discuss: Progress of Peer Review on LPI Certification Self-Study Guide
Subject:
Re: Progress of Peer Review on LPI Certification Self-Study Guide
From:
David Horton ####@####.####
Date:
31 Jul 2004 00:55:25 -0000
Message-Id: <410AEDFB.5080508@speakeasy.net>
Tor Slettnes wrote:
> On Fri, 2004-07-30 at 16:29, s. keeling wrote:
>
>>Incoming from Tabatha Marshall:
>>
>>>I wanted to check in with everyone and see how the peer review is going
>>>on this document. Is there some content that could be added to help it,
>
>
>>I thought review of this was on hold since it's only a meatless
>>skeleton so far.
I simply wanted the guide to appear on the "in progress" list so that if
anyone was interested in contributing they could see what exists so far.
>
>
> I also wonder about some of the "practice questions" and answers
> provided: Were these actual questions on an exam?
>
These are not actual questions from the exam as that would be cheating
and would probably invalidate my certification. I am working from the
exam objectives on LPI's web site and trying to formulate questions that
cover these objectives.
> I am asking because a number of them (both questions and answers) seem
> dubious at best, and in some cases, factually wrong.
>
> For instance:
> - >Your /etc/inittab file has a line that reads "id:3:initdefault:" What
> >mode will the system enter when it is booted?
> >
> > A. Single user mode
> > B. Non-network multi-user mode
> > C. Network multi-user mode
> > D. GUI mode
>
> The answer given is (C). This is true for RedHat; but not e.g.
> Debian or other UNIXen. In Debian, there is no run-level distinction
> between B, C, and D; runlevels 2 - 5 are all "multi-user", "network",
> and if a display manager is installed, "GUI".
>
> - >Several of your company's employees have asked for the ability to
> >check their work email from home via the Internet. You have
> >configured IMAP to accomodate them, but in order to complete the set
> >up you must ask the firewall administrator to open the correct port
> >and allow inbound connections. Which port should be opened?
> >
> > A. 23
> > B. 25
> > C. 110
> > D. 143
>
> The answer given is "D". However, this is a bad practice. Not only
> is allowing inbound traffic through a firewall bad (at the very least,
> the destination IP address should be restricted); but this also allows
> both encrypted and unencrypted IMAP connections (encrypted after the
> "STARTTLS" IMAP command). To enforce encrypted connections, use the
> 993 ("imaps") service -- where the client and server will start TLS
> immediately on connect. In fact, this is the default port number
> chosen by IMAP clients such as Outlook Express and Apple's Mail.app
> once the user checks the "use encryption"/"SSL" option.
>
>
> - >During a freak electrical storm both the primary and secondary DNS
> >servers on your network were simultaneously struck by lightning and
> >are no longer operational. In the absense of name servers which file
> >can be used to do hostname to IP address lookups? (give the full
> >path)
>
> The answer give is "/etc/hosts". This is true if "dns" is specified
> in /etc/nsswitch.conf (usually it is); but there are other
> possibilities (e.g. using winbindd/"wins", LDAP, NIS...)
>
>
> There are more examples -- but if these are actual questions and answers
> provided by LPI, then they are not neccessarily "mistakes" as far as the
> HOWTO is concerned.
>
> -tor
>
With many of the questions I am simply trying to make it more
interesting and closer to real-world situations. Writing things like
"what port does IMAP use" is very dull in my opinion.
Anyway, I am working with some people to try to get more practice
questions for the guide. Once I have a larger selection I can keep the
best ones. I do not intend to make this a one man effort, I simply want
to facilitate putting together a community-built study guide. But until
more people know about this project and submit contributions I am
writing it myself.
Dave
