 RED HAT Essentials 

 Ch.1
History
1984  GNU project began by Richard Stallman, write replacement tools
for Unix like (chmod, ls…)
They put these S/W under GPL which have 4 freedom (write to use,
modify, redistribute, distribute modifications.
1991  linus trovalds (Finland)  develop Linux kernel "ver. 0.02  now
2.6 "
Complete – open source + unix like O.S = Linux kernel + GNU unities
 Red hat distributions
RHEL
FEDORA
 There are now around 200 Linux distributions.
 To obtain kernel www.kernel.org
 Kernel naming X.Y.Z
X  major no.
Y  minor no.  If even it is stable else it is a
development kernel
Z  release

 CH.2

Basics
Two types of login virtual console (text)
GUI login  "display manager"  gdm
 start  GNONE desktop
 To switch between V.C's & GUI environment  alt + ctrl + F1  F7.
 Desktop environment is a collection of configurations and tools that
define how a graphical environment should like .
 X – server (desktop) will start on ctrl + alt + F7.
 To change your password  system  preferences  about me OR
#passwd
 To login by another identity #su username
 Text editor  nano , gedit , emacs, vi

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 Ch.3
Help & commands
Command syntax #command option arguments
- a (or -abc)
-- help
+x
Example: #date +%"now is % A, %B, %d, %y, %n it is %r"
#cal 9 2010
Help

#whatis cal  to generate DB #makewhatis

#date -- help

#man [<chapter>] command

1 command (default)
5 file format
2 system calls
6 games
4 special files

8
 /text  search on man /n/N /q (next / previous / quit)

#man – k keyword  use whatis DB

#Info in depth  like web site "* is a link"

Tab  move to next link
Enter  follow the link
N / p / u  next /previous /up
s  search
q  quit

# /usr/share/doc samples of configuration files

PDF, html

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 Ch.4
F.S Browsing

Root directory or slash (/) contain the following Directories:

/root, home (home directories for root and users)

non – essential
/bin (Essential), /usr/bin, /usr/local/bin (user executable files)
S/W compiled from source

non – essential
/sbin (Essential), /usr/sbin, /usr/local/sbin (system exec. Files)
S/W compiled from source
/mnt, /media (removable) (mount points )
/etc (Configuration files)
/tmp (delete after 10 dyes)
/boot (Kernel and boot files)
Log, mail, spool
/var, /srv (DB, apache) (server data )
/proc, /sys (H/W) (system info.)
/lib, /usr/lib, /usr/local/lib shared lib.

#pwd print current directory

* The paths may be absolute path or relative paths
#cd
#cd   tilde
#cd ..
#cd -  previous. dir
#ls – a
#ls – l
#ls – R
#ls – ld
#cp – r recursive dir (copy or rename)
–i interactive (ask before overwrite )
#mv
#rmdir
#touch
#rm – r  directory
–f  force  for write protected files
–i  interactive
 Nautilus "GNONE"

 Drag & drop to copy OR context menu

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 #file filename  compare the contents with pattern in /usr/share/magic to
determine file type.

 Ch.5
User & Group & permissions
 Uid of root is 0
 Users have uid, gid, home directory ,login shell in /etc/passwd,
/etc/group
 Private group  has the same user name
 Permission precedence  uid, gid, other
 #chmod Permission file/dir.
4 r read list "ls"
2 w write create /remove
1 x exit cd & ls - l
 #chown [ - R] mm file
 #chgrp [ - R] frinds file
 #chmod [ - R ] augo  rwx file
a all
u owner
g group
o other
= assign
+ add
- remove
#chmod 644 file

 Ch.6
Using bash shell
 Wild card expansion
* replace zero or more character
? replace one character
[0 – 9] replace one digit from 0 to 9
[abc] replace one char. (a or b or c)
[^ abc] not
[: keyword:]  keyword alpha, upper, lower, digit, alnum,
Space
Ex. [[: digit]] or [^ [: alpha:]]
 Tab completion "commands & file names"
 #history

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 !!  repeat last command
! char  repeat last command that start with chan
! num
!–n repeat last command entered n command back
!? abc repeat last command that contain abc
Alt +. Recall last argument
   refere to home hir
Ahmed/mm
 Command expansion $( ) or `command`
 Brace expansion {}
#touch file{1, 2, 3}
 Ctrl + a  move to line start
e  move to end
u  delete to line start
k  delete to end
 In Gnome
Ctrl + shift  create new tab
Ctrl + pgup/pgdown  switch to tab
Ctrl + shift + c copy selected text
Ctrl + shift + v  paste
 Scripts  text file contain a series of commands 
for automate commands & text processing
 Sequence #! /bin/bash
# Comment
 #chmod u+x script  $ /home/usr/script
 OR $./script
 OR in PATH variable

