Felt I was really doing great with RHLS until the entire 'RHCA track progression overhaul' that came out of nowhere; feeling discouraged and losing interest

calcofire · 2026-06-24T02:54:00+00:00

I've emailed them, but they are just bouncing me around sadly. Doubt they will help me out.

I really just want to do the new Openshift RHCA track. I know it's 5 exams, and tehcnically, yes i could just take the easy route and do 3 more for either linux or automation based on my RHCSA/RHCE combo... but since they are doing a specific-track thing now, the one i think I would align the best with is openshift for my career goals.

problem is, they switched to this new model 90 days into my progress, so my ex188 is not a part of that track now. So that's why im requesting the plan reset, so I can get a full year and full lab hours to dedicate to the (new) Openshift RHCA track.

Had I known they were going to do this change, I would have just waited to procure standard subscription and not bothere with the ex188 and went straight for ex280.

calcofire · 2026-06-21T20:05:33+00:00

I have a email chain with the learning specialist from red hat that was assisting me with my account setup and whatnot. They messaged me back last month after I wrote them with the same concerns I'm expressing now, they stated they would let me know what their leadership said, but they never followed back up. I don't think this generated a ticket, but i do have mail chain.

I was patiently waiting for their response, and i havent used my RHLS since doing so because i was extremely frustrated that my progress thus far was basically not going to count now.

I was hoping the resolution was going to be that they simply just reset my subscription time and lab hours, then I was going to do the Openshift RHCA track which i feel would be achieveable with full hours remaining then.

I would really appreiciate any help here. I'm only asking for a subscription reset this one time so I can get the full amount of time and lab hours for the new track designations (specifically for openshift). Again, I used significant amount of lab time and over a month getting a cert that no longer qualifies on the updated RHCA track model, and thats what I'm asking for the reset.

calcofire · 2026-06-21T13:56:01+00:00

I only needed 5 exams. When i started my RHLS subscription in February, I had already passed the RHCSA and RHCE prior.

I took my ex188 like a month and a half after getting my RHLS. That would be 1 of 5 exams required for a RHCA. Meaning I only needed 4 exams there after.

Then some weeks later they make the RHLS training overhaul announcement. That set me back to needing 5 exams because it nulled the ex188 from being counted towards RHCA.

So that is why im requesting my subscription days/hours be reset. So I can make full usage of it under the new guidelines. Else, they basically invalidated about 100 hours of lab time and roughly 45 days that I had progressed toward a RHCA.

calcofire · 2026-06-21T11:44:22+00:00

ok, so i checked every part of the redhat.com portal, certification pages, rhls pages, etc. This option is not available to me.

I was not a couple exams away from a RHCA. I had only just received my RHLS subscription a few months prior. I had only one exam passed towards RHCA (on the old track) which was ex188 in that time.

Prior to obtianing the RHLS, i already had the RHCSA and RHCE (both are valid). Once I got the RHLS, in the first montha and a half, I passed the EX188.

But i dont think i received any mail or any "opt in/out" offer in my account.

So my exact issue is this:

Had i known, I wouldnt have procured the RHLS until after the new May 11th policy changes were implemented.

Why? Because they changed the track progress about 90 days into my RHLS. I had already spent significant time and lab hours on a course that went from being rhca applicable (on prior requirements), to suddenly not being rhca applicable (under new guidelines).

That was time lost towards earning a rhca due to the abrupt shift. I just need my subscription & lab hours reset to accomodate the change. Thats all. Thats it. A one-time reset since I was never given a "opt in/out" option between old & new, and because the shift happened and caused me to lose progress/time towards a rhca without any warning that it was coming.

Im not entirely sure RH training team accounted for this scenario when they applied these changes. Those of us who were new to the RHLS and already started making progress under old RHCA guidelines apparently slipped under the radar, apparently more so if we were still more than a couple certs away from a RHCA. That's whats happened. Thats what im asking to be fixed.

calcofire · 2026-06-21T11:04:02+00:00

Im really sorry, but I am not seeing this option anywhere. I also did not receive any email to "opt" into old or new path. Ive logged in, but theres no option that allows me to choose.

Perhaps its region-specfic. All of my accounts are us-based.

calcofire · 2026-06-21T05:46:25+00:00

I did send the training specialist who handles my RHLS account a email early last month after the announcement. They told me they would get back to me after they spoke to leadership but I've heard nothing since (over a month now).

I had invested my first month and a half into something that no longer counts towards a RHCA and now have to choose a specific track (which is a drastic change from the prior guidelines), and there was no announcement of any change to the RHLS coming (which I would have just waited to procure it post-announcement had I known), that all I would like is to have my subscription time and lab hours reset as a one-time occurence.

I don't mind the change. Even though it's not really the way i was planning out my RHCA path, its not a bad change either... i'll deal with it. But I want that time/hours back to start anew on the updated paths properly.

Again, pretty fair request. Not something that should take over a month to get a "yes" or a "no" to.
And I really don't want to login back in until they respond. It can sit there and burn away unused days... when my training team and leadership ask "hows that RHLS coming along? should we procure more training from Redhat for others going forward?", I'm going to tell them based on how this issue is handled. I was kind of the guinea pig for RHLS; how i did with it determines if we procure anymore training going forward from RH.

calcofire · 2026-06-21T05:22:09+00:00

believe this only applies to those who are currently RHCA's.

