About This Course
Linux powers the majority of the world's servers, cloud infrastructure, supercomputers, and embedded systems. As organisations migrate workloads to cloud platforms, containerise applications, and adopt DevOps practices, proficiency in Linux administration has become one of the most sought-after technical competencies in the IT industry. Whether running on-premises data centres, hybrid cloud environments, or bare-metal servers, Linux administrators are the backbone of reliable, secure, and high-performing IT operations.
TrainingComplex's Linux Administration Training is a comprehensive ten-day programme designed to take participants from foundational Linux concepts through to advanced system administration techniques. The course blends conceptual instruction with intensive, lab-based practice, ensuring that participants leave not just with theoretical knowledge but with the confidence and hands-on capability to manage real Linux systems from day one.
Covering major distributions including Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Ubuntu Server, and CentOS, the programme addresses the full administrative lifecycle — installation and configuration, user and permission management, networking, storage, process control, service management, security hardening, automation with shell scripting, and system performance monitoring. Participants also gain exposure to essential modern topics such as firewall management, SSH security, cron scheduling, log management, and an introduction to containerisation with Docker.
This training is structured to benefit both new Linux administrators looking to establish strong foundational skills and experienced practitioners seeking to formalise and deepen their expertise. By the end of the programme, participants will be equipped to administer Linux environments with professionalism, efficiency, and security-conscious discipline.
Who Should Attend
- System administrators transitioning from Windows or other Unix-based platforms to Linux
- Junior to mid-level IT support engineers seeking to advance into Linux administration roles
- Network engineers and infrastructure engineers working in Linux-centric environments
- DevOps engineers and cloud engineers who manage Linux-based servers and pipelines
- Database administrators and application support engineers operating on Linux hosts
- IT managers and technical leads overseeing Linux infrastructure teams
- Recent ICT graduates seeking practical, career-launching Linux administration skills
Learning Objectives
- Install and configure Linux operating systems across major enterprise distributions
- Navigate and operate efficiently within the Linux command-line interface and file system hierarchy
- Manage users, groups, file permissions, and access control lists in multi-user environments
- Configure and troubleshoot networking services including DNS, DHCP, SSH, and NFS
- Manage disk partitions, logical volumes (LVM), file systems, and storage resources
- Monitor system performance, manage processes, and optimise resource utilisation
- Write and schedule effective Bash shell scripts to automate administrative tasks
- Configure and manage system services using systemd and understand boot processes
- Harden Linux systems against security threats using firewalls, SELinux, and auditing tools
- Manage software packages using RPM, YUM/DNF, and APT package managers
- Set up and administer core Linux network services including web, FTP, and email servers
- Apply log management and monitoring practices to maintain system health and compliance
- Deploy and manage Linux containers using Docker in a server administration context
Course Modules
Module 1: Introduction to Linux and the Open-Source Ecosystem
- History and evolution of Linux: from Unix to modern enterprise distributions
- Understanding Linux distributions: RHEL, Ubuntu Server, CentOS, Debian, and their use cases
- Linux architecture overview: kernel, shell, daemons, and the file system hierarchy
- Installing Linux: partitioning schemes, boot loaders, and post-installation configuration
- The open-source licensing landscape: GPL, LGPL, and MIT licenses and their implications for enterprise use
- Key community and commercial support models: upstream projects, LTS releases, and vendor support lifecycles
Module 2: The Linux Command Line Interface
- Navigating the file system: pwd, cd, ls, tree, and path conventions
- File and directory operations: creating, copying, moving, renaming, and deleting
- Viewing and editing files: cat, less, more, head, tail, nano, and vi/vim fundamentals
- Command-line productivity: aliases, command history, tab completion, and piping
- Redirection and standard streams: stdin, stdout, stderr, and using operators such as >, >>, and 2>
- Using find and locate to search for files by name, type, size, modification time, and permission
Module 3: User and Group Management
- Creating and managing local user accounts with useradd, usermod, and userdel
- Group management: groupadd, groupmod, primary and supplementary groups
- Password policies, account expiry, and the /etc/shadow and /etc/passwd files
- Switching users and privilege escalation with su and sudo configuration
- Understanding the /etc/sudoers file and using visudo to define granular privilege delegation safely
- Configuring default user environment settings via /etc/skel, /etc/profile, and shell initialisation files
Module 4: Linux File Permissions and Access Control
- Understanding standard Unix permissions: read, write, execute for owner, group, and others
- Modifying permissions with chmod (symbolic and octal) and ownership with chown and chgrp
- Special permission bits: setuid, setgid, and the sticky bit in practice
- Access Control Lists (ACLs): using getfacl and setfacl for fine-grained access management
- Default permission behaviour with umask: how it affects newly created files and directories and how to set it per user or system-wide
- Understanding and applying file attributes with chattr and lsattr to protect critical system files from modification or deletion
Module 5: Software Package Management
- RPM-based package management: rpm, yum, and dnf commands and repositories
