Hands-on Linux

Objectives Prerequisites Who should attend Course Outline Hands-on Sessions

LA-2.0

What you will receive

• Special pre-reading book before the class commences....gets you prepared for five intensive days!
• Two current distributions of Linux – including Red Hat Linux.
• Comprehensive hands-on workbook that will guide you through over 100 hands-on tasks.
• Up-to-date published Linux systems and networking reference books and guides.

What you will learn...

• Expand your knowledge on the subject of Linux.
• Improve your Linux hands-on skills by working through all the key hands-on tasks that you would need to productively use your Linux environment.
• All the key core elements of the Linux operating system - installation, file system, RPMS, network configuration, back-up and restore, X-Windows, system configuration, log management, supporting other file systems, kernel configuration and module support, user administration and application management.
• The core Internet related technologies: e-mail, security, connectivity, DNS, Web tools - Apache, Squid

Who should attend

• Ideal for anyone interested in gaining a greater understanding of Linux.
• Network support personnel, IT Officers, Systems Programmers, Systems Administrators, Network Administrators, Support Specialists, Systems Analysts and Systems Designers.
• IT managers who want to gain a greater understanding of the deployment and support issues of Linux.

Course Outline

Installation

• Getting started
• Things to know before you kick-off
• Hardware compatibility and configuration
• Software configuration
• Recommended information sources to get your homework done
• Planning system resources
• Planning file system partitions
• Installation options and strategies
• Pre-install configuration

Linux File Systems

• File system support
• Support for non-Linux partitions - Win9x, NTFS, HPFS, DOS, BSD etc
• Mounting and unmounting file systems
• File system navigation
• Tools for file system manipulation
• Ownership and permissions
• Useful commands

Package management

• Linux package management
• Using RPM
• Deleting, installing, upgrading and verifying packages
• Building packages

X-Windows

• Introduction to the X environment
• Specification of video card, video chipset, monitor, keyboard and mouse
• Implementation variations - KDE, fvwm2, AfterStep, Enlightenment etc
• Key configuration files and profiles
• Configuration tools
• Setting graphical user login

System Configuration

• Introduction to system configuration
• Key system configuration tools that you need to use
• System run options
• Where Linux stores system configuration information
• Exploring start-up scripts
• Starting and stopping services
• Daemon maintenance
• Loadable modules and kernel configuration issues

Administration and Log Management

• Getting started with system and network administration tasks
• Setting up and monitoring system logging
• Log rotation and compression
• Security logging
• User management
• User authentication process
• Adding, deleting and modifying users
• Setting user profiles and groups
• Password management and shadow utilities
• Password crack libraries

Network Configuration

• Planning your network configuration
• Network configuration options
• Key configuration files
•  where they are and what they do
• LAN configuration
• Modem and multi I/O support
• WAN considerations
• ISDN,  X.25 and frame relay configuration
• Protocol configuration
• IP
• IPX
• SMB
• PPP and slip
• Setting up network security

Back-up and restore

• Selecting back-up and restore options
• Capabilities of the various utilities
•  tar, cpio, taper, mt and dump
• Using commercial tape backup utilities
• Archive and restore
• Administration issues

Printing

• Linux support for printing
• lpr and lpd configuration
• Setting up local and network print support
• Handling postscript and text

Application Management

• Installing new applications under Linux
• Application management issues

Network Operating System Support - Including Samba

• Integrating Linux in a Windows9x, NT and NetWare environment
• Samba - Using Linux as a Windows file and print server using Samba
• Access Windows based file and print shares from your Linux host
• Samba configuration options using swat
• Making your Linux box look like a NetWare server

Troubleshooting and Diagnostics

• Where to go looking for troubleshooting and diagnostic information
• Exploring the process table
• Monitoring system resource utilisation
• System boot, init and shutdown problems
• Solving hard disk problems
• Tips and tricks

Internet Power

• Key applications and support that enable Linux to function as a powerful Internet server
• Firewall - ipchains and masquerading
• Secure shell (SSH)
• Electronic mail
• Apache - web server
• Squid proxy server

Firewall

• Discussion of common firewall systems under Linux
• Configuration of packet filtering using ipchains
• Configuration of stateful packet filtering using iptables

SSH

• Features of SSH and secure communications
• Generating private and public key pairs

E-mail

• Assessing the correct electronic mail package to use. Explore the various options.
• POP, IMAP and SMTP issues
• Basic sendmail configuration
• Utilising mailing lists and news reader support

Apache

• Setting up support for web page hosting
• The key configuration files and options that you need to know
• Virtual web hosting support
• Monitoring and analysing web page access
• Tuning system resources for  web hosting

Squid

• Setting up Squid proxy support
• The key configuration files and options that you need to know
• Support for ftp, IRC etc
• Cache hierarchies


Hands-on  Sessions

There are over 120 tasks and activities that you will be undertaking on this course. For every theory module covered there practical hands-on sessions that allow you to put the theory into action immediately.

The hands-on activities include:

Installation

• Create boot and installation disks using rawrite
• Plan partition table structure
• Local system CD-ROM installation of Linux
• Installing and configuring LILO
• Prepare boot floppies for an FTP install
• Getting to grips with text editors

File Systems

• Mounting file systems
• Mount FAT and VFAT files and move files between the file systems
• Using FSTAB to automount partitions - Linux and non-Linux
• Checking file system integrity
• Explore /dev directory - symbolic and hard links
• Using dd to raw image
• Using DOS shell

RPM

• Installing a package using RPM
• Checking and verifying the details of an installed package
• Finding the package that owns a file
• Create a source RPM and build a binary package, then install the package
• Recovering a damaged file

X Windows

• Installing XFree86 and associated X packages
• Configuring the desktop
• Setting up the system for graphical user interface
• Testing X - Using the configuration tools
• Installing Gnome and other X11 tools
• Changing system run levels
• Explore system start-up scripts
• Modifying system start-up
• Add a new service, facility and test

Administration

• Use tools to manage system resources and user access to resources
• Configuring log rotation
• Building a shell script to automate tasks
• Setup quotas
• Setting up shadow password capability

Network Configuration

• Setting up for LAN connectivity
• Configuring DNS
• Setting up routing
• Setting up ppp
• Using remote access utilities - rcp, rsh etc
• Configuring NFS and NFS mounts
• Configuring smb mounts
• Configuring Linux as a DHCP server

Backup and Restore

• Using tar to unpack a source distribution
• Using tar to backup a directory
• Using cpio
• Using dump
• Useful commands and scripts

Printing

• Local and network print configuration and testing
• Explore print management
• Add entry to printcap file
• Using tools to convert between text and postscript
• Customising formatting options
• Using lprng print system support

Network Operating System Support

• Installing and configuring Samba
• Setting up file and print shares
• Testing your Samba configuration
• Configure [homes] shares etc
• Setting up Windows logons and authentication to Samba
• Access Windows clients smbclient and nmblookup
• Utilising remote browsing

Troubleshooting

• Investigation of the process table
• Logging levels
• Checking and mapping around disk tracks
• Monitoring a process

Firewall

• Establish a system security policy
• Setup ipchain rules and launch attacks
• Search for setuid programs on the system and evaluate their need to be setuid
• Setting up icmp and ip logging
• Setup masquerading

E-Mail

• Install and configure sendmail/postfix

Apache

• Install and configure Apache
• Setup a virtual web
• Setup simple CGI script and test
• Examine log files and ensure all accesses are logged

Squid

• Setup and install squid
• Configuring support for ftp and irc
• Tuning your squid configuration