Official Linux LPI Course: LPIC-1 - Exam Preparation 101 and 102 plus 2 free exams

LPIC-1 is the first certification in the Linux Professional Institute's (LPI) multi-level Linux professional certification program. The LPIC-1 will validate the candidate's ability to perform command line maintenance tasks, install and configure a Linux computer, and configure basic networking.

The LPIC-1 is designed to reflect current research and validate the candidate's real-world mastery of Linux system administration. The objectives are tied to real-world job skills, which we determine through analysis of the work task during the development of the exam.

Goals

This course covers the syllabus for the preparation of exams 101 and 102 , necessary for the Linux LPI level 1 or LPIC-1 certification.

The main objectives are:

• Understand the architecture of a Linux system;
• Install and maintain a Linux workstation, including X11 and configure it as a network client;
• Work on the Linux command line, including common GNU and Unix commands;
• Manage files and access permissions, as well as system security;
• Perform simple maintenance tasks: assist users, add users to a larger system, perform backup and restore, shutdown and reboot.

Contents for certification

To become LPIC-1 certified, you must pass exams 101 and 102. Topics on each exam cover: 

LPIC-1 exam 101:

• Topic 101 System Architecture
• Topic 102 Linux installation and package management
• Topic 103 GNU and Unix Commands
• Topic 104 Devices, Linux file systems, standard file system hierarchy

LPIC-1 exam 102 :

• Topic 105 Shells and Shell Scripting
• Topic 106 Interfaces and desktops
• Topic 107 Administrative tasks
• Topic 108 Essential system services
• Topic 109 Network fundamentals
• Topic 110 Security

LPIC-1 101 Exam

Topic 101: System Architecture

101.1 Determine and configure hardware settings

Candidates should be able to determine and configure critical system hardware.

Key knowledge areas:

• Activate and deactivate integrated peripherals.
  
• Differentiate between the different types of mass storage devices.
  
• Determine the hardware resources for the devices.
  
• Tools and utilities for listing hardware information (e.g. lsusb, lspci, etc.).
  
• Tools and utilities to manipulate USB devices.
  
• Conceptual knowledge of sysfs, udev and dbus.
  

101.2 System startup

Candidates should be able to guide the system through the startup process.

Key knowledge areas:

• Provide common commands to the boot loader and options to the kernel at boot time.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the boot sequence from BIOS/UEFI to boot completion.
• Understanding SysVinit and systemd.
• Upstart knowledge.
• Check the boot events in the log files.

101.3 Change run levels/boot targets and shutdown or reboot the system

Candidates should be able to manage the SysVinit runlevel or the systemd boot target of the system. This goal includes switching to single-user mode, shutting down, or rebooting the system. Candidates should be able to alert users before changing run level/boot target and properly terminate processes. This target also includes setting the default SysVinit runlevel or systemd boot target. Also includes knowledge of Upstart as an alternative to SysVinit or systemd.

Key knowledge areas:

• Set the default runlevel or boot target.
• Switch between runlevels/boot targets, including single-user mode.
• Shut down and restart from the command line.
• Alert users before changing runlevel/boot target or other important system events.
• Complete processes appropriately.
• Knowledge of acpid.

Topic 102: Linux installation and package management

102.1 HDD partitioning scheme design

Candidates should be able to design a disk partitioning scheme for a Linux system.

Key knowledge areas:

• Assign file systems and swap space to separate partitions or disks.
• Adapt the design to the intended use of the system.
• Ensure that the /boot partition meets the hardware architecture requirements for booting.
• Knowledge of the basic features of LVM.

102.2 Install a bootloader

The candidate must be able to select, install and configure a bootloader.

Key knowledge areas:

• Provide alternative locations for the bootloader as well as backup boot options.
• Install and configure a boot loader such as GRUB Legacy.
• Make basic configuration changes for GRUB 2.
• Interact with the bootloader.

102.3 Shared library management

The candidate should be able to determine which shared libraries executable programs depend on and install them when necessary.

Key knowledge areas:

• Identify shared libraries.
• Identify typical locations of system libraries.
• Load shared libraries.

102.4 Debian Package Management

The candidate must be able to perform package management using Debian tools.

Key knowledge areas:

• Install, update and uninstall Debian binary packages.
• Find packages that contain specific files or libraries (whether installed or not).
• Get package information such as version, content, dependencies, package integrity, and installation status (whether the package is installed or not).
• Apt knowledge

102.5 RPM and YUM Package Management

The candidate must be able to perform package management using RPM, YUM and Zypper tools.

