SuSE® Enterprise Linux Version 11x

• PXE-based, HTTP, SSH and Virtual Installations
  • Discuss system requirements
  • Explain installation phases
  • Prep TFTP server for installation
  • Configure DHCP on Cisco Router to support PXE installation
  • Publish SUSE 11 ISO image on Apache HTTPD server
  • Install SUSE Ent. 11 Server via PXE, HTTP & VNC
  • Implement custom partition scheme
  • Confirm results
  • Discuss requirements for SSH semi-auto install
  • Configure installation process to use SSH
  • Configure automatic installations via AutoYaST & SSH
  • Publish AutoYaST XML file to HTTP-accessible location
  • Commence automatic installation via SSH
  • Discuss virtualization installation requirements
  • Provision VMWare containers for SUSE 11 Enterprise
  • Configure and deploy automatic installation for general virtual hosts
  • Deploy SUSE 11 instance on VMWare using MAC address configuration - uniqueness
  • Perform MAC address installation on physical Dell PowerEdge server
  • Use AutoYaST to provision installation profile
  • Install server using installation profile
  • Evaluate results of various installation methods
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• Grand Unified Boot Loader (GRUB) & Boot Problems
  
  • Explore GRUB configuration
  • Explain SUSE Linux System V Init Runlevel (0 - 6) concepts & applications
    
  • Identify key startup files, including scripts (inittab,Sscripts,Kscripts,etc.)
  • Explore single-user mode as a troubleshooting aide
  • Use repair mode to explore startup environment & perform system check
  • Explore rescue system
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• X & GNOME
  • Identify default runlevel
  • Configure X environment using YaST
  • Explore the GNOME desktop environment
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• Basic GNU/Linux Skills - Command Line Interface (CLI) - BASH
  • Introduction to GNOME Terminal
  • Demonstrate usage of the following useful commands & concepts
  • ls, pwd, cd, cp, mv, rm, mkdir, rmdir, whoami, man, info
  • alias, cat, file, chmod, chown, history
  • Standard in/out, UNIX Pipes, Redirection, Command Chaining
  • ps, df, free, vmstat, top, kill
  • less & more, head & tail, diff
  • which & whereis, w, who
  • Explore BASH configuration files
  • find, locate
  • Use grep and awk to process text files
  • Archival & Compression Utilities: tar, gzip, bzip2, zip
  • Convert Windows text files to Unix format using dos2unix
  • Convert Unix text files to Windows format using unix2dos
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• Common Network Clients
  • File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client
  • Install and use LFTP - Sophisticated FTP Client to connect to FTP/HTTP servers
  • Mirror and reverse mirror using LFTP to synchronize data
  • Wget - HTTP/HTTPS/FTP connectivity
  • Explore SSH clients - Discuss features
  • Identify key SSH-client files (.known_hosts, public/private key pairs,etc.)
  • Use Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) to move data between systems non-interactively
  • Use Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) to move data between systems interactively
  • Demonstrate how to generate Public/Private key (RSA/DSA) pairs using ssh-keygen
  • Copy public keys to remote systems using: ssh-copy-id
  • Demonstrate using SSHto authenticate to remote Linux hosts without passwords
  • Authenticate to remote Linux systems using alternate credentials
  • Generate Public Key/Private Key pairs for use with file and E-mail encryption
  • Demonstrate using E-mail client with GNU Privacy Guard (GPG) Open PGP for E-Mail encryption
  • Use ping, netstat, arp, telnet, traceroute, ifconfig - network diagnostics
  • Use dig, host, nslookup, whois name resolution clients
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• RPM Package Management Tool Concepts & Usage
  • Explain classes of SUSE Linux Packages
  • Query existing packages
  • Identify offline and online package repositories
  • Install packages
  • Upgrade packages
  • Freshen packages
  • Remove packages
  • Identify package membership of files on the SUSE system
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• Users, Groups & Permissions
  • User profile implementation logic and concepts - (Bash profile/etc/skel/aliases/PATH/etc.)
  • User and group creation & management concepts - passwd, shadow, group, gshadow files
  • Use lastlog to determine system-access to various terminals
  • Use YaST to create and manage users and groups
  • Use stat to ascertain file information
  • SETUID
  • SETGID - Group collaboration
  • Sticky Bit
  • Discuss and Implement Hard and Symbolic links
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• Paritions, File Systems & Volumes (RAID|LVM)
  • Provision additional Swap storage paritions and files
  • Use dd, mkswap & swapon to enable additional Swap storage
  • Identify allocated swap space to the kernel
  • Committ changes to /etc/fstab for persistence
  • Disable swapping with swapoff as necessary
  • Allocate virtual storage for RAID configuration
  • Provision new paritions with YaST
  • Configure RAID 0/1/5/ Volumes
  • Discuss features and benefits of LVM
  • Implement Logical Volume Management (LVM)
  • Evaluate results
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• Explore System Logging via SYSLOG-NG and Logrotate
  • Explore Boot log & System Log
    
