GL250 Enterprise Linux Systems Administration Training and Courseware

Section 1 Linux Installation

• Pre-Installation Considerations
• Hardware Compatibility
• Multi-OS Booting
• Partition Considerations
• Partition Planning
• Filesystem Considerations
• Journaled Filesystems
• Installation Choices
• CD-ROM Installation
• Network Installation
• Local Hard Drive Installation
• FC Personal Desktop Class
• FC Workstation Class
• FC Server Class
• FC Custom Class
• Install Program Interface
• Installation Diagnostics
• Language Selection
• Keyboard Configuration
• Fedora Install Options
• Automatic Partitioning
• Partitioning with Disk Druid
• Installing a Boot Loader
• Network Configuration
• Security Configuration
• Language Support Selection
• Root Password Configuration
• Time Zone Configuration
• Package Group Selection
• Installing Packages
• Install Finished
• First Boot
• Finalizing GUI Configuration
• Video Card Configuration
• Monitor Configuration
• Authentication Configuration
• Lab 1 - Installation
  • Perform a GUI network NFS based workstation install
  • Configure LVM and Software RAID at installation time

Section 2 PC Hardware and Linux

• Kudzu
• PC System Hardware
• USB Devices and Configuration
• Linux Device Files
• Configuring New Hardware
• Kernel Modules
• Handling Module Dependencies
• Configuring Kernel via /proc
• Kernel Hardware Info - /sys/ /sys/ structure
• Lab 2 - PC Hardware and Linux
  • Enable the Magic-SysReq key
  • Use system-config-proc to disable ICMP broadcast

Section 3 Post-Install System Configuration

• Configuration Utilites and Files
• Network Services
• Managing System Time and Network-Wide Time
• Continual Time Sync – NTP
• Configuring NTP Clients
• Managing Software
• RPM Features, Architecture, and Package Files
• Working With RPMs
• Querying and Verifying with RPM
• Package Dependencies
• Intro to YUM
• Using the YUM command
• Configuring YUM
• YUM Repositories and Resources
• Configuring Printers
• Common UNIX Printing System
• Defining a Printer
• Kickstart
• Creating Kickstart Files
• Using Kickstart files
• Lab 3 - Post-Install Config
  • Answer some questions about the system using RPM queries
  • Install zsh using RPM
  • Troubleshoot and repair a package using RPM verification
  • Upgrade the kernel using RPM
  • Install the XFCE desktop environment using YUM
  • Create and test a custom YUM repository
  • Crate a custom YUM repository for installing software
  • Setup CUPS print queues using: system-config-printer, lpadmin, and the CUPS web interface
  • Modify a kickstart file using a text editor
  • Create a kickstart file using ksconfig
  • Start an install using a pre made kickstart file

Section 4 Boot Process and SysV Init

• Booting Linux on PCs
• LILO Options
• GRUB ConfigurationKernel Boot Parameters
• /sbin/init
• System init Style
• /etc/inittab
• rc.sysinit
• /etc/init.d and /etc/rcX.d
• rc
• Typical SysV Init Script
• The rc.local file
• Managing Daemons
• Controlling Startup Services
• Shutdown and Reboot
• Lab 4 - Boot Process
  • Use GRUB to boot into single user mode
  • Modify kernel/init parameters in GRUB
  • Explore the GRUB interface
  • Attach to the /boot filesystem and display the contents of the grub/grub.conf file
  • Set a GRUB password
  • Modify the lilo.conf creating a new stanza that passes kernel parameters

Section 5 User/Group Administration and NFS

• User Private Group Scheme
• User Administration
• Modifying Accounts
• Group Administration
• Password Aging
• Default User Files
• Controlling Logins
• PAM, PAM Services, and PAM Control Statements su, Wheel, and sudo
• DS Client Configuration
• File Sharing via NFS
• NFS Server Configuration
• NFS Clients
• Automounting Filesystems
• Lab 5 - User Administration
  • Customize /etc/skel
  • Add new users and manage password aging
  • Set up wheel group behavior for su
  • Configure a project directory to take advantage of the user private group scheme
  • Configure autofs to access an NFS export
  • Configure NIS client as part of the domain
  • Configure autofs to mount home directories
  • Switch to using LDAP for authentication
  • Setup an NFS server and export directories

Section 6 Filesystem Administration

• Partition Tables
• File System Creation
• Mounting File Systems
• Filesystem Maintenance
• Persistent Block Devices udev
• Resizing Filesystems
• File Deletion and Undeletion
• Swap
• Disk Usage
• Configuring Disk Quotas
• Checking Disk Quotas
• Filesystem Attributes
• File Access Control Lists
• Manipulating FACLs
• Viewing FACLs
• Backing Up FACLs
• Backup Hardware, Software, and Examples
• Tape Libraries
• Lab 6 - Filesystem Admin
  • Create and activate additional swap space
  • Configure and test disk quotas on the /tmp filesystem
  • Backup files using tar and cpio over ssh
  • Backup files using rsync over ssh
  • Backup and restore files with dump and restore
  • Create and test an ISO9660 image
  •  

