LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell

by Pritchard, Steven

• ISBN13: 9780596005283
• ISBN10: 0596005288
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-07-01
• Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc

Summary

The entire LPI test for certifying Linux administrators was overhauled at the end of 2005 and early 2006. This book was revised and expanded to cover the latest Linux certification exams. Written by a team of LPI trainers, the four-part "LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell" prepares readers for both the basic LPI General Linux 101 and 102 exams and the more advanced 201 and 202 exams. Each part features a summary of the exam, a Highlighter's Index, labs, suggested exercises, and practice exams. This book is geared toward junior and senior system administrators who want to be certified Linux administrators. Introductory material deciphers the details of the Linux operating system in a way that is clear and easy to understand.

Author Biography

Steven Pritchard is a Linux guy and a hardware geek who spends a disturbing amount of time working on Fedora's Perl packages (plus a few other things), occasionally remembers to update the Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO, and sort of works a day job. He lives in Fairview Heights, Illinois with his wife Kara, daughter Emma, and a bunch of cats.

Bruno Gomes Pessanha has been a collaborating translator for the Linux Professional Institute since 2002. He also works as a consulting analyst for a Brazilian government petroleum enterprise, covering Linux migration and initiatives and administering high-end performance projects, high availability clusters, and mission critical services. He lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Nicolai Langfeldt, a programmer, system administrator, and systems integrator, lives in Oslo, Norway. A Linux consultant since 1994, Nicolai works for Linpro (a well-established Norwegian Linux consulting firm) and is the cofounder of Linux Norge, an information portal for Linux. He has written several well-regarded HOWTOs for the Linux Documentation project and is author of "The Concise Guide to DNS and BIND" by QUE.

James Stanger has been involved with Linux since 1995, and has worked closely with the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) since its inception in 1999. He is Chair of the LPI Advisory Council, where he helps the LPI coordinate input from corporations and the open source community. James has a unique understanding of LPI's certification exams, as he is an expert in both the certification industry and in Gnu/Linux, networking, and security.

