Let's Learn Linux Administration With Me As I Am Learning With You !!

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          Today I am starting my journey of Learning Linux Administration.

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Today I am committed to post whatever I learn on Linux Administration so that others who share my dream will be beneficial.


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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Administration Unleashed

The Linux Juggernaut: Red Hat EL Training

The Linux Juggernaut: Red Hat EL Training

RHCE and RHCT Exam Preparation Guide

RHCE and RHCT Exam Preparation Guide

Overview

This guide provides information candidates may use in preparing to take the RHCT or RHCE exam. Red Hat is not responsible for the content or accuracy of other guidesSearch Amazon.com for vmware vsphereVMware Cookbook: A Real-World Guide to Effective VMware Use, books, online resources, or any other information provided by organizations or individuals other than Red Hat Global Learning Services. Red Hat reserves the right to change this Guide when appropriate, and candidates who have enrolled in forthcoming classes or exams are advised to check this guide periodically for changes.

Performance-based Exams

The Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) and Red Hat Certified Technician (RHCT) exams are performance-based evaluations of Red Hat Enterprise Linux system administration skills and knowledge. Candidates perform a number of routine system administration tasks and are evaluated on whether they have met specific objective criteria. Performance-based testing means that candidates must perform tasks similar to what they must perform on the job.
Prospective employers of RHCEs and RHCTs should verify any and all claims by people claiming to hold one of these certificates by requesting their certificate number and verifying it here.

Authorized Training Partners

Only Red Hat and Red Hat Certified Training Partners administer the RHCE and RHCT exams. Prospective candidates should exercise due diligence when purchasing a seat in an RHCE or RHCT exam from a provider other than Red Hat itself. They should verify that the provider is, in fact, an authorized training partner in good standing. Please  notifygreymarket@redhat.com about organizations that purport to offer the RHCE or RHCT exams, but who are not Red Hat Certified Training Partners.
Official scores for the RHCE and RHCT exams come exclusively from Red Hat Certification Central. Red Hat does not authorize examiners or training partners to report results to candidates directly. Scores on the exam are usually reported within three (3) US business days.
Exam results are reported as section scores. Red Hat does not report performance on individual items, nor will it provide additional information upon request.

Preparation for the RHCT and RHCE Exams

Red Hat encourages all candidates for RHCT and RHCE to consider taking one or more of its official training courses to help prepare for the RHCE or RHCT exam. Attendance in these classes is not required, and one can choose to take just an exam. Many successful candidates who have come to class already possessing substantial skills and knowledge have reported that the class made a positive difference for them.
To help you determine the best courses to take, Red Hat provides online skills assessment.
While attending Red Hat's classes can be an important part of one's preparation to take the RHCE or RHCT exam, attending class does not guarantee success on the exam. Previous experience, practice, and native aptitude are also important determinants of success.
Many books and other resources on system administration for Red Hat's OS products are available. Red Hat does not officially endorse any as preparation guides for the RHCT or RHCE exams. Nevertheless, you may find additional reading deepens understanding and can prove helpful.

Format of the RHCE and RHCT Exams

The RHCT exam is a subset of the RHCE exam delivered separately. Effective May 1, 2009, this exam is a single section lasting 2.0 hours. Previously, it had been two sections lasting a combined 3.0 hours. Consolidation and reorganization have made it possible to cover the same material more efficiently.
Effective May 1, 2009, the RHCE exam is a single section lasting 3.5 hours. Previously, it had been two sections lasting a combined 5.5 hours. The content has be consolidated and reorganized into a single section in which time is used more efficiently. The RHCE exam consists of RHCT components (essentially the RHCT exam) plus RHCE-specific components. It is possible to earn RHCT in an RHCE exam if one has met the RHCT requirements but not the RHCE ones.