 Ch.7
Redirection & pipes & for
 standard i/p  file describtor 0 , <
o/p  file describtor 1, >, >>
&> o/p & error
Error  file describtor 2, 2>, 2>>
 find /etc - name passwd > find.out 2> find.err
 pipe "|"
#echo "test print" | lpr
#echo "test mail" | mail – s "test" root
#find /etc – name passwd &> find all redirect all
# (cal 2007, cal 2008) | less  combine out of multiple commands
 tee

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 #ls – l /etc | tee file | sort
#ls – l /etc | tee file  on the screen

 #tr "A – Z " "a – z" < test file  i/p redirection

#cat test file | tr "A – Z" "a – z"
#cat < file  # cat file
#cat > file output redirection
 $mail – s " test" root@example.com << END
> Hi
> man
> END sendins multiple lines to STDIN
$
 for name in ali mm nn
do
echo welcome | mail – s testmail $name
done
 for n in ` cat file `
do
echo "$n"
done
 for n in {1..20}
do
ip=10.0.0.$n
ping – c2 $ip &> /dev/null
if {$? = 0}, then
echo" $ip is up"
else
echo "$ ip is down"
fi
done

 Ch.8
Text processing tools
 #cat file1 file2 file3 "concatenate"
If #cat "binary file"  terminal will unusable so use #reset
#cat – b
 Number each line

 #less /ali search like man

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 n next
N prev.
g tap
G end

 #head – n /etc/passwd
#tail – n /etc/passwd
–f
 #grep mm /etc/passwd
-i  case insensitive ,
- n  print line numbers of match,
- v  not contain , - c  count
-r  recursive , - l  only files names
-AX  print line after match
-BX  print line before match

 #cat – d: - f1 /file
#cat – d" – c2 – 5 /file
#ifconfig 1 grep 'inet addr' 1 cat – d: - F2 1 cat – d " " – F1
 #wc – l
–w
–c
–m  char. cont "not displayed"
 #sort – r  reverse
–n numeric
–u  uniq
–t:  use ":" as a filed separator
– k x  sort by ":" delimited filed x
#sort – t: - k 3 – n /etc/passwd  uid field
#sort – t: - k 3.2 – n /etc/passwd

Filed . char. within the field to begin the sorting

 #uniq – u  lines that are unique
–d  print one copy of the lines that are re peated
–c  print the unmbers of repetition
i/p to uniq must be sorted
Without option  remove duplicate lines
- fn , – sn avoid compare the first n field or char
#sort – u  uniq
 #aspell check file  list the error word and its correct
#aspell list < file  list the error word

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 #look exer  list the complete word that start with exer
 #tr 'A – Z ' 'a – z ' < file
 #sed 's/cat/dog/' file  one change in a line
#sed 's/cat/dog/gi' file global & case insensitive
 multiple change per line
#sed '1,50s/cat/dog/g' file
#sed – e 's/cat/dog/g' – e 's/cow/bird/g' file  multiple edit
#sed – f mm filename  mm file has the required changes
in the previous format
 Special char. for complex search [ in grep, sed, less……]
^  Line begins
$  Line ends
Like [xy]  x or y
bash [^ x y]  not x or y
[[:upper:]]

 Ch.9
Vim
 Adv. : speed , most unix types
Disadv. : difficult
 Modes  command
 Insert
 Ex mode
 Esc  exit current mode & esc esc  exit to
command mode
 Insert mode A  append end of line , a  after the cursor
I  append begin of line it  before the
curser
O  inserts new line
 Ex. :w
 : wq
 : q!
 Command mode
w  move word
b  move word
G  jumb to end
2G  jumb to line 2
()  move by sentence
{}  move by paragraph

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  Search as less  (/dog  search down word) & (?dog  search up
word )
 Search and replace as sed  but in the current line
all lines :%s/dog/cat/g  replace in all file
: s/dog/cat  replace once in the same line
:1,5s/cat/dog/g

 In command mode change cut copy paste

cc  copy line dd yy p
c}  paragraph below d} y} p
c{  paragraph above d{ y{ p
c)
c(
 u  undo last change
U  undo last changes on the line
Ctrl + r  redo
 : set number (:set un or :set noun)
: set ignorecase (:set ic or : set noic)

