Course Outline for Ubuntu 12.04

Course methodology

This course helps transition participants from graphical user interface tools to the command-line interface. It provides a solid background in Linux using Ubuntu as the environment for exploration and learning. Lab exercises combined with highly engaging activities will be used to reinforce learning objectives.

Course schedule

Days 1 + 2: General Linux and Ubuntu introduction

Lesson 1: Ubuntu background and Linux (1 hour)

• Describe the history of Linux and the Ubuntu distribution.
• Explain the Ubuntu release cycle.
• Describe the Ubuntu community structure and governance board.

Lesson 2: Ubuntu desktop tour (1 hour)

• Describe the key features of Ubuntu Desktop. 
• Customise the desktop settings. 
• Navigate to directories and files in Nautilus. 
• Install and remove applications.
• Add new language settings.

Lesson 3: Using the command line interface (CLI) and sudo (3 hours)

• Essential CLI commands. 
  • cd, ls, grep, echo, uname, cat, less, more, rm, mkdir, touch, mv, nano. 
  • arguments.
  • man command. 
  • sudo command.

Lesson 4: Networking basics (2 hours)

• Current configuration of network interfaces. 
  • ip, ipconfig, /etc/resolv.conf, route.
• Changing the network configuration. 
• Testing for a working network connection.
  
  • ping, dig, host, nslookup. 
• • Managing the network with Network Manager.
  • adsl, wifi, ethernet. 
• Analyzing the network using Network Tools.

Lesson 5: Filesystem and basic backups (3 hours)

• Storage device naming system. 
• The Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS). 
• Mounting and unmounting devices.
  
  • mount, umount. 
• Configuring fstab.
  
  • /etc/fstab. 
• Symbolic links. 
• Creating an ext4 file system.
  
  • ext2, ext4, xfs, mkfs. 
• Managing file systems.
  
  • fsck, debugfs, dump2fs, e2label.

Lesson 6: Permissions - User management (4 hours)

• Managing user accounts and groups. 
  • adduser, deluser, addgourp, delgroup.
• Different file system permissions. 
• Assigning permissions to different users and groups.
  
  • chmod, chown, chgrp. 
• Creating default settings for new user accounts.
  
  • /etc/adduser.conf. 
• Creating a default environment using /etc/profile.

Lesson 7: Process management (2 hours)

• Displaying and interpreting process statistics.
  
  • top, ps.
• Managing processes.
  
  • kill, nice, renice.
• Scheduling processes (pending upstart plans).
  
  • at, cron. 
• Finding out who's using files or devices.
  
  • lsof

Days 3 - 5

Lesson 8: Ubuntu background, community and support (2 hours)

• The Ubuntu community structure and governance board. 
• Technical board, Linus, Linux, GNU, Debian.
• Support resources from Canonical, partners, and the user community including:
• Mailing lists. 
• IRC channels. 
• Launchpad and other sources for researching and reporting bugs.
• Official Ubuntu documentation and community documentation. 
• Ubuntu release cycle.
• LTS, regular.

Lesson 9: Service management (6 hours)

• Upstart. 
• SystemV compatibility. 
• Starting and stopping system services.
• Kernel management and boot procedures (2 hours) 
• Explain the working and functionality of Grub2.
  
  • update-grub[2]. 
• Customise the Grub2 boot environment.
  
  • /etc/default/grub. 
• Explain the modular kernel.
  
  • modinfo, /etc/modules, /lib/modules, /boot, /etc/initramfs, update- initramfs.
• Manage kernel modules. 
  • modprobe, rmmod, /etc/modprobe.d.
• Describe how udev creates device interfaces for hardware. 
  • udev rules, udevadm, /etc/udev/rules.d.
• Hardware management and monitoring (2 hours) 
• Manage partitions.
  
  • fdisk, cfdisk, system->administration->disk utility, parted. 
• Display hardware information.
  
  • lsusb, lshw, lspci, dmesg, lscpu, lsscsi.
• Monitor a hard drive through the SMART interface. 
  • smartctl.
• Use the memtest facility. 
  • /boot/memtest86+.bin, grub.

Lesson 10 - Package management (3 hours)

• Explain how packages are used in Ubuntu. 
  • packages vs applications, dependencies, conflicts, recommendations.
• Explain apt system, repositories and meta packages. 
  • apt-get, apt-cache, apt-key, repositories, meta packages.
• Manage packages using the appropriate tools. 
  • tasksel, update-manager, Ubuntu Software Centre.

Lesson 11 - Providing services (3 hours)

• Setup a basic LAMP environment. 
  • tasksel install lamp-server. 
  • /var/www/phpinfo.php.
• Setup a basic Samba file server. 
  • apt-get install samba. 
  • /etc/samba.smb.conf.. 
  • smbpasswd.
• Set up SSH for remote access. 
  • apt-get install ssh.

Lesson 12 - Security (2 hours)

• Explain how AppArmor uses default profiles to secure your services. 
  • /etc/apparmor.d.
• Display current profiles used by AppArmor. 
  • aa-status.
• Explain how UFW works to protect your system. 
  • ufw.
• Configure UFW. 
  • ufw enable|disable etc.

Lesson – 13 GNOME configuration (2 hours)

• Localise your GNOME environment. 
  • system -> administration -> language support.
• Manage your GNOME configuration and restore a default state. 
  • gconf-editor, gconftool.
• Customise the GNOME environment. 
  • gdmsetup, /etc/gdm/.
• Connect to a network printer. 
  • system -> administration -> printing.

Lesson 14 - Monitoring / Landscape (1 hour)

• Set up munin for monitoring. 
  • apt-get install munin munin-node, /etc/munin/.
• Set up a landscape account. 
  • apt-get install landscape-client ; dpkg-reconfigure landscape-client.
• Register a computer with landscape.