Study Points for the RHCE Exam

Prerequisite skills for RHCT and RHCE

Candidates should possess the following skills, as they may be necessary in order to fulfill requirements of the RHCT and RHCE exams:

• use standard command line tools (e.g., ls, cp, mv, rm, tail, cat, etc.) to create, remove, view, and investigate files and directories
• use grep, sed, and awk to process text streams and files
• use a terminal-based text editor, such as vim or nano, to modify text files
• use input/output redirection
• understand basic principles of TCP/IP networking, including IP addresses, netmasks, and gateways for IPv4 and IPv6
• use su to switch user accounts
• use passwd to set passwords
• use tar, gzip, and bzip2
• configure an email client on Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• use text and/or graphical browser to access HTTP/HTTPS URLs
• use lftp to access FTP URLs

RHCT skills

Troubleshooting and System Maintenance

RHCTs should be able to:

• boot systems into different run levels for troubleshooting and system maintenance
• diagnose and correct misconfigured networking
• diagnose and correct hostname resolution problems
• configure the X Window System and a desktop environment
• add new partitions, filesystems, and swap to existing systems
• use standard command-line tools to analyze problems and configure system

Installation and Configuration

RHCTs must be able to:

• perform network OS installation
• implement a custom partitioning scheme
• configure printing
• configure the scheduling of tasks using cron and at
• attach system to a network directory service, such as NIS or LDAP
• configure autofs
• add and manage users, groups, quotas, and File Access Control Lists
• configure filesystem permissions for collaboration
• install and update packages using rpm
• properly update the kernel package
• configure the system to update/install packages from remote repositories using yum or pup
• modify the system bootloader
• implement software RAID at install-time and run-time
• use /proc/sys and sysctl to modify and set kernel run-time parameters
• use scripting to automate system maintenance tasks
• configure NTP for time synchronization with a higher-stratum server

RHCE skills

Troubleshooting and System Maintenance

RHCEs must demonstrate the RHCT skills listed above, and should be able to:

• use the rescue environment provided by first installation CD
• diagnose and correct boot failures arising from bootloader, module, and filesystem errors
• diagnose and correct problems with network services (see Installation and Configuration below for a list of these services)
• add, remove, and resize logical volumes
• diagnose and correct networking services problems where SELinux contexts are interfering with proper operation.

Installation and Configuration

RHCEs must demonstrate the RHCT-level skills listed above, and they must be capable of configuring the following network services:

• HTTP/HTTPS
• SMB
• NFS
• FTP
• Web proxy
• SMTP
• IMAP, IMAPS, and POP3
• SSH
• DNS (caching name server, slave name server)
• NTP

For each of these services, RHCEs must be able to:

• install the packages needed to provide the service
• configure SELinux to support the service
• configure the service to start when the system is booted
• configure the service for basic operation
• Configure host-based and user-based security for the service

RHCEs must also be able to:

• configure hands-free installation using Kickstart
• implement logical volumes at install-time
• use iptables to implement packet filtering and/or NAT
• use PAM to implement user-level restrictions

How To Be A Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)

Overview

Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) is a performance-based test that measures actual competency on live systems. Called the "crown jewel of Linux certifications," RHCE proves an individual's ability to configure networking services and security on servers running a Red Hat OS. RHCE was recently named the hottest certification in all of IT by CertCities.com.

The RHCE Exam

Becoming a Red Hat Certified Engineer requires passing a 3.5 hour hands-on exam. There are four different approaches to preparing for the exam depending on your existing level of Linux expertise.

RHCE/RHCT Exam Changes Improve Efficiency of Testing Time. Read the FAQ. (NEW)

Level of Linux Expertise

To determine your level of experience, take our pre-assessment questionnaires or read the descriptions below for the Standard and Rapid Tracks.

Exam Preparation

Courses you should take:	Level of Linux Expertise:
	None	Some	Much	Expert
	Standard Track *		Rapid Track **
RH033 Red Hat Linux Essentials	yes
RH131 Red Hat System Administration	yes	yes
or
RH133 Red Hat Linux Administration (and RHCT Exam)
RH253 Red Hat Linux Networking and Security Administration	yes	yes
RH300 Red Hat Rapid Track Course (and RHCE Exam)			yes
RH302 RHCE Exam	yes	yes		yes

* Standard Track

The Standard Track consists of three courses -- RH033, RH133, RH253 -- and is aimed at persons who need more review of key concepts or who are new to both UNIX and Linux.

