Topic 201: Linux Kernel

201.1 Kernel Components

Key Knowledge Areas

• Kernel 2.6.x documentation

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /usr/src/linux

• /usr/src/linux/Documentation

• zImage

• bzImage

201.2 Compiling a kernel

Key Knowledge Areas

• /usr/src/linux/

• GRUB configuration files

• Kernel 2.6.x make options

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• mkinitrd

• mkinitramfs

• make

• make options (config, xconfig, menuconfig, oldconfig, cloneconfig, prepare-all, mrproper zImage, bzImage, modules, modules_install)

201.3 Patching a kernel

Key Knowledge Areas

• Kernel Makefiles

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• patch

• gzip

• bzip2

201.4 Customise, build and install a custom kernel and kernel modules

Key Knowledge Areas

• Customize the current kernel configuration.

• Build a new kernel and appropriate kernel modules.

• Install a new kernel and any modules.

• Ensure that the boot manager can locate the new kernel and associated files.

• /usr/src/linux/

• Module configuration files

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• patch

• make

• module tools

• /usr/src/linux/*

• /usr/src/linux/.config

• /lib/modules/kernel-version/*

• /boot/*

• make targets: all, config, menuconfig, xconfig, gconfig oldconfig, modules, install, modules_install, depmod, rpm-pkg, binrpm-pkg, deb-pkg

201.5 Manage/Query kernel and kernel modules at runtime

Key Knowledge Areas

• Use command-line utilities to get information about the currently running kernel and kernel modules.

• Manually load and unload kernel modules.

• Determine when modules can be unloaded.

• Determine what parameters a module accepts.

• Configure the system to load modules by names other than their file name.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /lib/modules/kernel-version/modules.dep

• module configuration files in /etc

• /proc/sys/kernel/

• depmod

• insmod

• lsmod

• rmmod

• modinfo

• modprobe

• uname

Topic 202: System Startup

202.1 Customising system startup and boot processes

Key Knowledge Areas

• Linux Standard Base Specification (LSB)

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /etc/inittab

• /etc/init.d/

• /etc/rc.d/

• chkconfig

• update-rc.d

202.2 System recovery

Key Knowledge Areas

• inittab

• GRUB

• grub shell

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• init

• mount

• fsck

• telinit

Topic 203: Filesystem and Devices

203.1 Operating the Linux filesystem

Key Knowledge Areas

• The concept of the fstab configuration

• Tools and utilities for handling SWAP partitions and files

• Use of UUIDs

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /etc/fstab

• /etc/mtab

• /proc/mounts

• mount and umount

• sync

• swapon

• swapoff

203.2 Maintaining a Linux filesystem

Key Knowledge Areas

• Tools and utilities to manipulate and ext2 and ext3

• Tools and utilities to manipulate reiserfs V3

• Tools and utilities to manipulate xfs

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• fsck (fsck.*)

• badblocks

• mkfs (mkfs.*)

• dumpe2fs

• debugfs, debugreiserfs

• tune2fs, reiserfstune

• mkswap

203.3 Creating and configuring filesystem options

Key Knowledge Areas

• autofs configuration files

• UDF and ISO9660 tools and utilities

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /etc/auto.master

• /etc/auto.[dir]

• mkisofs

• dd

• mke2fs

203.4 udev Device Management

Key Knowledge Areas

• udev rules

• Kernel interface

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• udevmonitor

• /etc/udev

Topic 204: Advanced Storage Device Administration

204.1 Configuring RAID

Key Knowledge Areas

• Software raid configuration files and utilities

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• mdadm.conf

• mdadm

• /proc/mdstat

• fdisk

204.2 Adjusting Storage Device Access

Key Knowledge Areas

• Tools and utilities to configure DMA for IDE devices including ATAPI and SATA

• Tools and utilities to manipulate or analyse system resources (e.g. interrupts)

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• hdparm

• tune2fs

• sysctl

• /dev/hd* & /dev/sd*

204.3 Logical Volume Manager

Key Knowledge Areas

• Tools in the LVM suite

• Resizing, renaming, creating, and removing logical volumes, volume groups, and physical volumes

