A comprehensive collection of hands-on exercises and practice tasks for the Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS) exam. All exercises are designed for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and simulate real-world system administration scenarios.
The exercises are organized by LFCS exam domains:
- Essential Commands
- Operation of Running Systems
- User and Group Management
- Networking
- Storage Management
This repository provides task-based learning exercises that mirror real-world scenarios you'll encounter as a Linux system administrator. Each task includes:
- Learning Objectives - Key skills you'll practice
- Context - Real-world scenario explaining why this matters
- Step-by-Step Instructions - Detailed commands and explanations
- Verification Steps - How to confirm you've completed the task correctly
- Solution - Complete walkthrough with explanations
- A Linux environment (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS recommended)
- Root or sudo access
- Basic familiarity with the command line
Option 1: Local VM
- Use VirtualBox, VMware, or Hyper-V
- Install Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
Option 2: Cloud Instance
- AWS EC2, Azure VM, or Google Cloud Compute
- Use Ubuntu 22.04 LTS image
Option 3: WSL2 (Windows users)
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-22.04- Work sequentially through each domain, or jump to topics you want to strengthen
- Read the context to understand the real-world application
- Attempt the task before looking at the solution
- Verify your work using the provided validation steps
- Review the solution to understand best practices
- Learn to search man pages efficiently using
man -korman -Kfor keyword searches - Consider installing and using
tldrat the exam start for quick syntax examples - Be prepared to fix any installation issues manually if needed
Prioritize these high-value areas:
- Git basics - Common operations and workflows
- Docker - Often includes straightforward questions
- LVM/disks/mounting - Partition management and filesystem operations
- Networking - IP persistence, SSL, basic troubleshooting
- Users/groups/ACLs - Permission management and access control
- Cron jobs - Task scheduling
- NTP/time synchronization - System time management
- Services - systemd and service management
- iptables/firewalld - Firewall configuration
Note: The exam is vendor-agnostic, so avoid relying on distribution-specific tools.
- Misinterpreting requirements is a common failure point
- Take time to fully understand what's being asked
- Flag difficult questions and revisit them later
- Expect 17-40 tasks in 2 hours
- Handle easier tasks first to build momentum
- Use shell features (redirection, piping) efficiently
- Don't over-rely on man pages to avoid running out of time
- Note errors from practice exams on a whiteboard or notebook
- Redo weak areas repeatedly until confident
- Don't practice new mocks on exam day—just review your notes
- Use a large monitor (27+ inches, high resolution) for clear text
- Ensure a quiet space with no interruptions
- Have a clear ID ready for the proctor
- Get plenty of sleep the night before
- The exam is doable with proper hands-on practice
- Focus on understanding mechanisms (permissions, ACLs, etc.) rather than memorizing every command switch
- Learn by doing—experiment and troubleshoot actively
- Results typically arrive within 24 hours
- Practice platforms like killer.sh are often harder than the actual exam, which builds confidence
Similar LFCS Preparation Repositories:
- tomwechsler/lfcs - Additional practice materials and exercises
- giulianopz/lfcs - Alternative study guide and resources
Official Resources:
If you find any errors or inaccuracies in the exercises, please open a pull request with a clear explanation of what needs to be corrected and why.
Created for LFCS exam preparation. Best of luck on your certification journey!