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Linux Professional Institute LPIC-2 (201-450 & 202-450)

This LPIC-2 Training training covers how to take control of small- to medium-sized mixed networks that depend on Linux technologies and manage every aspect of their administration. The LPIC-2 Linux Professional Institute certification is perfect for a sysadmin who wants to prove their administration, maintenance, management, storage, networking, security, and even automation skills with a Linux network. This Linux Foundation training can be used for 201-450 and 202-450 exam prep, or as a Linux Foundation reference resource.

Updated September 2022

25Skills
112Videos
2Practice Exams
22hTotal

Who This Course Is For

This LPIC-2 training is considered professional-level Linux Foundation training, which means it was designed for systems administrators. This Linux skills course is designed for systems administrators with three to five years of experience with small to medium–sized mixed network administration.

Skills Your Team Will Gain

  • Advanced system administration on the Linux kernel
  • Management of block storage and file systems
  • Advanced networking, authentication and system security
  • Installing and configuring fundamental network services

Course Curriculum

One skill is free to watch — no signup needed. The other 24 premium skills unlock for your whole team with a CBT Nuggets plan.

Free skill preview

Monitor & Measure Resources Usage

John McGovernDuration: 56m12 videos

Watch this complete skill free — the same trainer, videos, and labs your team gets with a plan.

Watch free skill
  • Monitor & Measure Resources UsageFree56m · 12 videos
  • Premium skill.Kernel Components and Compilation57m · 10 videos
  • Premium skill.Customize the System Startup53m · 12 videos
  • Premium skill.System Recovery & Bootloaders48m · 12 videos
  • Premium skill.Operating the Linux Filesystem55m · 10 videos
  • Premium skill.Maintaining and Configuring File Systems52m · 12 videos
  • Premium skill.Data Storage53m · 10 videos
  • Premium skill.LVM & Encryption48m · 10 videos
  • Premium skill.Basic Network Configuration53m · 12 videos
  • Premium skill.Advanced Networking & Troubleshooting54m · 10 videos
  • Premium skill.Building from Source & User Notifications48m · 12 videos
  • Premium skill.Backup Operations53m · 12 videos
  • Premium skill.Troubleshoot Network Issues53m · 10 videos
  • Premium skill.Configure a Basic DNS Server52m · 10 videos
  • Premium skill.Implement a Web Server54m · 12 videos
  • Premium skill.Implement DNS Zones and Security52m · 12 videos
  • Premium skill.Implement SSL & Web Proxies54m · 10 videos
  • Premium skill.Configure SAMBA Servers49m · 10 videos
  • Premium skill.Configure NFS Servers50m · 12 videos
  • Premium skill.Configure DHCP48m · 10 videos
  • Premium skill.Configure PAM and LDAP57m · 10 videos
  • Premium skill.Manage Email Services52m · 10 videos
  • Premium skill.Configure Routing and FTP Services56m · 12 videos
  • Premium skill.Configure Secure Shell55m · 12 videos
  • Premium skill.Manage Security Tasks & VPNs51m · 10 videos
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Certification

LPIC-2

LPIC-2 is the second certification in LPI’s multi-level Linux professional certification program. It validates the ability to administer small to medium-sized mixed networks and covers advanced Linux system administration, storage, networking, authen...

Exam 201-450 & 202-450Level ProfessionalDifficulty IntermediateCost $200 per exam
Capacity PlanningLinux KernelSystem StartupFilesystem and DevicesAdvanced Storage Device AdministrationNetworking Configuration
Official certification page

Put this course to work for your team

Every plan includes this course plus the full library, virtual labs, and practice exams — or talk it through with sales.

For IT leaders

What IT leaders need to know before assigning this course

Linux-dependent networks create operational risk when administration knowledge is uneven across the team: one misconfigured bootloader, DNS zone, filesystem, or SSH service can turn into downtime or a slow escalation. IT Directors should assign this LPIC-2 training to experienced Systems Administrators or Team Leads supporting small- to medium-sized mixed networks, especially teams responsible for Linux storage, networking, security, backups, and core services.

The course is a realistic commitment of about 22 hours per learner before review and practice time. For change management, Training Managers can roll it out by operational domain—recovery, storage, networking, services, and security—so admins can apply lessons to current responsibilities without pulling the whole team offline at once.

CBT Nuggets Playlists can sequence role-based learning, Team Reporting helps managers verify progress, Practice Exams support LPIC-2 readiness, and Virtual Labs, where available, help IT Practitioners practice before changes reach production.

