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

Chef workstation

The Chef workstation serves as the administrative machine where administrators develop, test, and manage the Chef infrastructure. To set up a Chef workstation, administrators install the Chef Development Kit (ChefDK) on their local machine. The ChefDK includes all the tools, libraries, and dependencies required for cookbook development and management.

Development workflow

The Chef workstation provides a development environment where administrators author and test cookbooks before deploying them to nodes. Administrators use text editors or integrated development environments (IDEs) to write cookbooks using the Ruby-based Chef DSL. The workstation also includes tools such as Test Kitchen, which allows for cookbook testing in various virtualized or containerized environments.

Managing environments and roles

In Chef, environments and roles play a crucial role in managing infrastructure configuration. Administrators define environments to represent different...