IT training LPI linux certification in a nutshell

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LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

By Jeff Dean, Bruno Gomes Pessanha, Nicolai Langfeldt, Steven Pritchard, James Stanger

...............................................
Publisher: O'Reilly
Pub Date: July 2006
Print ISBN-10: 0-596-00528-8
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-59-600528-3
Pages: 978

Table of Contents | Index


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LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell,
Second Edition is an invaluable resource for determining what you need
to practice to pass the Linux Professional Institute exams. This book
will help
you determine when you're ready to take the exams, which are
technically challenging and designed to reflect the skills that
administrators need
in real working environments.

As more corporations adopt Linux as the networking backbone for their
IT systems, the demand for certified technicians will become

even greater. Passing the LPI exams will broaden your career options
because the LPIC
is the most widely known and respected Linux certification program in
the
world. Linux Journal recognized the LPI as the best
Training and
Certification Program. The exams were developed by the Linux
Professional Institute,
an international, volunteer-driven organization with affiliates in a
dozen countries.

The core LPI exams cover two levels. Level 1 tests a basic knowledge of
Linux installation, configuration, and command-line
skills. Level 2 goes into much more depth regarding system
troubleshooting and
network services such as email and the Web. The second edition ofLPI
Linux
Certification in a Nutshell is a thoroughly researched
reference to these exams. The book is divided into four parts, one for
each of the
LPI exams. Each part features not only a summary of the core skills you
need, but sample exercises and test questions, along with helpful hints
to let
you focus your energies.

Major topics include:

GNU and Unix commands
Linux installation and package management
Devices, filesystems, and kernel configuration

Text editing, processing, and printing
The X Window System
Networking fundamentals and troubleshooting
Security, including intrusion detection, SSH, Kerberos, and
more


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DNS, DHCP, file sharing, and other networking infrastructure
Email, FTP, and Web services

Praise for the first edition:
"Although O'Reilly's Nutshell series are intended as 'Desktop
Reference' manuals, I have to recommend this one as a good
all-round read; not only as a primer for LPI certification, but as an
excellent introductory text on GNU/Linux. In all, this is a valuable
addition to
O'Reilly's already packed stable of Linux titles and I look forward to
more from the author."
--First Monday


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LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

By Jeff Dean, Bruno Gomes Pessanha, Nicolai Langfeldt, Steven Pritchard, James Stanger

...............................................

Publisher: O'Reilly
Pub Date: July 2006
Print ISBN-10: 0-596-00528-8
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-59-600528-3
Pages: 978

Table of Contents | Index
Copyright
Preface
Part I: General Linux Exam 101
Chapter 1. LPI Exams
Section 1.1. Exam 101 Overview
Chapter 2. Exam 101 Study Guide
Section 2.1. Exam Preparation
Chapter 2. Hardware and Architecture (Topic 1.101)
Section 3.1. Objective 1: Configure Fundamental BIOS Settings
Section 3.2. Objective 3: Configure Modems and Sound Cards
Section 3.3. Objective 4: Set Up Non-IDE Devices
Section 3.4. Objective 5: Set Up Different PC Expansion Cards
Section 3.5. Objective 6: Configure Communications Devices
Section 3.6. Objective 7: Configure USB Devices
Chapter 4. Linux Installation and Package Management (Topic 1.102)
Section 4.1. Objective 1: Design a Hard Disk Layout
Section 4.2. Objective 2: Install a Boot Manager
Section 4.3. Objective 3: Make and Install Programs from Source
Section 4.4. Objective 4: Manage Shared Libraries
Section 4.5. Objective 5: Use Debian Package Management
Section 4.6. Objective 6: Use Red Hat Package Manager (RPM)
Chapter 5. GNU and Unix Commands (Topic 1.103)
Section 5.1. Objective 1: Work on the Command Line

Section 5.2. Objective 2: Process Text Streams Using Filters
Section 5.4. Objective 3: Perform Basic File Management
Section 5.5. Objective 4: Use Streams, Pipes, and Redirects
Section 5.6. Objective 5: Create, Monitor, and Kill Processes
Section 5.7. Objective 6: Modify Process Execution Priorities
Section 5.8. Objective 7: Search Text Files Using Regular Expressions
Section 5.9. Objective 8: Perform Basic File Editing Operations Using vi
Chapter 6. Devices, Linux Filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (Topic 1.104)
Section 6.1. Objective 1: Create Partitions and Filesystems
Section 6.2. Objective 2: Maintain the Integrity of Filesystems
Section 6.3. Objective 3: Control Filesystem Mounting and Unmounting
Section 6.4. Objective 4: Set and View Disk Quotas
Section 6.5. Objective 5: Use File Permissions to Control Access to Files
Section 6.6. Setting Up a Workgroup Directory
Section 6.7. Objective 6: Manage File Ownership


