Linux for System Administrators (LFS301 retired) Training Course

Introduction

• Linux Foundation
• Training Programs from the Linux Foundation for government
• Certification Opportunities from the Linux Foundation for government
• Digital Badges Issued by the Linux Foundation for government
• Laboratory Exercises, Solutions, and Resources for government
• E-Learning Course: LFS201 for government
• Details on Distributions for government
• Laboratories for Hands-On Practice for government

Linux Filesystem Tree Layout

• Unified Filesystem Structure for government
• Differentiating Data Types in the Filesystem for government
• FHS (Filesystem Hierarchy Standard) Directory Tree for government
• The root (/) directory for government
• /bin Directory for Essential User Command Binaries for government
• /boot Directory for Boot Loader Files for government
• /dev Directory for Device Nodes for government
• /etc Directory for Configuration Files for government
• /home Directory for User Home Directories for government
• /lib and /lib64 Directories for Shared Libraries for government
• /media Directory for Removable Media Mount Points for government
• /mnt Directory for Temporary Mount Points for government
• /opt Directory for Optional Software Packages for government
• /proc Directory for Process Information Files for government
• /sys Directory for System Information Files for government
• /root Directory for the Root User's Home Directory for government
• /sbin Directory for System Administration Binaries for government
• /srv Directory for Service Data for government
• /tmp Directory for Temporary Files for government
• /usr Directory for User Programs and Files for government
• /var Directory for Variable Data Files for government
• /run Directory for Runtime Data for government
• Laboratories for Practical Application for government

Processes

• Overview of Programs and Processes for government
• Process Limitations for government
• Creating New Processes for government
• Process States and Transitions for government
• Execution Modes for Processes for government
• Daemons and Background Services for government
• Niceness Levels for Process Prioritization for government
• Dynamic Linking and Libraries for government
• Laboratories for Hands-On Practice with Processes for government

Signals

• Introduction to Signals for Process Control for government
• Types of Signals Used in Linux for government
• The kill Command for Sending Signals for government
• The killall and pkill Commands for Managing Processes for government
• Laboratories for Practical Signal Handling for government

Package Management Systems

• Fundamentals of Software Packaging Concepts for government
• Benefits of Using Package Management Systems for government
• Types of Package Formats for government
• Overview of Available Package Management Systems for government
• Levels and Varieties of Packaging Tools for government
• Sources of Software Packages for government
• Creating Custom Software Packages for government
• Revision Control Systems for Software Development for government
• Source Control Systems in Use for government
• The Linux Kernel and git Integration for government
• Laboratories for Package Management Practice for government

RPM

• RPM (Red Hat Package Manager) Overview for government
• Understanding RPM Package File Names for government
• RPM Database and Associated Helper Programs for government
• Querying RPM Packages for Information for government
• Verifying the Integrity of Installed Packages for government
• Installing, Removing, and Upgrading Packages with RPM for government
• Updating and Freshening RPM Packages for government
• Upgrading the Linux Kernel Using RPM for government
• Converting RPM Packages to cpio Archives for government
• Laboratories for RPM Management Practice for government

dpkg

• DPKG (Debian Package) System Overview for government
• Understanding DPKG Package File Names and Sources for government
• Querying DPKG Packages for Information for government
• Installing, Upgrading, and Uninstalling Packages with DPKG for government
• Laboratories for DPKG Management Practice for government

yum

• Overview of Package Installers for government
• The yum Command for Package Management for government
• Querying Information with yum for government
• Verifying Installed Packages with yum for government
• Installing, Removing, and Upgrading Packages with yum for government
• Additional yum Commands for Advanced Management for government
• The dnf Command as a Next-Generation Package Manager for government
• Laboratories for yum and dnf Practice for government

zypper

• The zypper Command for SUSE Systems for government
• Querying Information with zypper for government
• Installing, Removing, and Upgrading Packages with zypper for government
• Additional zypper Commands for Enhanced Management for government
• Laboratories for zypper Practice for government

APT

• The APT (Advanced Package Tool) System for Debian and Ubuntu for government
• The apt Command for Package Management for government
• Querying Information with apt for government
• Installing, Removing, and Upgrading Packages with apt for government
• Cleaning Up the APT Cache for Efficient Storage for government
• Laboratories for APT Management Practice for government

System Monitoring

• Monitoring System and Network Performance for government
• The sar Command for Collecting and Reporting System Activity Data for government
• Reviewing System Log Files for Diagnostics for government
• Laboratories for System Monitoring Practice for government

