[diablo75]

A cousin of mine recently told me that if there is any kind of certification I should focus on, it would have to be UNIX related. He had also mentioned Solaris.

I've messed with Linux a little bit, but he said that Linux just isn't where it is at. He told me to seek out UNIX simply because it's a solid certification that you don't have to worry too much about renewing.

Right now, I am attending classes at a nearby community college that is preping me for my CCNA. But after that, I would like to get involved with UNIX, get trained in it, certified, and keep the education as cheap as possible.

Thanks in advanced for any advice.

[fenderfreek]

For 99% of purposes Unix = Linux. If you want to use Unix, there is no better place to get your feet wet than using Linux. In fact, to continue the metaphor, you're practically swimming in Unix by using it...
Solaris is a totally Unix-based OS, and It is not very different from Linux at all. The filesystem is set up slightly different, but the interface and use is essentially unchanged. You can get a copy of Solaris 10, the latest, for free, though I have yet to be able to get a working install of it.
If anyone tells you that Linux is no way to learn Unix, then they've obviously never used them both enough to see that they are nearly the same.
As far as the applicability of Linux versus Unix, in my experience, Linux is far more ubiquitous than Unix in today's market. I would go for a certification in both, simply because you can double your opportunities by learning only a handful of new material, going from one to the other.

[Solix]

I agree with fenderfreek on that, the only one you may trip up on is IBM's AIX which has significant differences. Even UNIX in a Nutshell now shows Linux commands as well as Mac.