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The Linux Professional Institute Inc. (LPI) is a non-profit organization that provides vendor-independent professional certification for Linux system administrators and programmers.
The exams cover a range of different Linux based topics. The exam are available in almost every country in the world, and are translated into a number of different languages. The Linux Professional Institute Certifications LPIC provide a qualification that can be used to indicate that someone is competent at a certain level. The Linux Professional Institute Inc. was founded in 1999 by Chuck Mead, Dan York, and others. It was formally incorporated as a Canadian non-profit organisation on the 25 October 1999. It is headquartered near Toronto, Ontario Canada.
The organisation encourages active community participitation in creating and updating exams. Anyone can use the exam [https://group.lpi.org/cgi-bin/publicwiki/view/Examdev/ObjectivesReview Objectives Development] wiki, or the Exam Development [https://www.lpi.org/en/maillists.html Mailing List] to participate in the creation of new exams and the update of the existing ones.
The exams are distribution-neutral requiring a general knowledge of Linux rather than specifics about a certain distribution. This is shown in the way that the exams deal with the differing package management formats Deb (file format) and RPM Package Manager. In earlier versions of the test one of these was chosen by the candidate, in the current version the candidate is expected to know both formats.
The exams are not normally administered by Linux Professional Institute Inc., but instead through one of their training partners. Currently most exams are administered through a Pearson VUE test centre or at a Thomson Prometric test centre. There are also a number of exams run at major Linux and IT trade shows and conferences where the exams are often available at a reduced price, or sometimes even free of charge. The exams are primarily multiple choice questions, with some written answers. These are either taken using a computer based system, or using a paper based exam.
The LPI is also a founding member of the Desktop Linux Consortium.
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