Section 7 - LVM and Raid

• Logical Volume Management
• Implementing LVMs
• Manipulating VGs and LVs
• Advanced LVM Concepts
• Graphical LVM Tool
• RAID Concepts, Tools, and Implementation
• RAID Monitoring/Control
•  
• Lab 7 - RAID and LVM
  • Use command line tools to partition free space
  • Configure software RAID-5 with a hot spare
  • Fail a member device of the array, examine the automatic recovery using the hot-spare
  • Fail another member device testing RAID-5
  • Remove failed member devices, add new devices to array, examine the recovery of array
  • Partition the drive and create LVM Physical Volumes
  • Create a LVM Volume Group and Logical Volume to hold website content
  • Verify the operation of LVM snapshots
  • Extend and grow the Logical Volume and the ext3 filesytem

Section 8 Task Automation & Process Accounting

• Automating Tasks
• at / batch
• at Access Control
• cron, crontab, and crontab Format
• /etc/cron.* Directories
• anacron
• Viewing Processes
• Managing Processes
• System Logging
• /etc/syslog.conf
• Log Management
• Log Anomaly Detector
• Process Accounting
• Using Process Accounting
• Limiting System Resources
• System Status - Memory, I/O, and, CPU sar
• Lab 8 - Cron & Process Admin
  • Create and edit user cron jobs
  • Add a system-wide cron task to /etc/cron.hourly
  • Install and configure process accounting
  • Enable and set process limits
  • Remove cron jobs created in previous tasks

Section 9 Client Networking

• Linux Network Interfaces
• Ethernet Hardware Tools
• Runtime configuration change
• Configuring Routing Tables
• ARP
• Advanced Configuration
• Starting and Stopping Interfaces
• Virtual IP Interfaces
• Enabling IPv6
• Interface Bonding
• 802.1q VLANS
• Network Profiles and ifup
• IP Stack Configuration
• DNS Clients
• Network Services via DHCP
• DHCP Clients
• dhcpd.conf Syntax
• Red Hat Configuration Tools
• Network Diagnostics
• Point-to-Point Protocol
• PPP Configuration Files, Chat, and Secrets Files
•  
• Lab 9 - Client Networking
  • Enable static configuration
  • Configure a virtual interface and verify connectivity through the new interface
  • Verify Link-Local IPv6 connectivity
  • Configure and test Site-Local connectivity

Section 10 The X Window System

• The X Window System
• Xorg
• Configuring X
• X Fonts
• Using Fonts
• Display Manager Selection
• XDMCP
• Using Unix Remotely
• X Security
• Specialized X Servers
• Starting X Apps Automatically
•  
• Lab 10 - X
  • Change your display manager to gdm
  • Enable XDMCP to support remote desktop login
  • Configure VNC to accept incoming connections
  • Launch a program by creating a script in the /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/ directory
  • Start a custom X session by modifying the ~/.xinitrc file
  • Secure X for use in a public kiosk
  • Test and verify that the special key sequences are disabled

Section 11 Security Concepts

• Security Concepts
• Tightening Default Security
• Staying Current
• Using up2date
• Security Advisories
• SELinux Secuity Framework
• Choosing a SELinux Policy
• SELinux Commands
• Booleans
• Graphical Policy Tools
• inetd / xinetd
• Xinetd Features
• TCP Wrappers
• hosts.allow & hosts.deny
• hosts.* Syntax Shortcuts
• Advanced TCP Wrappers
• Basic Firewall Activation
• Stateful Packet Filter: iptables
• Netfilter Rule Syntax
• Targets
• Common match_specs
• Stateless Firewall Example
• Connection Tracking
• Stateful Firewall Example
• Lab 11 - Security Lab
  • Examine current system
  • Configure Xinetd to provide a variety of limits for connecting to services
  • Configure a sensor to log connection attempts
  • Use TCP Wrappers to secure various services
  • Use the Netfilter stateful packet filtering to better protect the system

Section 12 Linux Kernel Compilation

• Why Compile?
• Getting Kernel Source
• Preparing to Compile
• Configuring the Kernel
• General Options
• Disk Configuration
• Network Configuration
• Expansion Port Configuration
• Multimedia Configuration
• Kernel Documentation
• RH 2.4 Kernel Extensions
• Compiling the Kernel
• Compile and Install Modules
• Installing the Kernel
• Tips and Tricks
• Lab 12 - Kernel Compilation
  • Build, test, and install a new driver for the currently running kernel
  • Patch the Linux kernel source to add support for a new device
  • Compile and install a custom Linux kernel

Section 13 Troubleshooting

• Basic Troubleshooting
• Gathering Information
• Information from df and mount
• Information from Log Files
• Information Regarding Network Settings
• Information from ps, chkconfig, dmesg, w, and netstat
• Useful Debugging Aids
• Common Problems
• Incorrect File Permissions
• Inability To Boot
• Corrupt File Systems
• Typos in Configuration Files
• Disks Full?
• Runaway Processes
• Shared Libraries
• The Rescue Environment
• Lab 13 - Troubleshooting
  • Explore troubleshooting and disaster recovery on non-mission-critical machines
  • Practive troubleshooting common system and daemon errors