominance: Android, which is based on the Linux kernel, holds a market share of over 70% in the global smartphone market. This means that billions of devices worldwide are essentially running on Linux, making it the most widely used operating system in mobile technology.
- Internet Backbone: A significant portion of the internet’s infrastructure runs on Linux. This includes web servers, DNS servers, and even the routers that manage internet traffic. For instance, according to Netcraft, more than 60% of the world’s web servers are powered by Linux, with Apache and Nginx being the most popular web servers, both running on Linux.
- NASA and Space Exploration: NASA uses Linux for various missions. The Mars Rovers, including Curiosity and Perseverance, operate using Linux-based systems. The reliability and customization capabilities of Linux are critical for such missions where system failures are not an option.
- Financial Markets: Linux dominates the high-frequency trading sector due to its stability and the ability to customize it for performance-critical applications. Exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ use Linux to handle millions of transactions per second with minimal latency.
- Adoption by Major Tech Companies: Companies like Google, Amazon, and IBM heavily rely on Linux for their infrastructure. Google’s entire server farm runs on a custom version of Linux, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), which powers much of the cloud computing landscape, is predominantly Linux-based.
- Security: Linux has a reputation for being more secure than many other operating systems due to its open-source nature, allowing for rapid patching of vulnerabilities. The NSA (National Security Agency) once stated that they prefer Linux for its security benefits in certain applications.
- Education and Research: Many universities and research institutions worldwide use Linux not only for teaching but also for research purposes due to its cost (often free), flexibility, and the availability of powerful tools for scientific computing.
These facts underscore Linux’s integral role in some of the most critical, high-stake environments globally, showcasing its robustness, versatility, and community-driven development model.
Linux Careers
Linux careers can range from junior to senior and span many fields, from networking, server support, and network security, as well as DevOps and cloud computing. Salaries can range from $60 to $120k or more, depending on experience and location.
Many careers depend on Linux knowledge, so having Linux certifications will open these doors to you:
- Linux System Administrator: Manage and maintain Linux servers, ensuring they are secure, performant, and up-to-date. Tasks include installation, configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
- DevOps Engineer: Bridge the gap between development and operations, often using Linux for automation (CI/CD), configuration management, and container orchestration (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
- Linux Network Administrator: Focus on the network components of Linux systems, managing network configurations, security, and performance.
- Cloud Engineer: Work with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, where Linux is often the underlying OS for virtual machines or containers.
- Cybersecurity Analyst/Specialist: Use Linux for security analysis, penetration testing, and securing systems. Linux is favored for its security features and open-source tools.
- Linux Developer: Develop software or applications specifically for Linux environments, including kernel development, system-level programming, or creating applications that run on Linux.
Our Linux Courses
Unlike many others, we NEVER use trainers to create our courses. We employ network consultants, expert penetration testers, security engineers, and senior network designers to create our courses. All courses include:
- Full theory training
- Tons of practice exams
- Follow-along labs
- Forum support from industry experts
Important
Over 90% of people getting this far don’t even bother to start. Of those who start, around 95% will quit. This is all good news for you if you can motivate yourself to do just a little bit of study every day for the next few months.
Terms
You must be a fully paid-up member when I do the draw and have been here for six months at least. You must submit a helpdesk ticket with proof of passing (secure link to your credentials), receipts, AND a photo of you holding your exam certificate. You can’t use any rejoin coupons or offers to quit and keep rejoining.
Exams passed before the start date are not valid, I’m afraid. Payments will be via PayPal only.
You must have joined or rejoined by 30 March September 2025 and have been a continuous member up to the draw date.
I reserve the right to make changes to the date and challenge due to the lack of winners.
You MUST inform us of each exam pass as you pass. DO NOT submit four exam passes the night before the challenge ends like others do! If I don’t see results, I may change the challenge, which means you’ll miss out.
Get Started Now
Hit the subscribe button below to get started for $1 for 30 days. All courses are auto-allocated under the member’s menu. If you are a former member, please log in first and use the helpdesk to request your course (we don’t get notifications for rejoiners).