  • Explanation of syslog facilities & levels
    
  • Discuss SYSLOG-NG features & enhancements
  • Demonstrate syslog administration
    
  • Enable SYSLOG network listener
  • Demonstrate Cisco PIX Firewall to SUSE Linux SYSLOG-NG functionality
    
  • Explore automatic log rotation and customization via Logrotate
    
  • Configure Logrotate to rotate & compress sample log files
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• Network - Physical & Logical Configuration
  • Identify key directories & files for static & dynamic communications
  • Configure Linux client with static TCP/IP parameters for network communication
  • Explore hotplug -> hwup -> ifup logic
  • Use ifconfig to ascertain logical TCP/IP configuration
  • Use hwinfo to ascertain installed hardware
  • Configure Aliased Ethernet Interfaces to faciliate multiple IP addresses
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• CRON - System Scheduler
  • Explore Cron Implementation
  • Explain scheduling options
  • Global and scope-based Cron options
  • Schedules jobs to run & examine the output
  • Configure individual Crontab entries
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• Implement Network Time Protocol Daemon (NTPD) Client/Server
  • Configure Network Time Protocol (NTP) to perform client/server time synchronization
  • Identify NTP bounded UDP interfaces
  • Synchronize SUSE Enterprise Linux NTP with RedHat Linux Stratum 2 NTP server
  • Synchronize against Stratum 1 NTP servers
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• Implement Trivial File Transfer Protocol Daemon (TFTPD) Server
  • Discuss TFTP attributes
  • Implement TFTPD
  • Backup Cisco router configuration via TFTP
  • Backup Cisco firewall configuration via TFTP
  • Use sed to update TFTPD configuration
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• Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
  • Explain DHCP Concepts & Applications
  • Explore DHCP confiuration files
  • Configure DHCP subnet with applicable options
  • Configure DHCP Reservation based on layer-2 address
  • Enable DHCP with DDNS
  • Configure DHCP Failover between SUSE and RedHat Linux Servers
  • Test DHCP Failover with Windows 2003 Host
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• Domain Name System (DNS)
  • Explore SUSE DNS configuration via YaST
  • Configure BIND as a caching-only DNS server
  • Implement Master DNS Zone
  • Configure Reverse Zone for local subnet
  • Implement Dynamic Domain Name System (DDNS) Zones (Forward/Reverse)
  • Explain DHCP and DNS update integration options
  • Integrate DHCP with DNS via Encypted Transaction Signatures (TSigs)
  • Evaluate results of BIND configuration using DIG & host
  • Implement DNS sub-domains (Third-level domains)
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• FTPD with Very Secure VSFTPD & ProFTPD File Transfer Protocol (FTP) services
  • Implement anonymous FTPD
    
  • Implement user-level FTPD access
    
  • Implement FTPD banners
    
  • Disable anonymous access
    
  • Configure VSFTPD to chroot jail users into their home directories
    
  • Implement bandwidth rate-limiting to control bandwidth usage
    
  • Implement & test banning of unwelcomed anonymous e-mail addresses
    
  • Implement ProFTPD with settings similar to VSFTPD
  • Evaluate results
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• Network File System (NFS) Implementation
  
  • Identify key services/daemons
  • Configure NFS Client & Server
    
  • Evaluate NFS connectivity to other Linux hosts
    
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• Samba Implementation
  • Explore key Samba clients
  • Explore Samba Configuration files
  • Implement SMBFS integration with SUSE Enterprise Linux File System
    
  • Mount Windows shares seamlessly using Samba File System (SMBFS)
    
  • Configure FSTAB to support repetitive mounts
    
  • Implement secure SMBFS credentials for mounting
    
  • Install Samba Server support
    
  • Install Samba Web-based Administration Tool (SWAT)
    
  • Configure Samba file sharing
    
  • Configure Samba with multiple NETBIOS aliases
  • Install Active Directory on Windows 2003 Server
  • Integrate with Windows Active Directory (AD)
  • Test Samba-to-Windows integration using 'getent' and authentication
  • Implement Windows 2008 Active Directory with Samba
  • Evaluate results
    
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• Apache Web Server Implementation
  
  • Discuss Apache server's features and concepts
  • Install Apache
  • Examine Apache-SUSE HTTPD CONF hierarchy
    
  • Examine various configuration files
  • Configure Virtual Hosts
  • Examine user home directories
  • Discuss the Directory directive
  • Explore redirects
  • Configure .htacess file with directives
  • Configure Name-based Virtual Hosts
  • Explore Apache logging
    
