About the Book
Companies ranging from IBM to Novell are dramatically expanding Linux training and development. Certification will be a key part of this trend, and support is growing for an industry-wide Linux certification programme. Most companies want a vendor-neutral certification initiative, and the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) is the leading effort in this direction. As more corporations adopt Linux as the networking backbone for their IT systems, the demand for certified technicians will become even greater. This text prepares system administrators for the basic LPI General Linux 101 exam and the more advanced 102 exam, and includes information on objectives and test suggestions. It also provides readers who are not planning to take the exam with an excellent understanding of the targeted Linux concepts and functions. The book is divided into two parts, one for each of the LPI exams. Each part features a summary of the exam, a Highlighter's Index, labs, suggested exercises, and practice exams which aim to help the reader pass the LPI exams with flying colours.
Part I covers the General Linux 101 Exam: GNU and Unix commands; Devices, Linux filesystems, and the filesystem hierarchy standard; boot, initialization, shutdown and run levels; documentation; administrative tasks; and hardware and architecture. Part II covers the General Linux 102 Exam: Linux installation and package management; the Linux kernel; text editing, processing, and printing; shells, scripting, programming, and compiling; X-Windows; networking fundamentals; network services; and security.
Table of Contents:
Preface. Part 1. General Linux Exam 101 Exam 101 Overview Exam 101 Study Guide Exam Preparation GNU and Unix Commands (Topic 1.3) Work Effectively on the Unix Command Line Process Text Streams Using Text-Processing Filters Perform Basic File Management Use Unix Streams, Pipes, and Redirects Create, Monitor, and Kill Processes Modify Process Execution Priorities Making Use of Regular Expressions Devices, Linux Filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (Topic 2.4) Create Partitions and Filesystems Maintain the Integrity of Filesystems Control Filesystem Mounting and Unmounting Set and View Disk Quotas Use File Permissions to Control Access to Files Manage File Ownership Create and Change Hard and Symbolic Links Find System Files and Place Files in the Correct Location Boot, Initialization, Shutdown, and Runlevels (Topic 2.6) Boot the System Change Runlevels and Shutdown or Reboot the System Documentation (Topic 1.8) Use and Manage Local System Documentation Find Linux Documentation on the Internet Write System Documentation Provide User Support Administrative Tasks (Topic 2.11) Manage Users and Group Accounts Tune the User Environment Configure and Use System Log Files Automate System Administration Tasks Maintain an Effective Data Backup Strategy Exam 101 Review Questions and Exercises GNU and Unix Commands (Topic 1.3) Devices, Linux Filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (Topic 2.4) Boot, Initialization, Shutdown, and Runlevels (Topic 2.6) Documentation (Topic 1.8) Administrative Tasks (Topic 2.11) Exam 101 Practice Test Exam 101 Highlighter's Index GNU and Unix Commands (Topic 1.3) Devices, Linux Filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (Topic 2.4) Boot, Initialization, Shutdown, and Runlevels (Topic 2.6) Documentation (Topic 1.8) Administrative Tasks (Topic 2.11) Part 2. General Linux Exam 102 Exam 102 Overview Exam 102 Study Guide Exam Preparation Hardware and Architecture (Topic 1.1) Configure Fundamental System Hardware Set Up SCSI and NIC Devices Configure Modems and Sound Cards Linux Installation and Package Management (Topic 2.2) Design a Hard Disk Layout Install a Boot Manager Make and Install Programs from Source Manage Shared Libraries Use Debian Package Management Use Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) Kernel (Topic 1.5) Manage Kernel Modules at Runtime Reconfigure, Build, and Install a Custom Kernel and Modules Text-Editing, Processing, and Printing (Topic 1.7) Perform Basic File Editing Operations Using vi Manage Printers and Print Queues Print Files Install and Configure Local and Remote Printers Shells, Scripting, Programming, and Compiling (Topic 1.9) Customize and Use the Shell Environment Customize or Write Simple Scripts X (Topic 2.10) An Overview of X Install and Configure XFree86 Set Up xdm Identify and Terminate Runaway X Applications Install and Customize a Window Manager Environment Networking Fundamentals (Topic 1.12) Fundamentals of TCP/IP TCP/IP Troubleshooting and Configuration Configure and Use PPP Networking Services (Topic 1.13) Configure and Manage inetd and Related Services Operate and Perform Basic Configuration of sendmail Operate and Perform Basic Configuration of Apache Properly Manage the NFS, SMB, and NMB Daemons Set Up and Configure Basic DNS Services Security (Topic 1.14) Perform Security Administration Tasks Set Up Host Security Set Up User-Level Security Exam 102 Review Questions and Exercises Hardware and Architecture (Topic 1.1) Linux Installation and Package Management (Topic 2.2) Kernel (Topic 1.5) Text Editing, Processing, and Printing (Topic 1.7) Shells, Scripting, Programming, and Compiling (Topic 1.9) X (Topic 2.10) Networking Fundamentals (Topic 1.12) Networking Services (Topic 1.13) Security (Topic 1.14) Exam 102 Practice Test Exam 102 Highlighter's Index Hardware and Architecture Linux Installation and Package Management Kernel Text-Editing, Processing, and Printing Shells, Scripting, Programming, and Compiling X Networking Fundamentals Networking Services Security. Glossary. Index.
About the Author :
Jeffrey Dean is a freelance author, editor, and consultant in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. Jeffrey has professional experience in IT management, training delivery, and system administration of Linux, Solaris, VMS, AS/400, and Windows NT/2000. Jeffrey holds an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's in engineering with emphasis in computer design from Penn State. He holds the Linux Professional Institute Level 1 (LPIC-1) and Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) certifications.
Review :
'The style throughout is friendly yet informative and Dean seems to have an unconscious knack of answering questions just as they are forming in the reader's head. Some of the content, particularly that on networking and system hardware, actually puts other 'definitive' Linux works to shame. Perhaps the most valuable aspect, however, is the frequent 'box-outs' which highlight the most pertinent topics to revise for the examination itself. This is the key buying point, as success in the examination will be dependent on how well you know the material in this syllabus; against that, almost any amount of hands-on experience will pale. Although O'Reilly's Nutshell series are intended as 'Desktop Reference' manuals, I have to recommend this one as a good all-round read; not only as a primer for LPI certification, but as an excellent introductory text on GNU/Linux. In all, this is a valuable addition to O'Reilly's already packed stable of Linux titles and I look forward to more from the author.' Rory Beaton, - http://firstmonday.org/issue7_4/reviews "This is a gem of a book. " - Joe McCool, Cvu, June 2003