- Debian/Ubuntu package management: apt, apt-get, dpkg, and PPA repositories
- Installing, updating, querying, and removing packages safely in production environments
- Managing repositories: adding, enabling, disabling, and troubleshooting package sources
- Understanding package dependencies, conflict resolution, and holding packages at specific versions to maintain environment stability
- Using subscription and entitlement management tools such as subscription-manager on RHEL and understanding the role of package signing and GPG key verification
Module 6: Storage Management: Disks, Partitions, and LVM
- Understanding disk types, partitioning schemes (MBR vs. GPT), and using fdisk and parted
- Creating and mounting file systems: ext4, xfs, and tmpfs; editing /etc/fstab for persistence
- Logical Volume Manager (LVM): physical volumes, volume groups, logical volumes, and snapshots
- Disk usage monitoring: df, du, lsblk, and strategies for managing storage growth
- Extending and resizing logical volumes and file systems online without service interruption
- Configuring and monitoring software RAID with mdadm: RAID levels 0, 1, and 5 and rebuilding degraded arrays
Module 7: Linux Networking Configuration and Services
- Configuring network interfaces: ip, nmcli, and editing network configuration files
- DNS resolution, hostname management, and the /etc/hosts and /etc/resolv.conf files
- SSH server configuration: key-based authentication, sshd_config hardening, and tunnelling
- Configuring DHCP and NFS server services and verifying connectivity with netstat, ss, and ping
- Understanding network bonding and teaming: configuring interface aggregation for redundancy and increased throughput
- Diagnosing network issues with traceroute, tcpdump, nmap, and curl to capture traffic and validate service reachability
Module 8: Process Management and System Performance
- Understanding Linux processes: foreground, background, process states, and the process table
- Monitoring processes with ps, top, htop, and killing or re-prioritising with kill and nice
- System performance analysis: CPU, memory, and I/O metrics using vmstat, iostat, and sar
- Managing system resources with ulimit and identifying performance bottlenecks in production
- Memory management concepts: virtual memory, swap usage, OOM killer behaviour, and tuning swappiness
- Profiling and tracing application behaviour with strace and lsof to diagnose file descriptor and system call issues
Module 9: Systemd, Boot Process, and Service Management
- The Linux boot sequence: BIOS/UEFI, GRUB2, kernel initialisation, and init systems
- Understanding systemd units: service, target, socket, timer, and mount unit types
- Managing services with systemctl: start, stop, enable, disable, status, and journalctl logs
- Creating custom systemd service units and configuring automatic service recovery
- Configuring systemd timer units as a modern replacement for cron jobs with dependency and scheduling control
- Tuning GRUB2 boot parameters and recovering a system by booting into rescue and emergency targets
Module 10: Linux Security: Firewalls and SELinux
- Firewall management with firewalld and iptables: zones, rules, rich rules, and NAT
- Introduction to SELinux: enforcing, permissive, and disabled modes; contexts and booleans
- Managing SELinux policy violations: audit2allow, restorecon, and chcon in practice
- Securing the Linux environment: disabling unused services, managing open ports, and system auditing
- Applying kernel security parameters at runtime and persistently using sysctl to harden network stack behaviour
- Configuring PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) to enforce login controls such as account lockout, MFA readiness, and session restrictions
Module 11: Shell Scripting and Task Automation
- Bash scripting fundamentals: variables, quoting, comments, and script structure
- Control flow: if/else conditionals, case statements, for and while loops
- Functions, input handling, exit codes, and error handling in production scripts
- Scheduling automation with cron and anacron: crontab syntax, user and system cron jobs
- Working with arrays, string manipulation, and regular expressions in Bash to process structured data and command output
- Secure scripting practices: avoiding common injection pitfalls, handling sensitive data, setting restrictive permissions on scripts, and using shellcheck for static analysis
Module 12: Log Management, Monitoring, and System Auditing
- Linux logging architecture: rsyslog, journald, and the /var/log directory structure
- Searching and filtering logs with grep, awk, sed, and journalctl query options
- Centralised log management concepts and configuring rsyslog for remote log forwarding
- System auditing with auditd: audit rules, ausearch, and generating compliance-ready audit reports
- Configuring logrotate to manage log file retention, compression, and archival policies for long-running services
- Correlating events across multiple log sources to reconstruct incident timelines and support root cause analysis
Module 13: Introduction to Containerisation with Docker on Linux
- Container concepts vs. virtual machines: namespaces, cgroups, and the Docker architecture
- Installing Docker on Linux and managing images: docker pull, build, tag, and push
- Running and managing containers: docker run, exec, stop, rm, volumes, and port mapping
- Introduction to Docker Compose for multi-container applications and a DevOps workflow overview
- Writing efficient and secure Dockerfiles: layer caching, minimising image size, using non-root users, and scanning images for vulnerabilities
- Understanding container networking modes: bridge, host, and overlay networks, and managing inter-container communication and DNS resolution
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have a working knowledge of basic IT concepts including operating systems, file systems, and networking fundamentals. Prior exposure to any command-line interface — whether Linux, macOS Terminal, or Windows PowerShell — is beneficial but not mandatory. No prior Linux administration experience is required, though familiarity with at least one operating system in a professional context is expected.