Key knowledge areas:

• Install, reinstall, update and uninstall packages using RPM, YUM and Zypper.
• Obtain RPM package information such as version, status, dependencies, integrity, and signatures.
• Determine which files a package provides as well as find which package a given file comes from.
• Knowledge of dnf.

102.6 Linux as a virtualized system

The candidate must understand the implications of virtualization and cloud computing on a virtualized Linux system.

Key knowledge areas:

• Understand the general concept of virtual machine and container
• Understand common elements of a virtual machine in an IaaS cloud environment, such as compute instance, block storage, and networking
• Understand the unique properties of a Linux system that have to change when the system is cloned or used as a template
• Understand how system images are used to deploy virtual machines, cloud instances, and containers
• Understand Linux extensions that allow integration with a virtualization product
• Cloud-init knowledge

Topic 103: GNU and Unix Commands

103.1 Working from the command line

The candidate must know how to use the command line to interact with the shell and its commands. The candidate's knowledge of the Bash shell is assumed.

Key knowledge areas:

• Use individual shell commands and one-line scripts to perform basic tasks at the command line.
• Use and modify the shell environment, including defining, referencing, and exporting environment variables.
• Use and edit command history.
• Invoke commands inside and outside the defined route.

103.2 Process text sequences using filters

The candidate must know how to apply filters to text sequences.

Key knowledge areas:

• Send text files and output streams through text utilities filters to modify the output using standard UNIX commands included in the GNU textutils package.

103.3 Basic file management

The candidate must be able to use basic Linux commands for file and directory management.

Key knowledge areas:

• Copy, move and delete files and directories individually.
• Copy multiple files and directories recursively.
• Delete files and directories recursively.
• Use simple and advanced wildcard specifications in commands.
• Use find to locate files and act on them based on their type, size or timestamps.
• Use of tar, cpio and dd.

103.4 Using Text Sequences, Pipes, and Redirects

The candidate must be able to redirect sequences of text and connect them to process information efficiently. These tasks include: redirection of standard input, standard output, and standard error; the use of pipes to send the output of one command to the input of another; using the output of one command as an argument to another command, as well as sending the output of a command simultaneously to standard output and to a file.

Key knowledge areas:

• Redirect standard input (stdin), standard output (stdout), and standard error (stderr).
• Use pipes to send the output of one command to the input of another.
• Use the output of one command as an argument to another command.
• Send the output of a command to stdouty to a file simultaneously.

103.5 Create, monitor and kill processes

The candidate must be able to perform basic process management.

Key knowledge areas:

• Run jobs in the foreground and background.
• Send signals to programs to continue running after logout.
• Monitor active processes.
• Select and order processes for viewing.
• Send signals to processes.

103.6 Modify the execution priority of processes
The candidate must be able to manage process execution priorities.

Key knowledge areas:

• Know the default priority with which a process is created.
• Run a program with a higher or lower priority than its default.
• Change the priority of a running process.

103.7 Searching text files using regular expressions

The candidate must be able to manipulate files and text strings using regular expressions. The objective includes the creation of simple regular expressions that contain several elements of notation as well as the use of tools to perform regular expression searches within a file system or the contents of a file.

Key knowledge areas:

• Create simple regular expressions that contain several notation elements.
• Know how to differentiate basic regular expressions from extended ones.
• Understand the concepts of special characters, character classes, quantifiers and anchors.
• Use tools to search with regular expressions within a file system or the contents of a file.
• Use regular expressions to delete, modify or replace text.

103.8 Basic file editing

The candidate must be able to edit text files using vi. The goal includes navigation in vi, basic vi modes, as well as inserting, editing, deleting, copying, and finding text using vi. Also included is knowledge of other popular text editors and knowing how to set the default editor.

Key knowledge areas:

• Navigate a document using vi.
• Understand and use vi modes.
• Insert, edit, delete, copy and find text using vi.
• Knowledge of Emacs, nano and vim.
• Configure the standard editor.

Topic 104: Devices, Linux file systems, and the file hierarchy standard

104.1 Creating partitions and file systems

The candidate must be able to configure disk partitions and then create file systems on media such as hard drives. The management of swap partitions is included.

Key knowledge areas:

• Manage MBR and GPT partition tables
• Use various mkfs commands to create different file systems such as: ext2/ext3/ext4, XFS, VFAT, exFAT
• Basic knowledge of the Btrfs file system, including multi-device file systems, compression, and subvolumes.