Jeff Dean is a freelance author and consultant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jeffrey has professional experience in IT management, training delivery, and system administration of the VMS, Unix, AS/400, and Windows NT operating systems. He holds an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Engineering with emphasis in computer design from Penn State. He is a Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) and LPI Certified.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Part I. General Linux Exam 101
LPI Exams	3	(3)
Exam 101 Overview	3	(3)
Exam 101 Study Guide	6	(3)
Exam Preparation	6	(3)
Hardware and Architecture (Topic 1.101)	9	(15)
Objective 1: Configure Fundamental BIOS Settings	10	(3)
Objective 3: Configure Modems and Sound Cards	13	(2)
Objective 4: Set Up Non-IDE Devices	15	(4)
Objective 5: Set Up Different PC Expansion Cards	19	(2)
Objective 6: Configure Communications Devices	21	(1)
Objective 7: Configure USB Devices	21	(3)
Linux Installation and Package Management (Topic 1.102)	24	(30)
Objective 1: Design a Hard Disk Layout	25	(3)
Objective 2: Install a Boot Manager	28	(5)
Objective 3: Make and Install Programs from Source	33	(5)
Objective 4: Manage Shared Libraries	38	(3)
Objective 5: Use Debian Package Management	41	(6)
Objective 6: Use Red Hat Package Manager (RPM)	47	(7)
GNU and Unix Commands (Topic 1.103)	54	(63)
Objective 1: Work on the Command Line	56	(9)
Objective 2: Process Text Streams Using Filters	65	(13)
Objective 3: Perform Basic File Management	78	(7)
Objective 4: Use Streams, Pipes, and Redirects	85	(4)
Objective 5: Create, Monitor, and Kill Processes	89	(11)
Objective 6: Modify Process Execution Priorities	100	(3)
Objective 7: Search Text Files Using Regular Expressions	103	(11)
Objective 8: Perform Basic File Editing Operations Using vi	114	(3)
Devices, Linux Filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (Topic 1.104)	117	(64)
Objective 1: Create Partitions and Filesystems	118	(11)
Objective 2: Maintain the Integrity of Filesystems	129	(8)
Objective 3: Control Filesystem Mounting and Unmounting	137	(7)
Objective 4: Set and View Disk Quotas	144	(8)
Objective 5: Use File Permissions to Control Access to Files	152	(9)
Objective 6: Manage File Ownership	161	(2)
Objective 7: Create and Change Hard and Symbolic Links	163	(5)
Objective 8: Find System Files and Place Files in the Correct Location	168	(13)
The X Window System (Topic 1.1.10)	181	(21)
An Overview of X	182	(1)
Objective 1: Install and Configure X11	182	(10)
Objective 2: Set Up a Display Manager	192	(4)
Objective 4: Install and Customize a Window Manager Environment	196	(6)
Exam 101 Review Questions and Exercises	202	(10)
Hardware and Architecture (Topic 1.101)	202	(1)
Linux Installation and Package Management (Topic 1.102)	203	(2)
GNU and Unix Commands (Topic 1.103)	205	(3)
Devices, Linux Filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (Topic 1.104)	208	(2)
The X Window System (Topic 1.110)	210	(2)
Exam 101 Practice Test	212	(16)
Questions	212	(12)
Answers	224	(4)
Exam 101 Highlighter's Index	228	(25)
Hardware and Architecture	228	(3)
Linux Installation and Package Management	231	(2)
GNU and Unix Commands	233	(9)
Devices, Linux Filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard	242	(6)
The X Window System	248	(5)
Part II. General Linux Exam 102
Exam 102 Overview	253	(2)
Exam 102 Study Guide	255	(3)
Exam Preparation	255	(3)
Kernel (Topic 1.105)	258	(19)
Objective 1: Manage/Query Kernel and Kernel Modules at Runtime	259	(9)
Objective 2: Reconfigure, Build, and Install a Custom Kernel and Kernel Modules	268	(9)
Boot, Initialization, Shutdown, and Runlevels (Topic 1.106)	277	(11)
Objective 1: Boot the System	277	(3)
Objective 2: Change Runlevels and Shut Down or Reboot System	280	(8)
Printing (Topic 1.107)	288	(16)
An Overview of Printing	289	(1)
Objective 2: Manage Printers and Print Queues	290	(6)
Objective 3: Print Files	296	(1)
Objective 4: Install and Configure Local and Remote Printers	297	(7)
Documentation (Topic 1.108)	304	(11)
Objective 1: Use and Manage Local System Documentation	304	(6)
Objective 2: Find Linux Documentation on the Internet	310	(3)
Objective 5: Notify Users on System-related Issues	313	(2)
Shells, Scripting, Programming, and Compiling (Topic 1.109)	315	(26)
Objective 1: Customize and Use the Shell Environment	315	(10)
Objective 2: Customize or Write Simple Scripts	325	(16)
Administrative Tasks (Topic 1.111)	341	(35)
Objective 1: Manage Users and Group Accounts and Related System Files	342	(7)
Objective 2: Tune the User Environment and System Environment Variables	349	(3)
Objective 3: Configure and Use System Log Files to Meet Administrative and Security Needs	352	(4)
Objective 4: Automate System Administration Tasks by Scheduling Jobs to Run in the Future	356	(4)
Objective 5: Maintain an Effective Data Backup Strategy	360	(10)
Objective 6: Maintain System Time	370	(6)
Networking Fundamentals (Topic 1.112)	376	(34)
Objective 1: Fundamentals of TCP/IP	377	(10)
Objective 3: TCP/IP Configuration and Troubleshooting	387	(13)
Objective 4: Configure Linux as a PPP Client	400	(10)
Networking Services (Topic 1.113)	410	(25)
Objective 1: Configure and Manage inetd, xinetd, and Related Services	411	(7)
