Mastering Linux Administration: A comprehensive guide to installing, configuring, and maintaining Linux systems in the modern data center

Develop advanced skills for working with Linux systems on-premises and in the cloud

Key Features

• Become proficient in everyday Linux administration tasks by mastering the Linux command line and using automation
• Work with the Linux filesystem, packages, users, processes, and daemons
• Deploy Linux to the cloud with AWS, Azure, and Kubernetes

Book Description

Linux plays a significant role in modern data center management and provides great versatility in deploying and managing your workloads on-premises and in the cloud. This book covers the important topics you need to know about for your everyday Linux administration tasks.

The book starts by helping you understand the Linux command line and how to work with files, packages, and filesystems. You'll then begin administering network services and hardening security, and learn about cloud computing, containers, and orchestration. Once you've learned how to work with the command line, you'll explore the essential Linux commands for managing users, processes, and daemons and discover how to secure your Linux environment using application security frameworks and firewall managers. As you advance through the chapters, you'll work with containers, hypervisors, virtual machines, Ansible, and Kubernetes. You'll also learn how to deploy Linux to the cloud using AWS and Azure.

By the end of this Linux book, you'll be well-versed with Linux and have mastered everyday administrative tasks using workflows spanning from on-premises to the cloud. If you also find yourself adopting DevOps practices in the process, we'll consider our mission accomplished.

What you will learn

• Understand how Linux works and learn basic to advanced Linux administration skills
• Explore the most widely used commands for managing the Linux filesystem, network, security, and more
• Get to grips with different networking and messaging protocols
• Find out how Linux security works and how to configure SELinux, AppArmor, and Linux iptables
• Work with virtual machines and containers and understand container orchestration with Kubernetes
• Work with containerized workflows using Docker and Kubernetes
• Automate your configuration management workloads with Ansible

Who this book is for

If you are a Linux administrator who wants to understand the fundamentals and as well as modern concepts of Linux system administration, this book is for you. Windows System Administrators looking to extend their knowledge to the Linux OS will also benefit from this book.

Table of Contents

1. Installing Linux and Setting up the Environment
2. Linux Structure, Basic Commands, Files and Text Editors
3. Linux Software Management
4. Managing User Accounts and Permissions
5. Working with Processes, Signals, Services and Disks
6. Linux Server Setup and Remote Administration
7. Basic Networking with Linux: TCP/IP and Network Configuration
8. Configuring Servers: Print, Web, FTP, Samba, NFS, E-Mail, DNS, DHCP
9. Securing Linux: AppArmor, SELinux, PAM, Cryptography, iptables, firewalls
10. Disaster recovery, diagnostics and troubleshooting
11. Short Introduction to Cloud Computing
12. Working with Containers and Virtual Machines
13. Orchestration with Kubernetes
14. Deploying to the Cloud: OpenStack, AWS, Azure
15. Infrastructure and Automation with Ansible

Alexandru Calcatinge is an open-minded architect with a background in computer science and mathematics, and is constantly eager to learn new things. He is a senior university lecturer with a PhD in urban planning and regional development. With 13 years of experience in architectural programming and development, Alex teaches students about smart cities, big data, and open source technologies. He has authored four books and numerous scientific articles on urban and regional planning, with an emphasis on open source technologies in urban and rural development.

Alex started using Linux in 2009 and never looked back. He has also been a certified Linux trainer since 2017 and teaches Ubuntu Server administration to students in Bucharest, Romania. Alex loves the DevOps philosophy and the possibilities that cloud technologies bring to the future. He is a certified programming analyst, computer network administrator, trainer, and designer.

Julian Balog is a senior software engineer with more than 15 years of experience in the industry. His primary work currently focuses on application delivery controllers, containerized workflows, networking, and security. With a never-ending passion for Linux and open source technologies, Julian is always in pursuit of learning new things while solving problems and making things work through simple, efficient, and practical engineering.

He lives with his wife, two children, and an Aussie-doodle in the greater Seattle area, Washington.