CompTIA Authorized Linux+ prep
CompTIA Linux+ Study Guide is your comprehensive study guide for the Linux+ Powered by LPI certification exams. With complete coverage of 100% of the objectives on both exam LX0-103 and exam LX0-104, this study guide provides clear, concise information on all aspects of Linux administration, with a focus on the latest version of the exam. You'll gain the insight of examples drawn from real-world scenarios, with detailed guidance and authoritative coverage of key topics, including GNU and Unix commands, system operation, system administration, system services, security, and more, from a practical perspective that easily translates into on-the-job know-how. You'll also get access to helpful study tools, including bonus practice exams, electronic flashcards, and a searchable glossary of key terms that are important to know for exam day. Linux is viewed by many companies and organizations as an excellent, low-cost, secure alternative to expensive operating systems such as Microsoft Windows. The CompTIA Linux+ Powered by LPI exams test a candidate's understanding and familiarity with the Linux Kernel.
- Review the basic system architecture, installation, and management
- Understand commands, devices, and file systems
- Utilize shells, scripting, and data management techniques
- Navigate user interfaces, desktops, and essential system services
As the Linux server market share continue to grow, so too does the demand for qualified and certified Linux administrators. Certification holders must recertify every five years, but LPI recommends recertifying every two years to stay fully up to date with new technologies and best practices. CompTIA Linux+ Study Guide gives you the advantage of exam day confidence.
Table of Contents:
Introduction xxi
Assessment Test xxxix
Answers to the Assessment Test xlvi
Part I Exam LX0-103 1
Chapter 1 Exploring Linux Command-Line Tools 3
Understanding Command-Line Basics 4
Exploring Your Linux Shell Options 4
Using a Shell 5
Exploring Shell Configuration 13
Using Environment Variables 13
Getting Help 14
Using Streams, Redirection, and Pipes 16
Exploring File Descriptors 17
Redirecting Input and Output 17
Piping Data between Programs 19
Generating Command Lines 20
Processing Text Using Filters 22
File-Combining Commands 22
File-Transforming Commands 24
File-Formatting Commands 28
File-Viewing Commands 31
File-Summarizing Commands 33
Using Regular Expressions 35
Understanding Regular Expressions 35
Using grep 36
Using sed 38
Summary 41
Exam Essentials 41
Review Questions 42
Chapter 2 Managing Software 47
Package Concepts 48
Using RPM 50
RPM Distributions and Conventions 50
The rpm Command Set 52
Extracting Data from RPMs 56
Using Yum 57
RPM and Yum Configuration Files 61
RPM Compared to Other Package Formats 62
Using Debian Packages 63
Debian Distributions and Conventions 63
The dpkg Command Set 64
Using apt-cache 67
Using apt-get 68
Using dselect, aptitude, and Synaptic 72
Reconfiguring Packages 73
Debian Packages Compared to Other Package Formats 73
Configuring Debian Package Tools 74
Converting between Package Formats 75
Package Dependencies and Conflicts 77
Real and Imagined Package Dependency Problems 77
Workarounds for Package Dependency Problems 78
Startup Script Problems 80
Managing Shared Libraries 81
Library Principles 81
Locating Library Files 83
Library Management Commands 85
Managing Processes 87
Understanding the Kernel: The First Process 88
Examining Process Lists 88
Understanding Foreground and Background Processes 95
Managing Process Priorities 96
Killing Processes 97
Summary 99
Exam Essentials 99
Review Questions 101
Chapter 3 Configuring Hardware 107
Configuring the Firmware and Core Hardware 108
Understanding the Role of the Firmware 108
IRQs 112
I/O Addresses 115
DMA Addresses 116
Boot Disks and Geometry Settings 117
Coldplug and Hotplug Devices 119
Configuring Expansion Cards 120
Configuring PCI Cards 121
Learning about Kernel Modules 122