Objective 2: Operate and Perform Basic Configuration of Mail Transfer Agent (MTA)	418	(3)
Objective 3: Operate and Perform Basic Configuration of Apache	421	(2)
Objective 4: Properly Manage the NFS and Samba Daemons	423	(4)
Objective 5: Set Up and Configure Basic DNS Services	427	(6)
Objective 7: Set Up Secure Shell (OpenSSH)	433	(2)
Security (Topic 1.114)	435	(14)
Objective 1: Perform Security Administration Tasks	435	(10)
Objective 2: Set Up Host Security	445	(2)
Objective 3: Set Up User-level Security	447	(2)
Exam 102 Review Questions and Exercises	449	(10)
Kernel (Topic 1.105)	449	(1)
Boot, Initialization, Shutdown, and Runlevels (Topic 1.106)	450	(1)
Printing (Topic 1.107)	451	(1)
Documentation (Topic 1.108)	451	(2)
Shells, Scripting, Programming, and Compiling (Topic 1.109)	453	(1)
Administrative Tasks (Topic 1.111)	454	(2)
Networking Fundamentals (Topic 1.112)	456	(1)
Networking Services (Topic 1.113)	457	(1)
Security (Topic 1.114)	458	(1)
Exam 102 Practice Test	459	(13)
Questions	459	(10)
Answers	469	(3)
Exam 102 Highlighter's Index	472	(21)
Kernel (Topic 1.105)	472	(1)
Boot, Initialization, Shutdown, and Runlevels (Topic 1.106)	473	(3)
Printing (Topic 1.107)	476	(1)
Documentation (Topic 1.108)	477	(2)
Shells, Scripting, Programming, and Compiling	479	(2)
Administrative Tasks (Topic 1.111)	481	(4)
Networking Fundamentals (Topic 1.112)	485	(2)
Networking Services (Topic 1.113)	487	(2)
Security (Topic 1.114)	489	(4)
Part III. General Linux Exam 201
Linux Kernel	493	(16)
Objective 1: Kernel Components	494	(3)
Objective 2: Compiling a Kernel	497	(7)
Objective 3: Patching a Kernel	504	(3)
Objective 4: Customizing a Kernel	507	(2)
System Startup	509	(15)
Objective 1: Customizing System Startup and Boot Processes	509	(11)
Objective 2: System Recovery	520	(4)
Filesystem	524	(26)
Objective 1: Operating the Linux Filesystem	524	(8)
Objective 2: Maintaining a Linux Filesystem	532	(7)
Objective 3: Creating and Configuring Filesystem Options	539	(11)
Hardware (Topic 2.204)	550	(26)
Objective 1: Configuring RAID	551	(2)
Objective 2: Adding New Hardware	553	(2)
Objective 3: Software and Kernel Configuration	555	(14)
Objective 4: Configuring PCMCIA Devices	569	(7)
File and Service Sharing (Topic 2.209)	576	(13)
Objective 1: Configuring a Samba Server	576	(8)
Objective 2: Configuring an NFS Server	584	(5)
System Maintenance (Topic 2.211)	589	(17)
Objective 1: System Logging	590	(3)
Objective 2: Packaging Software	593	(11)
Objective 3: Backup Operations	604	(2)
System Customization and Automation (Topic 2.213)	606	(23)
Objective 1: Automating Tasks Using Scripts	606	(23)
Troubleshooting (Topic 2.214)	629	(13)
Objective 1: Creating Recovery Disks	630	(1)
Objective 2: Identifying Boot Stages	630	(1)
Objective 3: Troubleshooting Bootloaders	631	(1)
Objective 4: General Troubleshooting	632	(4)
Objective 5: Troubleshooting System Resources	636	(3)
Objective 6: Troubleshooting Environment Configurations	639	(3)
LPI Exam 201 Review Questions and Exercises	642	(18)
Linux Kernel (Topic 2.201)	642	(4)
System Startup (Topic 2.202)	646	(2)
Filesystem (Topic 2.203)	648	(2)
Hardware (Topic 2.204)	650	(2)
File and Service Sharing (Topic 2.209)	652	(2)
System Maintenance (Topic 2.211)	654	(2)
System Customization and Automation (Topic 2.213)	656	(1)
Troubleshooting (Topic 2.214)	657	(3)
Exam 201 Practice Test	660	(19)
Questions	660	(10)
Answers	670	(9)
Part IV. General Linux Exam 202
Networking Configuration (Topic 2.205)	679	(37)
Objective 1: Basic Networking Configuration	680	(24)
Objective 2: Advanced Network Configuration and Troubleshooting	704	(12)
Mail and News (Topic 2.206)	716	(37)
Objective 2: Using Sendmail	716	(20)
Objective 3: Managing Mail Traffic	736	(5)
Objective 1: Configuring Mailing Lists	741	(5)
Objective 4: Serving News	746	(6)
Conclusion	752	(1)
DNS (Topic 2.207)	753	(13)
Objective 1: Basic DNS Server Configuration	754	(3)
Objective 2: Create and Maintain DNS Zones	757	(5)
Objective 3: Securing a DNS Server	762	(4)
Web Services (Apache and Squid, Topic 2.208)	766	(32)
Installing Apache	766	(6)
Configuring Apache	772	(17)
Squid: History and Overview	789	(4)
Squid Authentication	793	(2)
Squid as Web Accelerator	795	(3)
Network Client Management (Topic 2.210)	798	(22)
Objective 1: DHCP Configuration	799	(4)
Objective 2: NIS Configuration	803	(7)
Objective 3: LDAP Configuration	810	(5)
Objective 4: PAM Authentication	815	(5)
System Security (Topic 2.212)	820	(48)
Objective 2: Configuring a Router	821	(13)
Objective 3: Securing FTP Servers	834	(2)
Objective 4: Secure Shell (SSH)	836	(6)
Objective 5: TCP Wrappers	842	(3)
Objective 6: Security Tasks	845	(23)
Network Troubleshooting (Topic 214)	868	(17)
Network Troubleshooting Essentials	868	(1)
Common Troubleshooting Commands	869	(6)
Hardware Problems	875	(3)
Network Device Configuration Files	878	(3)
DNS Errors	881	(1)
Determining the Cause of Inaccessible Services	882	(2)
Conclusion	884	(1)
Exam 202 Review Questions and Exercises	885	(18)
Networking Configuration (Topic 2.205)	885	(3)
Mail and News (Topic 2.206)	888	(1)
DNS (Topic 2.207)	889	(3)
Web Services (Topic 2.208)	892	(1)
Answers	893	(2)
Network Client Management (Topic 2.210)	895	(2)
System Security (Topic 2.212)	897	(3)
Network Troubleshooting (Topic 2.214)	900	(3)
Exam 202 Practice Test	903	(16)
Questions	903	(10)
Answers	913	(6)
Index	919