System Administration
User and Group Management
- What you Need to Know
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User Account Administration
- Creating, modifying, and deleting user accounts
- Understanding user ID (UID) and group ID (GID) concepts
- User account properties and configuration files (/etc/passwd, /etc/shadow)
- Resources:
- User Management Guide - Red Hat - Comprehensive user administration
- Linux User Management - DigitalOcean - Practical user management examples
- Understanding /etc/passwd - TLDP - User account file formats
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Group Management and Permissions
- Creating and managing groups for access control
- Adding and removing users from groups
- Understanding primary and secondary groups
- Resources:
- Group Management Tutorial - Linuxize - Group administration techniques
- Linux Groups Explained - Linux Handbook - Group concepts and management
- Group Configuration Files - GeeksforGeeks - Understanding /etc/group structure
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Sudo and Administrative Access
- Configuring sudo access and sudoers file
- Understanding privilege escalation and security implications
- Best practices for administrative access management
- Resources:
- Sudo Configuration Guide - DigitalOcean - Sudoers file management and security
- Sudo Best Practices - Red Hat - Security-focused sudo configuration
- Visudo Tutorial - Linux Config - Safe sudoers editing practices
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Process Management and System Control
- What you Need to Know
-
Advanced Process Management
- Process monitoring with ps, top, htop, and system activity tools
- Process priority management with nice and renice commands
- Process control signals and job management
- Resources:
- Process Management Deep Dive - Tecmint - Comprehensive process control guide
- Linux Process States - GeeksforGeeks - Understanding process lifecycle
- Job Control in Linux - TLDP - Advanced job management techniques
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System Services and Daemons
- Understanding systemd and service management
- Starting, stopping, enabling, and disabling services
- Service configuration and troubleshooting
- Resources:
- Systemd Tutorial - DigitalOcean - Complete systemd service management
- Understanding Systemd - Red Hat - Systemd concepts and administration
- Service Unit Files - Arch Wiki - Creating and configuring service units
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System Startup and Boot Process
- Understanding Linux boot sequence and initialization
- GRUB bootloader configuration and troubleshooting
- Runlevels, targets, and system initialization
- Resources:
- Linux Boot Process - GeeksforGeeks - Complete boot sequence explanation
- GRUB Configuration - Ubuntu - Bootloader management and customization
- Systemd Targets - Red Hat - System state management
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File System Management and Storage
- What you Need to Know
-
File System Types and Structure
- Understanding different file systems (ext4, xfs, btrfs, zfs)
- File system creation, mounting, and unmounting
- File system checking and repair tools (fsck)
- Resources:
- Linux File Systems - Red Hat - File system administration guide
- File System Comparison - DigitalOcean - Storage device management
- Ext4 File System - Kernel.org - Ext4 technical documentation
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Disk Partitioning and Management
- Disk partitioning with fdisk, parted, and gdisk
- Understanding MBR and GPT partition tables
- Logical Volume Management (LVM) concepts and implementation
- Resources:
- Disk Partitioning Guide - Linuxize - Comprehensive partitioning tutorial
- LVM Tutorial - Red Hat - Logical volume management
- GPT vs MBR - DigitalOcean - Partition table comparison
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Mount Points and File System Hierarchy
- Understanding mount points and the /etc/fstab file
- Temporary and permanent mounting strategies
- Network file systems and remote mounting (NFS, CIFS)
- Resources:
- Mount Command Tutorial - Tecmint - File system mounting techniques
- Fstab Configuration - ArchWiki - Automatic mounting configuration
- Network File Systems - TLDP - NFS setup and configuration
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System Monitoring and Performance
- What you Need to Know
-
Resource Monitoring and Analysis
- CPU, memory, and disk usage monitoring tools
- Network traffic analysis and monitoring
- System load analysis and performance metrics
- Resources:
- Linux Performance Monitoring - Tecmint - Essential monitoring tools
- System Performance Analysis - Brendan Gregg - Advanced performance analysis techniques
- Monitoring with Htop - DigitalOcean - Interactive process monitoring
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Log Management and Analysis
- Understanding system logs and log file locations
- Log rotation and management with logrotate
- Log analysis tools and techniques
- Resources:
- Linux Log Files Guide - DigitalOcean - Log file management and analysis
- Journalctl Tutorial - Red Hat - Systemd journal management
- Logrotate Configuration - Linuxize - Automated log rotation setup
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System Health and Diagnostics
- Hardware monitoring and health checking tools
- System diagnostic commands and troubleshooting
- Performance bottleneck identification and resolution
- Resources:
- Hardware Monitoring - Linux Journal - Hardware health monitoring
- System Diagnostics - Red Hat - Comprehensive system diagnostics
- Troubleshooting Guide - TLDP - System troubleshooting methodologies
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Network Configuration and Management
- What you Need to Know
-
Network Interface Configuration
- Network interface management with ip and ifconfig commands
- Static and dynamic IP address configuration
- Network interface bonding and bridging
- Resources:
- Network Configuration - Red Hat - Complete network configuration guide
- IP Command Tutorial - Linuxize - Modern network interface management
- Network Bridging - DigitalOcean - Advanced networking concepts
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Routing and DNS Configuration