#vim – o file1 file2  start multiple window "windowing mode" or "vim

only"
 Ctrl + w, s  split screen hors,
Ctrl + w, v  split screen vertical
Ctrl + w, arrow  move between window
Ctrl + w, n  create new window
Ctrl + w, t  resize deceive window

 Ch.10
#ifconfig eth0
#ifup eth0
#ifdown eth0
#system–config–network deactivate  activate
#nano /etc/sysconfig/network–scripts/ifcfg–eth0
#service network restart
#dhclient
#nano /etc/sysconfig/network
#route add default gw 10.0.0.1
#ifconfig eth0 10.0.0.2
#nano /etc/resolv.conf

Print requests (jobs) sent to queue which sent to printers

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 # system–config–printers OR http:// local host: 631
To definu local printer  queue type  locally – connected  /dev/ lp0
if usb  rescan devices
 Generic print device used for most unsupported printers
 Configuration stored in /etc/cups/printers.conf
#lpr file ( lp)
#lpq  view queue content ( lpstat)
#lprm job no. ( cancel)
#evince  PDF viewer
#lpstat –p  list configured printers
#ps2pdf
#pdf2ps
#pdftotext
#enscript & a2ps convert text to post script
#system–config–date
#date [mmddhhmm [[cc]yy][.ss]

 Ch.11
Processes
 PID
 UID & GID & SE Linux context determine F.S access which
inherit from the executing user
 #ps –a x u f
 (a)  all terminals
 (x)  process not attached to terminal
 (u)  display process owner
 (f)  print process parent

– e  all
– elfy  more info.
– o pid, comm., %cpu, %mem, state, tty

 Process status
Running  use CPU now .
Sleeping  in memory but not doing any thing.
"Error uninterruptible sleep" waiting for resource to because available
[wait for an event] (ex. I/O over fail net
NFS connection.
Zombie  terminated but not flushed from process
list.

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 * before process die it sends signal to its parent & wait for ack. If parent
does not ack. all resources except PID are released
 #pgrep cups
#pidof cups  match the name
#ps axo pid, comm | grep 'cups'
 Signal  interprocess communication
15  TERM  terminate cleanly
9  KILL  terminate immediately  may cause
Zombie
1  HUP  re – read configuration file
INT (ctrl + c)  TERM
# Man 7 signal
 Sending signals to process
Pid #kill – 9 pid
– KILL
Name #killall – TERM cupsd
Pattern # pkill – 9 cups
 Nice value determine process priority [ 20  19]
 
High priority low priority
$ nice –n 5 comm.
$ renice 5 PID
$ renice –15 PPID  root only
 Process monitor
# top
# Gnome – system – monitor
 Job control
#firefox &
#ctrl + Z or single 17 (stop)
#bg %job no.
#fg % job no.
#jobs
#kill – 9 %job no.
 o/p of interactive job in background appear on screen

 Create #at time #crontab – e

List #at –l #crontab – l
Detail #at –c job no. --------
Remove #at –d job no. #crontab – r
 #at 7 am Thursday #crontab – u username
now + 5 minutes min hour DOM month DOM
8 : 00 pm December 7 * 1, 2, 3

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  conditional execution
&&  AND then
| |  OR else
#ping – c 10.0.0.1 &> /dev/null && echo "life" || echo "died"
 test command
$ test "$A" = "$B"  ["$A" = "$B"]  string
$ test "$A" – eq "$B"   integers
[ - f /test] && source test script
-d dir
-f file "regular"
-x executable
-r readable
-e file
 if ping –c 2 10.0.0.1 &> /dev/null ; then
echo "up"
elif ping … ; then
else
echo
fi
 # for x in { 9100000..9110000}
do
grep $x in ~/file.txt > /dev/null | | echo $x > result

 Ch.12
Configure bash shell
 Variables
#m="hellow"
Variable  1) local var. "shell var."
2) Environment var.
(1)  Local var. user to configure the shell itself
(2)  Shell will pass env. var. to the program that call it  used to
configure other commands
#set  display all var.
#env display env. var.
#echo $HOME display single var.
Ex: - env. var
 PSI ="\a, \h"  prompt
\a  username
\w  current working dir.
\h  hostname

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 \!  history no. of the current command
\$  show $ if user & #if root
 Example on environment var. PATH, EDITOR, HISTFILESIZE, HOME,
EUID
 #alias dir = 'ls – la'
#unalias
 To prevent expansion
 #echo \$5  $5
' ' inhibit all expansion
 " " inhibit all expansion except  $, ` , \, !

