This course is designed for individuals seeking a career in system administration, network engineering, cyber security, DevOps, Site Reliability Engineers (SRE) or any related fields. Linux operating systems run about 90% of cloud computing services which makes it an unavoidable prerequisite to be a power user in the fields listed above. Through a blend of interactive lectures, hands-on labs, real-world case studies, and practical projects, participants will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate Linux (UNIX-like systems) comfortably and explore uncharted territories. Whatever new opportunities come up in the future, a foundational understanding of the Linux system puts you in the driving seat.
Module 1: History and Genesis of Linux
· Understanding the root and design paradigm of Linux
· Open-source philosophy and the GNU project and Linux
· Reading: The Cathedral and the Bazar
Module 2: Linux Distributions (Distros)
·Root Distributions
·Descendant Distributions
·Installing Distros locally and remotely
Module 3: Why Linux is relevant to DevOps, SREs, and Data Analysis
·Dominance in Servers and Supercomputing space
·Cloud Computing and Virtualization
·Major cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) use Linux extensively.
·DevOps and Containerization
Module 4: Installing and Setting Up a Linux system
·Installing Linux on a virtual machine (using Virtual Box/VMware)
·Dual-booting Linux with other operating systems
·Overview of the Linux desktop environment.
Exercise:
·Install Linux using WSL / virtual machine
·Install Linux on a remote serve for access to the internet
·Is WSL really Linux (Discussion)
Module 5: Exploring the Linux System
·Terminals and Shells (bash, sh, zsh, fish etc)
·Piping and Redirection (The heart of the Linux concept)
·Finding help (man, apropos, info etc)
· Linux file structure and the kernel
· Desktop Environments and Windows Manager
·Extra Resource: AT&T UNIX archives (Youtube).
Exercise:
·Explore man, man -k, apropos
·Watch AT&T archives on piping and UNIX design concept
·Demo piping and redirection
·Linux command structure
·History and recursive searches
·Basic and everyday commands
·Administration commands
·File and Directory Management
·Users and group management
Exercise:
·Explore user creations and permissions
·Watch online video on popular Linux commands
·Install zsh and oh-my-zsh on your account
·File editors (vim, pico, nano, visual studio code etc)
·Configuration and run command (rc) files
Exercise:
·Explore vim through vim tutor
·Connecting visual studio code to the remote server
Module 8 : System adminstration
·Working with services (systemctl or service).
·System monitoring and performance (top, free, etc.)
·Disk and memory management o Risk assessment frameworks and vulnerability
·prioritization techniques.
·Working with processes.
·Package management.
·Introduction to Shell scripting.
Exercise:
·Explore simple bash scripts
Module 9: Networking Essentials
·Network Topology
· IP Addresses, ports and sockets, MAC addresses
·Types of computer networks
· Private and Public IP addresses
· Network devices (bridges, switches and hubs)
·The network OSI model layers
·Network Services (DHCP, DNS, SSH)
·Routing & Switching Basics
·Ports & Protocol (TCP/IP, UDP, HTTP, DNS)
·Firewall and Network Security
·Backup and Recovery
·Port usage with port 80 as an example
·Explore IP and MAC addresses
·Explore DNS name resolution
Final Project – Website/Web App hosting on a VPS/EC2 instance
·Create a website on a Linux instance on the Internet with a domain and DNS name resolution
included
· Enable SSH Access.