104.2 Maintain the integrity of file systems
The candidate must be able to maintain a standard file system as well as the additional data associated with a journaling file system.

Key knowledge areas:

• Verify the integrity of file systems.
• Monitor free space and inodes.
• Fix simple problems related to file systems.

104.3 Control mounting and unmounting of file systems

The candidate must be able to configure the mounting of a file system.
Key knowledge areas:

• Mount and unmount file systems manually.
• Configure file system mounting at boot.
• Configure user-removable and mountable file systems.
• Use of tags and universally unique identifiers (UUIDs) for file system identification and mounting.
• Knowledge of systemd assembly units.

104.4 Removed

104.5 Managing file permissions and owners

The candidate must be able to control access to files through appropriate use of their permissions and owners.

Key knowledge areas:

• Manage access permissions to regular and special files as well as directories.
• Use access modes such as suid, sgid and sticky bit to maintain security.
• Know how to change the file creation mask.
• Use the group field to grant file access to members of a group.

104.6 Create and change hard and symbolic links

The candidate must be able to create and manage hard and symbolic links of a file.

Key knowledge areas:

• Create links.
• Identify hard and/or symbolic links.
• Copy versus link files.
• Use links to facilitate system administration tasks.

104.7 Finding system files and locating files in the appropriate place

The candidate should be fully familiar with the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS), including typical file locations and directory classification.

Key knowledge areas:

• Understand the correct file locations under FHS criteria.
• Finding files and commands on a Linux system.
• Know the location and purpose of important files and directories as defined by the FHS.

LPIC-1 102 Exam

Topic 105: Shells and scripts

105.1 Customizing and using the shell environment

The candidate must be able to customize the shell environment to suit user needs as well as modify global and user profiles.

Key knowledge areas:

• Set environment variables (eg PATH) at login or when generating a new shell.
• Write functions in Bash for frequently used scripts.
• Maintain skeleton directories for new user accounts.
• Set the appropriate directory in the command search path.

105.2 Customizing and writing simple scripts

The candidate should be able to customize existing scripts or write new simple scripts in Bash.

Key knowledge areas:

• Use standard sh syntax (loops, tests).
• Use command substitution.
• Correctly evaluate the return code of a command for success, failure, or any other information provided by the command output.
• Execute commands in chain.
• Send conditional mail to the superuser.
• Correctly select the script interpreter using the initial line or shebang (#!).
• Manage script location, owners, execution, and suid permissions.

Topic 106: User interfaces and desktops

106.1 Install and configure X11

The candidate must be able to install and configure X11.
Key knowledge areas:

Understand the architecture of X11.
Basic knowledge of the X Window configuration file.
Override specific aspects of the Xorg configuration, such as keyboard settings.
Understand the components of desktop environments, such as display managers or window managers.
Manage access to the X server and display applications on remote X servers.
Wayland knowledge.

106.2 Graphics desktops

The candidate must know the main desktops used with Linux, as well as the protocols used to access remote desktop sessions.

Key knowledge areas:

• Know the main desktop environments.
• Know what protocols are used to access remote desktop sessions.

106.3 Accessibility

Demonstrate knowledge and awareness of accessibility technologies.

Key knowledge areas:

• Basic knowledge of themes and visual settings.
• Basic knowledge of assisted technology.

Topic 107: Administrative tasks

107.1 Manage user and group accounts and the system files related to them

The candidate must be able to add, delete, suspend and modify user accounts.

Key knowledge areas:

• Add, modify and delete groups and users.
• Manage user/group information in password/group databases.
• Create and manage limited and special purpose accounts.

107.2 Automate system administrative tasks through job scheduling

The candidate should know how to use cron and systemd timers to run jobs at regular intervals and at to run jobs at specific times.

Key knowledge areas:

• Manage jobs with cron and at.
• Configure user access to cron and at services.
• Understand systemd timing units.

107.3 Localization and internationalization

The candidate must be able to localize a system in a language other than English. Likewise, it is important that the candidate knows why LANG=C is useful when writing scripts.

Key knowledge areas:

• Regional settings and environment variables.
• Setting the time zone and environment variables.

Topic 108: Essential system services

108.1 Maintain system time
The candidate must be able to correctly maintain system time and synchronize the clock via NTP.

