Dear Reader, Below you will find some important information & tips while working with the Linux OS.
1. Basic Terminal Commands:
Linux primarily relies on the command line interface (CLI). For Examples:
- ls: List files and directories in the current location.
- cd: Change directory.
- pwd: Print the current working directory.
- mkdir: Create a new directory.
- touch: Create an empty file.
- rm: Remove files or directories (use with caution).
- cp: Copy files or directories.
- mv: Move or rename files or directories.
- cat: Display the content of a file.
- nano or vim: Text editors for creating and editing files.
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2. File System Hierarchy:
Understand the basic Linux file system hierarchy. The root directory is /, and important system directories include /bin, /usr, /etc, /home, and /var.
3. File Permissions:
Get comfortable with file permissions using commands like chmod (change permissions) and chown (change owner). Permissions are usually represented as three sets of rwx (read, write, execute) for the owner, group, and others.
4. File Navigation Shortcuts:
Use shortcuts like ‘.’ (current directory) and ‘..’ (parent directory) to navigate the file system more efficiently.
5. File and Directory Manipulation:
Use cp to copy files, mv to move/rename files, and rm to remove files. Be cautious with rm as it can permanently delete files.
6. File Permissions and Ownership:
Understand Linux file permissions (read, write, execute) and use chmod to modify them. Use ‘chown’ to change ownership of files and directories.
7. File Compression and Archiving:
Know how to compress and decompress files using tools like tar (for archives) and gzip/gunzip (for compression).
8. File Searching:
Use find to search for files and directories, and grep to search within text files. These are powerful tools for locating specific data.
9. File and Disk Space:
Use df to check disk space usage and du to check directory space usage. Clean up unneeded files to free up disk space.
10. Package Management:
Depending on your Linux distribution, use yum, dnf, apt, pacman or other package managers to install, update, and remove software packages.
11. User Management:
Learn how to create, modify, and delete users and groups using commands like useradd, usermod, userdel, passwd, and groupadd.
12. Process Management:
Use commands like ps (list processes), top (monitor system processes), kill (terminate processes), and bg/fg (background/foreground processes) to manage running tasks.
13. Backup Regularly:
Make regular backups of important data. Linux offers various backup tools like rsync and tar.
14. System Information:
Use commands like uname (kernel information), df (disk space usage), and free (memory usage) to check system resources.
15. Update Your System:
Keep your system up to date with security patches and updates using your package manager.
16.Security:
Practice good security habits, such as creating strong passwords, configuring firewalls, and disabling unnecessary services.
17. Networking:
Learn basic networking commands like ifconfig / ip address (configure network interfaces), ping (test network connectivity), and ssh (secure shell for remote access).
18. Permissions and Ownership:
Understand the importance of file permissions and ownership in maintaining system security. Avoid running commands as the root user unless necessary.
19. Logs and Troubleshooting:
Check system logs in /var/log to diagnose issues. Common logs include syslog, auth, secure, and messages.
20. Managing Services:
Learn how to start, stop, and restart services using commands like systemctl or service, depending on your distribution.
21. Text Editing:
Become proficient with a text editors like vim, nano or emacs. These are essential for editing configuration files and scripts.
22. Basic Text Processing:
Learn tools like grep for searching text, sed for text manipulation, and awk for text processing.
23. Environment Variables:
Understand how to set and use environment variables. Common ones include PATH, HOME, and USER.
24. Wildcards/Regular expressions:
Learn about wildcards & Regular expression like * (matches any characters) and ? (matches a single character) for pattern matching when working with files.
25. Redirecting and Piping:
- History: Use the up and down arrow keys to access previous commands.
- Tab Completion: Press Tab to autocomplete file and directory names.
- Pipes: Use | to combine the output of one command as the input to another.
- Redirection: Use > and < to redirect output and input, respectively.
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26. Shell Scripting:
Explore shell scripting using bash or another shell of your choice. This allows you to automate tasks and create custom scripts.
27. Package Documentation:
Use man (manual) pages to access documentation for commands. For example, man ls will provide detailed information about the ls command.
28. Keyboard Shortcuts:
Learn useful terminal keyboard shortcuts, such as Ctrl+C (interrupt), Ctrl+Z (suspend), Ctrl+D (end of file), and Tab (auto-complete).
29. Documentation and Community Support:
Utilize online resources, forums, and communities for help and documentation. Linux has a vast and supportive user base. Remember Google is your best friend 🙂
30. Practice and Experiment:
The best way to learn Linux is through practice. Create a virtual machine or use a spare computer to experiment and gain hands-on experience.
Remember that Linux is a versatile and powerful operating system, and mastering it takes time and practice. Start with the basics and gradually delve into more advanced topics as you become more comfortable with the Linux environment.
Thanks & Happy Learning 🙂
Tekco Team