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Section 6.8. Objective 7: Create and Change Hard and Symbolic Links
Section 6.9. Objective 8: Find System Files and Place Files in the Correct Location
Chapter 7. The X Window System (Topic 1.1.10)
Section 7.1. An Overview of X
Section 7.2. Objective 1: Install and Configure X11
Section 7.3. Objective 2: Set Up a Display Manager
Section 7.4. Objective 4: Install and Customize a Window Manager Environment
Chapter 8. Exam 101 Review Questions and Exercises
Section 8.1. Hardware and Architecture (Topic 1.101)
Section 8.2. Linux Installation and Package Management (Topic 1.102)
Section 8.3. GNU and Unix Commands (Topic 1.103)
Section 8.4. Devices, Linux Filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (Topic 1.104)

Section 8.5. The X Window System (Topic 1.110)
Chapter 9. Exam 101 Practice Test
Section 9.1. Questions
Section 9.2. Answers
Chapter 10. Exam 101 Highlighter's Index
Section 10.1. Hardware and Architecture
Section 10.2. Linux Installation and Package Management
Section 10.3. GNU and Unix Commands
Section 10.4. Devices, Linux Filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
Section 10.5. The X Window System
Part II: General Linux Exam 102
Chapter 11. Exam 102 Overview
Chapter 12. Exam 102 Study Guide
Section 12.1. Exam Preparation
Chapter 13. Kernel (Topic 1.105)
Section 13.1. Objective 1: Manage/Query Kernel and Kernel Modules at Runtime
Section 13.2. Objective 2: Reconfigure, Build, and Install a Custom Kernel and Kernel Modules
Chapter 14. Boot, Initialization, Shutdown, and Runlevels (Topic 1.106)
Section 14.1. Objective 1: Boot the System
Section 14.2. Objective 2: Change Runlevels and Shut Down or Reboot System
Chapter 15. Printing (Topic 1.107)
Section 15.1. An Overview of Printing
Section 15.2. Objective 2: Manage Printers and Print Queues
Section 15.3. Objective 3: Print Files
Section 15.4. Objective 4: Install and Configure Local and Remote Printers
Chapter 16. Documentation (Topic 1.108)
Section 16.1. Objective 1: Use and Manage Local System Documentation
Section 16.2. Objective 2: Find Linux Documentation on the Internet
Section 16.3. Objective 5: Notify Users on System-related Issues
Chapter 17. Shells, Scripting, Programming, and Compiling (Topic 1.109)

Section 17.1. Objective 1: Customize and Use the Shell Environment
Section 17.2. Objective 2: Customize or Write Simple Scripts
Chapter 18. Administrative Tasks (Topic 1.111)
Section 18.1. Objective 1: Manage Users and Group Accounts and Related System Files
Section 18.2. Objective 2: Tune the User Environment and System Environment Variables
Section 18.3. Objective 3: Configure and Use System Log Files to Meet Administrative and Security Needs
Section 18.4. Objective 4: Automate System Administration Tasks by Scheduling Jobs to Run in the Future
Section 18.5. Objective 5: Maintain an Effective Data Backup Strategy
Section 18.6. Objective 6: Maintain System Time
Chapter 19. Networking Fundamentals (Topic 1.112)


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Section 19.1. Objective 1: Fundamentals of TCP/IP
Section 19.2. Objective 3: TCP/IP Configuration and Troubleshooting
Section 19.3. Objective 4: Configure Linux as a PPP Client
Chapter 20. Networking Services (Topic 1.113)
Section 20.1. Objective 1: Configure and Manage inetd, xinetd, and Related Services
Section 20.2. Objective 2: Operate and Perform Basic Configuration of Mail Transfer Agent (MTA)
Section 20.3. Objective 3: Operate and Perform Basic Configuration of Apache
Section 20.4. Objective 4: Properly Manage the NFS and Samba Daemons
Section 20.5. Objective 5: Set Up and Configure Basic DNS Services
Section 20.6. Objective 7: Set Up Secure Shell (OpenSSH)
Chapter 21. Security (Topic 1.114)
Section 21.1. Objective 1: Perform Security Administration Tasks
Section 21.2. Objective 2: Set Up Host Security
Section 21.3. Objective 3: Set Up User-level Security
Chapter 22. Exam 102 Review Questions and Exercises
Section 22.1. Kernel (Topic 1.105)
Section 22.2. Boot, Initialization, Shutdown, and Runlevels (Topic 1.106)

