The LPIC-2 Exam Prep

Snow B.V.

Heinrich W. Klöpping

Beno T.J. Mesman

Piet W. Plomp

Willem A. Schreuder

Many, many Snow B.V. colleagues for peer reviewing and authoring updates.

Edited by

Jos Jansen

Edited by

Joost Helberg

Abstract

Audience:  this book is intended to help people prepare for the LPIC-2 exam. You will need to have at least 2 years of practical experience with Unix, preferably Linux. Though you may take the LPIC-2 exam without it, you should be an LPIC-1 alumnus to be allowed to the titles and rights that come with the LPIC-2 certification.

Approach:  We wanted to create a set of documents that could help us and others pass the LPIC-2 exams. This book contains all the information (and more) needed to pass the exam.

Sources:  Our sources of information were partly material on the Internet. Mostly practical experience of the authors and others and research done by the authors are to be credited. We try to give credit where due, but are fallible. We apologize.

Caution

While every precaution was made in the preparation of this book, we can assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. When you feel we have not given you proper credit or feel we may have violated your rights or when you have suggestions how we may improve our work please notify us immediately so we can take corrective actions.

Organization of this book:  This book has been organized to follow the Linux Professional Institute level 2 objectives for LPIC-2 certification, revision of April 1, 2009. The detailed objectives are available via http://www.lpi.org/eng/certification/the_lpic_program/lpic_2. In case the objectives are updated, the book will follow shortly thereafter. The authors use the DocBook documentation standard for this book.