Loading Kernel Modules 124
Removing Kernel Modules 125
Configuring USB Devices 126
USB Basics 126
Linux USB Drivers 127
USB Manager Applications 128
Configuring Hard Disks 129
Configuring PATA Disks 129
Configuring SATA Disks 130
Configuring SCSI Disks 130
Configuring External Disks 132
Designing a Hard Disk Layout 132
Why Partition? 133
Understanding Partitioning Systems 133
An Alternative to Partitions: LVM 136
Mount Points 136
Common Partitions and Filesystem Layouts 137
Creating Partitions and Filesystems 139
Partitioning a Disk 140
Preparing a Partition for Use 145
Maintaining Filesystem Health 151
Tuning Filesystems 151
Maintaining a Journal 156
Checking Filesystems 157
Monitoring Disk Use 158
Mounting and Unmounting Filesystems 161
Temporarily Mounting or Unmounting Filesystems 162
Permanently Mounting Filesystems 167
Summary 169
Exam Essentials 170
Review Questions 172
Chapter 4 Managing Files 177
Using File Management Commands 178
Naming Files 178
Exploring Wildcard Expansion Rules 180
Understanding the File Commands 180
Archiving File Commands 187
Managing Links 195
Understanding the Directory Commands 198
Managing File Ownership 199
Assessing File Ownership 199
Changing a File’s Owner 200
Changing a File’s Group 200
Controlling Access to Files 200
Understanding Permissions 201
Changing a File’s Mode 206
Setting the Default Mode and Group 210
Changing File Attributes 212
Managing Disk Quotas 213
Enabling Quota Support 214
Setting Quotas for Users 215
Locating Files 216
Getting to Know the FHS 216
Employing Tools to Locate Files 222
Summary 226
Exam Essentials 226
Review Questions 228
Chapter 5 Booting Linux and Editing Files 233
Installing Boot Loaders 234
Boot Loader Principles 235
Using GRUB Legacy as the Boot Loader 238
Using GRUB 2 as the Boot Loader 243
Using Alternative Boot Loaders 245
Understanding the Boot Process 247
Extracting Information about the Boot Process 247
Locating and Interpreting Boot Messages 248
The Boot Process 248
The Initialization Process 249
Using the SysV Initialization Process 250
Runlevel Functions 250
Identifying the Services in a Runlevel 252
Managing Runlevel Services 253
Checking Your Runlevel 255
Changing Runlevels on a Running System 255
Using the systemd Initialization Process 258
Units and Targets 259
Configuring Units 260
Setting the Default Target 261
The systemctl Program 262
Using the Upstart Initialization Process 263
Using Upstart-Native Methods 264
Using SysV Compatibility Methods 264
Editing Files with vi 265
Understanding Vi Modes 265
Exploring Basic Text-Editing Procedures 266
Saving Changes 269
Summary 270
Exam Essentials 270
Review Questions 272
Part II Exam LX0-104 277
Chapter 6 Configuring the X Window System, Localization, and Printing 279
Configuring Basic X Features 280
X Server Options for Linux 280
Methods of Configuring X 282
X Configuration Options 285
Obtaining X Display Information 293
Configuring X Fonts 295
Font Technologies and Formats 296
Configuring X Core Fonts 296
Configuring a Font Server 299
Configuring Xft Fonts 300
Managing GUI Logins 301
The X GUI Login System 301
Running an XDMCP Server 302
Configuring an XDMCP Server 304
Using X for Remote Access 306
X Client-Server Principles 306
Using Remote X Clients 307
X Accessibility 310
Keyboard and Mouse Accessibility Issues 310
Screen Display Settings 312
Using Additional Assistive Technologies 314
Configuring Localization and Internationalization 315
Setting Your Time Zone 315
Querying and Setting Your Locale 318
Configuring Printing 321
Conceptualizing the Linux Printing Architecture 321
Understanding PostScript and Ghostscript 322
Running a Printing System 324
Configuring CUPS 324
Monitoring and Controlling the Print Queue 330
Summary 335
Exam Essentials 335
Review Questions 337
Chapter 7 Administering the System 343
Managing Users and Groups 344
Understanding Users and Groups 344
Configuring User Accounts 348
Configuring Groups 359
Viewing Individual Account Records 362
