Book Image

Linux for System Administrators

By : Viorel Rudareanu, Daniil Baturin
Book Image

Linux for System Administrators

By: Viorel Rudareanu, Daniil Baturin

Overview of this book

Linux system administration is an essential aspect of maintaining and managing Linux servers within an organization. The role of a Linux system administrator is pivotal in ensuring the smooth functioning and security of these servers, making it a critical job function for any company that relies on Linux infrastructure. This book is a comprehensive guide designed to help you build a solid foundation in Linux system administration. It takes you from the fundamentals of Linux to more advanced topics, encompassing key areas such as Linux system installation, managing user accounts and filesystems, networking fundamentals, and Linux security techniques. Additionally, the book delves into the automation of applications and infrastructure using Chef, enabling you to streamline and optimize your operations. For both newcomers getting started with Linux and professionals looking to enhance their skills, this book is an invaluable hands-on guide with a structured approach and concise explanations that make it an effective resource for quickly acquiring and reinforcing Linux system administration skills. With the help of this Linux book, you’ll be able to navigate the world of Linux administration confidently to meet the demands of your role.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)
1
Part 1: Linux Basics
7
Part 2: Configuring and Modifying Linux Systems
13
Part 3: Linux as a Part of a Larger System

Logging configuration

Linux uses the syslog system for logging. The syslog daemon collects messages from different parts of the system and writes them to log files. The syslog configuration file is usually located at /etc/syslog.conf or /etc/rsyslog.conf, depending on the distribution. This file contains the rules that specify which messages to log and where to store them.

There is a critical parameter called facility.severity that is a crucial part of the logging configuration in Linux. It allows you to control which log messages should be recorded and where they should be stored. The facility and severity can be specified either numerically or using their symbolic names. For example, the following rule logs all messages with a severity level of warning or higher from the auth facility to the /var/log/auth.log file:

auth.warning /var/log/auth.log

The target part of the configuration file specifies where to store the logged messages. The target can be a file, a remote host...