Richard Blum - Linux Fundamentals, 2nd Edition

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Vice President, Product Management: Marisa R. Urbano

Vice President, Content Strategy and Implementation: Christine Emerton

Director, Content Management: Donna Gridley

Manager, Content Strategy: Carolyn Pershouse

Technical Editor: Ric Messier

Content Strategist: Melissa Duffy

Content Coordinator: Mark Restuccia

Director, Project Management and Content Services: Karen Scott

Manager, Project Management: Jackie Reynen

Project Manager: Dan Stone

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VP, Manufacturing and Inventory Control: Therese Connell

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Composition: Straive

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Cover Design: Briana Yates

Text Design: Kristin E. Parker

Media Development Editor: Faith Brosnan

Rights & Permissions Manager: John Rusk

Rights Specialist: James Fortney

Cover Image (Title Page, Part Opener, Chapter Opener): Picsfive/Shutterstock

Printing and Binding: Gasch Printing

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Blum, Richard, 1962- author.

Title: Linux fundamentals / Richard Blum.

Description: Second edition. | Burlington, Massachusetts : Jones & Bartlett Learning, [2023] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2022023562 | ISBN 9781284254884 (paperback)

Subjects: LCSH: Linux. | Operating systems (Computers)

Classification: LCC QA76.774.L46 B66 2023 | DDC 005.4/46--dc23/eng/20220714

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022023562

6048

Printed in the United States of America

262524232210987654321

To all the teachers, coworkers, students, friends, and Internet posters who continue to teach me new things every day.

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15 (ESV)

Picsfive/Shutterstock

Contents

Picsfive/Shutterstock

Preface

The Linux world is constantly changing, requiring new knowledge and skills to work as a Linux system administrator. This second edition of Linux Fundamentals not only updates the first edition with new material, but also changes the books focus a bit, from a basic approach to Linux to a more advanced server-oriented look at using Linux. While the first edition tracked the skills needed to meet the LPI Linux Fundamentals exam requirements, this edition tracks the more advanced CompTIA Linux+ exam requirements.

The CompTIA Linux+ exam is oriented toward having the skills needed to work as a Linux system administrator in a commercial Linux server environment. Thus, this edition dives deeper into the Linux server environment, covering the commands you are expected to know for the Linux+ exam. In the examples I use both Red Hat and Debian-based Linux distributions so you will have experience working in both of those Linux server environments.

The updated chapters provide expanded coverage on how to manage users, files, devices, and filesystems in a multi-user networked server environment. In these dangerous times, nothing is more important than having a secure Linux system. This edition adds a new chapter focusing on Linux security. It covers the popular SELinux and AppArmor tools for implementing mandatory access control to files, as well as providing tips on using encryption and firewalls to keep your data safe both on and off the network.

Finally, this second edition ends with a brief look at the popular topics of virtualization, containers, and orchestration. These have become hot topics in the IT world, and Linux has played an important role in each of these technologies. The final chapter provides an overview of just how to use these technologies in a Linux environment.

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Acknowledgments

First, all glory and praise go to God, who through His Son, Jesus Christ, makes all things possible and gives us the gift of eternal life.

Many thanks go to the fantastic team of people at Jones & Bartlett Learning for their outstanding work on this project. Thanks to Ned Hinman for offering me the opportunity to update the first edition of this book, and to Melissa Duffy, the Content Strategist, for her skills in guiding this book through the entire process. Its been a pleasure working with you and your team! Also, special thanks goes to Ric Messier, fellow Linux author, for taking the time out of his schedule to be the books Tech Editor. I am grateful for your excellent suggestions to help make this a better book. I would also like to thank Carole Jelen at Waterside Productions, Inc., for arranging this opportunity for me and helping me out with my writing career.