  • Implement Apache logging system per virtual host
    
  • Webalizer Log Analysis software Implementation
    
  • Generate web reports using Webalizer
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• MySQL Relational Database Management System
  
  • Install MySQL Relational Database Management System
    
  • Secure access to MySQL
    
  • Explore MySQL monitor shell-based interface
  • Create sample MySQL databases
  • Load external data-set from Linux
  • Load external data-set from Windows
  • Integrate PHP with MySQL
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• PHPMyAdmin - MySQL Web-based Management Interface
  
  • Install PHPMyAdmin for web-based management of MySQL instances
    
  • Explain & Secure access to PHPMyAdmin
    
  • Explore PHPMyAdmin's interface
    
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• SMTP-MTA|IMAP|Squirrel-mail Web-based Mail Interface Implementation
  
  • Explore SMTP-MTA Configuration
  • Explore IMAP Configuration
  • Describe required squirrel mail components for web-mail integration
    
  • Install squirrel mail on SUSE Enterprise Linux system
    
  • Configure Apache virtual directory for squirrel mail integration
    
  • Configure Apache Virtual Host for squirrel mail integration
    
  • Configure BIND DNS services for squirrel mail integration
    
  • Explore squirrel mail's web-based interface
    
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• Apache SSL
  • Discuss features & benefits
  • Configure self-signing server
  • Generate usage certificates for hosted sites
  • Bind SSL keys to hosted sites on various TCP:Ports
  • Start Apache SSL
  • Evaluate results
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• Local Security
  • Use YaST to identify and configure key security directives
  • Identify, change and test file permissions policy
  • Peruse and tighten password policy
  • Limit SMTP TCP:Port communications to loopback interface
  • Shut superfluous daemons (services)
  • Explore additional XINETD features
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• Upgrade SUSE 10 Enterprise Edition
  • Define upgrade strategy
  • Discuss caveats
  • Provision ISO image on HTTP installation server
  • Perform upgrade via PXE using HTTP & SSH
  • Evaluate results Explore additional XINETD features
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• Network Mapper (NMAP)
  • Obtain, compile and install current version of NMAP
  • Identify commonly used NMAP options/switches/parameters
  • Perform default TCP SYN-based ethical scans of local and remote resources
  • Explain typical TCP handshake protocol while using NMAP
  • Examine the results of scans on remote Cisco firewall with debugging mode enabled
  • Perform default TCP Connect-based ethical scans of local and remote resources
  • Examine the results of scans on remote Cisco PIX Firewall with debugging mode enabled
  • Use NMAP to scan using aliased and spoofed IP addresses
  • Peform local ethical scans
  • Identifiy key NMAP configuration files
  • Use NMAP to perform operating system fingerprinting
  • Peform subnet-wide ethical scans
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• SuSEFirewall2 (IPTables - Netfilter Linux Kernel-based Firewall)
  • Discuss IPTABLES/Netfilter Concepts
  • Explain IPTABLES default chains/filters and policies
  • Examine TCP/ICMP communications pre-IPTABLES chains
  • Filter traffic based on Layer-4 TCP/UDP (Source/Destination Ports) information
  • Restrict access to various daemons (SSH/FTP/HTTP/etc.)
  • Test connectivity locally and remotely
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CentOS9x Stream Administration

• Initial Environment
• ls, pwd, cd, cp, mv, rm, mkdir, rmdir, whoami
• alias, cat, file, chmod, chown, history
• STD(IN|OUT), Pipes, Redirection, Command Chaining
• ps, df, top, free
• Pagers, W-Commands
• Checksums
• Awk | Sed | Grep Usage
• BASH SHELL Environment
• Compression | Archival Tools
• SSH Equivalence
• SHELL Quoting
• Propagate Environment
• Secure Clients

• Identify Standard File Types
• Standard File Permissions
• Symbolic Links
• Transfer Permissions

• Identify SWAP environment
• Provision dedicated SWAP partitions
• Add | Remove SWAP from pool as needed
• Provision File System-based SWAP
• SWAP Share
• SWAP Persistence
• Identify default storage configuration
• Provision new storage as needed
• XFS - File System
• XFS - Grow File System
• Identify LVM defaults
• Add new partitions to LVM management
• Allocate storage to LVM Volume Groups
• Create Logical Volumes (LVs) as needed
• Overlay File System and mount where applicables
• LVM - Resize
• LVM - Mixed FS
• LVM - SWAP

• Features
• Install
• Defaults
• General Usage
• Update Accounts

• Defaults
• Shared PASS Gen
• Unique PASS Gen
• Encrypted PASS Gen
• Update Accounts
• Groups

