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Hands-on Guide to the Red Hat Exams: RHCSA and RHCE Cert Guide and Lab Manual

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Hands-on Guide to the Red Hat Exams: RHCSA and RHCE Cert Guide and Lab Manual

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  • Copyright 2011
  • Edition: 1st
  • Book
  • ISBN-10: 0-321-76795-0
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-321-76795-0

Master every topic on Red Hat’s new RHCSA™ and RHCE® exams.

  • Assess your knowledge and focus your learning.
  • Get the practical workplace knowledge you need!

Start-to-finish RHCSA™ and RHCE® preparation from leading Linux system administrator, IT trainer, and certification expert Damian Tommasino!

Master every RHCSA™ and RHCE® topic!

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 local and network installation
  • System services, runlevels, and bootup
  • Disks, partitions, and file systems, including LUKS encryption
  • Networking
  • Package management
  • User administration
  • Logging, monitoring, and automation
  • Kernel updates and tuning
  • Security, including SELinux, firewalls, and policies
  • Remote access, including SSH
  • Apache, Squid, DNS, DHCP, NTP, and email
  • NFS and Samba
  • Client and network troubleshooting
  • KVM virtualization

Test your knowledge, build your confidence, and succeed!

  • 22 hands-on RHCSA™ and RHCE® Labs, each with multiple real-world tasks
  • Downloadable troubleshooting scripts
  • Practical tutorials and real-world tips
  • Exam tips
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Command Quick Reference
  • Exclusive Red Hat exam prep advice and task lists
  • Two full length lab-based practice exams

Damian Tommasino (RHCE, RHCSA, MCSA, CCNA, CCENT, MCP, Security+, Network+, A+) is a Linux system administrator at TradeCard and CEO of Modular Learning Inc., an online IT training company. He blogs on Red Hat, Linux, and security at Security Nut (http://secnut.blogspot.com), and actively contributes to the popular IT exam certification forums at techexams.net.

Sample Content

Online Sample Chapter

Hands-on Guide to the Red Hat Exams: System Logging, Monitoring, and Automation

Sample Pages

Download the sample pages (includes Chapter 9 and Index)

