Welcome to the Hands-On UNIX SysAdmin DeCal, Spring 2018 Edition!
This course will cover the basics of setting up and administering a production-quality Linux-based server environment in the manner of the EECS instructional machines (hivexx.cs.berkeley.edu) and those of the Open Computing Facility (tsunami.ocf.b.e). By the end of this course, we expect you to:
- be completely comfortable using GNU/Linux
- have a general understanding of the various parts of the OS, e.g. init, filesystems, services, daemons, etc.
- understand basic networking
- have a good sense about maintaining system security
- understand system administration essentials
- get a practical taste of what sysadmins do in industry.
Lectures are scheduled for Tuesdays (Beginner) and Thursdays (Advanced) from 8 to 9pm the OCF Lab, located at 171 MLK (MLK basement down the hall from the student store). Attendance is mandatory, with two allowed unexcused absences. Some other conflicts, such as exams, may be excused with prior notice. Please only come to the lab on the day corresponding to the section you are in in order to save seats for students enrolled in the section being taught on that day.
The primary assignment in this course will be weekly lab work. In keeping with the name of the course, labs will be significantly hands-on. You will be working on real systems, configuring and fixing things. Lecture will double as office hours for students to come in and ask questions about the lab work. This is a 2 unit DeCal.
An important skill for system administrators is the willingness to learn quickly about new and unfamiliar technologies, so while we expect many students will have a CS background, the only real prerequisite is a desire to learn. We know potential students will have varied backgrounds in terms of CS and sysadmin experience, therefore, we will be teaching this course in two tracks: a beginner’s track that will focus more on introducing new users to GNU/Linux, and an advanced track that will cater to students with more experience using Linux. Both tracks will get get started fast and move quickly - there’s a lot of material to cover.
Another important skill to learn is patience and perseverence. Don’t be discouraged if things don’t work with the first time: the internet is held together with the programmatic equivalent of duct tape, and the job of a sysadmin is best described as applying new duct tape when the old stuff wears out, which happens a lot.
Beginner Track Calendar
| Week | Date | Lecture Title | Lab |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Tue. 01/23 | Info Session | Lab 0 |
| 1 | Tue. 01/30 | History of UNIX, intro to shell, FOSS | Lab b1 |
| 2 | Tue. 02/06 | Core Shell | Lab b2 |
| 3 | Tue. 02/13 | Shell Scripting | Lab b3 |
| 4 | Tue. 02/20 | Debian, Packages, Compilation | Lab b4 |
| 5 | Tue. 02/27 | Networking 101 | Lab b5 |
| 6 | Tue. 03/06 | Processes and Services | Lab b6 |
| 7 | Tue. 03/13 | Networked Services | Lab b7 |
| 8 | Tue. 03/20 | Security Fundamentals | Lab b8 |
| 9 | Tue. 04/03 | Cloud, Containers, Configuration Management | Lab b9 |
| 10 | Tue. 04/10 | HPC, Backups | Lab b10 |
Advanced Track Calendar
| Week | Date | Lecture Title | Lab |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Tue. 01/23 | Info Session | Lab 0 |
| 1 | Thu. 02/01 | Intro to Advanced UNIX | Lab a1 |
| 2 | Thu. 02/08 | Packages and Troubleshooting and Packaging | Lab a2 |
| 3 | Thu. 02/15 | DIY Linux Pre-Install | - |
| 4 | Thu. 02/22 | DIY Linux Post-Install | Lab a4 |
| 5 | Thu. 03/01 | Networking 102 | Lab a5 |
| 6 | Thu. 03/08 | Processes and Services | - |
| 7 | Thu. 03/15 | Networked Services | Lab a7 |
| 8 | Thu. 03/22 | Security Fundamentals | Lab a8 |
| 9 | Thu. 04/05 | Configuration Management, Version Control, Backups | Lab a9 |
| 10 | Thu. 04/12 | Containers, Container Orchestration, Architecture | Lab a10 |
| 12 | Fri. 04/27 | Guest Lecture - Careers in Tech by Ethan Jackson | - |
Course Staff
Abizer Lokhandwala Head Facilitator
I am a junior CS major. Please include your favorite color, mother's maiden name, and social security number when signing up for this course.
Brian Sang Head Facilitator
Hi everyone! My name is Brian and I'm a senior CS major from Cleveland, Ohio. Feel free to hit me up for boba or if you want to talk about our Lord and Savior, LeBron James
Ian McDonald Facilitator
I’m a senior studying computer science. I started using Linux after taking some bad advice and I haven’t looked back since.
Harrison Kuo Facilitator
I'm a senior studying EECS/MSE and I like messing with old or broken computers on my free time. I'm also a deputy manager at the OCF.
Jason Perrin Facilitator
I'm a junior EECS major who enjoys security, systems, webcomics, and running, though hopefully not running away from angry decal students!
Kevin Kuehler Facilitator
I'm a junior CS transfer student from San Diego. Using Linux is what got me interested in computer science, and I'm excited to share that interest with others!
Daniel Kessler Facilitator
I'm a junior studying computer science and economics. I've been messing around with Linux servers for years, and I'm excited to help out with this DeCal!
Tony Situ Facilitator
California born and raised; chasing whatever catches my curiosity at the time. On the side, I love tabletop, hiking, photography, and value (especially value).
Loren McIntyre Facilitator
I'm a 4th-year CS major who took some time off along the way. I like to talk about software philosophy, life, and living in the co-ops.
Xufei Tan Facilitator
I'm a sophomore CS student from Pennsylvania who enjoys reading, playing League, and boba. I'm still learning about Unix, so tell me about anything cool you found!
Sahil Hasan Facilitator
I'm a junior EECS major that spends far too much time in the OCF or playing CS:GO, not that those two are mutually exlusive.
Mathew Cha Facilitator
I'm a 3rd-year Math / CS student from SoCal. In my free time, I play board games, League, and cook!
Benjamin Zhang Facilitator
I'm a freshman studying Astrophysics and CS. My favorite hobby is sleeping, my second favorite is falling asleep, and my third favorite is playing board games.
Minos Park Facilitator
Berkeley is my spritual home. Fell in love with this place whiling living in the Bay Area for 5+ years now. Also Orange, Lee, 180-29-8724.