Preface
1. Linux Kernel (201)
Topics
Kernel Components (201.1)
Different types of kernel images
Identifying stable and development kernels and patches
What are kernel modules
Compiling a Kernel (201.2)
Getting the kernel sources
Cleaning the kernel
Creating a .config file
Compiling the kernel
Installing the new kernel
The initial ram disk (initrd)
Patching a Kernel (201.3)
Patching a kernel
Removing a kernel patch from a production kernel
Customise, build and install a custom kernel and kernel modules (201.4)
Using kernel modules
kmod versus kerneld
Building A Custom Kernel
Manage/Query kernel and kernel modules at runtime (201.5)
insmod
modprobe
lsmod
rmmod
modinfo
uname
Module dependencies
Module configuration
2. System Startup (202)
Customizing system startup and boot processes (202.1)
The Linux Boot process
What happens next, what does /sbin/init do?
update-rc.d
The LSB standard
The bootscript environment and commands
System recovery (202.2)
GRUB explained
Influencing the regular boot process
The Rescue Boot process
3. Filesystem and Devices (203)
Operating The Linux Filesystem (203.1)
The File Hierarchy
Filesystems
Creating Filesystems
Mounting and Unmounting
Swap
UUIDs
sync
Maintaining a Linux Filesystem (203.2)
fsck (fsck.*)
tune2fs
dumpe2fs
badblocks
debug2fs
debugreiserfs
mkswap
xfs_info
xfs_check
xfs_repair
Creating And Configuring Filesystem Options (203.3)
Autofs and automounter
CD-ROM filesystem
udev Device Management (203.4)
udev rules
udevmonitor
4. Advanced Storage Device Administration (2.204)
Configuring RAID (2.204.1)
What is RAID?
RAID levels
Hardware RAID
Software RAID
Recognizing RAID on your Linux system
Configuring RAID (using mdadm)
Configuring RAID (alternative)
Adjusting Storage Device Access (2.204.2)
Bus structures
USB devices
Serial devices
Configuring disks
Configuring output devices
Configuring harddisks using hdparm
Configuring harddisks using sdparm
Configuring kernel options
Logical Volume Manager (2.204.3)
Configuring Filesystems
Configuring Logical Volume Management
Configuring IDE CD burners
5. Networking Configuration (205)
Basic Networking Configuration (205.1)
Configuring the network interface
PPP
Wirelessnetworking
Advanced Network Configuration and Troubleshooting (205.2)
Virtual Private Network
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting network issues (205.3)
Something on network troubleshooting in general
An example situation
Notifying users on system-related issues (205.4)
The /etc/issue, /etc/issue.net, and /etc/motd files
The wall command
The shutdown command communication.
6. System Maintenance (206)
Make and install programs from source (206.1)
Unpacking source code
Building from source
Backup Operations (206.2)
Why?
What?
When?
How?
Where?
Backup utilities
Backup solutions
7. DNS (2.207)
Basic BIND 9.x configuration (2.207.1)
LPIC 2 objective 207.1
Name-server parts in BIND
The named.conf file
Converting BIND v4 to BIND v8 configuration
The named name server daemon
The rndc program
Sending signals to named
Controlling named with a start/stop script
Create And Maintain DNS Zones (2.207.2)
LPIC 2 objective 207.2
Zones and reverse zones
Master and slave servers
Creating subdomains
DNS Utilities
Securing a DNS Server (2.207.3)
LPIC 2 objective 207.3
DNS Security Strategies
Making information harder to get
Controlling requests
Limiting effects of an intrusion
Securing name server connections
Internal DNS
8. Web Services (2.208)
Implementing a Web Server (2.208.1)
Installing the Apache web-server
Modularity
Run-time loading of modules (DSO)
Encrypted webservers: SSL
Monitoring Apache load and performance
Apache access_log file
Restricting client user access
Configuring authentication modules
User files
Group files
Configuring mod_perl
Configuring mod_php support
Configuring Apache server options
Maintaining a Web Server (2.208.2)
Apache2 configuration files
Customizing file access
Directory /etc/ssl/*
How to create a SSL server Certificate
Implementing a Proxy Server (2.208.3)
Key Knowledge Areas
Web-caches
squid
Redirectors
Authenticators
Access policies
Utilizing memory usage
9. File Sharing(2.209)
Configuring a Samba Server (2.209.1)
Key Knowledge Areas
What is Samba?
Installing the Samba components
configuration
Samba commands
Samba configuration directory /etc/smb or /etc/samba.
Samba logging in /var/log/samba directory.
An example of the functionality we wish to achieve
Accessing Samba shares from Windows 2000
Accessing Windows or Samba shares from a Linux Samba client
Sending a message with smbclient
Using a Linux Samba printer from Windows 2000
Using a Windows printer from Linux
Setting up an nmbd WINS server
Creating logon scripts for clients
Configuring an NFS Server (2.209.2)
LPIC 2 objective 209.2
NFS - The Network File System
Setting up NFS
Testing NFS
Securing NFS
Overview of NFS components
NFS protocol versions
10. Network Client Management (2.210)
DHCP Configuration (2.210.1)
What is DHCP?
How is the server configured?
An example
Controlling the DHCP-server's behaviour
DHCP-relaying
PAM authentication (2.210.2)
What is it?
How does it work?
Modules
LDAP configuration (2.210.3)
What is it?
Configuring a directory hierarchy
Adding data to the hierarchy
Remove data from the hierarchy
change a password stored in LDAP
More on LDAP
11. E-Mail services (2.211)
Using e-mail servers(2.211.1)
Basic knowledge of the SMTP protocol
Postfix
logging
Managing local e-mail delivery
procmail
Managing remote e-mail delivery
Courier IMAP and POP configuration
Dovecot
12. System Security (2.212)
Configuring a router (2.212.1)
Private Network Addresses
Network Address Translation (NAT)
IP Masquerading with IPCHAINS
IP forwarding with IPCHAINS
Port Redirection with IPCHAINS
IPCHAINS, an overview
The Firm's network with IPCHAINS
IPTABLES, an overview
Saving And Restoring Firewall Rules
Denial of Service (DOS) attacks
Routed
PortSentry: Preventing port scans
Securing FTP servers (2.212.2)
FTP connection modes
vsftpd
Pure-FTPd
Other FTP servers
Secure shell (OpenSSH) (2.212.3)
What are ssh and sshd?
Installing ssh and sshd
Configuring sshd
Keys and their purpose
Configuring the ssh-agent
Tunneling an application protocol over ssh with portmapping
The .rhosts and .shosts files
TCP_wrappers (2.212.4)
What do tcp wrappers do?
What don't tcp wrappers do?
Configuring tcp wrappers
xinetd
Libwrap
Security tasks (2.212.5)
Snort
nc (netcat)
The fail2ban command
The nmap command
Keeping track of security alerts
Testing for open mail relays
13. Troubleshooting (2.213)
Identifying boot stages (2.213.1)
The bootstrap process
Kernel loading
Daemon initialization
Recognizing the four stages during boot
Troubleshooting LILO
General troubleshooting (2.213.2)
A word of caution
Getting help
Generic issues with hardware problems
Resolving initial boot problems
Resolving kernel boot problems
Resolving IRQ/DMA conflicts
Troubleshooting tools
Troubleshooting system resources (2.213.3)
Core system variables
Login shells
Shell startup environment
Editors
Setting kernel parameters
Shared libraries
Troubleshooting environment configurations (2.213.4)
Troubleshooting /etc/inittab and /sbin/init
Troubleshooting authorisation problems
Troubleshooting /etc/profile
Troubleshooting /etc/rc.local or /etc/rc.boot
Troubleshooting cron processes
Troubleshooting /etc/`shell_name`.conf
Troubleshooting /etc/login.defs
Troubleshooting /etc/syslog.conf
A. LPIC Level 2 Objectives
Bibliography
Index

List of Figures

13.1. A (DOS) partition table entry

List of Tables

4.1. Commonly used lspci parameters
4.2. Commonly used setserial parameters
4.3. Common flags for hdparm
4.4. Common flags for sdparm
7.1. Major BIND components
7.2. Controlling named
7.3. /etc/init.d/bind parameters
9.1. Kernel options for NFS
9.2. Overview of exportfs
9.3. Overview of showmount
9.4. Some options for the nfsstat program
9.5. Overview of NFS-related programs and files
9.6. Overview of NFS protocol versions
10.1. The first two octets are 21.31
10.2. Company-wide services
10.3. Subnet-dependent Services
12.1. Valid chains per table
13.1. Commonly used environment variables
13.2. Commonly used configuration files in HOME
A.1. LPIC Level 2.201 - 2.205 Objectives And Their Relative Weight
A.2. LPIC Level 2.206 - 2.209 Objectives And Their Relative Weight
A.3. LPIC Level 2.210 - 2.213 Objectives And Their Relative Weight
Copyright Snow B.V. The Netherlands