Table of Contents

Preface xvi

Introduction 3

Chapter 1 Installation 29

    Starting the Installation 29

        An Older Install with RHEL5 33

        The Firstboot Process 37

    Verifying the Installation 40

    Summary 41

    Review Questions 42

    Answers to Review Questions 42

Chapter 2 System Initialization 47

    The Boot Process 47

    Working with GRUB 51

        The Config File 52

        The GRUB Command Line 54

    Runlevels 55

        Runlevel Utilities 56

        Rescue and Recovery Runlevels 59

    Service Management 59

        The Upstart Conversion 64

    Summary 66

    Review Questions 66

    Answers to Review Questions 67

Chapter 3 Disks and Partitioning 71

    Basic Partitions 71

        Creating a Partition 75

        Making a Swap Partition 81

        Deleting a Partition 83

    Logical Volume Manager 85

        Creating an LVM Partition 89

        Adjusting the Size of LVM Partitions 93

        Migrating Data 96

        Deleting an LVM Partition 99

    Setting Up RAID 101

        Creating a RAID Array 102

        What to Do When a Disk Fails 105

        Deleting a RAID Array 108

    Summary 109

    Review Questions 109

    Answers to Review Questions 109

Chapter 4 File Systems and Such 113

    File System Setup 113

        Creating a File System 114

        Creating a Swap 116

        Mounting a File System 119

        Extra File System Commands 125

    Encryption with LUKS 128

        Creating Encrypted Partitions 129

        Mounting LUKS at Boot 132

    Managing File System Quotas 132

        Setting Up Quotas 132

        Enabling Quotas 134

        Quota Usage Reports 137

    File System Security 137

        Setting Up ACLs 138

        GnuPG 141

    Using AutoFS 141

    Summary 144

    Review Questions 144

    Answers to Review Questions 145

Chapter 5 Networking 149

    Setting Up Networking 149

        Static IP Addresses 151

        Routing 155

        Creating Static Routes 156

    Troubleshooting Network Connections 156

        Networking Utilities 157

        Network Monitoring and Analysis 159

    Advanced Networking 160

        Ethernet Bonding 160

    Client DNS Troubleshooting 161

    Summary 164

    Review Questions 165

    Answers to Review Questions 165

Chapter 6 Package Management 169

    Working with RPM 169

        Installing and Removing Packages 170

        Querying and Verifying Packages 172

    Doing It Again with Yum 177

        Installing and Removing Packages 178

        Searching for Packages 182

        Configuring Additional Repositories 183

    Making Your Own RPM 184

        Creating an RPM 185

    Creating Your Own Repository 188

        Adding Your Custom Packages 190

    The Red Hat Network 190

        Registering Your System 191

    Summary 191

    Review Questions 192

    Answers to Review Questions 192

Chapter 7 User Administration 195

    Users and Groups 195

        Users 196

        Passwords 199

        The Password File 200

        The Shadow File 201

        Groups 204

        The Group File 204

        Switching Accounts 206

    User Account Initialization 207

        User-Specific Files 207

        Global User Configuration 208

    Group Collaboration 209

    Network User Authentication 211

    Summary 215

    Review Questions 215

    Answers to Review Questions 216

Chapter 8 Network Installs 221

    Kickstart Server Setup 221

        Firewall and SELinux Configuration 224

    Mastering Kickstart Config Files 225

        Post Install 227

        Advanced Partitioning 227

    Automating Kickstart 228

        TFTP Server 229

        PXE Boot 232

        Firewall and SELinux Configuration 233

    Other Network Installs 234

    Summary 235

    Review Questions 235

    Answers to Review Questions 236

Chapter 9 System Logging, Monitoring, and Automation 239

    Working with Syslog 239

        The Config File 241

        Log Rotation 243

        Centralized Logging 244

        Centralized Logging (The RHEL5 Way) 246

        User Login Events 247

    Monitoring System Performance 248

    Automation with cron and at 252

        Creating cron Jobs 254

        Single Jobs with at 258

    Summary 261

    Review Questions 261

    Answers to Review Questions 262

Chapter 10 The Kernel 265

    Kernel Basics 265

    Updating the Kernel 268

    Tuning the Kernel with /proc/sys 272

    Summary 274

    Review Questions 275

    Answers to Review Questions 275

Chapter 11 SELinux 277

    Understanding SELinux 277

        Configuring SELinux 279

        File Contexts 279

        Service and Boolean Options 283

    SELinux Troubleshooting 286

        Policy Violations 286

    Summary 287

    Review Questions 287

    Answers to Review Questions 288

Chapter 12 System Security 291

    Security Through TCP Wrappers 291

    Firewall Rules Using iptables 293

        Configuring iptables 294

        Troubleshooting Firewall Rules 299

    Working with NAT 300

    Pluggable Authentication Module 301

        Securing Access 301

        PAM Troubleshooting 303

        Managing Password Policies 304

    Summary 305

    Review Questions 305

    Answers to the Review Questions 306

Chapter 13 Remote Access 309

    Secure SHell (SSH) 309

        Configuring SSH 310

        Firewall and SELinux Configuration 313

        SSH Security 314

        Troubleshooting SSH 315

    SSH Security Revisited 315

        Public/Private Keys 316

        Port Forwarding 317

    VNC Servers 318

        Connecting Clients 320

    Summary 321

    Review Questions 321

    Answers to Review Questions 321

Chapter 14 Web Services 325

    The Apache Web Server 325

        Installing Apache 325

        Configuring the Web Server 326

        Firewall and SELinux Configuration 329

        Troubleshooting Apache 332

    Apache Security 334

        Host-Based Security 334

        User-Based Security 336

        Setting Up HTTPS 339

    CGI Applications 341

    Virtual Hosts 342

    Squid Web Proxy 343

        Installing Squid 344

        Configuring the Proxy 344

        Firewall and SELinux Configuration 345

        Web Proxy Security 346

    Summary 347

    Review Questions 347

    Answers to Review Questions 348

Chapter 15 NFS 351

    Network File Systems 351

        Installing an NFS Server 352

        Configuring NFS 353

        Firewall and SELinux Configuration 358

    NFS Security 360

    Troubleshooting NFS 361

    Connecting Clients 364

    Summary 366

    Review Questions 366

    Answers to Review Questions 366

Chapter 16 Samba 369

    Samba 369

        Configuring Samba 370

    Samba Security 377

    Samba Clients 377

    Summary 379

    Review Questions 380

    Answers to Review Questions 380

Chapter 17 FTP 383

    File Transfer Protocol 383

        Installing an FTP Server 384

        Configuring vsftp 384

        Firewall and SELinux Configuration 386

    FTP Security 388

    Troubleshooting FTP 389

    Summary 390

    Review Questions 390

    Answers to Review Questions 391

Chapter 18 DNS 393

    Setting Up BIND 393

        Firewall and SELinux Configuration 394

    Configuring a DNS Server 396

        Master Server 397

        Slave Server 401

        Caching-Only Server 404

        Forwarding-Only Server 406

    DNS Utilities and Troubleshooting 406

    BIND Security 412

    Summary 417

    Review Questions 417

    Answers to Review Questions 418

Chapter 19 Network Services 421

    Xinetd: The Master Service 421

    Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol 426

        Installing a DHCP Server 426

        Configuring the DHCP Server 427

        Security Configuration 431

        Troubleshooting DHCP 432

    Network Time Protocol 433

        Installing a Time Server 434

        Configuring NTP 434

        Firewall and SELinux Configuration 436

        NTP Security 437

        Troubleshooting NTP 438

    Summary 439

    Review Questions 439

    Answers to Review Questions 439

Chapter 20 Email Services 443

    Email Service Overview 443

    SMTP with Postfix 443

        Configuring Postfix 445

        Firewall and SELinux Configuration 449

        Postfix Security 450

        Alias Mapping 451

    Receiving Mail with Dovecot 452

        Configuring Dovecot 452

        Firewall and SELinux Configuration 453

        Dovecot Security 454

    Testing the Mail Server 456

    Summary 458

    Review Questions 459

    Answers to Review Questions 459

Chapter 21 Troubleshooting 463

    Boot Issues 463

        I Lost My Root User Password 463

        Password Change Not Available in Single-User Mode 464

        The MBR Is Corrupt 464

        The Partition or Root File System Can’t Be Found 465

    Troubleshooting File Systems 466

        The System Complains About a File System Label 466

        The Superblock Has Become Corrupt 466

        Users Can’t Create Files in Their Home Directories 467

    Miscellaneous 468

        I Can’t Remote into My System 468

        I Can’t Access Service X 468

        When I Start a Service, It Tells Me “Cannot Bind to Address” 469

        I Get the Error Message “No Route to Host” 469

        My Ping to Another Host Has Failed 470

    Summary 470

Chapter 22 Virtualization with KVM 473

    Working with Virtual Machines 473

        Setting Up the Physical Host 473

        Installing a Virtual Client 474

        Managing a Virtual Client 477

    Monitoring Virtual Resources 479

    Summary 480

    Review Questions 480

    Answers to Review Questions 481

Lab Exam 1 483

Lab Exam 2 485

Index 486

TOC, 9780321767950, 3/15/2011

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