Lab trackLinux Labs
Advanced Linux System Administration
Twenty-six labs that take a Linux administrator further: Bash scripting, special permissions, SELinux troubleshooting, timers and tuning, then real services to run — DNS, Apache, Nginx, Samba, MariaDB and Postfix.
- 26 labs
- 15.9 h
- Intermediate
- Paid
This lab is part of a paid track. Buy the track once and launch every lab in it.
- A real environment in your browser
- You run the commands yourself
- Your result is checked automatically
Labs in this track
Linux Foundations
5 labs2.3 h
- Find Answers on the Machine ItselfBeginner25 minUnlock
- Become Another User with su and sudoBeginner25 minUnlock
- History, Aliases, and Shell Startup FilesBeginner30 minUnlock
- Write Your First Bash ScriptsBeginner30 minUnlock
- Bash Scripts That Loop Over InputIntermediate30 minUnlock
Identity and Access
4 labs1.9 h
- Special Permissions: setuid, setgid, and the Sticky BitIntermediate30 minUnlock
- Password Ageing and Account ExpiryIntermediate25 minUnlock
- SELinux Port Labels and BooleansIntermediate30 minUnlock
- Troubleshoot an SELinux DenialIntermediate30 minUnlock
Everyday System Operations
6 labs2.6 h
- Package History, Undo, and GroupsIntermediate25 minUnlock
- Schedule Jobs with systemd TimersIntermediate30 minUnlock
- Schedule Jobs with cron and atBeginner25 minUnlock
- Process Priority with nice and reniceBeginner20 minUnlock
- Tuning Profiles and Performance ReadingsIntermediate25 minUnlock
- Boot Targets and the Default TargetIntermediate30 minUnlock
Networking and Secure Administration
1 lab30 min
- Troubleshoot Network Services on One MachineIntermediate30 minUnlock
Linux Server Services
10 labs8.6 h
- BIND Authoritative Forward and Reverse DNSIntermediate55 minUnlock
- Restricted DNS Caching and ForwardingIntermediate45 minUnlock
- Secondary DNS and Authenticated Zone TransferAdvanced55 minUnlock
- Apache Name-Based Virtual HostsIntermediate50 minUnlock
- Nginx Reverse Proxy in Front of a Private ApplicationIntermediate50 minUnlock
- Apache HTTPS with a Training CAIntermediate55 minUnlock
- Rotate the Certificate on an HTTPS Reverse ProxyAdvanced55 minUnlock
- Samba Authenticated Team ShareIntermediate50 minUnlock
- MariaDB Administration and Least-Privilege AccessIntermediate55 minUnlock
- Postfix Local Notifications and the Mail QueueIntermediate45 minUnlock
About this track
A lab-only path that continues where Linux System Administration stops.
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Every lab is a real AlmaLinux 10 server with SELinux enforcing, and when the work needs a second or third machine you get them. The first four sections deepen what an administrator does every day: finding answers on the machine itself, scripting repeatable work in Bash, special permissions and password ageing, SELinux port labels, booleans and denials, package history, systemd timers, cron and at, process priority, tuning profiles and boot targets. The last section is the services themselves: you build an authoritative, a caching and a secondary DNS server, publish sites with Apache and Nginx over HTTPS with your own certificate authority, share files with Samba, lock down MariaDB access and run Postfix for local mail.
There are no video lectures and no reading-only lessons. Each lab states the task, checks what you actually did on the servers, and shows a worked solution when you ask for one.
What you'll learn
- Find answers with man pages and local documentation, and switch users safely with su and sudo
- Shape your shell with history, aliases and startup files, and write Bash scripts that take input and loop
- Use setuid, setgid and the sticky bit deliberately, and enforce password ageing and account expiry
- Label ports and set booleans for SELinux, and diagnose a denial from the audit log
- Read and undo package history, and schedule work with systemd timers, cron and at
- Set process priority, choose a tuning profile, read performance figures, and change the boot target
- Troubleshoot a network service on one machine from the socket to the firewall
- Run BIND as an authoritative, caching and secondary DNS server with signed zone transfers
- Serve name-based virtual hosts with Apache and put Nginx in front of a private application
- Issue certificates from a training CA, serve HTTPS, and rotate a certificate without downtime
- Share a team directory with Samba, grant least-privilege access in MariaDB, and manage the Postfix queue
Prerequisites
The Linux System Administration labs, or the same ground from experience: the shell, users and permissions, systemd, firewalld, SSH and storage.
Nothing to install. The servers, the terminal and, for the web labs, a browser desktop are in your browser.
Who it's for
Administrators who run services rather than only servers, anyone preparing for a hands-on Enterprise Linux certification, and DevOps engineers who want to understand the machines under their containers.
FAQ
Do I need the first Linux course? Not formally, but these labs assume its habits. If the shell, permissions and systemd are new to you, start there; it is free.
How many times can I launch a lab? Ten launches per lab, one at a time.
Do the labs use more than one machine? The services labs do: a client and one or two servers, already connected.
Do I have to go in order? No. Each lab stands on its own, though the services section builds from DNS to web to the rest.