Getting a CentOS Server Up and Running

As a system administrator, one of the most fundamental tasks you may encounter is defining your roles and responsibilities. However, how to do this varies greatly depending on who you ask. Different individuals and companies may have their own unique perspectives on what the title of system administrator entails.

Welcome to the first chapter of this book, where we will be learning about server installations and management commands. Setting up a Linux system and keeping it up to date are the basic tasks that most system administrators perform in their day-to-day work. In this chapter, we will start by setting up a Linux server and then learn about the purpose of package management and how it provides an easy way to install software on Linux hosts. We will then explore commands that allow us to view the Linux file structure, add users and groups, and archive files.

By the end of this chapter, you will have a solid foundation of how to set up and manage Linux servers. We will begin by learning how to download the CentOS server installation file, set up a hypervisor, and install packages. We will also explore commands that allow you to view system, kernel, hardware, and processor information. With the skills you learn in this chapter, you will be able to set up and manage Linux servers with confidence.

In this chapter, we are going to cover the following main topics:

• Downloading the operating system (OS) installation file
• Downloading and setting up a hypervisor
• Package installation commands
• Information commands