Process Monitoring

• Monitoring Running Processes for Performance and Troubleshooting for government
• The ps Command for Listing Process Information for government
• The pstree Command for Visualizing Process Hierarchies for government
• The top Command for Real-Time Process Monitoring for government
• Laboratories for Process Monitoring Practice for government

Memory Monitoring and Usage

• Monitoring and Tuning Memory Usage for Optimal Performance for government
• The /proc/sys/vm Directory for Memory Management Parameters for government
• The vmstat Command for Reporting Virtual Memory Statistics for government
• The Out of Memory Killer (OOM) Mechanism for Handling Low Memory Conditions for government
• Laboratories for Memory Monitoring Practice for government

I/O Monitoring and Tuning

• Monitoring Input/Output Operations for Performance Analysis for government
• The iostat Command for Reporting I/O Statistics for government
• The iotop Command for Real-Time I/O Process Monitoring for government
• The ionice Command for Adjusting I/O Scheduling Priorities for government
• Laboratories for I/O Monitoring Practice for government

I/O Scheduling

• Understanding I/O Scheduling Mechanisms for Efficient Disk Access for government
• Available I/O Scheduler Choices for Different Workloads for government
• Laboratories for I/O Scheduling Practice for government

Linux Filesystems and the VFS

• Fundamentals of Linux Filesystems for government
• Key Concepts in Filesystem Management for government
• The Virtual Filesystem (VFS) Abstraction Layer for government
• Overview of Available Filesystems for government
• Journalling Filesystems for Enhanced Data Integrity for government
• Special Purpose Filesystems for Specific Use Cases for government
• Laboratories for Filesystem Management Practice for government

Disk Partitioning

• Common Disk Types and Their Characteristics for government
• Understanding Disk Geometry for Efficient Partitioning for government
• Partitioning Disks for Optimal Use of Storage Resources for government
• Types of Partition Tables for Organizing Disk Space for government
• Naming Conventions for Disk Devices for Clarity and Consistency for government
• SCSI Device Naming Schemes for Compatibility and Identification for government
• The blkid and lsblk Commands for Listing Block Devices for government
• Sizing Partitions for Optimal Performance and Capacity for government
• Backing Up and Restoring Partition Tables for Data Protection for government
• Partition Table Editors for Managing Disk Layouts for government
• The fdisk Command for Creating and Modifying Partitions for government
• Laboratories for Disk Partitioning Practice for government

Filesystem Features: Attributes, Creating, Checking, Mounting

• Extended Attributes for Enhancing File Properties for government
• Creating and Formatting Filesystems for Initial Setup for government
• Checking and Repairing Filesystems for Data Integrity for government
• Mounting Filesystems for Access and Use for government
• NFS (Network File System) for Sharing Files Across Networks for government
• Mounting Filesystems at Boot via /etc/fstab for Automated Setup for government
• The automount Utility for Dynamic Mount Points for government
• Laboratories for Filesystem Management Practice for government

Filesystem Features: Swap, Quotas, Usage

• Managing Swap Space for Additional Virtual Memory for government
• Filesystem Quotas for Controlling User and Group Storage Usage for government
• Measuring Filesystem Usage for Capacity Planning for government
• Disk Usage Analysis Tools for Identifying Large Files and Directories for government
• Laboratories for Filesystem Feature Practice for government

The Ext2/Ext3/Ext4 Filesystems

• Features of the ext4 Filesystem for Enhanced Performance and Reliability for government
• ext4 Layout, Superblock, and Block Groups for Efficient Data Storage for government
• The dumpe2fs Command for Displaying ext2/3/4 Filesystem Information for government
• The tune2fs Command for Modifying ext2/3/4 Filesystem Parameters for government
• Laboratories for Ext4 Filesystem Practice for government

The XFS and BTRFS Filesystems

• The XFS Filesystem for High-Performance Storage Solutions for government
• The BTRFS Filesystem for Advanced Features and Flexibility for government
• Laboratories for XFS and BTRFS Practice for government

Encrypting Disks

• Filesystem Encryption Techniques for Data Security for government
• The LUKS (Linux Unified Key Setup) Standard for Disk Encryption for government
• The cryptsetup Command for Managing Encrypted Volumes for government
• Using Encrypted Partitions for Secure Storage for government
• Mounting Encrypted Partitions at Boot for Automated Access for government
• Laboratories for Disk Encryption Practice for government

