Outcome 1 Notes Flashcards
(93 cards)
1
Q
What is the primary function of an operating system?
A
To help other computer programs work by controlling computer hardware
2
Q
What is the process of bringing up the operating system called?
A
Booting
3
Q
Where are the boot instructions stored in a computer?
A
BIOS chip
4
Q
What is the name of the special program that the BIOS uses to start the operating system?
A
Boot loader
5
Q
What are the two main boot loaders used in Linux?
A
- Grub2
- LILO
6
Q
What does the boot loader do?
A
Locates and loads the actual operating system into memory
7
Q
What is the first stage of the boot process called?
A
Run level 1
8
Q
What is the process ID of the init process?
A
1
9
Q
What is the role of the init process?
A
Starts the rest of the services via sysV and other startup scripts
10
Q
What command can be used to see information about currently loaded kernel modules?
A
lsmod
11
Q
Which command is used to load a single kernel module into the kernel?
A
insmod
12
Q
Which command is preferred for loading kernel modules due to its dependency management?
A
modprobe
13
Q
What is a daemon in the context of the init process?
A
A program that operates in the background waiting for tasks
14
Q
What does the X server manage?
A
Display, keyboard, and mouse
15
Q
What is the purpose of a bootloader?
A
Runs when the computer is turned on to load the operating system
16
Q
What are the two versions of GRUB?
A
- GRUB Legacy
- GRUB 2
17
Q
What file is used to configure LILO?
A
/etc/lilo.conf
18
Q
What does the ‘boot=’ line specify in the lilo.conf file?
A
Where to install the bootloader
19
Q
What does the ‘timeout=’ line in lilo.conf control?
A
How long to wait at the prompt before booting the default OS
20
Q
Where is the GRUB configuration file located?
A
/boot/grub/grub.cfg
21
Q
What does the line ‘default=0’ in the GRUB configuration file indicate?
A
The first operating system listed will be booted
22
Q
Fill in the blank: The Linux kernel is regarded as the _______.
A
[operating system proper]
23
Q
True or False: The Linux kernel handles hardware through kernel drivers.
A
True
24
Q
What is autoprobing in the context of the Linux kernel?
A
Locating I/O ports and adapting to available hardware
25
What is the command to check kernel version information?
uname
26
What does the line default=0 in grub.cfg indicate?
It indicates that the first operating system listed will be booted.
## Footnote
If default=1 was listed, the second operating system would be booted.
27
What does the line GRUB_TIMEOUT=5 specify?
It specifies the number of seconds to wait for user input before booting the default operating system.
## Footnote
If this line is missing, GRUB waits indefinitely.
28
What is a Linux file system?
A collection of files and directories stored in a separate disk partition.
29
How does the Linux filesystem hierarchy differ from Windows?
Linux places all partitions under the root directory '/' by mounting them, while Windows uses drive letters.
30
What is the root directory in Linux represented by?
'/' (forward slash).
31
What happens if mounting the root filesystem fails?
The kernel will panic and halt the system.
32
What is the purpose of the init program in Linux?
It spawns all other processes and typically has PID of 1.
33
What file is used to set the default run level for the system?
/etc/inittab.
34
What is a runlevel in Linux?
A software configuration that allows a selected group of processes to exist.
35
How many standard runlevels exist in Linux?
Seven runlevels, numbered from 0 to 6.
36
What does runlevel 0 indicate?
Halt (shuts down the system).
37
What does runlevel 1 indicate?
Single-User Mode (does not configure network interfaces or allow non-root logins).
38
What does runlevel 5 indicate?
X11 (multi-user mode with display manager).
39
What is the effect of the command 'init 6'?
It reboots the system.
40
What are the scripts that start applications in runlevels called?
Scripts that begin with 'S' (start).
41
What are the scripts that stop applications in runlevels called?
Scripts that begin with 'K' (kill).
42
What command can be used to shut down the system immediately?
shutdown now.
43
What is the Linux naming convention for hard drives?
The first letter designates IDE/SATA, second is 'd', followed by the hard drive number and partition number.
44
What does GRUB stand for?
GRAND UNIFIED BOOTLOADER.
45
What is the GRUB syntax for the first partition on the first hard drive?
(hd0,0).
46
What is the purpose of a device map file in GRUB?
To map BIOS drives to OS devices accurately.
47
What does the first number in GRUB partition naming designate?
The drive, starting with '0'.
48
What is the command to install GRUB into the MBR of the first SATA disk?
grub-install /dev/sda.
