Chabot College
Fall 2003
Removed Fall 2006
Course Outline for Computer Science 48A
LINUX SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATION
Catalog Description:
48A - Linux Systems Administration
2 units
Administration of computers running the Linux operating system. The systems administrator: job
descriptions and duties. Administration tools, installing Linux, configuring the system, Linux
resources, startup and shutdown, failure diagnosis and repair, filesystem management, file
backup and recovery. Prerequisite: Computer Science 42 (may be taken concurrently). Strongly
recommended: Computer Science 14 or equivalent and eligibility for English 1A. 1.5 hours lecture,
1.5 hours laboratory.
Prerequisite Skills:
Upon entry to the class the student should be able to:
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be proficient in using UNIX tools;
know about the Linux variant of UNIX;
have a working knowledge of enhanced UNIX shells;
be able to program and use shell scripts;
have a basic knowledge of awk;
be familiar with process control;
be familiar with security issues;
be familiar with basic system administration concepts and procedures.
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
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describe the normal responsibilities of the novice, junior, intermediate and advanced
systems administrator;
access Internet and World-Wide-Web-based resources for systems administrators;
perform default and customized Linux installation procedures;
configure Linux systems;
traverse the file system, and find any software installed on the system;
determine the running processes, who owns them, and manage processes as needed;
describe the device naming scheme, including major and minor device numbers;
manage the Linux boot loader, LILO, and manage a machine with 2 operating systems;
describe the Linux boot and shutdown sequences;
handle basic system failure diagnosis and recovery;
use the system diagnostic tools;
build and use system rescue disks;
analyze kernel logs to find sources of errors;
seek assistance if needed to resolve system errors;
manage Linux filesystems, and configure disks, partitions and filesystems;
allocate and manage diskspace quotas;
add or replace disks, handle IDE, SCSI and other types of storage devices;
manage the /etc/fstab file;
describe RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks) and manage RAID under Linux;
configure removable media devices (Zip disks, CD-ROMS, etc.).
Chabot College
Course Outline for Computer Science 48A
Fall 2003
Page 2
Course Content:
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What is a systems administrator?
a.
The SAGE (the Systems Administration Guild) definition of a systems administrator.
b.
Overview of types of systems administration jobs.
Review tools for system administration.
a.
Regular expressions and metacharacters.
b.
Awk, grep, sed, find, other useful utilities.
c.
Linuxconf (the Linux Configurator tool).
Internet and WWW resources for systems administrators.
a.
The Linux Documentation project.
b.
Linux kernel archives;
c.
Linux Today, LinuxCare, other sites.
d.
Other sources of info, e.g., FTP sites.
Installing Linux
a.
Default vs. customized installations.
b.
Cloning installations, using template-based approaches;
Navigating around Linux.
a.
The layout of the filesystem, /etc/sysconfig, the /etc/rc.d/ directory, finding
documentation.
b.
configuration files for Apache and other system tools;
c.
Querying devices, device naming, major and minor device numbers;
Managing boot loaders.
a.
LILO, and how to configure and use it.
b.
Using 2 or more operating systems on one machine.
c.
Other boot managers.
d.
The Linux boot process and system installation scripts.
e.
Shutting down Linux systems.
Basic failure diagnosis and recovery.
a.
Kernel faults (Kernel Oops) and kernel panics.
b.
Identifying and fixing hardware errors.
c.
Building and using a rescue disk.
d.
Analysis of system logs.
e.
Locating and decoding kernel errors.
f.
When to go for help (and where): /urs/doc/HOWTO.
Filesystems disks and partitions.
a.
Creating and managing filesystems.
b.
Types of filesystems and partitions.
c.
Using space management and quotas.
Adding or replacing disks.
a.
IDE device naming.
b.
managing /etc/fstab;
c.
SCSI device concerns;
d.
Other types of devices
Linux and RAID
a.
Overview of RAID.
b.
Linux software RAID;
c.
Hardware Raid and Linux;
d.
Other sources of information;
Managing removable media
a.
Removable media devices, floppy disks, CD-ROMS, Zip disks, tapes.
b.
Parallel port storage devices.
c.
Granting users access to removable media.
Chabot College
Course Outline for Computer Science 48A
Fall 2003
Course Content:
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Backup and recovery
a.
What to back up and how.
b.
Media selection and storage.
c.
Recovery from data loss.
Recovery from data loss.
a.
Data loss scenarios.
b.
The cost of data recovery.
c.
Disaster recovery planning.
Methods of Presentation:
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Lecture
In-class examples with explanations
In-class demonstrations
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
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Typical Assignments
a.
Create a system to administer on a Zip disk (day 1 or 2).
b.
In-lab exercises managing the Zip-based system.
2.
Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a.
In-lab exercises
b.
Exams or short quizzes
c.
Final Exam
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Red Hat Linux System Administration Unleashed, Schenk et al., Sams Publishing, 2000
Special Student Materials:
1. Computer use fee
2. A 250-megabyte Zip disk and a 1.44MB diskette
Keith Mehl revised: (9/02) effective (9/03)
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