ADLER-TECH

System Core Management: Boot, Kernel, and Services

Duration: 14 Hours (2 Days) Focus: Understanding and Managing the Linux Initialization Sequence and Core Components

Day 1: Kernel Foundations and System Initialization (7 Hours)

Module 1: Introduction to the Linux Kernel

  • Kernel Identification (Understanding Linux Kernel versioning and numbering schemes).
  • Architectural Overview (Conceptual understanding of kernel space vs. user space, system calls, and key components).

Module 2: The Boot Process and Bootloader

  • Boot Sequence Fundamentals (Overview of BIOS/UEFI, Boot Loader, and Kernel loading).
  • The GRUB Boot Loader (Configuration and management of the primary Linux boot loader).
  • GRUB Menu Customization (Creating and editing custom menu entries for different boot scenarios).
  • Targeted Booting (Directing the boot process to specific system targets or runlevels for maintenance).

Module 3: Systemd Service Management

  • Introduction to Systemd (Understanding its role as the primary init system and service manager).
  • Core Systemd Functions (Using systemctl to start, stop, check status, and enable/disable services).
  • System Initialization Flow (Tracing the boot process through Systemd units and dependencies).
  • Managing Systemd Units (Working with services, sockets, timers, and targets).

Day 2: Kernel Management, Development Environment & Logging (7 Hours)

Module 4: Kernel Module Administration

  • The Kernel Source Tree (Working with the relevant directory structure, e.g., /lib/modules).
  • Dynamic Kernel Management (Loading, unloading, and blacklisting kernel modules using modprobe and lsmod).
  • Module Persistence (Ensuring modules are loaded correctly across reboots).

Module 5: Preparing the Development Environment (Overview)

  • Environment Setup (Installing essential tools and dependencies required for kernel interaction and compilation, e.g., build-essential, kernel headers).
  • Configuration and Installation (Conceptual overview of configuring, compiling, and installing a custom or mainline kernel).

Module 6: Systemd Optimization and Troubleshooting

  • Systemd Tuning (Techniques for optimizing systemd unit files to speed up boot time and improve resource usage).
  • Advanced Systemd Features (Using Cgroups and limiting resource consumption via unit files).
  • Target Management (Switching between and managing different runlevels/targets).

Module 7: Comprehensive System Logging

  • The System Journal (Understanding Systemd’s integrated logging system, the Journal).
  • Working with Log Files (Utilizing journalctl for viewing, filtering, and troubleshooting system logs).
  • Log Retention and Searching (Filtering logs by time, service, and priority).
  • Log Maintenance (Configuring and managing log rotation and compression to control disk space).