Paul Tibbitts - Unix/Linux Administration

Introduction to Unix/Linux Administration

This course outline parallels many of the topics in the accompanying textbook, Essential System Administration, Third Edition.

Preface

  • Course Objectives
  • Your Questions
  • Typestyle Conventions
  • Unix Universe (History)
  • Installing the Operating System
  • Hands On Exercise

    Introduction to System Administration

  • The System Administrator's Job
  • Becoming Superuser
  • Communicating with Users
  • Menu Interfaces for System Administration
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    The Unix Way

  • Files
  • File Ownership
  • File Protection
  • Setting File Protection
  • Special Purpose Access Modes
  • Mapping Files to Disks
  • File Types
  • Processes
  • Devices
  • The Unix File System Layout
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Tools and Techniques

  • Getting Help
  • Piping into grep and awk
  • Finding Files
  • Duplicating a Directory Tree
  • Comparing Directories
  • Deleting Pesky Files
  • Chroot Jails
  • Starting at the End
  • Periodic Program Execution
  • System Messages
  • Managing Software Packages
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Startup and Shutdown

  • The Unix Boot Process
  • Preparing Filesystems
  • System V Initialization Files
  • Intialization Files Overview
  • Shutting Down a Unix System
  • Crashes and Boot Failures
  • When the System Won't Boot
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    TCP/IP Network Management

  • Understanding TCP/IP Networking
  • Ports, Services, and Daemons
  • Names and Network Addresses
  • Subnets and Supernets
  • Adding a New Host
  • Name Resolution Options
  • Routing Options
  • Network Testing and Troubleshooting
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    User Accounts

  • Defining a New User Account
  • Unix Groups
  • Adding New Users
  • Disabling and Removing User Accounts
  • User Account Command Line Utilities
  • Administering User Passwords
  • Network Information Service
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Security

  • Thinking About Security
  • Unix Lines of Defense
  • Protecting Files and the File System
  • Encryption
  • Establishing Trust
  • Securing Network Daemons
  • Automated Security Monitoring
  • Investigating System Activity
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Network Services

  • Managing DNS Servers
  • dig
  • Routing Daemons
  • Configuring a DHCP Server
  • Time Synchronization with NTP
  • Monitoring the Network
  • The Simple Network Management Protocol
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Electronic Mail

  • About Electronic Mail
  • Mail Addressing and Delivery
  • Configuring the Transport Agent
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Filesystems and Disks

  • Filesystem Types
  • Mounting and Dismounting File Systems
  • The Filesystem Configuration File
  • Using fsck to Validate a Filesystems
  • Disks and Filesystems
  • Adding Disks
  • Logical Volume Managers
  • Sharing Filesystems
  • Samba
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Backup and Restore

  • Planning for Disasters and Everyday Needs
  • Backup Strategies
  • Backup Storage Considerations
  • Backup Media
  • Tape Special Files
  • Backing up (User) Files and Filesystems
  • Using tar
  • Using cpio
  • Backing up Individual Filesystems with dump
  • Related Tape Utilities
  • Backing Up and Restoring the System Filesystems
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Terminals and Modems

  • About Serial Linux
  • Specifying Terminal Characteristics
  • Making the Physical Connection
  • BSD Configuration Files
  • System V Configuration Files
  • Linux USB Support
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Printers and the Spooling Subsystem

  • Printing System Components
  • Printing System Utilities
  • The BSD Spooling Facility
  • Remote Printing
  • System V Printing
  • Troubleshooting Printers
  • CUPS
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Automating Administrative Tasks

  • Creating Effective Shell Scripts
  • Perl: An Administrative Language
  • Expect: Automating Interactive Programs
  • When Only C Will Do
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Managing System Resources

  • Thinking About System Performance
  • Monitoring and Controlling Processes
  • Managing CPU Resources
  • Managing Memory
  • Monitoring Disk Usage
  • Controlling Disk Usage with Quotas
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Configuring and Building Kernels

  • Kernel Configuration
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise

    Accounting

  • BSD Accounting
  • Connect Time Accounting
  • Review Questions
  • Hands On Exercise