Logical Volume Management (LVM)

• Introduction to Logical Volume Management (LVM) for Flexibility and Scalability for government
• Volumes and Volume Groups for Organizing Storage Resources for government
• Working with Logical Volumes for Dynamic Storage Allocation for government
• Resizing Logical Volumes for Efficient Capacity Management for government
• LVM Snapshots for Creating Point-in-Time Copies of Data for government
• Laboratories for LVM Practice for government

RAID

• Overview of RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) for Enhanced Performance and Reliability for government
• Different RAID Levels and Their Characteristics for government
• Software RAID Configuration for Cost-Effective Solutions for government
• Monitoring RAIDs for Health and Status for government
• RAID Hot Spares for Fault Tolerance and Recovery for government
• Laboratories for RAID Practice for government

Kernel Services and Configuration

• Overview of the Linux Kernel and Its Role in System Operation for government
• Configuring the Kernel for Customized Performance and Features for government
• Setting Kernel Boot Parameters for Initial Setup for government
• The sysctl Command for Modifying Kernel Parameters at Runtime for government
• Laboratories for Kernel Configuration Practice for government

Kernel Modules

• Understanding Kernel Modules for Extending Functionality for government
• Module Management Utilities for Loading and Unloading Modules for government
• The modinfo Command for Displaying Module Information for government
• Configuring Kernel Modules for Persistent Settings for government
• Laboratories for Kernel Module Practice for government

Devices and udev

• The udev System for Dynamic Device Management for government
• Device Nodes for Representing Hardware Devices for government
• udev Rules for Customizing Device Handling for government
• Laboratories for Device Management Practice for government

Virtualization Overview

• Introduction to Virtualization Technologies for Efficient Resource Utilization for government
• Host and Guest Concepts in Virtualization for government
• Emulation Techniques for Running Different Architectures for government
• Hypervisors for Managing Virtual Machines for government
• The libvirt Library for API-Based Virtualization Management for government
• The QEMU Emulator for Hardware Simulation for government
• KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) for Native Hypervisor Support for government
• Laboratories for Virtualization Practice for government

Containers Overview

• Introduction to Containers for Application Isolation and Portability for government
• Application Virtualization for Lightweight Environments for government
• Differences Between Containers and Virtual Machines for government
• The Docker Container Platform for Rapid Development and Deployment for government
• Common Docker Commands for Managing Containers for government
• The Podman Command for Running Containers Without a Daemon for government
• Laboratories for Container Practice for government

User Account Management

• Managing User Accounts for Access Control and Security for government
• Creating, Modifying, and Deleting User Accounts for government
• Locking Accounts to Prevent Unauthorized Access for government
• Password Management for Strong Authentication for government
• The /etc/shadow File for Secure Password Storage for government
• Password Policies and Aging for Enhanced Security for government
• Restricted Shells and Accounts for Limited User Privileges for government
• The root Account for System Administration for government
• Secure Shell (SSH) for Remote Access and Management for government
• Laboratories for User Account Practice for government

Group Management

• Managing Groups for Organizing Users and Permissions for government
• Creating, Modifying, and Deleting Groups for government
• User Private Groups for Enhanced Security and Flexibility for government
• Managing Group Membership for Access Control for government
• Laboratories for Group Management Practice for government

File Permissions and Ownership

• Understanding File Permissions and Ownership for Secure Data Management for government
• Setting File Access Rights with chmod, chown, and chgrp for government
• The umask Command for Default File Permissions for government
• Filesystem ACLs (Access Control Lists) for Fine-Grained Permission Management for government
• Laboratories for File Permission Practice for government

Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)

• Introduction to Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) for Flexible Authentication for government
• The Authentication Process and PAM Configuration for government
• Configuring PAM for Customized Security Policies for government
• LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) Authentication for Centralized User Management for government

Network Addresses

• Understanding IP Addresses for Network Communication for government
• Types of IPv4 Addresses and Their Uses for government
• Types of IPv6 Addresses for Next-Generation Networking for government
• IP Address Classes and Subnetting for Efficient Network Design for government
• Netmasks for Defining Network Boundaries for government
• Hostnames for Identifying Network Devices for government
• Laboratories for Network Address Practice for government

