Linux System Administration for Programmers

This is a draft only!
It is still under construction and content may change. Do not rely on this information.

This is a topic outline for teaching a future "System Administration for Programmers" session.

Screen (or, "How to Start a Build at the End of the Day")

• GNU Screen command
  • Common options

SSH (or, "Remote Access made Easy and Secure")

• SSH tips and tricks
  • X tunneling
  • arbitrary forward and reverse tunnels
  • Using .ssh/config for convenience
  • Public key authentication
    • Use of passphrases
    • ssh-agent (and gnome ssh agent, ...)
• Securing SSH
  • Preventing direct root login

LVM (or, "Why Running out of Disk Space is No Big Deal" or "Snapshots, Volumes, and Disk Errors, Oh My!")

• Using LVM for storage management
  • Why?
  • Concepts: PVs, VGs, LVs
  • pvs, vgs, lvs
  • vgextend
  • lvextend -r
  • pvmove
  • LV snapshots

Bash (or, "How To Save Hours of Your Life on the Command Line")

• Bash tips 'n' tricks
  • Aliases
  • cd shortcuts: using - and ~
  • Command editing
    • ^Right, ^Left, Home, ^A, End, ^E, ^T
    • Esc-BS, Ctl-W
    • Esc-_
  • Command searching
    • ^R
    •  !
  • Tab completion
  • Prompts

X11 (or, "Why the Linux GUI Rocks and No One Knows")

• Remote access
• Clipboard vs. Selection
• Fast-paste (middle mouse)
• Composed desktops
• Virtual desktops

Using Root

• Via sudo
• Via su
• Directly (don't do it!)
• Dangers

Installing and Removing Software

On an RPM-based system

• Why use a package manager
• Yum/DNF basics
  • list, search, info
  • install, remove
• rpm -q basics
  • package selection: name -a -f --whatrequires --whatprovides
  • info selection: default -i -l --requires --provides --scripts --qf
• repoquery basics (?)
• apt-get basics (As needed)