• RH033 Red Hat Linux Essentials targets IT professionals with no prior UNIX or Linux experience, and covers skills to prepare for RH133, including shell and command line essentials.
• RH131 and RH133 Red Hat System Administration are designed for those wanting to prepare for professional responsibilities as a Linux systems administrator at the Technician level. You'll learn all the skills required to manage a Linux workstation and attach it to a corporate network, including configuration of client-side network services. Prerequisites include networking fundamentals and internetworking with TCP/IP, widely available from reputable training vendors or through self-study. RH133 includes the RHCT Exam on the last day.
• RH253 Red Hat Linux Networking and Security Administration is designed for those who desire to build skills at configuring and administering a Red Hat Linux server running key enterprise network services and security. Prerequisites include RH133 or equivalent skills.

** Rapid Track

The Rapid Track consists of one course -- RH300 Red Hat Rapid Track Course (and RHCE Exam) -- and is aimed at persons who are experienced UNIX and Linux users, networking specialists, and system administrators and need specific Red Hat Enterprise Linux training to pass the RHCE Exam (which is included).

Success Pack

Increase your chances for certification. The RHCE Success Pack acts as insurance in a way, providing a re-take of the exam for a discounted price, if you fail the first exam. Find out more.

Live Access Labs

Red Hat Live Access Labs provide an environment to conduct self-paced lab learning in the setup identical to RHCE-track classroom courses.

FREE OPEN FLEXIBLE

RedHat Linux Commercial

Top Three Linux Flavours for Servers in 2010

The ever proliferating array of Linux distros are baffling even for the seasoned pro's. That said, the range of choice for open source software is what's so great. We were looking for top 5 free distributions for servers in 2010. With ceaseless options comparisons are not too easy to draw. In case, you are planning to build a web hosting company, Linux is always the most reliable options for your business servers. Linux severs are widely used for servers by most of the top IT companies. There are five distributions to compare - Debian, CentOS, Ubuntu and. One of the main consideration for server use is stability and long term security support. After extensive research we queued up the top 5 free Linux distros for server in 2010.
1. Debian

Surely a seasoned pro with more than a decade of development. The distribution is entirely based volunteers bound by Debian social contract. There are leaders elected annually from and by members of the Debian project.

Those using the up-to-date and they age rapidly, especially since the new stable releases are only published. The users who prefer the latest packages and technologies are forced to use the potentially buggy Debian testing and unstable branches.

APT (Advanced Packaging Tool) is a Debian package management system. Installing the application is as simple as 'apt-get install amarok' and fetching all the updates that can be done with 'apt-get update && apt-get upgrade'. There are APT front-ends such as Synaptic that can be used with a graphical application.

Debian is one of the few distributions that benefit hundreds of dedicated websites with documentation. The official documentation found on Debian's website is also abundant. There is a Wiki and there's IRC . If you really need an answer quickly and you can always try the UbuntuForums.

Pros

* The Linux distribution is very stable
* It offers remarkable quality control
* The library stocks more than 20,000 packages
* It is responsible for inspiring over 120 Debian-based distribution and live CDs.
* It supports more processor architectures

Cons

* Conservation due to its support for many processor architectures
* Lacks some of the newest technologies
* The release cycle is slow

Link
2. CentOS

In case you are looking for a Linux server distribution with features comparable to Red Hat Enterprise Linux without spending a dime, then Cent OS is what you need to look for. CentOS is based on RHEL and aims at providing a free enterprise class computing platform and strive to maintain full binary compatibility with its upstream distribution. The server distribution is meant to be used in production environment where users do not care what type of applications they have installed. CentOS is a Linux distro that deals with long-term stability and security. CentOS has everything that most important server distribution feature, except the expensive, official support from the vendor. Technical support is offered by the community through its official mailing lists, web forum and chat rooms. It is commercial support offered via a number of vendors.

Pros

* Stable and reliable
* Free to download and use
* Comes with 5-years of free security updates
* Prompt releases and security updates

* CentOS has numerous advantages over some of the other clone projects including
* An active and growing user community
* Quickly rebuilt
* QA'ed errata packages
* Extensive mirror network
* Developers who are contactable and responsive
* Multiple free support avenues that include IRC Chat, Mailing Lists, Forums, a dynamic FAQ.

