CSC 586: Linux System Administration and Security - Summer 2024 - 100% online asynchronous

General Information

Semester: Summer 2025
Class Meeting Time: N/A

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Course Information

The course runs from May 29, 2025 until June 30, 2025. It is a fully online course.
- The course is 100% asynchrounous.
- All class materials and recorded links to the lectures will be provided via D2L.

Required Materials:

We will utilize the following textbook in this course:
- “Unix and Linux System Administration Handbook 5th Edition by Evi Nemeth, Garth Snyder, Trent R. Hein, Ben Whaley, and Dan Mackin.
You are expected to have a computer system that meets the minimum expectations as outlined by West Chester University Information Services on the Recommended Student Computer Configuration. You need a working web-camera and microphone.

Resources and Accessibility:

For general technical support, students can contact WCU IT HelpDesk at 610-436-3350 or via email: helpdesk@wcupa.edu.
For distance education support, students can contact WCU Distance Education Services at 610-436-3373 or via email: distanceed@wcupa.edu.
A Discord server will be created and invitation link made available inside D2L. Technical questions specific to online competition platforms used in the course can be sent via email to the instructor or posted on the Discord server.

Course Description

This course is a hands-on study of operating system administration essentials with a focus on systems security and time in the lab. Additionally, various script languages are taught to provide a basis for understanding and extending the system capabilities.

Learning Objectives

Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLO)

Be able to write programs in the Bash scripting language.
Be able to configure the Linux OS on a system
Be able to install and configure various critical services including network file systems and firewalls.

MS in CS Program Objectives (CSPO):

Be well prepared to enter a career.
Be able to apply their course learnings to research career in an industrial setting.
Be exposed to the latest, cutting-edge technology.

Assessments and Grading:

Grade Scale:

D grades are not used. Refer to the Graduate Catalog for description of NG (No Grade), W, & other grades.

Assessments:

Assessment	% of Final Grade	Course Objectives Assessed	Program Objectives Assessed
Assignments	40%	1	1,2,3
Labs	40%	1,2	1
Quizzes	20%	2,3	1,2,3

Assignments: Write various scripting programs to automate the installation and configuration process
Labs: Deploy complex Linux infrastructures with proper configuration and security options
Quizzes: Weekly long quizzes (20-30 minutes) that aim to assess understanding of theoretical concepts necessary to support the tasks decribed in the assignments and labs.

Lateness Policy:

Assignments that are late are assessed a 10% per day late penalty. Saturday and Sunday are each days.

Course Topics and Schedules

Quizzes are typically disseminated once a week.

Week	Topic	Assessment
1	Linux, A Brief History
	Linux system administrators
	Introduction to the Linux shell
	Access control	Quiz 1, Lab 1 due
2	Process control
	The filesystem
	User management
	Softwre installation and configuration	Quiz 2, Assignment 1 due
3	Linux scripting
	Networked file system	Quiz 3
	Networked file system Lab	Assignment 2 due
4	Single Sign On
	Single Sign On with Remote Storage Lab	Quiz 4
5	Practice Labs
	Introduction to Docker	Lab 2 due

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