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hehe, and to help train for that MCSE, get the MCSE Trainer

Oddly enough though, on Linuxgruven it talks about how the market has been so bad for technology companies, but not them!

They have 8 locations according to their Office Locations page, that's 3/4 of an employee per location.

Linuxgruven.com hasn't been slowed by the market downturn
The year 2000 was a bad one for many young technology companies -- but not for Linuxgruven.com Inc. of Clayton. Since it was founded last February, the Linux training and service company has grown to 106 employees from just two, said Linuxgruven.com chief executive Matthew Porter.

Linuxgruven.com lays off 100 employees

According to the company's own website, times couldn't be better:

And the company is making a profit. "We are in the black -- an amazing concept, isn't it, among these startup tech companies?" (Linuxgruven website)

Must have been a rough February...

*scoove*

On Thursday, February 1, 2001, during an interview with Open Source Radio, Linugruven CEO Matt Porter explained the nature of Linuxgruven's business to include professional services, staff augmentation for linux and open source projects and corporate training. He stated, "...our only requirement for technical positions is that you demonstrate a proficiency for linux." He went on to say that this demonstration may be done through the Sair examination or by a test they have developed internally.

In regards to training fees, Mr. Porter went explained that one received 80 hours of training in one month, unlimited lab use during that month, continued access to the lab for another 6 months as well as 6 months of technical support. Porter went on to emphasize that their training program is not a requirement of employment.

When asked about a potential lawsuit from Sair, Mr. Porter responded, "From what we know, there is no lawsuit between Sair and Linuxgruven." He went on to say that he has been in contact with the president of Sair's parent company and that they hope to meet in the near future to discuss "...the whole subject." Porter also said that if it is discovered that Linuxgruven has done something wrong they will admit it and state "...here's how we are going to fix it."

Mr. Porter dismissed rumors of hostilities between the companies, saying, "We are not trying to be completely hostile companies and just go after each other and dig our nails into each other."

The interview in it's entirety can be heard during the rebroadcast of the Open Source Radio Show at www.opensourceradio.com. This rebroadcast will continue to be played through the afternoon of Feb. 8. Check the schedule for details.

• Without a degree or certification backing you up, you officially know nothing in the corporate world
• No one hires people who just got their certification*
• It's just flat out difficult to get a job in the IT industry

In perspective, Linuxgruven is offering those of us who don't have a BS:Comp. Sci, or a work history from the late eighties in IT, a chance to get in on the ground floor. I personally have been playing with computers for more than half my life (I'm 25 for those keeping score), that and a buck would've gotten me a cup of coffee before I hooked up with Linuxgruven. For the record, I did go through the Linuxgruven training, and I am a SAIR LCA now, check up on me if you want to at the SAIR website( http://home.linuxcertification.com Lastname: CARTER ID# 417010 ). See, it doesn't matter how much experience you've got, that piece of paper is still very important in an HR perspective, wihtout it you either won't get the job or get paid less for the work you do and generally play second fiddle to anyone who does have paper behind them, regardless of what they know. It might not necessarily make you a guru, but it does show that you have the capacity to learn, and what's more it shows that you have the persistence to accomplish a goal...Just think about it with an open mind, I think you'll see my point.

Responses? Send them to jcarter@linuxgruven.com

A little dose of reality.

Linuxgruven happens to be the employer of Kara Pritchard, Director of Exam Development for
the Linux Professional Institute. Feel free to check it out yourself on either LPI's or Linuxgruven's web sites.

While she is actively involved in LPI development and holds an RHCE, I don't believe that Kara has taken any Sair exams.

I also note that Linuxgruven has been very supportive of LPI efforts, and is recognized as a
bronze-level sponsor of LPI.

The company itself currently works most specifically with corporate training and support. I would hope that a person could glean that much from the company's site, though.

I have been working at Linuxgruven for a little over a week now.