 Login shell  su - /etc/profile call /etc/profile.d

"Global"
Created shell at login ~/.bash_profile call ~/bashrc call
/etc/bashrc
 Non login shell  SU
Graphical terminal ~/bashrc  /etc/bashrc
Executed script  /etc/profile.d
Any other bash

 Bash exit tasks  when exist login shell

~/bash_logout
 Take I/p with positional parameters
$1, $2…… $9, ${10}, ${11}, $*, $#, $0

All argument
No. of arg.
Command name
 Read
# read – p "Enter name" name
 Which command find the path for the executable file (command)

 Ch.13
Find
 #locate name  (updatedb  daily executed from /etc/updatedb.conf)
- i  case insensitive
- n x  list only the first x matches
 #find [dir.] [criteria] [action]
Only search dir. where the user has read & execute permission
#find / – perm 022 – exec chmod o – w { } \;
– ok
– User

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 – group
– name
(Case insensitive) – iname
– user mm – group xx  AND
– user mm – o – group xx OR
– not \(– user mm – o – group xx\) not
# find – size 1024  1 Mbyte
+ 1024
-1024
– mmin min | – mtime day last change to file data
– cmin min |– ctime day  last change to file metadata
– amin min | - atime day  last access to file data
# find – size 1024 – exec { } \;
– ok { } \;
# find /tmp – ctime + 3 – exec chmod o – w { } \;
# find / - name mm - ok cp { } { }.old \;
 Gnome search tool

 Ch.14
Web client
 Firefox features  fast, popup blocking, tabbed browsing
# links http:// www.redhat.com  show the site
# Links – dump http:// www.redhat.com  show then exit
# links – source http:// www.redhat.com  show source
# wget http:// www.redhat.com/index.html
# wget – recursive -- level = 1 http:// www.site.com
 Evolution  email client "in fedora"
 Thunderbird  email client "mozilla email client"
 Kmail  KDE email client
 Mutt  non Gui email client [#mutt – f imaps://user@server]
 Gaim or kopete  IM tools support msn, yahoo, icq, irc….
 RH client  RH server
#ssh root@IP ['command']  allow authenticated, encrypted access to
remote system
# scp source destination
 user@host:/path
– r  recursive
#sftp
#rsync  fuster than scp it capies difference
–a  recursive
-- Progress print progress bar

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 # rsync *.conf 10.0.0.1:/home/config
 Open ssh key based authen tication
# ssh–keygen – t dsa  /.ssh/id_dsa
# ssh–copy–id –i .ssh/id_dsa.pub
#lftp – u mm ftp.example.com
#gftp
# smbclient – L 10.0.0.1  share list
#smbclient – u mm //10.0.0.1/home  access /home share dir.
 File transfer with nautilus
smb://  list all SMB server
smb://example.com  list example.com SMB
ftp://ftp.mm.com
 X org clients
# ping
# truceroute
# host
# dig
# netstat
# gnome–nettool  GUI

 Ch.15
Advanced users & permissions
/etc/passwd  UID, gid
/etc/group
/etc/shadow
# system–config–users
# useradd
# usermod
# userdel
#w  show connected users
# last  show recent login
# lastb  show last bad login
 Special permission for executable  suid  run with owner
perm.
 sgid  run with group
owner perm.
 Special permission for directions  sticky
 sgid
1  sticky
2  sgid
4  suid

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 # Chmod 3777 die
 sgid + sticky

 Ch.16
Linux file system
 Inode table contain inode entries which contain file type , UID, GID,
size, time stamps, pointers to the file's data blocks on disk, permission,
link count
 Directory is a map between human name & inode number
# ls – il
Hard links
Adds an additional pathname to reference a single file per file system
# ln filename [link name]
Soft links "symbolic"
A file that points to another file "its symbol is l"
# ln – s filename link name
# df – h  disk partitions usage
# du – hs  directory & files usage in kilobyte
# mount
# zip & # unzip
# gzip & # gunzip
#bzip2 & # bunzip2
# tar – c  create
–t  list
– x  extract
– v  verbose
– f  archive name
– z  compress

 Ch.17
System admin tools
 Installation
# service
# chkconfig
# System–config–services
# rpm
# yum
# priut  adds /removes S/W
 Selinux
 Firewall  # system-config–securitylevel

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