Section 22.3. Printing (Topic 1.107)
Section 22.4. Documentation (Topic 1.108)
Section 22.5. Shells, Scripting, Programming, and Compiling (Topic 1.109)
Section 22.6. Administrative Tasks (Topic 1.111)
Section 22.7. Networking Fundamentals (Topic 1.112)
Section 22.8. Networking Services (Topic 1.113)
Section 22.9. Security (Topic 1.114)
Chapter 23. Exam 102 Practice Test
Section 23.1. Questions
Section 23.2. Answers
Chapter 24. Exam 102 Highlighter's Index
Section 24.1. Kernel (Topic 1.105)
Section 24.2. Boot, Initialization, Shutdown, and Runlevels (Topic 1.106)
Section 24.3. Printing (Topic 1.107)
Section 24.4. Documentation (Topic 1.108)
Section 24.5. Shells, Scripting, Programming, and Compiling
Section 24.6. Administrative Tasks (Topic 1.111)
Section 24.7. Networking Fundamentals (Topic 1.112)
Section 24.8. Networking Services (Topic 1.113)
Section 24.9. Security (Topic 1.114)
Part III: General Linux Exam 201
Chapter 25. Linux Kernel
Section 25.1. Objective 1: Kernel Components
Section 25.2. Objective 2: Compiling a Kernel
Section 25.3. Objective 3: Patching a Kernel
Section 25.4. Objective 4: Customizing a Kernel
Chapter 26. System Startup
Section 26.1. Objective 1: Customizing System Startup and Boot Processes
Section 26.2. Objective 2: System Recovery
Chapter 27. Filesystem

Section 27.1. Objective 1: Operating the Linux Filesystem
Section 27.2. Objective 2: Maintaining a Linux Filesystem
Section 27.3. Objective 3: Creating and Configuring Filesystem Options
Chapter 28. Hardware (Topic 2.204)
Section 28.1. Objective 1: Configuring RAID


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Section 28.2. Objective 2: Adding New Hardware
Section 28.3. Objective 3: Software and Kernel Configuration
Section 28.4. Objective 4: Configuring PCMCIA Devices
Chapter 29. File and Service Sharing (Topic 2.209)
Section 29.1. Objective 1: Configuring a Samba Server
Section 29.2. Objective 2: Configuring an NFS Server
Chapter 30. System Maintenance (Topic 2.211)
Section 30.1. Objective 1: System Logging
Section 30.2. Objective 2: Packaging Software
Section 30.3. Objective 3: Backup Operations
Chapter 31. System Customization and Automation (Topic 2.213)
Section 31.1. Objective 1: Automating Tasks Using Scripts
Chapter 32. Troubleshooting (Topic 2.214)
Section 32.1. Objective 1: Creating Recovery Disks
Section 32.2. Objective 2: Identifying Boot Stages
Section 32.3. Objective 3: Troubleshooting Boot Loaders
Section 32.4. Objective 4: General Troubleshooting
Section 32.5. Objective 5: Troubleshooting System Resources
Section 32.6. Objective 6: Troubleshooting Environment Configurations
Chapter 33. LPI Exam 201 Review Questions and Exercises
Section 33.1. Linux Kernel (Topic 2.201)
Section 33.2. System Startup (Topic 2.202)

Section 33.3. Filesystem (Topic 2.203)
Section 33.4. Hardware (Topic 2.204)
Section 33.5. File and Service Sharing (Topic 2.209)
Section 33.6. System Maintenance (Topic 2.211)
Section 33.7. System Customization and Automation (Topic 2.213)
Section 33.8. Troubleshooting (Topic 2.214)
Chapter 34. Exam 201 Practice Test
Section 34.1. Questions
Section 34.2. Answers
Part IV: General Linux Exam 202
Chapter 35. Networking Configuration (Topic 2.205)
Section 35.1. Objective 1: Basic Networking Configuration
Section 35.2. Objective 2: Advanced Network Configuration and Troubleshooting
Chapter 36. Mail and News (Topic 2.206)
Section 36.1. Objective 2: Using Sendmail
Section 36.2. Objective 3: Managing Mail Traffic
Section 36.3. Objective 1: Configuring Mailing Lists
Section 36.4. Objective 4: Serving News
Section 36.5. Conclusion
Chapter 37. DNS (Topic 2.207)
Section 37.1. Objective 1: Basic DNS Server Configuration
Section 37.2. Objective 2: Create and Maintain DNS Zones
Section 37.3. Objective 3: Securing a DNS Server
Chapter 38. Web Services (Apache and Squid, Topic 2.208)
Section 38.1. Installing Apache
Section 38.2. Configuring Apache
Section 38.3. Squid: History and Overview
Section 38.4. Squid Authentication
Section 38.5. Squid as Web Accelerator
Chapter 39. Network Client Management (Topic 2.210)