• Creating and maintaining snapshots

• Activating volume groups

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /sbin/pv*

• /sbin/lv*

• /sbin/vg*

• mount

• /dev/mapper/

Topic 205: Networking Configuration

205.1 Basic networking configuration

Key Knowledge Areas

• Utilities to configure and manipulate ethernet network interfaces

• Configuring wireless networks

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /sbin/route

• /sbin/ifconfig

• /sbin/ip

• /usr/sbin/arp

• /sbin/iwconfig

205.2 Advanced Network Configuration and Troubleshooting

Key Knowledge Areas

• Utilities to manipulate routing tables

• Utilities to configure and manipulate ethernet network interfaces

• Utilities to analyse the status of the network devices

• Utilities to monitor and analyse the TCP/IP traffic

• OpenVPN

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /sbin/route

• /sbin/ifconfig

• /bin/netstat

• /bin/ping

• /usr/sbin/arp

• /usr/sbin/tcpdump

• /usr/sbin/lsof

• /usr/bin/nc

• /sbin/ip

• /etc/openvpn/*

• openvpn

• nmap

• wireshark

205.3 Troubleshooting network issues

Key Knowledge Areas

• Location and content of access restriction files

• Utilities to configure and manipulate ethernet network interfaces

• Utilities to manage routing tables

• Utilities to list network states.

• Utilities to gain information about the network configuration

• Methods of information about the recognised and used hardware devices

• System initialisation files and their contents (SysV init process)

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /sbin/ifconfig

• /sbin/route

• /bin/netstat

• /etc/network || /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/

• System log files such as /var/log/syslog & /var/log/messages

• /bin/ping

• /etc/resolv.conf

• /etc/hosts

• /etc/hosts.allow & /etc/hosts.deny

• /etc/hostname | /etc/HOSTNAME

• /bin/hostname

• /usr/sbin/traceroute

• /usr/bin/dig

• /bin/dmesg

• /usr/bin/host

205.4 Notify users on system-related issues

| Description | Candidates should be able to notify the users about current issues related to the system.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Automate communication with users through logon messages.

• Inform active users of system maintenance

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /etc/issue

• /etc/issue.net

• /etc/motd

• wall

• /sbin/shutdown

Topic 206:System Maintenance

206.1 Make and install programs from source

Key Knowledge Areas

• Unpack source code using common compression and archive utilities.

• Understand basics of invoking make to compile programs.

• Apply parameters to a configure script.

• Know where sources are stored by default.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /usr/src/

• gunzip

• gzip

• bzip2

• tar

• configure

• make

• uname

• install

206.2 Backup operations

Key Knowledge Areas

• Knowledge about directories that have to be include in backups

• Awareness of network backup solutions such as Amanda, Bacula and BackupPC?

• Knowledge of the benefits and drawbacks of tapes, CDR, disk or other backup media

• Perform partial and manual backups.

• Verify the integrity of backup files.

• Partially or fully restore backups.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /bin/sh

• cpio

• dd

• tar

• /dev/st* and /dev/nst*

• mt

• rsync

Topic 207: Domain Name Server

207.1 Basic DNS server configuration

Key Knowledge Areas

• BIND 9.x configuration files, terms and utilities

• Defining the location of the BIND zone files in BIND configuration files

• Reloading modified configuration and zone files

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /etc/named.conf

• /var/named/*

• /usr/sbin/rndc

• kill

207.2 Create and maintain DNS zones

Key Knowledge Areas

• BIND 9 configuration files, terms and utilities

• Utilities to request information from the DNS server

• Layout, content and file location of the BIND zone files

• Various methods to add a new host in the zone files, inlcuding reverse zones

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /var/named/*

• zone file syntax

• resource record formats

• dig

• nslookup

• host

207.3 Securing a DNS server

Key Knowledge Areas

• BIND 9 configuration files

• Configuring BIND to run in a chroot jail

• Split configuration of BIND using the forwarders statement

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

• /etc/named.conf

• /etc/passwd

• DNSSEC

• dnssec-keygen