Tuning User and System Environments 364
Using Log and Journal Files 365
Understanding syslogd 366
Setting Logging Options 366
Manually Logging Data 369
Rotating Log Files 370
Reviewing Log File Contents 373
Exploring the systemd Journal System 374
Maintaining the System Time 379
Understanding Linux Time Concepts 379
Manually Setting the Time 380
Using Network Time Protocol 381
Running Jobs in the Future 389
Understanding the Role of cron 389
Creating System cron Jobs 390
Creating User cron Jobs 391
Using anacron 394
Using at 396
Summary 399
Exam Essentials 399
Review Questions 401
Chapter 8 Configuring Basic Networking 407
Understanding TCP/IP Networking 408
Knowing the Basic Functions of Network Hardware 408
Investigating Types of Network Hardware 409
Understanding Network Packets 411
Understanding Network Protocol Stacks 411
Knowing TCP/IP Protocol Types 413
Understanding Network Addressing 414
Using Network Addresses 414
Resolving Hostnames 421
Network Ports 424
Configuring Linux for a Local Network 427
Network Hardware Configuration 428
Configuring with DHCP 428
Configuring Routing 432
Using GUI Configuration Tools 434
Using the ifup and ifdown Commands 434
Configuring Hostnames 435
Diagnosing Network Connections 438
Testing Basic Connectivity 438
Tracing a Route 439
Checking Network Status 441
Examining Raw Network Traffic 441
Using Additional Tools 443
Summary 445
Exam Essentials 445
Review Questions 447
Chapter 9 Writing Scripts, Configuring Email, and Using
Databases 453
Managing the Shell Environment 454
Reviewing Environment Variables 454
Understanding Common Environment Variables 455
Using Aliases 459
Modifying Shell Configuration Files 460
Writing Scripts 462
Beginning a Shell Script 463
Using Commands in Shell Scripts 463
Running a Shell Script 465
Using Variables in Shell Scripts 470
Using Conditional Expressions 478
Using Loops 485
Using Lists 493
Using Functions 495
Managing Email 497
Understanding Email 498
Choosing Email Software 498
Working with Email 500
Managing Data with SQL 504
Picking a SQL Package 505
Understanding SQL Basics 505
Using MySQL 506
Summary 515
Exam Essentials 515
Review Questions 517
Chapter 10 Securing Your System 523
Administering Network Security 524
Using Super Server Restrictions 525
Disabling Unused Servers 530
Administering Local Security 540
Securing Passwords 540
Limiting root Access 544
Auditing User Access 547
Setting Login, Process, and Memory Limits 551
Locating SUID/SGID Files 553
Configuring SSH 555
Understanding SSH Basics 555
Setting SSH Options 556
Preventing SSH Security Problems 563
Using GPG 563
Generating Keys 564
Importing Keys 565
Revoking a Key 566
Encrypting and Decrypting Data 566
Signing Messages and Verifying Signatures 567
Summary 567
Exam Essentials 568
Review Questions 570
Appendix Answers 575
Chapter 1: Exploring Linux Command-Line Tools 576
Chapter 2: Managing Software 579
Chapter 3: Configuring Hardware 583
Chapter 4: Managing Files 586
Chapter 5: Booting Linux and Editing Files 590
Chapter 6: Configuring the X Window System, Localization, and Printing 593
Chapter 7: Administering the System 597
Chapter 8: Configuring Basic Networking 601
Chapter 9: Writing Scripts, Configuring Email, and Using Databases 605
Chapter 10: Securing Your System 609
Index 613
About the Author :
Christine Bresnahan, CompTIA Linux+, LPIC-1, started working with computers more than 25 years ago in the IT industry as a systems administrator. Christine is an Adjunct Professor at Ivy Tech Community College where she teaches Linux certification and Python programming classes. She also writes books and produces instructional resources for the classroom. Richard Blum, CompTIA Linux+, LPIC-1, has worked in the IT industry for more than 25 years as both a systems and network administrator. He has published numerous Linux and open-source books, and is an online instructor for Linux and Web programming courses used by colleges and universities across the United States.