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Section 39.1. Objective 1: DHCP Configuration
Section 39.2. Objective 2: NIS Configuration
Section 39.3. Objective 3: LDAP Configuration
Section 39.4. Objective 4: PAM Authentication
Chapter 40. System Security (Topic 2.212)
Section 40.1. Objective 2: Configuring a Router
Section 40.2. Objective 3: Securing FTP Servers
Section 40.3. Objective 4: Secure Shell (SSH)
Section 40.4. Objective 5: TCP Wrappers
Section 40.5. Objective 6: Security Tasks
Chapter 41. Network Troubleshooting (Topic 214)
Section 41.1. Network Troubleshooting Essentials
Section 41.2. Common Troubleshooting Commands
Section 41.3. Hardware Problems
Section 41.4. Network Device Configuration Files
Section 41.5. DNS Errors
Section 41.6. Determining the Cause of Inaccessible Services
Section 41.7. Conclusion
Chapter 42. Exam 202 Review Questions and Exercises
Section 42.1. Networking Configuration (Topic 2.205)
Section 42.2. Mail and News (Topic 2.206)
Section 42.3. DNS (Topic 2.207)
Section 42.4. Web Services (Topic 2.208)
Section 42.5. Answers
Section 42.6. Network Client Management (Topic 2.210)
Section 42.7. System Security (Topic 2.212)
Section 42.8. Network Troubleshooting (Topic 2.214)

Chapter 43. Exam 202 Practice Test
Section 43.1. Questions
Section 43.2. Answers
About the Authors
Colophon
Index


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LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell, Second Edition
by Steven Pritchard, Bruno Gomes Pessanha, Nicolai Langfeldt, James Stanger, and Jeff Dean
Copyright © 2006 O'Reilly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Published by O'Reilly Media, Inc., 1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472.
O'Reilly books may be purchased for educational, business, or sales promotional use. Online editions are also available for most titles
(safari.oreilly.com). For more information, contact our corporate/institutional sales department: (800) 998-9938 or

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Copyeditor:

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Indexer:

Ellen Troutman

Cover Designer:

Karen Montgomery

Interior Designer:

David Futato

Illustrators:

Robert Romano and Jessamyn Read

Printing History:

June 2001:

First Edition.

July 2006:

Second Edition.

Nutshell Handbook, the Nutshell Handbook logo, and the O'Reilly logo are registered trademarks of O'Reilly Media, Inc. The In a Nutshell
series designations, LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell, the image of a bull, and related trade dress are trademarks of O'Reilly Media,
Inc.
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those
designations appear in this book, and O'Reilly Media, Inc. was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in caps or
initial caps.
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or
omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
ISBN: 0-596-00528-8
[C]



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Preface
Certification of professionals is a time-honored tradition in many fields, including medicine and law. As small computer systems and
networks proliferated over the last decade, Novell and Microsoft produced extremely popular technical certification products for their
respective operating system and network technologies. These two programs are often cited as having popularized a certification market
for products that had previously been highly specialized and relatively rare. These programs have become so popular that a huge
training and preparation industry has formed to service a constant stream of new certification candidates.
Certification programs, offered by vendors such as Sun and Hewlett-Packard, have existed in the Unix world for some time. However,
since Solaris and HP-UX aren't commodity products, those programs don't draw the crowds that the PC platform does. Linux, however,
is different. Linux is both a commodity operating system and is PC- based, and its popularity continues to grow at a rapid pace. As Linux
deployment increases, so too does the demand for qualified and certified Linux system administrators.
A number of programs such as the Linux Professional Institute (LPI), the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) program, and CompTIA's
Linux+ have formed over the last few years to service this new market. Each of these programs seek to provide objective measurements
of a Linux administrator's skills, but they approach the problem in different ways.
The RHCE program requires that candidates pass multiple exam modules, including two hands-on and one written, whose goals are to

certify individuals to use their brand of products. The Linux+ program requires a single exam and is focused at entry-level candidates
with six months' experience. LPI's program is a job-based certification and currently consists of two levels that focus on two-year (Level
1) and four-year (Level 2) experienced candidates.

The Linux Professional Institute

The Linux Professional Institute () is a nonprofit organization formed with the single goal of providing a standard for
vendor-neutral certification. This goal is being achieved by certifying Linux administrators through a modified open source development
process. LPI seeks input from the public for its exam Objectives and questions, and anyone is welcome to participate. It has both paid
and volunteer staff and receives funding from some major names in the computer industry. The result is a vendor-neutral, publicly
developed program that is offered at a reasonable price.
LPI currently organizes its Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC) series in two levels: LPIC Levels 1 and 2. Each level consists
of two exams that are priced at about U.S. $100 each (prices vary by continent). This book covers the LPIC Level 1 Exams 101 and 102 in
Parts I and II, while LPIC Level 2 Exams, 201 and 202 are covered inParts III and IV.
LPI is in the process of building a third level of exams, which will focus on specialty fields. It is also working with other organizations to
start building certification modules based on the LPI standard.
Level 1 is aimed at junior to midlevel Linux administrators with about two years of practical system administration experience. The Level
1 candidate should be comfortable with Linux at the command line as well as capable of performing simple tasks, including system
installation and troubleshooting. Level 1 certification is required prior to obtaining Level 2 certification status.
Level 2 is for senior Linux system administrators and team leaders. A Level 2 administrator is likely to have four or more years of
practical administration experience. Beyond the ability to work effectively with native tools on standard Linux distributions, Level 2 covers
customizing all aspects of your Linux systems, from the kernel to its filesystems, as well as implementing a number of network
applications for Linux servers. At a glance, Level 2 Objectives may appear to overlap several areas of content with Level 1; however, the
depth and expertise level required is much higher. Often, a Level 2 candidate is expected to be the individual that a Level 1 candidate
would refer to for higher-level projects or problems within a production environment.
Level 2 certification will be required prior to obtaining the future Level 3 certification status.
All of LPI's exams are based on a published set of technical Objectives. These technical Objectives are posted on LPI's web site and for


