Linux^® Administration and Support:
Hands-On

What is this course about?

This course provides the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully administer and support a server based on the Linux operating system. Through a series of extensive hands-on exercises, you learn to build and configure new Linux installations, as well as troubleshoot and support existing installations. You also learn critical administrative tasks, including the management of users and groups, the addition of storage hardware, the creation of file systems, the configuration of network connections and the provision of file and print services for both UNIX and Windows clients. The resulting classroom network of advanced servers is then used to build a high-availability load-balancing cluster. This course also offers in-depth coverage of the configuration and construction of the Linux kernel, the core of the operating system.

Who will benefit from this course?

This course is valuable for system and network administrators, development group leaders and other "power users" who need experience in a Linux environment. Existing UNIX system administrators who are required to manage Linux systems will also benefit greatly.

What background do I need?

Practical skill in the Linux operating system at the level of Course 143, Linux^®: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction, or Course 428, UNIX^®: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction, is required. To benefit from this class, you must be comfortable with the Linux command line, including the vi text editor and standard file manipulation utilities. Please refer to the following web page for additional prerequisite knowledge contained in the document entitled UNIX Fundamentals, http://bonus.learningtree.com/Files/144/RefMaterial/144scm01.pdf.

Will I learn how to integrate Linux with my existing systems and networks?

Yes! In this course, you learn to provide print and file sharing services to Windows clients and all other clients running any UNIX-like operating system, including MacOS. You also learn how removable media (DVDs, USB storage devices, etc.) are used to share data between Linux and other operating systems, and how to move disks containing native Windows file systems into Linux systems.

What is a Linux "distribution"?

To be clear about the meaning of a "distribution", it is important to be clear about the definition of Linux. Linux, to be accurate, refers only to the core of the operating system, or the kernel. The open-source nature of Linux allows various groups within the open-source community (i.e. GNU, Apache, BIND, etc.) to provide the administrative commands, applications, network services and graphical environments that are built around the kernel to create a "distribution".

There are many organizations (Red Hat, SUSE, Debian, Mandriva, etc.) that offer Linux distributions. Each uses the Linux kernel, around which they have added multiple components using various releases and configurations. However, despite these variations, the foundational principles of the Linux operating system remain unchanged, making it relatively easy to move from one distribution to another.

Which Linux distributions are used in this course?

This course has you carry out a four-day project. You start by installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux and then use the Knoppix distribution for rescue work. You later use the CentOS distribution to extend the capability of your server, using a completely free distribution to create a server with the capabilitiy of Red Hat's top product.

The course material is applicable to any Linux distribution (i.e. SUSE, Debian, Ubuntu, Mandriva, CentOS, Knoppix Linux, etc.).

It is the role of the skilled Linux administrator to make careful and well thought out decisions regarding the customisation of the initial installation, no matter which distribution you are working with. Following that, numerous other decisions are required concerning the removal, update and addition of software packages, and the configuration changes required to meet the specific needs of your organisation. This course is designed to provide you with the experience you need to skillfully perform this function.

I use a slightly different distribution, would this course still be useful for me?

Yes! The course stresses using the command-line interface and directly modfiying the configuration files, making what you learn more general-purpose, portable, and useful across multiple distributions and versions.

We are considering using IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) cloud services, would this course be helpful?

Definitely! Amazon's EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) service requires skilled remote command-line Linux administration. AWS, or Amazon Web Services, represents the most prominent IaaS cloud offering, but other IaaS cloud services will use similar platforms. If you are considering building your own private cloud infrastructure, you will almost certainly be using Eucalyptus, the result of reverse engineering Amazon's EC2 and implementing it as Ubuntu Linux images.

How much time is spent on each topic?

How much time is devoted to hands-on exercises?

Approximately 40 percent of class time is devoted to extensive exercises using Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® providing you with hands-on experience administering and supporting Linux. Exercises include:

• Designing and performing an installation
• Recovering from catastrophic failure
• Creating and modifying users and groups
• Administering logical volumes and file systems
• Configuring network services
• Sharing files and printers with Samba
• Building a high-availability load-balancing cluster
• Creating a customized kernel

I am interested in securing a Linux environment. Is this course for me?

To a large extent, the security of your system begins by doing things right in the first place. In this course, you are presented with the best practices approach for the installation and configuration of a Linux operating system. By applying these practices, you are well on your way to a highly secure operation. If security is part of your job responsibilities, or you are looking for an in-depth study of security issues unique to both UNIX and Linux, please consider Course 433, UNIX^® and Linux^® Security: Hands-On, as an excellent follow-on to Course 144.

Does this course cover the topic of Linux system performance tuning?

Linux is an excellent and highly efficient operating system, requiring very little performance tuning beyond that of the initial file system and swap area layout. The issue of file system and swap area design is covered in this course.

Does this course help me prepare for the CompTIA Linux+ certification?

Yes, this course does help to prepare for this certification. For more information, please see our certification Q&As.

How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses?

Those interested in furthering their knowledge and skills in Linux should consider:

• 433, UNIX® and Linux® Security: Hands-On provides the knowledge and skills you need to establish security for your UNIX and Linux platforms. You learn to use tools and utilities to assess vulnerabilities, detect configurations that threaten information assurance and provide effective access controls.
• 396, UNIX® and Linux® Tools and Utilities: Hands-On offers the skills required to effectively use key standard UNIX and Linux tools and utilities, and to adapt your UNIX and Linux environment to meet your organization's needs.

The following Learning Tree courses might also be of interest for those interested in expanding their network security skills:

• Course 468, System and Network Security: A Comprehensive Introduction
• Course 589, Hands-On Vulnerability Assessment: Protecting Your Organization