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Chapter 1: Introduction to System and Network Administration

1.1. Objectives/ Goals, Challenges and Common Practices

Objectives/Goals:

System and network administration involve tasks like building hardware

configurations and managing large computer networks with inherent complexity.

The field of system administration fits well within Computer Science curricula,
drawing heavily from subjects like Operating Systems, Networking, Database

Systems, and Software Engineering.

Professional organizations like LISA and the League of Professional System

Administrators promote best practices and communities in system administration.

The practice of system administration requires a theoretical background along with

extensive practical experience and benefits from dedicated research opportunities.

Challenges:

System administrators control entire systems, requiring them to design

infrastructure components and resist the temptation to overcomplicate architectures

or software tools.

The profession demands strong willpower and years of experience to maintain

simplicity in technology solutions.

Common Practices:

System administrators are responsible for building systems and designing

infrastructure components, often transitioning into roles like Systems or Network
"Architects" with experience and seniority.

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The profession emphasizes the importance of simplicity in technology solutions,

recognizing that exemplary technologies are often characterized by simplicity.

System Administrators Best Practices:

- Be a Good Citizen: Focus on customer service by serving users, maintaining

systems, providing security, and responding promptly to requests.
- Monitor Your Systems: Monitor system metrics comprehensively, establish
baselines, and set up proactive alerting for abnormal behavior.
- Perform Disaster Recovery Planning: Plan for recovery from any disaster, not
just major ones, considering remote recovery scenarios.
- Document Everything: Thoroughly document standard procedures,
connectivity information, maintenance tasks, and disaster recovery plans.
- Establish Procedures for Your Work: Create and document standard
procedures to maintain consistency, reproducibility, and stability in your
computing environment.

1.2. Overview of the Operating System

An operating system (OS) serves as an interface between users and hardware,
providing an environment that allows convenient usage while hiding the complexities
of hardware operations.

It enables efficient usage by facilitating parallel activities, avoiding wasted cycles,

providing information protection, and allocating resources to each user. The OS acts

as a control program, managing the layers of a system from user programs to

hardware interfaces.

1.3. Unix-like Systems Vs Windows Systems

Unix-like Systems:

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Development: UNIX originated in the 1970s, emphasizing simplicity, modularity, and

small specialized tools that can be combined for complex tasks.

Structure: Unix-like systems are multi-user and multi-tasking, featuring a

hierarchical file system where everything is treated as a file and supporting a
command-line interface (CLI).

Security: UNIX-based systems are inherently more secure than Windows due to their
modular approach, allowing independent management of components and reducing
vulnerabilities.

Advantages: Unix-like systems like Linux offer stability, flexibility, and security,
making them popular for various devices and IT systems.

Windows Systems:

User Interface: Windows systems are known for their Graphical User Interface (GUI),
designed to be user-friendly and accessible to non-IT users for tasks like file
management and software access.

Processing: Windows supports multithreading, creating multiple threads from a

single process to enhance computing power, while UNIX systems support
multiprocessing with separate address spaces for each process.

File System: Windows uses different file systems like NTFS and FAT, treating
physical drives individually, whereas UNIX employs UFS (Unix File System) with a
hierarchical tree structure under the same root.

Main Differences:

Licensing: UNIX is open-source under the General Public License, while Windows is
proprietary software owned by Microsoft with closed-source code.

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User Interface: Unix-like systems can be more challenging for newcomers due to their
CLI emphasis, while Windows focuses on a simple GUI for ease of use by non-IT
individuals.

Processing Model: UNIX supports multiprocessing with separate address spaces for
processes, while Windows utilizes multithreading with shared address space among
threads within a process.

1.4. Linux Distributions and UIs

Ubuntu Variants: Ubuntu, a popular Linux distribution, offers official variants like
Kubuntu (KDE), Lubuntu (LXQt), Xubuntu (XFCE), Ubuntu MATE (MATE), and
Ubuntu Budgie (Budgie), each providing a unique desktop environment tailored to
specific user preferences.