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your convenience printed at the beginning of each chapter within this book. Each Objective set forth by LPI is assigned a numeric weight,
which acts as an indicator of the importance of the Objective. Weights run between 1 and 8, with higher numbers indicating more
importance. An Objective carrying a weight of 1 can be considered relatively unimportant and isn't likely to be covered in much depth on
the exam. Objectives with larger weights are sure to be covered on the exam, so you should study these closely. The weights of the
Objectives are provided at the beginning of each chapter.

Audience for This Book

The primary audience for this book is, of course, candidates seeking the LPIC certification. These may range from administrators of other
operating systems looking for a Linux certification to complement an MSCE certification to Unix administrators wary of a growing pool of
Linux-certified job applicants. In any case, this book will help you with the specific information you require to be successful with both the
Level 1 and Level 2 Exams. Don't be fooled, however, as book study will not be enough to pass your exams. Remember, practice makes
perfect!
Due to the breadth of knowledge required by the LPI Objectives and the book's one-to-one coverage, it also makes an excellent
reference for skills and methods required for the day-to-day use of Linux. If you have a basic working understanding of Linux
administration, the material in this book will help fill gaps in your knowledge while at the same time preparing you for the LPI Exams,
should you choose to take them.
This book should also prove to be a valuable introduction for new Linux users and administrators looking for a broad, detailed
introduction to Linux. Part of the LPI exam-creation process includes a survey of Linux professionals in the field. The survey results drive
much of the content found on the exams. Therefore, unlike general-purpose introductory Linux books, all of the information in this book
applies directly to running Linux in the real world.

Organization
This book is designed to exactly follow the Topics and Objectives established by LPI for Levels 1 and 2. That means that the
presentation doesn't look like any other Linux book you've read. Instead, you can directly track the LPI Objectives and easily measure
your progress as you prepare.
The book is presented in four parts. Part I covers Exam 101 andPart II covers Exam 102. New for the second edition, we have added
Parts III and IV to cover Exams 201 and 202 for LPI's Level 2 Exams. Each part contains chapters dedicated to the LPI Topics, and each
of those sections contains information on all of the Objectives set forth for the Topic. In addition, each part contains a practice exam (with
answers), review questions and exercises, and a handy highlighter's index that can help you review important details.

Book Chapters
Each part of this book contains some combination of the following materials:

Exam overview
Here you find an introduction to the exam along with details about the format of the questions.


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Study guide
This chapter offers a few tips to prepare for the LPI Exams and introduces the Objectives contained in the Topic chapters that
follow.

Topic chapters
A separate chapter covers each of the Topic areas on the exam. These chapters provide background information and
in-depth coverage for each Objective, with On the Exam tips dispersed throughout.

Review questions and exercises
This chapter reinforces important study areas with review questions. The purpose of this section is to provide you with a
series of exercises that can be used on a running Linux system to give you valuable hands-on experience before you take the
exams.

Practice test
The practice test is designed to be similar in format and content to the actual LPI Exams. You should be able to attain at least
an 80% score on the sample test before attempting the live exam.

Highlighter's index
This unique chapter contains highlights and important facts culled from the Topic chapters. You can use this as review and
reference material prior to taking the actual exams. This chapter was omitted from parts II and IV due to the variety and
complexity of topics disscussed in those sections.

There is also a glossary at the back of the book, which you can use to help familiarize yourself with different Linux-related terms.

Conventions Used in This Book

This book follows certain typographical conventions:

Italic
Italic is used to indicate URLs, filenames, directories, commands, options, system components (such as usernames), and to
highlight comments in examples.

Constant Width
Used to show the contents of files or the output from commands.


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Constant Width Bold
Used in examples and tables to show commands or other text that should be typed literally by the user.

Constant Width Italic
Used to show arguments and variables that should be replaced with user-supplied values.

#, $
Used in some examples as the root shell prompt (#) and as the user prompt ($) under the Bourne or Bash shell.

On the Exam
Provides information about areas you should focus on when studying for the exam.

Tip: Indicates a tip, suggestion, or general note.

Warning: Indicates a warning or caution.

A final word about syntax: in many cases, the space between an option and its argument can be omitted. In other cases, the spacing (or
lack of spacing) must be followed strictly. For example, -wn (no intervening space) might be interpreted differently from-w n. It's important
to notice the spacing used in option syntax.

