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Project · Linux and Red Hat (RHCSA to RHCE)

Project: a web server for a handicrafts shop

Projectintermediate· about 4 hours· 8 steps

The brief

A block-print textile shop in Jaipur wants its catalogue page on its own server. You give the server a fixed IP address, install Apache (httpd), put the web files on their own LVM volume mounted at /var/www, fix the SELinux labels, start the service at boot and open the firewall, then load the page from another machine.

Why it matters

This is the most common first job for a Linux admin: "make this website work". It touches networking, packages, storage, SELinux, services and the firewall, and the RHCSA tests every one of them. Keeping web files on their own volume means a full disk of uploads cannot stop the whole server.

Skills you practise

  • nmcli static IP
  • dnf install
  • pvcreate, vgcreate, lvcreate
  • mkfs.xfs and /etc/fstab
  • restorecon and SELinux file types
  • systemctl enable --now
  • firewall-cmd --permanent

You need

  • A RHEL 9 virtual machine (free Red Hat Developer subscription) or Rocky Linux 9 / AlmaLinux 9
  • A second empty virtual disk of at least 3 GB attached to the VM (shown as /dev/sdb or /dev/vdb)
  • Working package repositories (a registered RHEL system, or Rocky/Alma with internet access)
  • Another machine on the same network to test from (your host computer is fine)

What you will have at the end

A RHEL web server with a fixed IP, Apache on its own LVM volume, SELinux enforcing, the firewall open for http, and the page loading from another machine after a reboot; commands.sh records every command with a comment.

How it is marked (rubric, 100 points)
Working siteThe page loads from another machine, and still does after a reboot.35
Storage done properlylv_www is 2 GB, XFS, in /etc/fstab, and mount -a gives no errors.20
Secure by defaultSELinux stays enforcing with correct labels; only http is added to the firewall, permanently.25
Documentedcommands.sh lists every command with why, including how you would troubleshoot a 403.20

0/8 steps done

Step 1 of 8

Give the server a fixed IP address

The main network connection uses a manual (static) IPv4 address, gateway and DNS server.

A web server must not change its address, or the shop's staff and customers lose it. NetworkManager stores the setting in a connection profile; nmcli con mod changes it and nmcli con up applies it. Use an address that is free on your own network (the example uses 192.168.1.50/24 with the router at 192.168.1.1). Find your connection name first with nmcli con show; it is often ens160, enp0s3 or eth0.

Run this on your machine, then paste the output below
$ nmcli con show ens160 | grep -E '^ipv4\.(method|addresses|gateway|dns):'

Also check yourself

Your notes: commands.sh

Write down each command you ran. It goes into your project summary.