Curriculum

The sequence is cumulative. Later work deliberately reuses earlier users, groups, directories, services, storage, and security controls.

Stage 0 — Baseline diagnostic

Assess basic shell use, file manipulation, redirection, text filtering, links, permissions, archives, documentation, SSH, and verification. The result determines whether Module 1 is taught normally or accelerated.

Gate: submit commands used and final-state evidence from the diagnostic. No green ratings are assigned without unaided evidence.

Module 1 — Essential command-line tools

Correct command syntax and shell navigation
Create, edit, copy, move, and remove files and directories
Standard input, output, error redirection, and pipelines
grep and regular expressions
Hard and symbolic links
Archives and gzip/bzip2 compression
Standard ugo/rwx permissions
man, info, --help, and /usr/share/doc
Local logins, user switching, SSH, and secure file transfer fundamentals

Enterprise result: a controlled working area containing reports, links, and backups that can be inspected and transferred between servers.

Module 2 — Users, groups, permissions, and privilege

Local account lifecycle and password aging
Groups and supplementary membership
Default permissions and umask
SGID collaboration directories, sticky bit, and ACLs
Diagnosing permission failures
Privileged access with RHEL 10-supported sudo configuration

Enterprise result: admins, developers, and operations teams collaborate safely under /srv/projects and /srv/backups.

Module 3 — Software and repositories

Inspect and configure RPM repositories
Install, update, query, verify, and remove RPM packages
Use Red Hat CDN and local/remote package sources
Configure Flatpak remotes and manage Flatpak applications
Diagnose repository and package problems

Enterprise result: documented software sources and a small approved package baseline.

Module 4 — Processes, services, logs, and performance

Find CPU- and memory-intensive processes and stop them safely
Adjust process scheduling
Manage and enable systemd services
Locate and interpret logs and the journal
Configure persistent system journals
Select and verify TuneD profiles

Enterprise result: a managed service with persistent logs and an appropriate performance profile.

Module 5 — Networking and remote administration

Configure persistent IPv4 and IPv6 networking with NetworkManager
Configure hostname resolution
Ensure network services start at boot
SSH and key-based authentication
SCP/SFTP and remote administration
Restrict access with firewalld
Diagnose connectivity, listeners, routes, name resolution, and firewall failures

Enterprise result: reliable administration between the two lab servers using names and SSH keys with deliberately limited network exposure.

Module 6 — GPT partitions, filesystems, mounts, and swap

Safely identify disposable disks
Create and remove GPT partitions
Create and use VFAT, ext4, and XFS filesystems
Mount by UUID or label and validate /etc/fstab
Add partitions, filesystems, and swap non-destructively
Diagnose mount and permission failures

Enterprise result: persistent data, interchange, archive, and swap resources on disposable storage.

Snapshot gate: obtain a fresh Proxmox snapshot before the first destructive storage lab. Never select the OS disk.

Module 7 — LVM lifecycle

Create and remove physical volumes
Create and extend volume groups
Create, delete, and extend logical volumes
Grow supported filesystems correctly
Verify LVM and persistent mounts before and after reboot
Diagnose LVM/storage problems

Enterprise result: vgdata supplies expandable storage for applications, projects, and backups.

Snapshot gate: obtain a fresh Proxmox snapshot before destructive or fault-injection work.

Module 8 — NFS and AutoFS

Prepare an NFS service on the secondary server
Apply permissions, SELinux, service, and firewall requirements
Mount NFS manually and persistently
Configure and diagnose AutoFS

Enterprise result: the secondary server publishes team data; the primary consumes fixed and on-demand mounts.

Module 9 — SELinux

Enforcing and permissive modes
File and process contexts
Restore default contexts
Persistent custom file context rules
Port labels
Boolean settings
Use logs and analysis tools to diagnose denials

Enterprise result: services operate under enforcing SELinux without broad or temporary workarounds.

Module 10 — Shell scripting

Positional input
Command substitution and processing command output
Conditions with if, test, and []
for loops over files and arguments
Exit status, safe quoting, executable permissions, and verification

Enterprise result: small scripts audit users, storage, services, and backups created in earlier modules.

Module 11 — Task scheduling

One-time work with at
Repeating work with cron
Native scheduling with systemd timer units
Service identities, paths, logging, missed runs, enablement, and verification

Enterprise result: reports and backup checks run predictably and leave inspectable evidence.

Module 12 — Boot, targets, recovery, and bootloader

Normal boot, reboot, and shutdown
Temporary and default systemd targets
Interrupt boot to regain administrative access
Modify and validate the RHEL 10 bootloader configuration
Recover from broken boot-related configuration

Enterprise result: systems boot into the required target and can be recovered under exam conditions.

Snapshot gate: obtain a fresh Proxmox snapshot before boot interruption, bootloader modification, or deliberate boot failure.

Module 13 — Integrated reviews and mock exams

Mini exams follow major sections.
Full mock exams mix requirements without commands or unsolicited hints.
Every mock includes verification and persistence; later mocks include fault diagnosis.
Grading separates correct, partial, incorrect, dangerous, and nonpersistent results.
Weak objectives generate remediation labs and spaced-repetition retests.

Suggested checkpoints:

Mini exam A after Module 3
Mini exam B after Module 5
Mini exam C after Module 9
Mini exam D after Module 12
Full mock exams until all objectives are independently reproducible