Using Code Examples
This book is here to help you get your job done. In general, you may use the code in this book in your programs and documentation. You
do not need to contact us for permission unless you're reproducing a significant portion of the code. For example, writing a program that
uses several chunks of code from this book does not require permission. Selling or distributing a CD-ROM of examples from O'Reilly
books does require permission. Answering a question by citing this book and quoting example code does not require permission.
Incorporating a significant amount of example code from this book into your product's documentation does require permission.
We appreciate, but do not require, attribution. An attribution usually includes the title, author, publisher, and ISBN. For example: "LPI
Linux Certification in a Nutshell by Steven Pritchard et al. Copyright 2006 O'Reilly Media, Inc., 0-596-00528-8."
If you feel your use of code examples falls outside fair use or the permission given above, feel free to contact us at



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is available online through the O'Reilly Network Safari Bookshelf. Safari offers a solution that's better than e-books. It's a virtual library
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How to Contact Us

We have tested and verified the information in this book to the best of our ability, but you may find that features have changed (or even
that we have made mistakes!). As a reader of this book and as an LPI examinee, you can help us to improve future editions. Please let

us know about any errors you find, as well as your suggestions for future editions, by writing to:
O'Reilly Media, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastopol, CA 95472
800-998-9938 (in the U.S. or Canada)
707-829-0515 (international/local)
707-829-0104 (fax)
There is a web page for this book where you can find errata, examples, and any additional information. You can access this page at:
/>To comment or ask technical questions about this book, email:
For more information about our books, conferences, Resource Centers, and the O'Reilly Network, see our web site:

If you have taken one or all of the LPIC Exams after preparing with this book and find that parts of this book could better address your
exam experience, we'd like to hear about it. Of course, you are under obligation to LPI not to disclose specific exam details, but
comments regarding the coverage of the LPI Objectives, level of detail, and relevance to the exam will be most helpful. We take your
comments seriously and will do whatever we can to make this book as useful as it can be.

Acknowledgments
The size and complexity of the LPI tests required the collaboration of numerous authors and reviewers to get this edition done. Material
was contributed by Bj
rn Ruberg (Sendmail, DNS, networking, printing), Adam Haeder (file and service sharing, web services), and
Faber Fedor (troubleshooting).
For the second edition, we thank reviewers Keith Burgess, Donald L. Corbet, Chander Kant, and Rick Rezinas.
Bruno dedicates his work to his grandfather, Oswaldo Cabral Pessanha, in memorium.


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Part I: General Linux Exam 101
Part I covers the Topics and Objectives for the LPI's General Linux Certification for Exam 101 and includes the
following sections:

Chapter 1, LPI Exams
Chapter 2, Exam 101 Study Guide
Chapter 3, Hardware and Architecture (Topic 1.101)
Chapter 4, Linux Installation and Package Management (Topic 1.102)
Chapter 5, GNU and Unix Commands (Topic 1.103)
Chapter 6, Devices, Linux Filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (Topic 1.104)
Chapter 7, The X Window System (Topic 1.1.10)
Chapter 8, Exam 101 Review Questions and Exercises
Chapter 9, Exam 101 Practice Test
Chapter 10, Exam 101 Highlighter's Index


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Chapter 1. LPI Exams
LPI offers its exams through Pearson VUE (), Thomson Prometric (), and at on-site
locations at special Linux events, such as tradeshows. Before registering for any of these testing methods, you need to obtain an LPI ID
number by registering directly with LPI. To obtain your LPI ID, visit Once you've received your LPI ID,
you may continue your registration by registering with a testing center or special event. You can link to any of these registration options
through LPI's registration web site.
In testing centers, the exams are delivered using a PC-based automated examination program. As of this writing, the exams are
available in both English and Japanese. Exam questions are presented in multiple-choice single-answer, multiple-choice
multiple-answer, and fill-in-the-blank styles. However, the majority of the questions on the exams are multiple-choice single-answer.
For security purposes, multiple forms of each exam are available at testing centers to help minimize memorization and brain dumps of
exams if candidates take them multiple times. Due to this, actual question numbers may vary slightly. LPI's psychometric team develops
these forms and adjusts the scoring appropriately so all forms are equally difficult.