When I first approached Linuxgruven, I saw it as an opportunity to get my foot in the door in the tech industry. I too had my reservations, but it was the very fact that it was emphasized that I didn't need to take any course they offered, that I just need to pass the certification exams (either their's or Sair's) that made me decide to go for it. They offer they're own Linux certification exam, and as far as I can tell, it is the only such exam to offer a hands-on portion, something which I think is absolutely critical. Not only that, but they offer this exam for free for the first 2 tries. I had nothing at all to lose.

All of my coworkers here are very happy, as am I, and it's a comfortable, casual environment. They've designed their tests to find those who have the drive to push themselves to study, learn, and eventually master a revolutionary operating system. Linuxgruven is very no-nonsense and they pull no punches - they are hiring people who show they have the ability to perform in the field, and they determine this in a very straightforward way (the exams). They are a growing company, and there is a demand to employ enough people to handle the current/projected workload, and I think they are very realistic about their goals and how to reach them. This is a great opportunity for people, fresh college graduates like me or those seeking a career change, to get their foot in the door.
And yea, most of us are creating accounts just now in order to write responses.

I have been working at Linuxgruven for a little over a week now. When I first approached Linuxgruven, I saw it as an opportunity to get my foot in the door in the tech industry. I too had my reservations, but it was the very fact that it was emphasized that I didn't need to take any course they offered, that I just need to pass the certification exams (either their's or Sair's) that made me decide to go for it. They offer they're own Linux certification exam, and as far as I can tell, it is the only such exam to offer a hands-on portion, something which I think is absolutely critical. Not only that, but they offer this exam for free for the first 2 tries. I had nothing at all to lose. All of my coworkers here are very happy, as am I, and it's a comfortable, casual environment. They've designed their tests to find those who have the drive to push themselves to study, learn, and eventually master a revolutionary operating system. Linuxgruven is very no-nonsense and they pull no punches - they are hiring people who show they have the ability to perform in the field, and they determine this in a very straightforward way (the exams). They are a growing company, and there is a demand to employ enough people to handle the current/projected workload, and I think they are very realistic about their goals and how to reach them. This is a great opportunity for people, fresh college graduates like me or those seeking a career change, to get their foot in the door.
www.linuxgruven.com

They even stole the penguin logo.

The moral of the story is that Linuxgruven takes a bunch of knuckleheads (my buddy was at the top of his training class) and gives them a month long introduction to Linux. Some of these guys truly are knuckleheads and have NO chance of passing, but my buddy with a bit of hard work is going to pass all the SAIR tests just two months after he first logged in to a Linux box.

You have to know some details, and they have questions about netstat, arp, route, ifconfig, ipchains, kernel modules, samba, apache, anon ftp, sendmail, etc... but if you've been working with Linux for 3 years and you review the material covered by the tests, you shouldn't have a problem.

moe

I personally work for a company, Linuxgruven (www.linuxgruven.com) that offers Enterprise Linux Support around the United States. From what our clients have expressed, one thing that makes a difference and helps provide accountability to the management is being able to provide on-site support in a timely manner. Not every Linux support company can do that. A number of our clients have large clusters (>100 nodes) and they want someone on-site ASAP, meaning hours not days. With more than a hundred people spread throughout the country, we make this a reality.

Also, any company should evaluate a product (i.e. Linux) based on what it can do today and the near term future. If the company that put in those 90,000 POS systems promised them something Linux won't be able to do until kernel 2.6/3.0, then that company is at fault. Unrealistic expectations from ill-used products usually can not be corrected in the support realm. They move to the software development area, where hacking can create what the customer needs. A great example is ImageStream building enterprise class Linux-based routers.

I am not solely trying to advocate Linuxgruven but would recommend to IT managers out there to look for this in ANY SUPPORT COMPANY, whether its Linux, Cisco, Microsoft, or any other infrastructure component.

Neoflux
email me at matthew@SPAM-sucks.porterhome.com
remove the SPAM-sucks part