- Routing table management and static routes
- DNS configuration and name resolution
- Network troubleshooting tools and techniques
- Resources:
- Linux Routing Tutorial - GeeksforGeeks - Routing configuration and management
- DNS Configuration - Ubuntu - DNS setup and troubleshooting
- Network Troubleshooting - Tecmint - Network diagnostic tools
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Firewall and Security Configuration
- Firewall configuration with iptables and firewalld
- Port management and service access control
- Network security best practices and hardening
- Resources:
- Iptables Tutorial - DigitalOcean - Comprehensive firewall configuration
- Firewalld Guide - Red Hat - Modern firewall management
- Network Security - SANS - Network security fundamentals
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System Backup and Recovery
- What you Need to Know
-
Backup Strategies and Implementation
- Full, incremental, and differential backup concepts
- Backup tools and utilities (tar, rsync, dd)
- Automated backup scheduling with cron
- Resources:
- Linux Backup Guide - DigitalOcean - Backup strategy planning and implementation
- Rsync Tutorial - Linuxize - File synchronization and backup
- Tar Command Guide - Tecmint - Archive creation and management
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System Recovery and Restoration
- System recovery procedures and boot repair
- File system recovery and data restoration
- Disaster recovery planning and implementation
- Resources:
- System Recovery Guide - Red Hat - Boot and system recovery
- Data Recovery Tools - Linux Journal - File recovery techniques and tools
- Disaster Recovery Planning - SANS - Comprehensive recovery planning
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Version Control for System Configuration
- Configuration management with Git
- System configuration backup and versioning
- Infrastructure as Code concepts and practices
- Resources:
- Git for System Administration - Atlassian - Version control for system configs
- Configuration Management - Red Hat - Configuration management concepts
- Infrastructure as Code - HashiCorp - IaC fundamentals and practices
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Cron Jobs and Task Automation
- What you Need to Know
-
Cron Service and Scheduling
- Understanding cron daemon and crontab syntax
- User and system crontab configuration
- Cron job scheduling patterns and best practices
- Resources:
- Cron Jobs Tutorial - DigitalOcean - Complete cron job guide
- Crontab Syntax - Crontab Guru - Interactive cron expression builder
- Cron Best Practices - Red Hat - Automated task management
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At Jobs and One-Time Scheduling
- One-time task scheduling with at command
- Batch job processing and queue management
- Alternative scheduling tools and methods
- Resources:
- At Command Tutorial - Linuxize - One-time job scheduling
- Batch Processing - TLDP - Batch job management
- Systemd Timers - ArchWiki - Modern task scheduling alternatives
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Automation Scripts and Monitoring
- Creating automation scripts for routine tasks
- Monitoring and logging automated processes
- Error handling and notification in automated tasks
- Resources:
- Automation Scripting - Linux Config - Script automation techniques
- Process Monitoring - Tecmint - Automated process monitoring
- Error Handling in Scripts - TLDP - Script debugging and error management
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System Security and Hardening
- What you Need to Know
-
Access Control and Authentication
- SSH configuration and key-based authentication
- Password policies and account security
- Multi-factor authentication implementation
- Resources:
- SSH Security Guide - DigitalOcean - SSH hardening and security
- Linux Security - Red Hat - Comprehensive security hardening
- PAM Configuration - TLDP - Authentication module configuration
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System Auditing and Compliance
- System auditing with auditd and audit logs
- Security compliance frameworks and standards
- Vulnerability assessment and patch management
- Resources:
- Linux Auditing - Red Hat - System audit configuration
- Security Benchmarks - CIS - Security configuration standards
- Vulnerability Management - SANS - Vulnerability assessment practices
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Intrusion Detection and Prevention
- Host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS)
- File integrity monitoring and change detection
- Security incident response procedures
- Resources:
- AIDE Tutorial - DigitalOcean - File integrity monitoring
- Fail2ban Configuration - Linuxize - Intrusion prevention system
- Incident Response - NIST - Security incident handling guide
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Package Management and Software Maintenance
- What you Need to Know
-
Advanced Package Management
- Repository management and package signing
- Dependency resolution and package conflicts
- Custom package creation and distribution
- Resources:
- Advanced Package Management - Red Hat - Enterprise package management
- Creating RPM Packages - Fedora - Custom package creation
- Debian Package Management - Debian - Advanced APT usage
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System Updates and Patch Management
- Automated update configuration and scheduling
- Security patch management and testing
- System rollback and recovery procedures
- Resources:
- Automatic Updates - Ubuntu - Automated security updates
- Patch Management - Red Hat - Enterprise patch management
- System Snapshots - SUSE - System state management
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Software Compilation and Installation
- Source code compilation and dependency management
- Alternative installation methods and package formats
- Software version management and environment isolation
- Resources:
- Compiling Software - TLDP - Source compilation guide
- Environment Management - Conda - Software environment isolation
- Container-based Software - Docker - Containerized application deployment
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Ready to Continue? Advance to Module 3: Shell Scripting and Automation to learn automation, scripting, and advanced command line techniques!