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1.1. Exam 101 Overview

LPI Exam 101 is one of two exams required for the LPIC Level 1 certification. In total, 14 major Topic areas are specified for Level 1; this
exam tests your knowledge on 5 of them.
Exam Topics are numbered using alevel.topic notation (e.g., 1.101, 1.102, 1.113). In LPI's early stages of development, Topics were
assigned to exams based on a different scheme than we see today. When the scheme changed, the Topics were redistributed to Exams
101 and 102, but the pairing of Topic numbers to exams was dropped. As a result, LPI has 1.x and 2.x Topics in both Level 1 Exams. In
the 2002 revision of the Objectives , LPI decided to reformat the numbering scheme to be more scalable for its multiple levels of
certifications. Therefore, the exams now use an x.y.z numbering scheme where x equals the LPIC level (e.g., 1 or 2),y equals the
Objective Topic (e.g., 101, 102, 201, 202, etc.) which are unique to all levels of LPI exams, and z equals the Objective number within the
Topic area (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on).
The Level 1 Topics are distributed between the two exams to create tests of similar length and difficulty without subject matter overlap.
As a result, there's no requirement for or advantage to taking them in sequence.
Each Topic contains a series of Objectives covering specific areas of expertise. Each of these Objectives is assigned a numeric weight,
which acts as an indicator of the importance of the Objective. Weights typically run between 1 and 8, with higher numbers indicating
more importance. An Objective carrying a weight of 1 can be considered relatively unimportant and isn't likely to be covered in much
depth on the exam. Objectives with larger weights are sure to be covered more heavily on the exam, so you should study these Topics
closely. The weights of the Objectives are provided at the beginning of each Topic section.
The Topics for Exam 101 are listed in Table 1-1.

Table 1-1. LPI Topics for Exam 101
Name

Number of
objectives

Description

Hardware and
Architecture

4

These Objectives cover all the fundamentals of working with common types of hardware on
Linux. The Objectives included configuring PC system BIOS and IDE hard drives, installing
plug-and-play-based modems and sound cards, setting up SCSI-based devices, and
configuring USB hardware.

Linux Installation and
Package
Management

6

Objectives for this Topic include the basics of getting any LSB- compliant Linux distribution
installed and installing applications. Some of the basics include partitioning hard drives,
installing your choice of boot managers, installing programs from source, managing shared
libraries, and using package management systems such as Debian and Red Hat (RPM).

GNU and Unix
Commands

8

This heavily weighted Topic addresses the most utilized command- line tools used on
standard Linux systems as well as most commercial Unix systems. The Objectives detail
working on a command line, processing text streams using command-line tools, managing
files, manipulating text with pipes and redirects, monitoring system processes, managing task
priorities, using regular expressions, and editing files with vi. lilo, syslog, runlevels, shutdown,
and reboot.

Devices, Linux
Filesystems, and the
Filesystem Hierarchy
Standard

8

Objectives for this Topic include the creation of partitions and filesystems, filesystem integrity,
mounting, quotas, permissions, ownership, links, and file location tasks.


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Name
The X Window
System

Number of
objectives
3

Description
The X-based Objectives cover only subjects that every Level 1 sysadmin are expected to
encounter. Some of these tasks include installing and configuring XFree86, setting up a
display manager such as XDM, GDM, or KDM, and installing and customizing Window
Manager Environments.

As you can see from Table 1-1, the Topic numbers assigned by the LPI are not necessarily sequential. This is due to various
modifications made by the LPI to its exam program as it developed. The Topic numbers serve only as reference and are not used on the

exam.
Exam 101 lasts a maximum of 90 minutes and contains approximately 65 questions. The exam is administered using a custom
application on a PC in a private room with no notes or other reference material. The majority of the exam is made up of multiple-choice
single-answer questions. These questions have only one correct answer and are answered using radio buttons. Some of them present a
scenario needing administrative action. Others seek appropriate commands for a particular task or proof of understanding of a particular
concept.
About 10 percent of the exam questions are multiple-choice multiple-answer questions, which are answered using checkboxes. These
questions specify that they have multiple correct responses, each of which must be checked to get the item correct. There is no partial
credit for partially answered items. This is probably the most difficult question style because the multiple answers increase the likelihood
of mistakes. But they also are a good test of your knowledge of Unix commands, since an incorrect response on any one of the possible
answers causes you to miss the entire question.
The exam also has fill-in-the-blank questions. These questions provide a one-line text area input box for you to fill in your answer. These
questions check your knowledge of concepts such as important files and commands, plus common facts that you are expected to be
aware of. The second release of the LPI Level 1 exams included more of these types of items since the psychometric evaluation LPI
uses for exam development determined that the fill-in-the-blank type of questions were the best indicators for truly competant
administrators. Don't let this scare you, however, since most of these items accept multiple answers. Unless specified otherwise they are
not case-sensitive and do not require full paths in your answers.


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Chapter 2. Exam 101 Study Guide
Part I of this book contains a section for each of the five Topics found on LPI Exam 101. Each section details certain Objectives, which
are described here and on the LPI web site, />


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2.1. Exam Preparation

LPI Exam 101 is thorough, but you should find it fairly straightforward if you have a solid foundation in Linux concepts. You won't come
across questions that intend to trick you, and you're unlikely to find ambiguous questions.
Exam 101 mainly tests your knowledge of facts, including commands and their common options, important file locations, configuration
syntax, and common procedures. Your recollection of these details, regardless of your level of Linux administration experience, will
directly influence your results.
For clarity, the material in the following sections is presented in the same order as the LPI Topics and Objectives. However, you may
choose to study the Topics in any order you wish. To assist you with your preparation, Tables 2-1 through 2-5 list the Topics and
Objectives found on Exam 101. Objectives within each Topic occupy rows of the corresponding table, including the Objective's number,
description, and weight. The LPI assigns a weight for each Objective to indicate the relative importance of that Objective on the exam on
a scale of 1 to 8. We recommend that you use the weights to prioritize what you decide to study in preparation for the exams. After you
complete your study of each Objective, simply check it off here to measure and organize your progress.

