About This Course

Linux II – Linux Administration & Networking

Official Certification Name: LPIC-1: Linux Administrator
Exam: 102

The Linux II – Linux Administration & Networking course builds upon the core Linux knowledge acquired in introductory system administration studies and moves students into real-world Linux administration, shell environments, networking fundamentals, user management, security, and system services. Aligned with the objectives of the LPIC-1 Linux Administrator Exam 102, this course focuses on the practical skills required to administer modern Linux systems in enterprise and infrastructure environments.

Linux administrators are expected not only to understand the operating system itself but also to manage users, configure services, troubleshoot networks, automate repetitive tasks, and maintain secure and efficient computing environments. This course develops those skills through a combination of theoretical understanding and practical hands-on experience.

Students will explore the Linux shell environment in greater depth, learning how login systems, environment variables, scheduling mechanisms, and desktop architectures function internally. The course also introduces core networking concepts including TCP/IP, DNS, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, routing fundamentals, and network troubleshooting techniques commonly used by Linux administrators.

Security concepts form an important part of the curriculum. Students will examine Linux permissions in greater detail, understand privileged execution mechanisms such as SUID and SGID, and gain insight into authentication, encryption, and public-key technologies used by SSH and GPG.

Practical administration skills are reinforced throughout the course using real-world Linux tools and workflows. Students will work with logging systems, user and group management, desktop environments, scheduling systems, and networking tools used daily by Linux professionals.

By the end of this course, learners should be able to:

Explain:

• The difference between login and non-login shells (e.g., .bash_profile vs .bashrc)
• How X11 and Wayland differ in architecture and use cases
• The purpose of environment variables (e.g., PATH, LANG, HOME)
• The role of cron, at, and systemd timers in task scheduling
• The basics of IPv4/IPv6, subnetting, and CIDR notation
• The difference between TCP, UDP, and ICMP
• The purpose of SUID/SGID bits and their security implications
• How GPG and SSH use public-key cryptography

Describe:

• The structure of /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, and /etc/group
• The components of a desktop environment (display manager, window manager, desktop environment)
• The process of DNS resolution from local configuration to remote servers
• The role of rsyslog and systemd-journald in logging systems

Identify:

• Common TCP/UDP ports and their associated services
• Files and directories within the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS)
• Tools for network troubleshooting (ip, ping, traceroute, netstat, ss)
• Accessibility features and assistive technologies available in Linux systems

This course strengthens the practical and conceptual skills needed for Linux administration roles and prepares students for continued progression toward advanced Linux certifications and enterprise system management responsibilities.