Team Impact

How this training helps your team succeed

IT teams complete this training to make Linux administration less dependent on tribal knowledge and more consistent across production environments. The curriculum maps to real operational scenarios Linux admins face in mixed networks.

  • Reduce recovery time: Admins practice concepts around system startup, bootloaders, filesystem maintenance, backups, and recovery planning.
  • Stabilize core services: Teams build skills for DNS, web servers, DHCP, NFS, SAMBA, email, FTP, SSH, proxies, and SSL.
  • Improve troubleshooting consistency: Practitioners learn basic and advanced network configuration, routing, and network issue isolation.
  • Strengthen security posture: The course covers PAM, LDAP, SSH hardening concepts, encryption, VPNs, and recurring security administration tasks.

After completion

Capabilities your team walks away with

Knowledge

  • How Linux kernel components, startup customization, and bootloaders affect system availability.
  • Filesystem operations, maintenance, storage administration, LVM, and encryption concepts.
  • Network configuration, routing, DNS zones, DHCP, and troubleshooting workflows.
  • Service administration for web, proxy, SAMBA, NFS, email, FTP, and SSH environments.
  • Security-related administration with PAM, LDAP, secure shell, VPNs, and backups.

Ability

  • Monitor resource usage and investigate performance or capacity concerns.
  • Recover systems affected by boot, filesystem, or configuration failures.
  • Configure and maintain Linux storage, filesystems, and encrypted volumes.
  • Deploy and troubleshoot common network services in small to medium mixed networks.
  • Prepare for LPIC-2 201-450 and 202-450 exam objectives through structured review.

Readiness check

Confirm prerequisite knowledge before training begins

A short placement assessment on the CBT Nuggets assessments platform measures whether a learner already has the foundation this course assumes. IT Directors use it to put the right people in the right training — and any learner can take it right now to make sure they'll get full value from day one.

  • Questions generated from this course's own video transcripts — what gets measured is exactly what gets taught
  • Instant, per-learner results that show whether the prerequisite foundation is in place
  • Results roll up into team readiness reporting, so training hours go where they change outcomes
Runs on assessments.cbtnuggets.com — sign in with an Adept account so results roll up into team readiness reporting. Need one?
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If gaps show up, start here

Linux Professional Institute LPIC-1 (101-500 & 102-500)

This Linux Professional Institute LPIC-1 (101-500 & 102-500) LPI Certification training covers how to use and navigate a Linux workstation as well as perform basic administration tasks in support of a Linux network. This Linux Foundation LPIC-1 tra...

~29h

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is LPIC-2 worth it?

Yes, the LPIC-2 is worth it for most systems administrators – especially any who need to demonstrate their familiarity with administering small to medium-sized mixed networks. The Linux Professional Institute series of certifications is a well-trod career path for Linux administrators. Earning the LPIC-2 is a sort of coming-of-age for IT professionals who want to focus their skills and expertise in Linux.

How much does the Linux Professional Institute LPIC-2 cost?

The Linux Professional Institute LPIC-2 costs $400 in total. That's because the LPIC-2 certification has two exams, 201-450 and 202-450 and both cost $200. The price of a Linux certification exam depends on the skill level associated with it. Assuming you pass both 201-450 and 202-450 on your first attempt, it costs $400 to earn the LPIC-2.

Are the LPIC-2 exams (201-450 & 202-450) difficult?

Yes, the LPIC-2 exams are difficult exams. There are Linux administrators who call the LPIC-2 the most challenging certifying exams they've ever taken. The reason for its difficulty is because the LPIC-2 cert is a bridge between single-system Linux administration and management to administration of entire networks. The LPIC-2 tests challenge your familiarity with the interconnected systems and dependencies necessary to administer whole networks.

Does LPIC-2 expire?

Yes, the LPIC-2 does expire: it remains valid for only 5 years after you've earned it. The LPIC-2 is automatically renewed when you earn a higher certification in Linux Professional Institute's certification track. Other than earning a higher certification, there are currently no continuing education or alternative methods of renewing the LPIC-2 before it expires after 5 years.

How to study for Linux Professional Institute LPIC-2?

Because it requires advanced skills in Linux system administration across an entire network, the LPIC-2 is a difficult exam and a major milestone in an administrator's career. The best way to study for the LPIC-2 is with a course that teaches the theory and topics of system and network administration while giving you opportunities to practice the real-world skills of managing those networks and devices.

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