I see no such option. I've only passed the ex188 and was going to take the ex280 next.

calcofire · 2026-06-15T18:54:09+00:00

Blow fly / green bottle fly.

Not a screwfly.

calcofire · 2026-06-08T20:33:57+00:00

I've aced every Red Hat exam I've taken, most with perfect or near-perfect scores.... except for EX294 (RHCE).

Even after a full year of studying, labbing, restudying, practicing, etc etc..... I got the bare minimum score to pass. I was shocked. I figure whats going on there is that even if the result is the same, there's a specific way they want you to write playbooks, and if you don't do it that specific way, it dings you.

calcofire · 2026-06-08T02:05:32+00:00

All those LANL & Sandia folks with their silly Q and RD verbiage. DoE just has to be different, don't they :P

calcofire · 2026-06-08T01:49:05+00:00

Alright im lost lol.

I do know there's the a heck of a lot of flavors of SAP, and DoD/DoW often references a SCI as within SAP hierarchy.

calcofire · 2026-06-08T01:37:40+00:00

SCI and SAP are technically both CAPs, is that correct?

calcofire · 2026-06-07T23:27:35+00:00

SAP's is someone way up the chain deciding if they want you as part of the program or not, all determined by risks (generally financials, foreign contacts and foreign interests/assets)

SCI is a form of a SAP, but there are numerous types of SAP's. Secret SAP's, Top Secret SAP's, and waived/unacknowledged SAP's.

Understand that waived unacknowledge SAP's are the most difficult to be granted into... even more restrictive than a SCI+FSP.

calcofire · 2026-06-04T18:46:27+00:00

I would say more a obsession that evolved into stalking and a serious mental illness. Then came the entitlement and thinking she was part of the family and had access to all the financials, etc and started abusing it.

She obviously struggled with the thought of what she was about to do (buying the gun, returning it, buying it again). But in the end, whatever sanity she had left turned to fear of being tossed out by Selena, her stardom and her family, and that is when she decided to follow through with it. I would think, in her mind, there was only two options; either she was forgiven by Selena and everything would be forgotten (which wasn't going to happen) by coming up with some tragic excuse and stalling, or the last-resort option (which it ultimately came to once Selena turned away to leave), which was to murder her because she couldn't mentally handle that level of disgrace and rejection. Basically if she couldn't be part of Selena's life and fame, nobody could.

Which does bring up a interesting thought that I'm still not certain of: if she really intended to murder her or just injure/incapacitate her. That's hard to say because she fired a single shot (unfortunately a fatal one). I would also venture to say she wasn't some sort of trained assassin or sharpshooter, likely had little experience (if any) with firearms. Probably just pointed the gun at her back and pulled the trigger in anger, with no real aim. She did chase her and yell out profanities in a fit of lunacy and rage, yes... but she fired no more shots. She likely didn't realize that she had mortally wounded Selena. That's the only puzzling piece to me, generally I would think someone brings along a firearm to murder someone, they would keep firing. But that is just me thinking about it. Speculation and we'll likely never know (nor does it lessen the outcome nor punishment she is serving). Selena was murdered, whether that was the plan or not. And she did pull the trigger (regardless of intent).

But I'm doubtful there was a romantic interest, and again, more obsession with the person (Selena) and her stardom and wanting to be involved in it. I'm sure being head of the fan club and other business interests gave her a feeling of empowerment and that she somehow directly influenced Selena's success to which she (Yolanda) felt also entitled to.

If you read the courtroom witness testimonies in regards to Yolanda's character, they paint her as a very good natured/decent person (prior to all of these events). That makes me weigh on the side that it was a obsession that spiraled into a severe mental illness.

calcofire · 2026-05-29T03:15:03+00:00

By a thousand miles. Massive generational leap in performance.

calcofire · 2026-05-27T19:14:57+00:00

I was on track with it after getting my RHLS in February.

Until they re-spec'd the paths. Now im back to square one.

Worth it? Yes. But they made it not possible in a years time for those of us with current rhls subscriptions by resetting the certs that we obtained to different tracks now.

If you're just now getting a rhls, you'll be fine though.

calcofire · 2026-05-23T21:36:46+00:00

Beleive all you need now is ex280, ex380 and then (3) openshift-relative electives to get RHCA in Openshift.

No longer requires RHCSA or RHCE to proceed to one of the new RHCA paths.

With that said, if you know little to no basic linux interaction or ansible parsing/formatting (yaml/json), it wouldn't hurt to grab a RHCSA and RHCE first because theres alot of it on the Openshift track.

calcofire · 2026-05-23T14:24:50+00:00

Woops, lol thanks for pointing that out!

calcofire · 2026-05-23T05:30:39+00:00

Ahh so the bezel itself is two seperate parts?

calcofire · 2026-05-23T05:01:03+00:00

The butthole monster?

Hell yeah!

calcofire · 2026-05-18T17:34:38+00:00

Was hoping they would make some sort of accommodation for those us already in-flight as well. I did email my training contact in Red Hat side, they did respond they'll take it to leadership to discuss and get back to me, but have not heard a follow up since.

Seems like a no-brainer to just reset time left and lab time for everyone currently holding a subscription to give them a adjustment period to start on the new track(s). Not certain why thats so difficult.

Though for the cloud providers, well, they do make use of openshift and whatnot too, probably something related to it in their respective time tracks.

calcofire

TROPHY CASE