Linux Pro
Become a Linux power user with advanced system administration, security hardening, and professional-grade skills.
1. Server Planning and Architecture
Planning server deployments, hardware requirements, choosing distributions for production, and architecture design principles.
2. Minimal Installation and Base Configuration
Minimal install strategies, post-installation hardening, removing unnecessary packages, and creating a secure base system.
3. Lab: Deploy Base Server
Install minimal server, configure network, set up SSH, create base user accounts, and establish initial security posture.
4. Security Hardening Fundamentals
CIS Benchmarks, security scanning tools, vulnerability assessment, and implementing security baselines.
5. SELinux and AppArmor
Understanding Mandatory Access Control, SELinux policies, AppArmor profiles, and implementing MAC for enhanced security.
6. SSH Hardening
SSH configuration security, disabling root login, key-only authentication, fail2ban setup, and SSH best practices.
7. Lab: Comprehensive Server Hardening
Apply CIS benchmarks, configure SELinux/AppArmor, harden SSH, implement firewall rules, and security audit.
8. iptables and firewalld
Understanding packet filtering, iptables rules, firewalld zones, rich rules, and implementing network security policies.
9. Advanced Firewall Configuration
NAT, port forwarding, DMZ setup, rate limiting, connection tracking, and advanced firewall scenarios.
10. Lab: Network Security Implementation
Configure complex firewall rules, set up DMZ, implement rate limiting, and test firewall effectiveness.
11. systemd Deep Dive
Understanding systemd architecture, unit files, service management, targets, timers, and systemd best practices.
12. Creating Custom systemd Services
Writing service unit files, socket activation, dependency management, and creating production-ready services.
13. DNS Configuration: BIND9
Setting up DNS servers, zone files, record types, DNS security (DNSSEC), and DNS troubleshooting.
14. Web Server Deployment: Nginx
Nginx installation, configuration, virtual hosts, SSL/TLS setup, reverse proxy, and performance tuning.
15. Web Server Deployment: Apache
Apache installation, virtual hosts, modules, .htaccess, SSL configuration, and Apache security hardening.
16. Lab: Production Web Server Setup
Deploy and secure Nginx/Apache, configure SSL certificates, set up virtual hosts, implement security headers.
17. Load Balancing with HAProxy
HAProxy configuration, load balancing algorithms, health checks, SSL termination, and high availability setup.
18. LVM: Logical Volume Management
Understanding LVM, physical volumes, volume groups, logical volumes, resizing, snapshots, and LVM best practices.
19. RAID Configuration
RAID levels (0, 1, 5, 6, 10), software RAID with mdadm, hardware RAID, and choosing the right RAID configuration.
20. Network File Systems: NFS and Samba
Setting up NFS shares, Samba for Windows integration, permissions, security, and troubleshooting network storage.
21. Lab: Storage Management
Configure LVM, set up RAID, create network shares, implement backup storage, and test disaster recovery.
22. Virtualization with KVM/QEMU
KVM installation, creating VMs, virt-manager, libvirt, network configuration, and VM management best practices.
23. Container Basics: LXC and Docker Intro
Introduction to containers, LXC containers, Docker basics, container networking, and container security fundamentals.
24. Lab: Virtualization and Containers
Create and manage KVM VMs, set up LXC containers, deploy Docker containers, and configure networking.
25. Centralized Logging: rsyslog and syslog-ng
Configuring centralized logging, log forwarding, log rotation, log analysis tools, and log retention policies.
26. Monitoring Stack: Prometheus and Grafana
Setting up Prometheus, exporters, Grafana dashboards, alerting rules, and comprehensive system monitoring.
27. Log Analysis and Security Forensics
Analyzing logs for security incidents, intrusion detection, log correlation, forensic analysis, and incident response.
28. Lab: Monitoring and Logging Setup
Deploy centralized logging, set up monitoring stack, create dashboards, configure alerts, and practice log analysis.
29. Backup Strategies and Tools
Backup types (full, incremental, differential), tar, rsync, backup automation, and backup verification strategies.
30. Disaster Recovery Planning
DR strategies, recovery time objectives (RTO), recovery point objectives (RPO), testing procedures, and DR documentation.
31. High Availability Concepts
HA architectures, clustering, heartbeat, pacemaker, corosync, and implementing highly available services.
32. Lab: Backup and DR Implementation
Implement automated backups, test recovery procedures, document DR plan, and practice disaster scenarios.
33. Performance Tuning
Kernel parameters, sysctl tuning, I/O optimization, network tuning, and performance monitoring and optimization.
34. Troubleshooting Methodology
Systematic troubleshooting approaches, common issues, diagnostic tools, and professional troubleshooting techniques.
35. Final Project: Production Server Deployment
Complete project: Design, deploy, harden, monitor, and document a production-ready secure Linux server with all services.
36. Linux Pro Certification Exam
Comprehensive final exam covering all advanced topics: security, networking, storage, virtualization, and administration.