CentOS Linux version 7 Administration

• OS Installation
  • Highlight key CentOS features
  • Confirm installation images
  • Install CentOS Desktop
  • Provision CentOS Server
  • Install CentOS Server with GUI
  • Carry-out Kickstart installation
  • Clone VMWare instances
  • Confirm node accessibility
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• systemd System | Service Management
  • Discuss key features
  • Alter system state and evaluate
  • Identify managed objects
  • Manage services
  • Explore systemd LOG data
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• $SHELL Basics | Commands
  • 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, /proc, /boot
  • less & more, head & tail, find, which & whereis, w, who
  • Compression | Archival Tools
  • Checksums
  • Awk | Sed | Grep Usage
  • User | Group Management
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• File System Permissions | Ownership
  • Identify common file types
  • Identify default permissions applied to objects
  • Alter permissions | ownership on various objects and evaluate
  • SETUID | SETGID | Sticky Bit
  • Study SYMLINK behavior
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• Storage Management
  • Identify SWAP environment
  • Provision dedicated SWAP partitions | Add to Pool
  • Add | Remove SWAP from pool as needed
  • Provision File System-based SWAP
  • Identify default storage configuration
  • Provision new storage as needed
  • 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
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• System Scheduler
  • Discuss features | limitations
  • Identify default system-wide schedule
  • Peruse various default Cron Jobs
  • Schedule simple job and monitor recurrence
  • Evaluate results
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• SYSLOG | Log Rotation
  • Peruse default syslog configuration
  • Discuss syslog rules mechanism
  • Trap externally-generated log data
  • Explore Log Rotate defaults
  • Ensure rotated logs are compressed
  • Extend default retention scheme
  • Force Log Rotation as needed
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• Common Network Utilities
  • Identify important basic utilities
  • 'ping', 'traceroute', 'tracepath', 'mtr', 'telnet', 'netstat'
  • Use commands to obtain basic details from targets
  • Contrast similar tools
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• Package Management
  • Explore default environment
  • Search for packages of interest and install
  • Dump important metadata from packages
  • Update YUM repository as needed
  • Setup internal YUM repo for expedited delivery
  • Apply updates as available
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• IP Administration
  • Identify default configuration
  • Add IPs as needed
  • Ensure IP persistence across resets
  • Make nodes multi-homed and assign IPs as needed
  • Contrast various interface management schemes
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• DNS Services
  • Install BIND
  • Confirm Caching-Only upstream queries
  • Define Primary zone
  • Confirm resolution of records
  • Replicate Primary zone to slave nodes
  • Confirm resolution of changes on ALL nodes
  • Provision additional internal zone for management
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• Apache HTTPD | Web Services
  • Identify key Apache features
  • Explore default environment
  • Peruse Apache LOG format
  • Provision IP-based Virtual Hosts
  • Provision Name-based Virtual Hosts
  • Contrast Virtual Hosts methods
  • Dedicate LOGs to Virtual Hosts
  • Evaluate VHost environment
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• MariaDB Introducation | Usage
  • Install MariaDB
  • Identify key binaries | files
  • Secure installation
  • Connect and execute queries
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• Security
  • Identify key Tools
  • Configure Passwordless AUTH across systems
  • Use: SSH | SCP | SFTP to communicate securely
  • Configure PuTTy SSH with Passwordless AUTH method
  • Use NMap to gather information from network
  • Sniff network traffic with TCPDump
  • Evaluate TCPDump data with TCPDump and WireShark
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Sums

• Various Tools
• Remote Confirmations
• File Metadata
• File Fragments
• Compress Content
• Archive Content
• DIR Hierarchy
• Password Sums
• Shared Secret
• Restrict History
• Downloaded Content
• Encrypt Content
• Site Credentials
• Site COOKIE
• Site COOKIE - Unique

CentOS9x Stream Administration

Basic Linux Skills

• 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

File System Permissions | Ownership

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

Storage Management

• 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

ZSHELL

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

User | Group Management

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

CRON - Scheduler

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

SYSLOG | Log Rotation

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

Package Management

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

IP Administration

• Default CONF
• Add | Confirm IPs as needed

NginX - Web Services

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

Security

• 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

Installations

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

$SHELL BASICS

• 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

Secure Communications

• Explore SSH defaults
• Use SSH to connect to targets
• Transfer data with: scp | sftp | rsync

Files | Permissions

• Explain common Linux file permissions
• chmod | chgrp | chown
• Discuss various Linux file attributes | features
• SETUID | SETGID | STICKY Bit
• SymLinks: Hard | Soft

User Management

• Features
• useradd | adduser | usermod | userdel
• groupadd | groupmod | groupdel
• Create $USERs in Parallel
• $USER Passwords | mkpasswd | python3
• Generate Random Passwords
• Store Randomly-generated Passwords for Reference
• Encrypted Pass - Unique Users
• Default SHELL
• NO TTY Access
• Disable SSH Access