Key knowledge areas:

• Set the system date and time.
• Set the hardware clock to the correct time in UTC.
• Setting the correct time zone.
• Basic NTP configuration using ntpd and chrony.
• Know how to use the pool.ntp.org service.
• Know the ntpq command.

108.2 System logs

The candidate must be able to configure the rsyslog logging daemon. This objective also includes configuring the daemon to send log output to a central server or to act as a central server and receive it. The use of the systemd logging subsystem is also covered and the candidate is expected to be familiar with rsyslog and syslog-ng as alternative logging systems.

Key knowledge areas:

• Basic rsyslog configuration.
• Know the subsystems, priorities and standard actions.
• Make queries to the systemd journal.
• Filter systemd journal data by criteria such as date, service, or priority.
• Configure systemd journal persistent storage and its size.
• Clear old systemd journal data.
• Recover systemd journal data from a rescue system or file system copy.
• Understand the interaction of rsyslog with systemd-journald.
• Logotate configuration.
• Know syslog and syslog-ng.

108.3 Mail Transfer Agent Basics

The candidate should be familiar with the most common Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) programs and be able to perform basic forwarding and aliasing configurations on a client machine. The rest of the configuration files are not included.

Key knowledge areas:

• Create email aliases.
• Set up email forwarding.
• Know the most common MTA programs (postfix, sendmail, qmail, exim) – not including their configuration.

108.4 Printing and printer management

The candidate must know how to manage print queues and user print jobs using CUPS and the LPD support interface.

Key knowledge areas:

• Basic CUPS configuration (for local and remote printers).
• Management of user print queues.
• Resolution of printing problems.
• Add and delete jobs in configured print queues.

Topic 109: Network fundamentals

109.1 Fundamentals of Internet Protocols

The candidate must demonstrate their knowledge of TCP/IP network fundamentals.

Key knowledge areas:

• Demonstrate knowledge of netmasks and CIDR notation.
• Know the difference between private and public IP addresses with dotted decimal notation.
• Know common TCP and UDP ports and services (20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 53, 80, 110, 123, 139, 143, 161, 162, 389, 443, 465, 514, 636, 993, 995).
• Know the differences and main characteristics of the UDP, TCP and ICMP protocols.
• Know the main differences between IPv4 and IPv6.
• Know the basic characteristics of IPv6.

109.2 Persistent Network Configuration

The candidate must know how to manage the persistent network configuration of a Linux server.

Key knowledge areas:

• Understand the basic TCP/IP configuration of a server.
• Configure ethernet and wi-fi networks using NetworkManager.
• Knowledge of systemd-networkd.

109.3 Basic Network Troubleshooting

The candidate must be able to resolve network problems on client computers.

Key knowledge areas:

• Configure network interfaces manually, including viewing and modifying them using iproute2.
• Configure routing tables manually, including viewing and modifying them as well as configuring the default route using iproute2.
• Debug issues related to network configuration.
• Knowledge of commands inherited from net-tools.

109.4 DNS configuration on the client side

Key knowledge areas:

• Query remote DNS servers.
• Configure local name resolution and use remote DNS servers.
• Modify the order in which name resolution is performed.
• Debug errors related to name resolution.
• Knowledge of systemd-resolved

Topic 110: Security

110.1 Security administration tasks

The candidate must be able to review system configuration to ensure its security in accordance with local security policies.

Key knowledge areas:

• Audit a system to find files with the suid/sgid bit set.
• Set or change user passwords and password expiration information.
• Know how to use nmap and netstat to discover open ports on a system.
• Set limits on user logins, processes, and memory usage.
• Determine which users have logged into the system or are currently logged in.
• Basic sudo configuration and usage.

110.2 System Security Settings

The candidate must be able to configure a basic level of security on the system.

Key knowledge areas:

• Know shadow passwords and how they work.
• Disable network services that are not in use.
• Understand the role of TCP wrappers.

110.3 Data protection through encryption

The candidate must be able to use public key techniques to protect data and communications.

Key knowledge areas:

• Basic configuration and use of the OpenSSH 2 client.
• Understand the role of OpenSSH 2 server keys.
• Basic GnuPG configuration and usage, including key revocation.
• Using GPG to encrypt, decrypt, sign and verify files.
• Understand port forwarding through SSH tunnels (including X11 tunnels).

Language

The e-Learning components on which the training is carried out are in English and Spanish .

Exam languages ​​available at VUE testing centers: English, Japanese

Exam languages ​​available online through OnVUE: English, Japanese

Requirements