Cons

* Lacks the latest Linux technologies
* Most software packages are outdated

Link
3. Ubuntu Server

This is newest and fastest growing distribution based on Debian and managed by Canonical. The Ubuntu Server Edition has an increasing impact on server market for business by delivering the best of free software on the stable, fully supported and secure platform.

Ubuntu overcomes the flaws in similar project and avoids them. It features an excellent web-based infrastructure with Wiki-style documentation, creative bug-reporting facility and professional approach to the end users. Ubuntu comes with a number of excellent packages such as GENOME, Firefox and OpenOffice.org, which is updated to their latest versions.
Ubuntu offers an expanding ecosystem, minimal maintenance and a growing community of peers and references. Ubuntu users enjoy the unprecedented performance and security that Linux provides.

Pros

* It easily integrates with existing networks
* It offers multiple life-cycle scenarios for you to choose from
* It is also provided with free life maintenance


Cons

Lesser compatibility than Debian

The LINUX

Linux is an operating system that was initially created as a hobby by a young student, Linus Torvalds, at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Linus had an interest in Minix, a small UNIX system, and decided to develop a system that exceeded the Minix standards. He began his work in 1991 when he released version 0.02and worked steadily until 1994 when version 1.0 of the Linux Kernel was released. The kernel, at the heart of all Linux systems, is developed and released under the GNU General Public License and its source code is freely available to everyone. It is this kernel that forms the base around which a Linux operating system is developed. There are now literally hundreds of companies and organizations and an equal number of individuals that have released their own versions of operating systems based on the Linux kernel. More information on the kernel can be found at our sister site, LinuxHQ and at the official Linux Kernel Archives. The current full-featured version is 2.6 (released December 2003) and development continues.

Apart from the fact that it's freely distributed, Linux's functionality, adaptability and robustness, has made it the main alternative for proprietary Unix and Microsoft operating systems. IBM, Hewlett-Packard and other giants of the computing world have embraced Linux and support its ongoing development. Well into its second decade of existence, Linux has been adopted worldwide primarily as a server platform. Its use as a home and office desktop operating system is also on the rise. The operating system can also be incorporated directly into microchips in a process called "embedding" and is increasingly being used this way in appliances and devices.

Throughout most of the 1990's, tech pundits, largely unaware of Linux's potential, dismissed it as a computer hobbyist project, unsuitable for the general public's computing needs. Through the efforts of developers of desktop management systems such as KDE and GNOME, office suite project OpenOffice.org and the Mozilla web browser project, to name only a few, there are now a wide range of applications that run on Linux and it can be used by anyone regardless of his/her knowledge of computers. Those curious to see the capabilities of Linux can download a live CD version called Knoppix . It comes with everything you might need to carry out day-to-day tasks on the computer and it needs no installation. It will run from a CD in a computer capable of booting from the CD drive. Those choosing to continue using Linux can find a variety of versions or "distributions" of Linux that are easy to install, configure and use. Information on these products is available in our distribution section and can be found by selecting the mainstream/general public category.

Additional Information
If you're interested in learning about Linux, need help with some aspect of its use or are enthusiastic about it and want to help foster its adoption, you may want to get in touch with a Linux User Group in your area. There are groups in practically every country, region and city in the world, so there is likely to be one near you.

Each day, Linux use is increasing in every sector of our society. We have information about Linux deployments in government, industry and the arts.

Linux has an official mascot, Tux, the Linux penguin, which was selected by Linus Torvalds to represent the image he associates with the operating system. Tux was created by Larry Ewing and Larry has generously given it to the community to be freely used to promote Linux. More information on use of the image can be found on his webpage. More links to variations on the image and alternative logos can be found on our logo page

Many people are not sure of the pronunciation of the word Linux. Although many variations of the word exist, often due to native language factors, it is normally pronounced with a short " i " and with the first syllable stressed, as in LIH-nucks. You can hear how Linux creator Linus Torvalds pronounces the word in Swedish and in English .