KB0140 - RedHat Linux System Administration

Course Length:  30 hrs

Course Description:

   This is a course for users of Linux who want to start building skills in systems administration on Red Hat Enterprise Linux to a level where they can attach and configure and administer servers and workstations on an existing network. This course provides intensive hands-on training on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.  

Who Should Attend:

   Linux or UNIX users who understand the basics of Red Hat Linux and desire further technical training to begin the process of becoming a system administrator will benefit from this course.  

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:  
- Prove competency by passing the RHCT Exam, a realistic performance-based lab exam. - Install, configure, and attach a new Red Hat Linux system to an existing production network.  

Course Outline:

Chapter 1:   Linux Ideas and History  

- What is Open Source?
- Linux Origins
- Red Hat Distributions
- The Fedora Project
- Linux Principles

Chapter 2: Installation
  - Hardware Overview
- CPU and Memory
- Preparing to Install
- Multiboot Systems
- The RH Installer
- Installer Features
- RH Installation Overview
- Partitioning Hard Drives
- Sample Partition Structure
- Configuring File Systems
- Network Configuration
- Firewall Setup
- Security Enhanced Linux
- SELinux Installation Options and Control
- Package Selection
- Validating the Installation
- noprobe Mode and Driver Disks
- Post-Install Configuration

Chapter 3:    Linux Usage Basics

- Logging into Red Hat Enterprise Linux
- Starting X from the Console
- Accessing the Command Line from X
- Changing your Password
- The root User
- Elevating your Privileges
- Editing Text Files
- Hands-on lab: Linux Usage Basics  

Chapter 4: System Initialization And Services
  - Boot Sequence Overview
- BIOS Initialization
- Boot Loader Components
- GRUB and grub.conf
- Kernel Initialization
- init Initialization
- Run Levels
- /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
- /etc/rc.d/rc
- Daemon Processes
- System V run levels
- /etc/rc.d/rc.local
- Virtual Consoles
- Controlling Services
- System Shutdown and Reboot
   
Chapter 5:    Running Commands and - Getting Help
  - Running Commands
- Getting Help
- The whatis Command
- The --help Option
- Reading Usage Summaries
- The man and info Commands
- Documentation
- Hands-on lab: Getting Help with Commands  

Chapter 6:    Browsing the File System
  - Linux File Hierarchy Concepts
- Current Working Directory
- File and Directory Names
- Absolute and Relative Pathnames
- Changing Directories
- Listing Directory Contents
- Copying and Moving Files and Directories
- Creating and Removing Files and Directories
- Using Nautilus
- Determining File Content
- Viewing Files
- Hands-on lab: Browsing the Filesystem
 
Chapter 7:    Using the bash Shell
  - bash Introduction, Heritage, and Features
- Command Line Shortcuts
- History Tricks
- Command Line Expansion
- Command Editing Tricks
- gnome-terminal
- Hands-on lab: Exploring the Bash Shell
 
Chapter 8:    Standard I/O and Pipes
  - Standard Input and Output
- Redirecting Standard Input and Output
- Overwriting vs Appending
- Redirecting Standard Error
- Redirecting Both Standard
- Output and Error
- Using Pipes To Connect Processes
- Hands-on lab: Standard I/O and Pipes  

Chapter 9    Text Processing Tools
  - Tools for Extracting Text
- Tools for Analysing Text
- Tools for Manipulating Text
- Special Characters for Matching Text
- Hands-on lab: Text Processing Tools
 
Chapter 10    Basic System Configuration
  - Configuring Date and Time
- Configuring Printers
- Configuring the Network
- System Logs
- Hands-on lab: Basic System Configuration  

Chapter 11    vi and vim
  - Introducing vim
- vim basics
- Opening, Modifying, and Saving Files - Using Command Mode
- Undoing Changes
- Visual Mode
- Splitting the Screen
- Configuring vi and vim
- Learning More
- Hands-on lab: vi and vim  

Chapter 12    Configuring the bash Shell
  - Using bash Variables
- Local and Environment Variables
- Configuration and Information Variables
- Variable Expansion
- Protecting Against Variable Expansion
- Aliases
- How bash Expands the Command Line
- Types of Shells
- bash Startup and Exit Scripts
- Using Variables in Shell Scripts
- Hands-on lab: Configuring the Bash Shell  

Chapter 13    Finding and Processing Files
  - The slocate and find Commands
- Basic find Examples
- find and Logical Operators
- find and Permissions
- find and Numeric Criteria
- find and Access Times
- Executing Commands with find
- The Gnome Search Tool
- Hands-on lab: Finding and Processing Files
 
Chapter 14: Kernel Services And Configuration
  - Objectives and Agenda
- Kernel Modules
- Kernel Module Configuration
- The /proc filesystem
- /proc/sys configuration with sysctl
- General Hardware Resources
- System Bus Support
- Hotswappable Bus Support
- System Monitoring and Process Control
 
Chapter 15: Filesystem Management
  - System Initialization: Device Recognition
- Disk Partitioning
- Managing Partitions
- Managing Data: Filesystem Creation
- Journaling for ext2 filesystems: ext3
- Mount Options and Configuration
- The Auto-Mounter
- ext2/ext3 Filesystem Attributes
- Virtual Memory Files
- Filesystem Maintenance
- Adding a Drive  

Chapter 16    The Linux Filesystem In-Depth
  - Partitions and Filesystems
- Inodes and Directories
- cp, mv, rm, and inodes
- Symbolic (or Soft) Links and Hard Links
- The Seven Fundamental Filetypes
- Checking Free Space
- Mounting CDs, DVDs, USB Media, and Floppy Disks
- Why Archive Files?
- Creating, Inspecting, and - Extracting Files From File Archives
- Why Use File Compression?
- Compression Utilities
- Compressing Archives
- Hands-on lab: The Linux Filesystem

  Chapter 17: RPM 
  - The RPM Way
- RPM Package Manager
- Installing and Removing Software
- Updating a Kernel RPM
- RPM Queries
- RPM Verification
- Other RPM Utilities and Features
- Automatic Dependency
- RHN Registration
- The up2date utility  

Chapter 18: User Administration
  - User Policy Considerations
- The User Account Database -
- /etc/passwd
- Adding a New User Account
- User Private Groups
- Group Administration
- Modifying/Deleting Accounts
- Password Aging Policies
- Login Shell Scripts
- Non Login Shell Scripts
- Switching Accounts
- sudo
- Network Users
- Authentication Configuration
- NIS Client Configuration
- LDAP Client Configuration
- File Ownership
- Linux File Permissions
- SUID / SGID Executables
- The Sticky Bit
- The Setgid Access Mode
- Default File Permissions
- Access Control Lists (ACLs)
- SELinux
- Controlling SELinux
- SELinux Contexts
- Troubleshooting SELinux  

Chapter 19: Printing And Administration Tools
  - CUPS: Common Unix Printing System
- Controlling Access to cron
- System crontab Files
- System Logging
- syslog Configuration
- Tape Drives
- Using tar/star
- Using dump/restore
- Using cpio
- Remote Backups
- Other Backup Software  

Chapter 20: The X Window System  
- XOrg: The X11 Server
- XOrg Server Design
- XOrg Server Configuration
- XOrg Modularity
- Server and Client Relationship
- Configuration Utilities Remote X Sessions  

Chapter 21: Troubleshooting  
- Basic Guidelines
- Troubleshooting X
- Troubleshooting Networking
- Order of the Boot Process
- Filesystem Corruption
- Filesystem Recovery
- Recovery Run-levels
- Rescue Environment