Table 2-1. Hardware and architecture (Topic 1.101)
Objective

Weight

Description

1

1

Configure Fundamental BIOS Settings

3

1

Configure Modem and Sound Cards

4

1

Set Up Non-IDE Devices

5

3

Set Up Different PC Expansion Cards

6

1

Configure Communication Devices

7

1

Configure USB Devices

Table 2-2. Linux installation and package management (Topic 1.102)
Objective

Weight

Description

1

5

Design Hard Disk Layout

2

1

Install a Boot Manager

3

5

Make and Install Programs from Source

4

3

Manage Shared Libraries

5

8

Use Debian Package Management

6

8

Use Red Hat Package Manager


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Table 2-3. GNU and Unix commands (Topic 1.103)
Objective

Weight

Description

1

5

Work on the Command Line

2

6

Process Text Streams Using Filters

3

5

Perform Basic File Management

4

5

Using Streams, Pipes, and Redirects

5

5

Create, Monitor, and Kill Processes

6

3

Modify Process Execution Priorities

7

3

Search Text Files Using Regular Expressions

8

1

Perform Basic File Editing Operations Using vi

Table 2-4. Devices, Linux filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (Topic 1.104)
Objective

Weight

Description

1

3

Create Partitions and Filesystems

2

3

Maintain the Integrity of Filesystems

3

3

Control Mounting and Unmounting Filesystems

4

3

Managing Disk Quota

5

5

Use File Permissions to Control Access to Files

6

1

Manage File Ownership

7

1

Create and Change Hard and Symbolic Links

8

5

Find System Files and Place Files in the Correct Location

Table 2-5. The X Window System (Topic 1.110)
Objective

Weight

Description

1

5

Install and Configure X11

2

3

Set Up a Display Manager

4

5

Install and Customize a Window Manager Environment



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Chapter 2. Hardware and Architecture (Topic 1.101)
This Topic requires general knowledge of fundamental PC architecture facts that you must know before attempting any operating system
installation. It includes these Objectives:

Objective 1: Configure Fundamental BIOS Settings
This Objective states that candidates should be able to configure fundamental system hardware by making the correct
settings in the system BIOS. This Objective includes a proper understanding of BIOS configuration issues such as the use
of LBA on integrated device electronics (IDE) hard disks larger than 1024 cylinders, enabling or disabling integrated
peripherals, and configuring systems with (or without) external peripherals such as keyboards. It also includes the correct
setting for IRQs, DMAs, and I/O addresses for all BIOS administrated ports and settings for error handling. Weight: 1.

Objective 3: Configure Modem and Sound Cards
An LPI 101 Candidate must ensure devices meet compatibility requirements (particularly that the modem is not a
winmodem). The candidate should also verify that both the modem and sound card are using unique and correct IRQs,
DMAs, and I/O addresses; if the sound card is plug-and-play (PnP), install and run sndconfig and isapnp; configure the
modem for outbound PPP, SLIP, and CSLIP connections; and set the serial port speeds. Weight: 1.

Objective 4: Set Up Non-IDE Devices
This Objective states that the candidate should be able to configure SCSI (pronounced "scuzzy") devices using the SCSI
BIOS as well as the necessary Linux tools. He should also be able to differentiate between the various types of SCSI. This
Objective includes manipulating the SCSI BIOS to detect used and available SCSI IDs and setting the correct ID number for
different devices, especially the boot device. It also includes managing the settings in the computer's BIOS to determine the
desired boot sequence if both SCSI and IDE drives are used. Weight: 1.

Objective 5: Set Up Different PC Expansion Cards
This Objective states that a candidate should be able to configure various cards for the various expansion slots. She should
know the differences between ISA and PCI cards with respect to configuration issues. This Objective includes the correct
settings of IRQs, DMAs, and I/O ports of the cards, especially to avoid conflicts between devices. It also includes using
isapnp if the card is an ISA PnP device. Weight: 3.

Objective 6: Configure Communication Devices
The candidate should be able to install and configure different internal and external communication devices such as modems,
ISDN adapters, and DSL switches. This Objective includes verification of compatibility requirements (especially important if
that modem is a winmodem), necessary hardware settings for internal devices (IRQs, DMAs, and I/O ports), and loading and
configuring suitable device drivers. It also includes communication device and interface configuration requirements, such as
the right serial port for 115.2 Kbps and the correct modem settings for outbound PPP connections. Weight: 1.