OPS235 Lab 4 - CentOS7

LAB PREPARATION

Purpose / Objectives of Lab 1

There are many other tasks that a Linux system administrator must perform other than installing Linux and installing software.

A few additional tasks are user management and managing services.

Main objectives:

• Add a virtual hard disk and expand your vm's existing file system using LVM
• Administer (add, remove, modify) users on a Linux system.
• Save time while adding new users using a template of start-up files.
• Create and manage groups on a Linux system.
• Start and Stop services on a Linux system.
• Display the status of running services on a Linux system.

Minimum Required Materials

CentOS7 FULL DVD

Removable Hard Disk Pack (SATA)

USB key (for backups)

Lab4 Log Book

My Toolkit (CLI Reference)

User Management:

Managing Services

Miscellaneous

INVESTIGATION 1: User/Group Management

Part 1: The /etc/passwd file

1. Look at the /etc/passwd file.
2. Make note of the contents of that file.
3. Read about the file: http://linux.die.net/man/5/passwd
4. Make sure you know what information each field contains.
5. Why do you think there are so many users?
6. Look at the names of the users. What do you think these user names represent? Are they people?
7. What is the numeric user ID (UID) of the root user?
8. The user IDs of real users (people) are different from the user IDs of system accounts. What is the pattern?

Part 2: Adding users

Use centos1
Perform these steps in the centos1 system.

1. Read the man page for the useradd command.
2. Create a new user account for each of your pod mates, using their learn account name as a user name. Give each user a password.
3. Grep the /etc/passwd file for each of the new users.
   • What is the home directory of each user?
   • What group is each user in?
   • What else do you know about each user?
   • Where are the passwords stored?
4. Look at the man page for /etc/shadow using the command man 5 shadow
   • Grep the /etc/shadow file for each of the new users.
   • Make note of this information.
5. Create two new dummy users, ops235_1 and ops235_2.
6. Investigate the home directory of one of your new users.
   • What files are there? Be sure to include hidden files.
   • What do you think these files are used for?
   • How does the operating system determine which files are created in a new home account? The answer can be found here: http://www.linuxhowtos.org/Tips%20and%20Tricks/using_skel.htm
   • Look at the files (including hidden files) in the template directory referred to in the article. Compare them to what is in a home directory for a new user. What do you notice?
   • Create a new file in this directory with the following command: touch foo
   • Create a new user named foobar, with the option to automatically create a home directory.
   • Look at the contents of foobar's home directory. What do you notice?
7. Be sure to record your observations in your lab notes.

Use centos3
Perform these steps in the centos3 virtual machine.

1. Add your matrix account user to centos3.

Part 3: Managing Groups

Use centos1
Perform these steps in the centos1 virtual machine.

1. Read the man page for the groupadd and <b><code>groupdel</code></b> commands.
2. Note which option allows you to set the Group ID number (GID) when you create a new group.
3. Examine the file <b><code>/etc/group</code></b>
   • Which values of GID are reserved for system accounts?
   • Which values of GID are reserved for non-system user accounts?
   • What is the lowest available GID number for non-system users?
   • What is the default group name of a new user?
   • Add a new group named <b><code>ops235</code></b> with a GID of <b><code>600</code></b>.
   • You are angry at some irresponsible users on your system.
     • Add a new group named idiots.
     • Look at /etc/group and note the GID of idiots.
     • What GID is given to a new group if if you do not specify it?
     • Your anger has subsided. Delete the <b><code>idiots</code></b> group.
     • Look at /etc/group again and note the change.

Be sure to record your observations in your lab notes.

Part 4: Deleting users

Use centos1
Perform these steps in the centos1 virtual machine.

1. Read the man page for the <b><code>userdel</code></b> command. Note which option automatically removes the users home directory when that user is deleted.

1. Delete the user ops235_1 using the command <b><code>userdel ops235_1</code></b>
2. Delete the user ops235_2 using the same command with the option which removes the home directory of the user.
3. Check the contents of the /home directory. What do you notice?
4. Check the contents of the <b><code>/etc/group</code></b> file. What do you notice?

Be sure to record your observations in your lab notes.

Part 5: Modifying users

Use centos1
Perform these steps in the centos1 virtual machine.

1. Read the man page for the usermod command. Note which options change the user's full name, primary group, supplementary groups, and shell.

1. Add each of your new users to the group ops235 (in other words, add ops235 to each user as a supplementary group).
2. Examine <b><code>/etc/group</code></b>. What has changed?
3. Use the usermod command to associate each of your pod mates' full name to their user name. With each change, examine their entries in the <b><code>/etc/passwd</code></b> file. What has changed?
4. Be sure to record your observations in your lab notes.

INVESTIGATION 2: Managing Run-Levels and System Services

Part 1: How do we Manage Runlevels?

Use centos2 and centos3
Perform these steps in both of these virtual machines.

The runlevel command is now deprecated in Fedora, and will likely be deprecated in RHEL/CentOS at some point as well, but for now this is what the industry is using.

1. Issue the following Linux command:
   • <b><code>runlevel</code></b>

         </ul>
   

   • Note the difference in output between centos2 and centos3.
   • You can use the <code>init command to change the current runlevel. See a list of runlevels here. Use the man command to learn how to use the init command. Use this command to change the current runlevel in centos2 to 3. What happened? What happens after your reboot?</li>
   • Change the default runlevel on centos2 to 3. What happens now after you reboot?
   • Issue the following Linux command:
     • <b>startx</b>

         </ul>
     

     • What happens?
     • Log-off your graphical system. You should return to your shell prompt.
     • Change the default runlevel for centos2 back to 5 and reboot to make sure it works.

     </ol>

     Answer the Investigation 4 observations / questions in your lab log book.

     Part 2: How do we Manage System Services?

     
     Remain in your centos2 VM
     Perform these steps in the centos2 virtual machine.

     We have seen that maintaining unneeded packages can be a security risk due to the unnecessary increase in the complexity of your system. Similarly, it is also unnecessarily hazardous, and even more so, to leave unneeded services running. In this investigation, we will learn how to control services, and turn off those services that we think are not necessary to help reduce security risks.}}

     1. Issue the following Linux command:
        • service --status-all
     2. Note the services that are currently running.
     3. Use the service command to stop the service named iptables
     4. Issue the service command to verify that this service has stopped.
     5. If you reboot now - the iptables service will be turned back on. We don't want it on though, it causes students headaches. To turn it off permanently we need to use the chkconfig command: chkconfig iptables off
     6. Reboot and confirm that it's no longer running.

     Answer the Investigation 5 observations / questions in your lab log book.

     LAB 4 SIGN-OFF (SHOW INSTRUCTOR)

     
     Time for a new backup!
     If you have successfully completed this lab, make a new backup of your virtual machines. Remember to also make a backup of the new second virtual disk drive on centos1 -- you now have two virtual disks on centos1, and therefore two image files, and therefore will need two backup files.

     Arrange proof of the following on the screen:

     ✓ Account created on centos3 matching your Matrix account.

     ✓ List contents of /etc/group file (ops235 group).

     ✓ List contents of /etc/passwd file (created accounts).

     ✓ Fresh backup of the virtual machines.

     Preparing for the Quizzes