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Comprehensive Linux Troubleshooting: Performance & Security

Learn to troubleshoot common Linux hardware, software, and security issues effectively with this guide. Improve system performance, implement security measures, and detect breaches using practical methodologies.

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Comprehensive Linux Troubleshooting: Performance & Security

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  1. Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, Third Edition Chapter 14 Troubleshooting, Performance, and Security

  2. Objectives • Describe and outline good troubleshooting practices • Effectively troubleshoot common hardware- and software-related problems • Monitor system performance using command-line and graphical utilities • Identify and fix common performance problems Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  3. Objectives (continued) • Describe the different facets of Linux security • Increase the security of a Linux computer • Outline measures and utilities that can be used to detect a Linux security breach Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  4. Troubleshooting Methodology Figure 14-1: The maintenance cycle Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  5. Troubleshooting Methodology (continued) • Monitoring: observing log files and running performance utilities system to identify problems and their causes • Proactive maintenance: minimizing chance of future problems • e.g., perform regular system backups Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  6. Troubleshooting Methodology (continued) • Reactive maintenance: correcting problems when they arise • Documenting solutions • Developing better proactive maintenance methods • Documentation: system information stored in a log book for future references • All maintenance actions should be documented • Troubleshooting procedures: tasks performed when solving system problems Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  7. Troubleshooting Methodology (continued) Figure 14-2: Common troubleshooting procedures Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  8. Troubleshooting Methodology (continued) • Two troubleshooting golden rules: • Prioritize problems according to severity • Spend reasonable amount of time on each problem given its priority • Ask for help if you can’t solve the problem • Try to solve the root of the problem • Avoid missing underlying cause • Justify why a certain solution is successful Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  9. Resolving Common System Problems • Three categories of problems: • Hardware-related • Software-related • User interface-related Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  10. Hardware-Related Problems • Often involve improper hardware or software configuration • SCSI termination • Video card and monitor configuration • All hardware is on Hardware Compatibility List • POST test alerts • Loose hardware connections • Problems specific to the type of hardware • View output of dmesg command • View content of /var/log/boot.log, /var/log/messages Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  11. Hardware-Related Problems (continued) • Absence of device drivers prevent OS from using associated devices • dmesg command: displays the hardware that is detected by the Linux kernel • lsusb command: displays a list of USB devices detected by the Linux kernel • lspci command: displays a list of PCI devices detected by the Linux kernel • Compare outputs of commands to output of lsmodto determine if driver module is missing from kernel Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  12. Hardware-Related Problems (continued) • Hardware failure can render a device unusable • HDDs most common hardware components to fail • If HDD containing partitions mounted on noncritical directories fails: • Power down computer and replace failed HDD • Boot Linux system • Use fdisk to create partitions on replaced HDD • Use mkfs to create filesystems • Restore original data • Ensure /etc/fstab has appropriate entries to mount filesystems Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  13. Hardware-Related Problems (continued) • If HDD containing / filesystem fails: • Power down computer and replace failed HDD • Reinstall Linux on new HDD • Restore original configuration and data files Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  14. Software-Related Problems:Application-Related Problems • Missing program libraries/files, process restrictions, or conflicting applications • Dependencies: prerequisite shared libraries or packages required for program execution • Programs usually check at installation • Package files may be removed accidentally Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  15. Software-Related Problems:Application-Related Problems (continued) • rpm –V command: identify missing files in a package or package dependency • ldd command: display shared libraries used by a program • ldconfig command: updates list of shared library directories (/etc/ld.so.conf) and list of shared libraries (/etc/ld.so.cache) Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  16. Software-Related Problems:Application-Related Problems (continued) • Too many running processes • Solve by killing parent process of zombie processes • Filehandles: connections programs make to files • ulimit command: modify process limit parameters in current shell • Can also modify max number of filehandles Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  17. Software-Related Problems:Application-Related Problems (continued) • /var/log directory: contains most system log files • Some are hard linked to /var/log directory • If applications stop functioning due to difficulty gaining resources, restart using SIGHUP • Do determine if another process trying to access the same resources attempt to start application in Single User Mode • If resource conflict is the cause of the problem, download newer version of application or application fix Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  