This course gives an introduction to Linux, a versatile and stable operating system used in business and on many of the servers on the internet. The course is suitable as preparation for the CompTIA Linux+ examinations.

We concentrate on the command line rather than the graphical user interface (GUI) with the most commonly used commands and utilities described in detail as are the use of piping, redirection, wildcards and the vim editor.

The system is fairly easy to learn and use and we expect this course to be a fun and interesting way to master it.

Although based on Ubuntu, the commands and principles learnt may be applied to all other versions of Linux, including Red Hat, CentOS, SUSE and Arch and to all versions of Unix including Solaris and AIX.

The course takes the format of a workshop, with a mix of lecture, working examples and practical exercises. Although the content may be customised, at least 2 days are normally needed to cover the core elements.

Full course notes are provided along with sample files and free software tools for use in accessing a Linux server.

This course is suitable for those who have some knowledge of Linux as well as those who are using the operating system for the first time.

Linux System Administration Course

Day 1: Foundations of Linux

Course Overview and Objectives

• Introduction to course structure
• Learning goals and expectations
• Course prerequisites
• Recommended study approach

Understanding Linux Ecosystem

• UNIX and Linux historical context
• Distribution landscape
  • GNU/Linux distributions overview
  • Key differences between:
    • RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux)
    • CentOS
    • Fedora
    • Rocky Linux
    • Ubuntu
• Open-source philosophy
• Linux kernel fundamentals

System Access and Authentication

Initial System Interaction

• Login methodologies
  • Console login
  • SSH remote access
  • Virtual terminal usage
• User authentication mechanisms
• Understanding /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow

Shell and Command Basics

• Shell types
  • bash (default)
  • sh (Bourne shell)
  • csh (C shell)
  • ksh (Korn shell)
• Shell selection and configuration
• Prompt customization
  • PS1 environment variable
  • Prompt information elements

Essential System Information Commands

• User and system identification
  • id - display user and group information
  • who - show logged-in users
  • whoami - current effective user
• System time and date
  • date command
  • Time zone configuration
• Calendar and date manipulation
  • cal command
  • Date formatting

Navigation and Basic Commands

• Command syntax fundamentals
  • Command structure
  • Options and arguments
• Basic navigation commands
  • pwd - print working directory
  • cd - change directory
• Directory listing
  • ls command variations
  • Listing options (-l, -a, -h)

Command-Line Essentials

Text Display and Manipulation

• echo command
  • Simple text output
  • Variable expansion
• Escape character usage
• Text decoration
  • figlet for banner-style text
• Documentation access
  • man pages navigation
  • info command

System Documentation

• Getting help
  • man command usage
  • Reading manual pages
  • Section numbers
• Online documentation resources
  • /usr/share/doc
  • Info pages

Session Management

• Logging in and out
  • login command
  • exit command
• Password management
  • passwd for password changes
• Control keys
  • Interrupt (Ctrl+C)
  • Suspend (Ctrl+Z)
  • End of transmission (Ctrl+D)

Shell and Process Basics

Understanding Shells

• Shell types comparison
  • Bourne Shell (sh)
  • C Shell (csh)
  • Korn Shell (ksh)
  • Bash Shell
• Determining current shell
  • ps command
  • echo $SHELL

Process Fundamentals

• Process identification
  • ps command
  • Process states
• Basic process management concepts

Practical Exercises

• Command-line navigation
• Basic system information retrieval
• Shell exploration
• User authentication practices

Self-Study Recommendations

• Explore additional shell features
• Practice command-line navigation
• Read distribution-specific documentation
• Experiment with different shells

Additional Resources

• Online Linux tutorials
• Community forums
• Recommended reading list
• Practice environments

Handouts and Reference Materials

• Basic command cheat sheet
• Shell quick reference
• Vim and Nano editor guides