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

The Shell and Its Commands

We’ll be doing a lot of things in the shell, such as installing packages, making new users, creating directories, modifying permissions of files, and so on. These will be the basics but will be your first interaction with the shell to understand what is happening behind it and to get more confident. In order to improve our effectiveness with the shell, we’ll be devoting an entire chapter to it this time around.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

  • A basic definition of a shell in order to understand how it works, including an overview of its features and a description of the most common shells
  • How to use basic commands in order to get familiarized with Linux (in this chapter, CentOS version 8 will be used)
  • Basic notions about how to use commands to change the ownership of files and directories