18. Software-Related Problems:Operating System-Related Problems • Most software-related problems related to OS • X windows, boot loader, and filesystem problems • Problem detecting video card or monitors by the kernel • To isolate problem starting X Windows or gdm: • View /var/log/Xorg.0.log file • Execute xwininfo or xdpyinfo Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  19. Software-Related Problems:OS-Related Problems (continued) • LILO problems: place “linear” in, remove “compact” from /etc/lilo.conf file • GRUB problems: typically result of missing files in /boot directory • Ensure Linux kernel resides before 1024th cylinder and lba32 keyword is in configuration file • Eliminates BIOS problems with large HDDs Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  20. Software-Related Problems:OS-Related Problems (continued) • If filesystem on partition mounted to noncritical directory becomes corrupted: • Unmount filesystem • Run fsck command with –f (full) option • If fsck command cannot repair filesystem, use mkfs command to re-create the filesystem • Restore filesystem’s original data Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  21. Software-Related Problems:OS-Related Problems (continued) • If / filesystem is corrupted: • Boot from Fedora installation media and enter System Rescue • At shell prompt within System Rescue: • Use mkfs to recreate the filesystem • Use backup utility to restore original data to the re-created / filesystem • Exit System Rescue and reboot system • Knoppix Linux and BBC Linux: bootable Linux distributions with many filesystem repair utilities Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  22. Software-Related Problems: User Interface-Related Problems • Assistive technologies: tools that users can use to modify their desktop experience • Assistive Technologies Preference utility within GNOME Desktop Environment • Preferred Applications to configure Web browser, multimedia player and terminal applications to be opened automatically • Mouse Accessibility to configure speed and click behavior • Keyboard Accessibility to configure keyboard related assistive technologies Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  23. Software-Related Problems: User Interface-Related Problems (continued) Figure 14-3: The Assistive Technologies Preferences utility Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  24. Performance Monitoring • Jabbering: failing hardware components send large amounts of information to CPU • Other causes of poor performance: • Software monopolizes system resources • Too many processes • Too many read/write requests to HDD • Rogue processes Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  25. Performance Monitoring (continued) • To solve software performance issues: • Remove software from the system • Move software to another Linux system • Add CPU or otherwise alter hardware • Bus mastering: peripheral components perform tasks normally executed by CPU Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  26. Performance Monitoring (continued) • To increase performance: • Add RAM • Upgrade to faster HDDs • Disk Striping RAID • Keep CD/DVD drives on a separate HDD controller • Run performance utilities on a regular basis • Record results in a system log book • Eases identification of performance problems • Baseline: measure of normal system activity Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  27. Monitoring Performance with sysstat Utilities • System Statistics (sysstat) package: contains wide range of system monitoring utilities • Use yum install sysstat command to install • mpstat(multiple processor statistics) command: displays CPU statistics • Used to monitor CPU performance • Can specify interval and number of measurements rather than displaying average values • %sys should be smaller than %usr and %nice combined Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  28. Monitoring Performance with sysstat Utilities (continued) • iostat(Input/Output Statistics) command: measures flow of information to and from disk devices • Displays CPU statistics similar to mpstat • Displays statistics for each disk device on the system • Output includes: • Transfers per second • Number of blocks read and written per second • Total number of blocks read and written for the device Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  29. Monitoring Performance with sysstat Utilities (continued) • sar (System Activity Reporter) command: displays various system statistics taken in the last day • Provides more information than mpstat and iostat • By default scheduled to run every 10 minutes • Output logged to a file in /var/log/sa directory • -f option: View statistics from a specific file • Can be used to take current system measurements Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  30. Monitoring Performance with sysstat Utilities (continued) • Additional sar options: • -q option: Displays processor queue statistics • runq -sz value: Number of processes waiting for execution on processor run queue • plist -sz value: Indicates number of processes currently running • ldavg values: Represent average CPU load • -W option: Displays number of pages sent to and taken from swap partition • Large number causes slower performance • Add RAM to resolve Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  31. Monitoring Performance with sysstat Utilities (continued) Table 14-1: Common options to the sar command Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  32. Other Performance Monitoring Utilities • top command: displays CPU statistics, swap usage, memory usage and average CPU load • free command: displays total amounts of physical and swap memory and their utilizations • Can be used to indicate whether more physical memory is required • vmstat command: displays memory, CPU, and swap statistics • Can be used to indicate whether more physical memory is required Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  33. Security • Linux systems typically made available across networks such as the Internet • More prone to security loopholes and attacks • Should improve