• Discuss features | limitations
• Identify default system-wide schedule
• Peruse various default Cron Jobs
• Schedule simple job and monitor recurrence
• Evaluate results

• Peruse Default CONF
• Discuss Syslog Rules
• Explore Log Rotate defaults
• Ensure rotated logs are compressed
• Extend default retention scheme
• Force Log Rotation as needed

• Explore Default environment
• Install PKGs
• Dump important metadata from packages
• Apply Updates

• Default CONF
• Add | Confirm IPs as needed

• Install
• Copy Configuration
• SELinux - Confirm
• TLS | SSL Services
• cURL Client Tests
• Virtual Hosts
• ENC Sites Only

• SFTP Only USER
• SFTP Only USER - NOLOGIN
• SFTP Only Group - Control
• NMap Intro

SysLOG with rSysLogD

• Discuss Features
• Default Environment
• Kernel Firewall LOG
• Split LOGs by Priorities
• UDP | TCP Logging
• Dual L4 Logging
• Multiple Hosts
• Basic Queueing
• Reliable Event Logging Protocol (RELP)
• RELP - Remote Only
• RELP Only
• Traditional to RELP
• SysLOG Clear-Text - Confirm
• Property Filters
• Expression Filters
• Relay Chain

Netfilter Tables

• Features
• SSHGuard
• Ruleset Basics
• Persistence
• Sample Rules
• Inbound Filtering
• Dormant Table
• Manage Tables | Chains | Rules
• Counters
• Sets
• LOG Basics
• LOG with Sets
• Closed-Port LOGs
• LOG Options
• Re-Route LOGs
• Jump Targets
• Chain Jumping
• GoTo Chains
• Meta Selectors

Debian 12x Administration

• Features
• Download
• Graphical Install
• Text Install
• Post-Install Tweaks

• Explore usage of the following useful commands
• tty | /dev/pts | w | whoami | who
• set | env | export | unset
• cat | echo | touch | rm
• pwd | ls | cd | mkdir | alias | umask
• head | tail
• dd
• find
• history
• STDIN, STDOUT, STDERR, UNIX Pipes, Redirection, Command Chaining
• ps, df, free, top, dd
• stat, which, w, who
• tar | gzip | bzip2 | xz
• ZSH Setup

• Network Tools | IP Configuration
• Examine default IP configuration
• Extend IP configuration to facilitate additional addresses
• Static IP Config
• Dual: Dynamic | Static Config
• Multiple Interfaces
• Dual Network Services
• Confirm communications

PHP One-Liners

• General Usage
• Count Lines
• Word Count
• Count Chars
• Split Lines into ARRAY
• Count Instances of Fields
• Transform Delimiters
• Anonymize LOGs
• Extract Unique SRCs
• Lines by Error Code
• LOG By Code
• Summarize Error Codes
• Pre-Seed Error Codes
• Random Strings
• Varied Passwords
• Expose Undefined Passwords
• Outdated Passwords
• Hash | Un-Hash

Cloud Storage with GlusterFS

• Discuss Features:
• Default Volume Type
• Common Volume Types
• Transport Types
• File System Support
• Storage Model

• Features
• Provision Storage
• Allocate GlusterFS Brick
• Persistence
• Generate IO
• Multiple File Systems
• Various Sizes
• Stop | Remove Volume
• Reconstitute Volume
• Server Mount
• Evaluate

OpenPGP with GPG

• Discuss Features:
• Primary Tool
• Private | Public Keys
• Public Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS)
• Encryption | Decryption
• Signing | Verification

• Features
• General Usage
• Create Content
• Encrypt
• PassPhrase Protect
• Binary | Text Encryption
• Share
• Decrypt

SSL-TLS with OpenSSL

• Discuss Features:
• Primary Tool
• Private | Public Keys
• Certificate Signing Requests (CSRs)
• Self-Signed Certificates
• Public Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS)
• Encryption | Decryption
• Random String Generation
• Message Digests
• SSL-TLS Client

• Features
• General Usage
• Retrieve Site Certificates
• Determine OCSP Configuration
• Probe supported TLS Versions
• Extract Certificate for local usage
• Retrieve Certificate with NMap
• Retrieve Certificate Chain

• Discuss
• Generate Private Keys
• Generate Correlating CSRs
• Confirm Keys | CSRs
• Self-Signed Certificates

SSH Variables

• Discuss Features
• Bare VARs
• SSH Client
• Double Quotes
• Single Quotes
• SSH Environment

SHELL Variables

• Discuss Features
• Terminal (TTY)
• CLI Arguments
• Process ID
• Backgrounded
• SHELL Local
• Environment
• Persistence
• Aliases
• Command Substitution
• Increment | Decrement
• Dynamism

zsync

• Discuss Features
• Prep Content
• Compression
• File Names