SAM: Learning Linux System Administration

scottalanmiller

After more than twenty years on UNIX systems, it seems like the right time to begin a guide to Linux systems administration, and what better place than on MangoLassi where we can make it into a living, growing document.

An Introduction: Why Linux System Administration

Linux: Collected Educational Resources
Why Desktops Are Not a Good Learning Tool
Avoid the Raspberry Pi for Learning Linux Server Administration
Linux: What is a Distro
Choosing a Linux Distribution for Business
What Is UNIX, and How Does Linux Fit In
What Makes Something a Linux OS
Why Does Open Source Matter
Understanding Linux Release Schedules
Understanding the Relationships of Red Hat's RHEL, CentOS and Fedora Distributions
Understanding the Suse Distributions Suse Linux, OpenSuse Leap and OpenSuse Tumbleweed
Understanding the Debian and Ubuntu Linux Distributions
Linux Architectural Variety
Linux and Virtualization
From Windows to UNIX: Monolithic to Modular Design

Basics of Linux Administration

Getting Our Hands Dirty: Learning Our Way Around

Installing Our First Linux Operating System for Learning Systems Administration
Linux: The Lay of the Land, Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
Accessing a Linux Server using SSH
Linux: Working with Files
From Windows to UNIX: File Extensions
From Windows to UNIX: Case Sensitivity
Linux: File Colors
Linux: Standard Command Structures
Linux: Aliases
Linux: Basic Working with Text Files
Linux: Finding Files
From Windows to UNIX: Text File Formats
Linux: Symbolically Linking Files
UNIX: Users and Groups
- UNIX: The root user
- UNIX: The /etc/passwd File in Depth
- UNIX: The /etc/group File in Depth
- UNIX: The /etc/shadow File in Depth
- Linux: Tools for Managing Local Users
- Linux: Tools for Managing Local Groups
- UNIX: Switching Users with su
- UNIX: sudo
- UNIX: The sudoers file
UNIX: Basic File Permissions
- UNIX: File Permission Octets
UNIX: Extended File Permissions and Attributes
UNIX: Everything is a File (Descriptor)
Linux: Shells
System Administration: Standard Tools
UNIX: Path
Linux: Home Directories
Linux: Common Filesystems
- From Windows to Linux: Filesystem Culture
Linux: Text Editing
UNIX: X Windows and the Graphical Desktop

Packages and Installation

From Windows to Linux: Installation Culture
Linux: Software Installation
Red Hat and the RPM World
* Linux: RPM Package Management

* [Linux: YUM Package Management](http://mangolassi.it/topic/8629)
  * Linux: YUM Repositories
  * [Linux: Installing with YUM](http://mangolassi.it/topic/8799/)
  * [Linux: Updating with YUM](http://mangolassi.it/topic/8800/)
  * [Linux: What is the EPEL](https://mangolassi.it/topic/12046/)
* Linux: DNF Package Management

Debian, Ubuntu and the DEB World
* Linux: Installing with APT
Installing from a Tarball
* UNIX: What Is a Tarball

General Administration Tasks

Storage and Filesystems

System Administration: Filesystems
System Administration: Clustered Filesystems
Linux: Checking Filesystem Usage with df
Linux: Directory Utilization with du
- Linux: Looking for Large Folders with du
- Linux: Why are df and du Showing Me Different Things?
- Sparse Files and lastlog
Linux: Disk Devices
Linux: Working with Disks, fdisk and parted
Linux: Creating a Filesystem
Linux: Mounting Filesystems
Linux: The Role of the Logical Volume Manager (LVM)
Linux: The Role of MD Software RAID
Linux: MD Software RAID
Linux: The Role of DRBD
Linux: BtrFS
- Linux Practicum: Adding a Second Storage Device on CentOS 7 with BtrFS
UNIX: ZFS
System Administration: Network Filesystems
- Linux: NFS
  - Linux Practicum: Creating a Simple NFS Server
  - Linux Practicum: Mounting a Simple NFS Share
- Linux: SMB

Networking

Linux: Network Bonding and Teaming

Memory and Swap

Linux: Swap Space and Files
Linux: Creating Swap
Linux: Swappiness Behavior

Monitoring and Analysis

Linux: Using uptime to understand load
Linux: Using free to view memory usage
Linux: Using top to view instantaneous performance
Linux: SAR

System Administration Tasks

System Administration: Backups

Linux Special Tools

Linux: Special Tools Outside of the Mainstream
- Netdata - Local Data Analytics with Cloud Interface
Linux: Special Tools for Command Line Performance Viewing

Linux Why?