Training Methodology
- Guided virtual machine labs where participants perform every configuration task on live Linux instances running in isolated sandboxed environments
- Instructor-led command-line walkthroughs with real-time demonstration on projected terminal sessions, followed by independent participant replication
- Scenario-based troubleshooting exercises that simulate common production incidents such as failed services, disk space exhaustion, permission errors, and network misconfigurations
- Shell scripting workshops in which participants write, test, and debug incrementally complex Bash scripts tied to real administrative use cases
- Peer review sessions where small groups compare configuration approaches and discuss the trade-offs of different administrative decisions
- End-of-day lab challenges that require participants to apply the day's learning without step-by-step guidance, reinforcing retention and independent problem-solving
- Reference workbooks containing command references, configuration templates, and annotated lab exercises that participants retain for on-the-job use
- Group capstone project in which teams design, configure, secure, and present a fully functional Linux server environment meeting a defined set of enterprise requirements
Organisational Benefits
- Reduced dependency on external vendors through in-house Linux administration capability
- Improved server uptime and reliability through skilled, proactive system management
- Stronger security posture across Linux infrastructure through hardening and compliance practices
- Lower operational costs as administrators become self-sufficient in managing open-source environments
- Faster incident response and troubleshooting due to deep familiarity with Linux internals
- Accelerated cloud and DevOps adoption as staff gain confidence with Linux-based toolchains
- Better documentation and automation practices through scripting skills, reducing manual workload
- A measurable competitive advantage by retaining skilled Linux professionals in-house
Where Is Linux Administration Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Naivasha, Johannesburg, Lagos, Kisumu, Abuja, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kigali, Zanzibar, Nairobi, Dubai, Riyadh, Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Accra, Kampala, Pretoria, Arusha, Addis Ababa, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Johannesburg, South Africa |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 7,000 |
| Lagos, Nigeria |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 5,000 |
| Kisumu, Kenya |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
17 Oct 2026 – 6 Dec 2026 |
KES 160,000 |
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 5,600 |
| Mombasa, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
KES 240,000 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
KES 240,000 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 5,000 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 8,200 |
| Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 9,000 |
| Cape Town, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 7,600 |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,600 |
+233 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior Linux experience to attend this course?
No prior Linux experience is required. The programme begins with foundational concepts and builds progressively to advanced topics. A basic understanding of general IT or operating systems will help you get the most out of the course.
Which Linux distributions are covered during training?
The course primarily uses Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and Ubuntu Server, which are the most widely deployed enterprise distributions. Concepts and commands from CentOS and Debian are also referenced throughout, and most skills are transferable across all major Linux distributions.
Will I receive a certificate upon completion?
Yes. Participants who attend and complete the full ten-day programme will receive a Certificate of Completion from TrainingComplex. This certificate is recognised for professional development purposes and can support applications for vendor certifications such as RHCSA or LPIC-1.
Is the course practical or mainly theoretical?
The course is heavily practical. A significant portion of each day is dedicated to hands-on lab exercises performed on live Linux virtual machines. Participants work through real administrative scenarios rather than simply reading about concepts.
What equipment do I need to bring to the training?
For in-person sessions, TrainingComplex provides lab computers with pre-configured Linux virtual machines. If you prefer to use your own laptop, it should have at least 8 GB RAM and 50 GB of free disk space to run virtual machines using VirtualBox or VMware. For the Live Virtual track, detailed environment setup instructions are shared one week before the course starts.
