Linux System Administration

System Administration Overview

• UNIX, Linux and Open Source
• Duties of the System Administrator
• Superusers and the Root Login
• Sharing Superuser Privileges with Others (su and sudo commands)
• TCP/IP Networking Fundamentals
• Online Help

Installation and Configuration

• Planning: Hardware and Software Considerations
• Site Planning
• Installation Methods and Types
• Installation Classes
• Partitions
• Logical Volume Manager - LVM
• File System Overview
• Swap Partition Considerations
• Other Partition Considerations
• The Linux Boot Loader: grub
• Software Package Selection
• Adding and Configuring Peripherals
• Printers
• Graphics Controllers
• Basic Networking Configuration
• Booting to Recovery Mode

Booting and Shutting Down Linux

• Boot Sequence
• The systemd Daemon
• The systemctl Command
• Targets vs. Run Levels
• Modifying a Target
• Service Unit Scripts
• Changing System States
• Booting into Rescue Mode
• Shutdown Commands

Managing Software and Devices

• Identifying Software Packages
• Using rpm to Manage Software
• Using yum to Manage Software
• Installing and Removing Software
• Identifying Devices
• Displaying Device and System Information (PCI and USB)
• Plug and Play Devices
• Device Configuration Tools

Managing Users and Groups

• Setting Policies
• User File Management
• The /etc/passwd file
• The /etc/shadow file
• The /etc/group file
• The /etc/gshadow file
• Adding Users
• Modifying User Accounts
• Deleting User Accounts
• Working with Groups
• Setting User Environments
• Login Configuration Files

The Linux File System

• Filesystem Types
• Conventional Directory Structure
• Mounting a File System
• The /etc/fstab File
• Special Files (Device Files)
• Inodes
• Hard File Links
• Soft File Links
• Creating New File Systems with mkfs
• The lost+found Directory
• Repairing File Systems with fsck
• The Journaling Attribute
• File and Disk Management Tools

Linux File Security

• File Permissions
• Directory Permissions
• Octal Representation
• Changing Permissions
• Setting Default Permissions
• Access Control Lists (ACLs)
• The getfacl and setfacl commands
• SUID Bit
• SGID Bit
• The Sticky Bit

Controlling Processes

• Characteristics of Processes
• Parent-Child Relationship
• Examining Running Processes
• Background Processes
• Controlling Processes
• Signaling Processes
• Killing Processes
• Automating Processes
• cron and crontab
• at and batch
• System Processes (Daemons)

Working with the Linux Kernel

• Linux Kernel Components
• Types of Kernels
• Kernel Configuration Options
• Recompiling the Kernel

Shell Scripting Overview

• Shell Script Fundamentals
• Bash Shell Syntax Overview
• Shell Script Examples

System Backups

• Backup Concepts and Strategies
• User Backups with the tar Command
• System Backup Options
• The xfsdump and xfsrestore Commands

Troubleshooting the System

• Common Problems and Symptoms
• Troubleshooting Steps
• Repairing General Boot Problems
• Repairing the GRUB 2 Boot Loader
• Hard Drive Problems
• Restoring Shared Libraries
• System Logs and rsyslogd

Basic Networking

• Networking Services Overview
• NetworkManager Introduction
• Network Configuration Files Locations and Formats
• Enabling and Restarting Network Services with systemtcl
• Configuring Basic Networking Manually
• Configuring Basic Networking with NetworkManager

LAMP Server Basics

• LAMP Overview
• Configuring the Apache Web Server
• Common Directives
• Apache Virtual Hosting
• Configuring an Open Source Database
• PHP Basics
• Perl CGI Scripting

Introduction to System Security

• Security Overview
• Maintaining System Security
• Server Access
• Physical Security
• Network Security
• Security Tools
• Port Probing with nmap
• Intrusion Detection and Prevention
• PAM Security Modules
• Scanning the System
• Maintaining File Integrity
• Using Firewalls
• Introduction to firewalld

The Samba File Sharing Facility

• Configure Samba for Linux to Linux/UNIX File Sharing
• Configure Samba for Linux to Windows File Sharing
• Use the smbclient Utility to Transfer Files
• Mount/Connect Samba Shares to Linux and Windows Clients

Networked File Systems (NFS)

• Using NFS to Access Remote File Systems
• Configuring the NFS Server
• Configuring the NFS Client
• Exporting File Systems from the NFS Server to the NFS Client

Join an engaging hands-on learning environment, where you’ll learn to:

• Install the Linux operating system and configure peripherals
• Perform and modify startup and shutdown processes
• Configure and maintain essential networking services
• Create and maintain system users and groups
• Understand and administer file permissions on directories and regular files
• Plan and create disk partitions and file systems
• Perform maintenance on file systems
• Identify and manage Linux processes
• Automate tasks with cron
• Perform backups and restoration of files
• Work with system log files
• Troubleshoot system problems
• Analyze and take measures to increase system performance
• Configure file sharing with NFS
• Configure Samba for file sharing with the Windows clients
• Setting up a basic Web server
•  Understand the components for setting up a LAMP server
• Implement basic security measures

This course has a 50% hands-on labs to 50% lecture ratio with engaging instruction, demos, group discussions, labs, and project work.

Before attending this course, you should have:

• Experience with common UNIX/Linux user-level commands, such as moving, copying and editing files
• Experience with the vi editor

Systems Administrators