local and network security • Understand how to detect intruders who breach the system Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  34. Securing the Local Computer • Limit access to physical computer itself • Prevent malicious users from accessing files by directly booting the computer with their own device • Server closet: secured room to store servers • Remove floppy, CD, and DVD drives from workstations • Ensure BIOS prevents booting from USB ports Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  35. Securing the Local Computer (continued) • Ensure BIOS password is set • Set boot loader password in LILO or GRUB configuration file • Prevents intruder from interacting with boot loader • Limit access to graphical desktops and shells • Exit command-line shell before leaving computer • nohup command: prevents background processes from being killed when parent shell is killed or exited • Lock screen using GNOME or KDE Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  36. Securing the Local Computer (continued) • Minimize root user’s time logged in • su (switch user) command: switch current user account to another • Used to switch between root user and regular user • sudo command: perform commands as another user if you have the rights to do that listed in /etc/sudoers file Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  37. Protecting Against Network Attacks • Always a possibility that hackers can manipulate a network service by interacting with it in unusual ways • Buffer overrun: program information for a network service altered in memory Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  38. Network Security Essentials • Minimize number of running network services • nmap (network mapper) command: scans ports on network computers • User can determine what network services are running • Ensure that services that are not needed are not automatically started when entering the runlevel Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  39. Network Security Essentials (continued) • Ensure network service daemons for essential services not run as root user when possible • Ensure that shell listed in /etc/passwd for daemons is set to /sbin/nologin • Hacker will not be able to get BASH shell • New network service versions usually include fixes for known network attacks • Keep network services up-to-date Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  40. Network Security Essentials (continued) • TCP wrapper: program that can start a network daemon • Checks /etc/hosts.allow and /etc/hosts.deny files before starting a network daemon • Examine permissions for files and directories associated with system and network services Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  41. Configuring a Firewall • netfilter/iptables: used to configure a firewall • Discard network packets according to chains of rules • Chains: specify general type of network traffic to apply rules to • Rules: match network traffic to be allowed or dropped • Three chain types: • INPUT: incoming packets • FORWARD: packets passing through computer • OUTPUT chain: outgoing packets Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  42. Configuring a Firewall (continued) • iptables command: creates rules for a chain • Can be based on source IP, destination IP, protocol used, or packet status • Stateful packet filter: Remembers traffic allowed in an existing session and adjust rules appropriately • Easier to use graphical utility to configure firewalls Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  43. Table 14-2: Common iptables options Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  44. Configuring a Firewall (continued) Figure 14-4: The Firewall Configuration utility Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  45. Configuring SELinux • SELinux: Security Enhanced Linux • By default, configured and enabled during Fedora installation • Series of kernel patches and utilities created by NSA • Enforces role-based security • To enable, edit /etc/selinux/config file • Configure SELINUXTYPE option • Reboot and relabel the system • sestatus command: view current SELinux status Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  46. Using Encryption to Protect Network Data • Use encryption algorithms to protect data before it is transmitted on a network • Asymmetric encryption: uses a pair of keys uniquely generated on each system • Public key: freely distributed • Private key: used only by the system, never distributed • Can be used to authenticate messages • Digital signature: message that has been encrypted using a private key Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  47. Working with SSH • By default, SSH uses RSA to encrypt data and DSA to digitally sign data • System wide RSA and DSA key pairs are generated the first time SSH daemon is started • Tunneling: enclosing network traffic within encrypted SSH packets • SSH identity: used to automatically authenticate to other computers using digital signatures • Manage keys using Password and Encryption Keys utility Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  48. Working with SSH (continued) Figure 14-5: The Passwords and Encryption Keys utility Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  49. Working with GPG • Open source version of PGP • Each user has a key pair used for encryption and authentication • Authentication uses trust model • Typically uses RSA and DSA key pairs for asymmetric encryption and digital signing • Can manage GPG keys and encrypt data using: • gpg command • Graphical utility such as Passwords and Encryption Keys utility Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

  50. Detecting Intrusion • Log files can contain information or irregularities indicating an intrusion • Review log files in /var/log associated with network services • At minimum, review system log files associated with authentication • Pluggable Authentication Module (PAM): handles authentication requests by network applications • Log file in /var/log/secure Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

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