Commercial Distributions: Commercial Linux distributions like Red Hat Enterprise

Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise also include desktop environments such as
GNOME or KDE Plasma alongside windowing systems like X11 or Wayland.

Community-Driven Development: Many Linux distributions are community-driven,

allowing for a wide array of UI options developed by enthusiasts and open-source
contributors to meet diverse user needs.

1.5. Linux Operations Review

1.5.1. File System Hierarchy and Standard

i. Single-rooted Hierarchy, Seamless, and Extensible File Systems:

Linux follows a single-rooted hierarchical file system structure where all directories
stem from the root directory (/), providing a seamless and extensible organization for
files and folders.

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ii. Mounting Additional File Systems:

Linux allows for the mounting of additional file systems to the existing directory
structure, enabling users to access and interact with external storage devices or
network resources seamlessly.

iii. File System Object-Oriented Design and File System Standard:

The Linux File System Hierarchy Standard (FHS) defines the organization and
guidelines for file and directory placement in UNIX-like operating systems,
promoting interoperability, system administration, and documentation uniformity.

iv. Unix File and Directory Permissions:

Unix-based systems like Linux utilize file and directory permissions to control access
and security. Permissions are set for users, groups, and others, defining who can read,
write, or execute files and directories.

1.5.2. Essential Shell Commands

1.5.2.1. Basic File Manipulation Commands and Directory Navigation Commands

Basic File Manipulation Commands:

- mv: Used to move or rename files and directories. For example, mv filepath1
filepath2 moves or renames the file at the first path to the second.
- cp: Copies files and directories.
The command ‘cp sourcePath destinationPath’ copies files to a new location.
- rm: Deletes files and directories. For instance, rm path1 path2 deletes one or more
files, while rm -r directory removes directories along with their contents.
- mkdir: Creates directories. Using mkdir directory, you can create a new directory
with the specified name.
- touch: Creates empty files. By using touch filename, you can create an empty file
with the specified name.

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Directory Navigation Commands:

- cd: Navigates through directories. For example, cd directory moves to the specified
directory.
- ls: Lists files and directories in the current working directory. Simply
typing ls displays the contents of the current directory.
- pwd: Prints the current working directory on the terminal, showing the user's
location within the file system.
- tree: Visualizes the structure of directories and files, providing a hierarchical view
of the file system for better organization.

1.5.2.2. Advanced File Manipulation Commands

Advanced File Manipulation Commands:

- uniq: The ‘uniq’ command, often used with sort, is powerful for log file analysis. It
sorts and displays entries by removing duplicates, making it useful for various
data processing tasks.
- Init: Init commands are crucial for managing system initialization processes in
Linux. They control the boot process and system services, ensuring proper system
startup and management.
- Processes: Commands related to processes allow users to manage running
programs efficiently. These commands include tools for monitoring, controlling,
and interacting with processes on a Linux system.
- Threads: Thread-related commands are essential for handling multithreading in
Linux applications. They enable efficient utilization of system resources by
managing concurrent execution within a program.

1.5.3. Advanced Shell Features

- setterm Command: The setterm command allows users to customize terminal

characteristics like keyboard repeat rate, tab stops, and text colors, enhancing the
visual experience and usability of the terminal.

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- Shell Scripting: Shells like Bourne, C, and Zsh offer powerful scripting
capabilities, enabling users to automate tasks, create complex programs, and
leverage unique features like word substitution and parameter expansion.
- Interactive Features: Shells like Friendly Interactive Shell (fish) provide
advanced interactive features such as advanced suggestions, tab completion,
syntax highlighting, descriptive error messages, web-based configuration, and
command history with search options, enhancing user experience and
productivity.
- AI-Powered Shell: Innovative AI-powered shells can generate commands based on
plain English input, converting them into Linux commands for execution. While
offering convenience, caution is advised due to the potential risks of unintended
actions like sending emails to the wrong recipients or deleting files
unintentionally.
- Customization and Configuration: Shells like Zsh offer extensive customization
options through frameworks like Oh My Zsh, allowing users to tailor their shell
environment to suit their preferences and workflow.