Everyone starts somewhere — and on the track offered by Linux Professional Institute (LPI), that place has a name: Linux Essentials. It is the entry-level credential, designed for people taking their first steps in Linux and the open source world, with no prior experience required. This post kicks off our coverage of the LPI track: Linux Essentials → LPIC-1 → LPIC-2 → LPIC-3, plus LPI DevOps Tools Engineer.
How the exam works
It is a single exam (exam 010): 40 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, available in Portuguese, in person or online. Two features make Essentials perfect for getting started: there are no prerequisites, and the certificate is valid for life — it does not expire, unlike LPIC certifications. Technically, it is a “certificate of knowledge,” not a professional certification: think of it as the foundation, not the final goal.
What you need to study
- The Linux community and open source: what a distribution is, the main families (Debian/Ubuntu, Red Hat/Fedora, SUSE), where Linux runs (servers, cloud, Android, embedded systems), free software licenses, and the surrounding ecosystem;
- Finding your way around the system: basic command line, getting help (
man,info), navigating directories, and using globbing; - The power of the command line: compressing files, finding and extracting data (
grep, pipes, redirection), and turning commands into simple scripts; - The Linux operating system: choosing an OS, understanding hardware, where data is stored (processes, logs, memory), and networking basics;
- Security and permissions: user types, creating accounts and groups, file and directory permissions, ownership, and data protection.
How to train
Even though it is a theoretical exam, the right way to study is through practice. Install a distribution in a virtual machine (or use WSL on Windows) and try out each concept in a real terminal:
# o kit de sobrevivência da Essentials
pwd; ls -l; cd /var/log # navegar
man ls # pedir ajuda
grep -i error /var/log/syslog | head # buscar
tar czf backup.tar.gz ~/docs # compactar
ls -l /etc/passwd # ler permissões
The official exam objectives are on the LPI website — use them as a checklist. One to two hours a day for a month is usually enough for beginners.
Where to start
Essentials pairs perfectly with the Linux course by Gabriel (Toca do Tux): it starts at exactly the same point — distributions, installation, the terminal, permissions, users — in Portuguese, with explanations that compare Linux to the Windows/macOS you already know. Course + LPI objectives + daily terminal practice: that is the recipe.
Passed Essentials? The next step is LPIC-1 — and that is where the professional track truly begins. 🐧