49
True or False: In Linux, you can only see Windows partitions.
False. You can see all partitions including Windows partitions.
50
What designates the first partition on the first drive in Grub?
(hd0,0)
51
In Grub, how does numbering of drives and partitions start?
Starts with '0'
52
What command is used to check the size of the Linux kernel?
ls -l /boot/vmlinuz*
53
What does the star (‘*’) represent in the command 'ls -l /boot/vmlinuz*'?
A shell character wildcard
54
What does the grub.conf file typically default to?
/boot/grub/grub.conf or /boot/grub/menu.lst
55
What must you do to use a swap partition that you have created?
Turn it on
56
What command is used to enable paging and swapping?
swapon
57
What command can be used to disable a swap area?
swapoff
58
What does the FHS stand for?
Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
59
What is the root filesystem denoted by in Linux?
/
60
Which directory contains transient files such as system log files?
/var
61
What is the purpose of the /etc directory?
Holds configuration files for the system
62
What type of files are stored in the /boot directory?
Files that the kernel needs to boot up the machine
63
What is contained in the /bin directory?
Critical executable files accessible to all users
64
What is the main purpose of the /sbin directory?
Contains programs run only by the system administrator
65
What directory is the home directory for the root user?
/root
66
What does the /home directory typically contain?
Users' data
67
What does the /dev directory represent in Linux?
Hardware devices as files
68
What type of filesystem is the /proc directory?
Virtual filesystem
69
What is the purpose of the /lib directory?
Contains program libraries shared across many programs
70
What does the /usr directory host?
The bulk of a Linux computer’s programs
71
What type of files does the /usr/local directory contain?
Files installed locally by the system administrator
72
What is the /opt directory intended for?
Ready-made packages that don’t ship with the OS
73
Where do temporary files typically reside in Linux?
/tmp
74
What is the purpose of the /mnt directory?
Mount removable-media devices within its normal directory structure
75
What does the /media directory often contain?
Subdirectories for specific media types
76
True or False: Every directory, except /home, requires administrator privileges to access.
True
77
What is required to access directories other than the /home directory in Linux?
Administrator privileges
## Footnote
This means that users can view these directories but cannot modify them without appropriate permissions.
78
What type of drivers does Windows require during installation?
Hardware drivers provided by the manufacturer
## Footnote
Examples include motherboard chipset drivers, graphics card drivers, and Wi-Fi drivers.
79
How does Windows obtain drivers for hardware devices?
From manufacturers and Windows Update
## Footnote
Microsoft vets these drivers before providing them to users.
80
What is the nature of drivers in Linux?
Most are open-source and integrated into the Linux kernel
## Footnote
Graphics drivers are part of Xorg, and printer drivers are included with CUPS.
81
What is a driver in the context of operating systems?
A piece of code that runs in the kernel to communicate with hardware
## Footnote
Drivers are essential for the functioning of hardware components.
82
What are static drivers?
Drivers built into the kernel file on disk
## Footnote
They are loaded into RAM at boot time.
83
When are dynamic device drivers loaded?
When the device is connected to the system
## Footnote
They are used for hot pluggable devices like printers and USB drives.
84
What is a package management system in Linux?
A collection of tools for installing, upgrading, and removing software
## Footnote
It ensures consistent management of software packages.
85
What information do package management systems maintain?
Packages, installed file databases, and dependencies
## Footnote
This helps avoid conflicts and manage software effectively.
86
What is the role of the RPM system?
It is the most popular package manager in Linux
## Footnote
RPM can also be used on non-Linux platforms but is primarily designed for Linux.
87
What is the syntax for the rpm command?
rpm [operation][options] [package-files|package-names]
## Footnote
This command is used to install or upgrade packages.
88
What does Yum stand for?
Yellowdog Updater Modifier
## Footnote
Yum is a meta-packager for managing RPMs.
89
What is the equivalent of Yum for Debian packages?
APT (Advanced Package Tool)
## Footnote
The apt-get utility is commonly used for managing packages in Debian-based systems.
90
What is a shared library?
A library loaded by programs at startup
## Footnote
It allows multiple programs to use the same library without duplication.
91
What is a static library?
An archive of object files
## Footnote
Each program using routines from a static library has its own copy.
92
What does the PATH variable do?
Tells the shell where to search for executable files
## Footnote
It consists of colon-separated directories.
93
What is the purpose of the LD_LIBRARY_PATH variable?
Specifies directories to search for libraries before standard directories
## Footnote
Useful for debugging or using nonstandard libraries.