UNIX: Why Does Root Get a Special Home Directory

BASH Basics

BASH: if else Constructs
BASH: case Constructs

Advanced Topics

DRBD

Linux Command References

iroal

Great Idea !!

scottalanmiller

@iroal said:

Great Idea !!

Thanks. Going to take a while to build up the content, but there are lots of people that have been asking for it. I think it will be well received.

hobbit666

@scottalanmiller said:

Choosing a Linux Distribution for Business

Question on this. Would you choose a distro that your not familiar with but know it will work and do the job for what you need?? i.e. FOG imaging server?

scottalanmiller

@hobbit666 said:

Question on this. Would you choose a distro that your not familiar with but know it will work and do the job for what you need?? i.e. FOG imaging server?

That is very common. I often recommend that you use the "distro of best choice for the project", but have company standards for when that is irrelevant.

To some degree, as a company grows, the value of "right for the project" compared to "standardized administration" begins to shift. So the real answer is "it depends".

And of course, within reason. I use CentOS, OpenSuse and Ubuntu pretty freely depending on the use case. If I am starting from scratch, I won't use Ubuntu, but the other two pretty freely. If a project calls for something really odd like Arch or Gentoo as what is recommended, I will generally look for one of the major OSes instead if possible. Nothing wrong with those, but OS sprawl needs to be limited as well.

scottalanmiller

Added: http://mangolassi.it/topic/7827/why-does-open-source-matter

hobbit666

@scottalanmiller said:

@hobbit666 said:

Question on this. Would you choose a distro that your not familiar with but know it will work and do the job for what you need?? i.e. FOG imaging server?

That is very common. I often recommend that you use the "distro of best choice for the project", but have company standards for when that is irrelevant.

To some degree, as a company grows, the value of "right for the project" compared to "standardized administration" begins to shift. So the real answer is "it depends".

And of course, within reason. I use CentOS, OpenSuse and Ubuntu pretty freely depending on the use case. If I am starting from scratch, I won't use Ubuntu, but the other two pretty freely. If a project calls for something really odd like Arch or Gentoo as what is recommended, I will generally look for one of the major OSes instead if possible. Nothing wrong with those, but OS sprawl needs to be limited as well.

All good advice thanks Scott, in my example I've managed to get FOG working and imaging in a test lab using a youtube tutorial with Kubuntu as the Distro. But can't replicate with CentOS which is my preferred Linux OS (Only because I've used it since v5)

scottalanmiller

@hobbit666 Kubuntu is a weird one because it is specifically not a server distro. Ubuntu is general purpose, desktop and server, but Kubuntu is a specifically KDE based Ubuntu modification. So only exists for desktop usage by intent.

scottalanmiller

Just added: http://mangolassi.it/topic/7828/what-is-unix

scottalanmiller

Added: http://mangolassi.it/topic/7829/why-learn-linux-systems-administration

scottalanmiller

Added: http://mangolassi.it/topic/7832/overview-of-the-red-hat-linux-ecosystem

Dashrender

I consider this thread so important that it should some how be featured.

JoeyJakubiak

Awesome @scottalanmiller ! This is exactly what I need to push my career in a better direction. Really looking forward to this.

scottalanmiller

Added: http://mangolassi.it/topic/7837/linux-architectural-variety

wrx7m

After reading the Linux architecture post, I was thinking, "I wish there were a good list of sites/resources for learning Linux." Didn't have to wait long. I only dabble in Linux and have setup some things like Cacti, Owncloud and others. I started on ZeroTier, but had to put that down to do some other things. I would love to become proficient enough with Linux to actually use it on my resume.