Introduction to Linux Systems Administration

Course Objectives

This course is about 50% lab to lecture ratio, combining expert instructor-led discussions with practical hands-on skills that emphasize current techniques, best practices and standards. Working in this hands-on lab environment, guided by our expert practitioner, attendees will explore:

• Installing the Linux operating system and configuring peripherals
• Performing and modifying startup and shutdown processes
• Configuring and maintaining basic networking services
• Creating and maintaining system users and groups
• Understanding and administering file permissions on directories and regular files
• Planning and creating disk partitions and file systems
• Performing maintenance on file systems
• Identifying and managing Linux processes
• Automating tasks with cron
• Performing backups and restoration of files
• Working with system log files
• Troubleshooting system problems
• Analyzing and taking measures to increase system performance
• Configuring file sharing with NFS
• Configuring Samba for file sharing with the Windows clients
• Setting up a basic Web server
• Understanding the components for setting up a LAMP server
• Implementing basic security measures

Course Prerequisites

This is an introductory-level systems administration course geared for Systems Administrators and users who wish to learn how to how to install, configure and maintain an Enterprise Linux system in a networked environment.  Attendees should have incoming experience with common UNIX/Linux user-level commands, such as moving, copying and editing files. Experience with the vi editor is a plus.

Course Agenda

Please note that this list of topics is based on our standard course offering, evolved from typical industry uses and trends. We will work with you to tune this course and level of coverage to target the skills you need most.

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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, USB)
• Plug and Play Devices
• Device Configuration Tools

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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)

9. Working with the Linux Kernel

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

10. Shell Scripting Overview

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

11. System Backups

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

12. 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

13. 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

14. LAMP Server Basics

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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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