Storage Management

• Features
• Installation Defaults: File System Table
• Provision Storage
• GPT Label | Create Partition(s) | File System | Mount | Persistence
• Duplicate Drives
• Duplicate Varied Sizes
• Online Resizing (Up-Sizing)
• Provision SWAP
• Logical Volume Management (LVM)
• LVM Features
• Allocate Storage to LVM
• LVM | VG Resizing
• Fix sudo PATH
• Point-Release Upgrade

Cron | SystemD | Logs

• Cron Features
• Cron Job Execution
• Journal Control Features
• Booted Kernels
• SystemD Features

Package Management

• Explore default APT configuration
• Identify commonly-used package management tools
• Enumerate installed packages
• Identify package owners based on system binaries
• Discuss 'apt' and 'dpkg' options
• Install | Remove various packages

Networking

• 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

SFTP-Only Access

• Features
• Restrict $USER to SFTP Access
• Confirm limited $SHELL
• SFTP-Only Group
• SFTP-Only Password AUTH

NMap Reconnaissance

• Identifiy key NMAP configuration files
• Identify commonly used NMAP options/switches/parameters
• Scan Server resource
• Perform default TCP Connect-based ethical scans of local and remote resources

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

Features

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

Single Instance

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

Volume Sizing

• Features
• Provision Storage
• Partition | FS | Mount | Brick
• Extend Volume
• Monitor IO Distribution
• Shrink Volume
• Confirm Reallocation
• Remove Bricks

Brick Matters

• Add | Replace Bricks
• Confirm Data Transfer
• UUID Mounts
• Migrate Mounts

Distributed Volume

• Features
• Probe Storage Instances
• Provision Storage
• Extend Shared Volume
• Mount any Server
• List Storage Spread
• Dismantle Volume
• Confirm Data-Availability
• Volume Reconstruction

Replica Volume

• Features
• Existing Bricks
• Re-Use Allocated Storage
• Define New Bricks
• Create Volume
• Generate | Monitor IO
• Fail NODEs
• Evaluate

Shared Web Instances

• Features
• Explore Environment
• Create New Replica Volume
• Mount on Web Servers
• Ensure Persistence
• Update NginX Web Server Config
• Fetch Content
• Down Storage NODE | Test
• Restore NODE | Confirm Content

OpenPGP with GPG

Features

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

Symmetric - Encryption

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

Compression

• Features
• Vary Algos
• Compare Results

CLI PassPhrase

• Caveats
• Random PassPhrases
• Store PassPhrases
• Encrypt | Decrypt | Confirm

PKI Keypairs

• Use Case
• Generate Keypairs
• Export | Import
• Share
• Sign
• URI Import

Asymmetric - Encryption

• Features
• Identify Public Keys
• Encrypt to Recipients
• Vary Key Identifcation
• Share Content
• Confirm Decryption
• Confirm Invalid Recipient

Sign | Verify

• Features
• Encryption | Decryption Distinction
• Sign | Share Content
• Confirm Signatures
• Missing Public Key
• Sign | Encrypt | Decrypt | Verify
• Encrypt | Sign | Verify | Decrypt

SSL-TLS with OpenSSL

Features

• 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

Secure 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

Download | Read Certificate

• Fetch Certificate
• x509 Query Fields
• Fingerprints
• One-Liner
• Export Public Key from Certificate
• Dump Public Key

Random Values

• Generate Random Bytes
• Yield various Formats
• Create Random Files on Target
• Define Random $USERs
• Track defined $USERs

Message Digests

• Features
• Generate Digests
• Install SHA3-SUM
• Vary Content
• Compare Digests
• Remote Digests
• Store Digests

PKI - Public | Private Key Pairs

• Features
• Common Algorithms
• Generate Multiple Private Keys
• Export Public Keys
• Confirm Keys
• Remove and Re-Export Public Keys
• Generate Non-Default RSA Keys
• Password-Protected Keys
• Share PRIV_KEY and Confirm

Encryption | Decryption

• Features
• Base64 Encode | Decode
• AES-256 Encryption | Decryption
• Base64 Representation
• Decode | Decrypt
• Deterministic Examples
• Asymmetric Encrypts | Decrypts

Sign | Verify

• Features
• "pkeyutl" Sub-Command
• RSA Signatures
• ED(448|25519) Signatures
• RSA-PSS Signatures
• Eliptical Curve Signatures
• "-rawin" effect
• Encrypt | Sign | Verify | Decrypt
• Sign | Encrypt | Decrypt | Verify

Certificate Signing Request (CSR)

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

Self-Signed Certs

• Generate
• CA Store
• Root CA
• Various ALGOs
• Internal Domain
• SYMLINK Keys
• Password-Protected PRIV_KEY

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