Network Devices and Configuration

• Overview of Network Devices for Connecting to Networks for government
• The ip Command for Managing Network Interfaces for government
• The ifconfig Command for Legacy Network Configuration for government
• Predictable Network Interface Device Names for Consistent Identification for government
• Network Configuration Files in /etc for Persistent Settings for government
• The Network Manager Service for User-Friendly Network Management for government
• Routing Tables for Directing Network Traffic for government
• DNS (Domain Name System) and Name Resolution for Human-Readable Addresses for government
• Network Diagnostics Tools for Troubleshooting Connectivity Issues for government
• Laboratories for Network Configuration Practice for government

Firewalls

• Introduction to Firewalls for Network Security for government
• Network Interfaces and Zones for Organizing Firewall Rules for government
• The firewalld Service for Dynamic Firewall Management for government
• Source Management for Controlling Access Based on IP Addresses for government
• Service and Port Management for Configuring Allowed Traffic for government
• Laboratories for Firewall Practice for government

System Startup and Shutdown

• Understanding the Boot Sequence for System Initialization for government
• Boot Loaders for Starting the Operating System for government
• System Configuration Files in /etc for Initial Setup for government
• Shutting Down and Rebooting Systems for Maintenance and Updates for government
• Laboratories for Startup and Shutdown Practice for government

GRUB

• The Grand Unified Boot Loader (GRUB) for Managing Boot Options for government
• Interactive Selections with GRUB at Boot Time for Flexibility for government
• Installing GRUB on Disk Partitions for Bootability for government
• Customizing the GRUB Configuration for Tailored Settings for government
• The Boot Loader Specification Configuration (BLSCFG) for Advanced Control for government
• Laboratories for GRUB Practice for government

System Init: systemd, SystemV and Upstart

• The init Process for System Initialization and Management for government
• Alternative Startup Methods for Different Environments for government
• The systemd Service Manager for Modern Linux Systems for government
• The systemctl Command for Managing systemd Services for government
• SysVinit for Legacy System Initialization for government
• The chkconfig and service Commands for Traditional Service Management for government
• Laboratories for System Init Practice for government

Backup and Recovery Methods

• Fundamentals of Backup Strategies for Data Protection for government
• Differentiating Between Backups and Archives for Effective Management for government
• Backup Methods and Best Practices for Ensuring Data Integrity for government
• The tar Command for Creating Archive Files for government
• Data Compression with gzip, bzip2, and xz for Efficient Storage for government
• The dd Command for Low-Level Disk Operations for government
• The rsync Command for Synchronizing Data Across Systems for government
• The cpio Command for Creating and Extracting Archive Files for government
• The dump and restore Commands for Filesystem-Level Backups for government
• The mt Command for Managing Tape Devices for government
• Backup Programs for Automated Data Protection for government
• Laboratories for Backup and Recovery Practice for government

Linux Security Modules

• Introduction to Linux Security Modules (LSMs) for Enhanced Security for government
• SELinux for Mandatory Access Control for government
• AppArmor for Path-Based Access Control for government
• Laboratories for LSM Practice for government

Local System Security

• Ensuring Local System Security for Protecting Sensitive Data for government
• Creating a Security Policy for Comprehensive Protection for government
• System Updates and Patch Management for Mitigating Vulnerabilities for government
• Physical Security Measures for Preventing Unauthorized Access for government
• BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) Configuration for Secure Boot for government
• Bootloader Security for Protecting the Initial Boot Process for government
• Filesystem Security Practices for Data Integrity and Confidentiality for government
• The setuid and setgid Bits for Controlling File Execution Privileges for government
• Laboratories for Local System Security Practice for government

Basic Troubleshooting

• Troubleshooting Levels and Techniques for Identifying and Resolving Issues for government
• Networking Diagnostics for Ensuring Connectivity for government
• File Integrity Checks for Verifying Data Consistency for government
• Boot Process Failures and Recovery Methods for government
• Filesystem Corruption and Recovery Techniques for Data Salvage for government
• Using Virtual Consoles for Alternative Access and Troubleshooting for government
• Laboratories for Basic Troubleshooting Practice for government

System Rescue

• Rescue Media and Techniques for System Recovery for government
• Using Rescue/Recovery Media for Emergency Access for government
• System Rescue and Recovery Procedures for Restoring Functionality for government
• Emergency Boot Media for Initial Diagnostics for government
• Using Rescue Media for Troubleshooting and Repairing Systems for government
• Entering Emergency Mode for Minimal System Access for government
• Single User Mode for Administrative Tasks Without Network Services for government
• Laboratories for System Rescue Practice for government