Basic Linux Commands for DevOps (Handbook)

If you are searching for basic Linux commands for DevOps, you definitely need to read this article which contains the fundamental commands every web developer needs to know to complete main tasks with Linux systems.

It's not always necessary to know the system perfectly; in most cases, you will only need basic Linux commands. I highly recommend you bookmark this article, as it might be helpful in the future when you work on your terminal.

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The Best Basic Linux Commands for DevOPS

1. Terminal Navigation Basics

Navigating through the Linux terminal proficiently is the first step in your DevOps journey. Here are a couple of commands to get you started:

a. ls Command

• Description: List all files and directories in the current directory.
• Example: To list files with detailed information, use ls -l.

b. cd Command

• Description: Change the current directory.
• Example: To move to the home directory, use cd ~.

2. File Management Essentials

Managing files effectively is vital in DevOps. Here are the commands that will assist you:

a. mkdir & rmdir Commands

• Description: Create and remove directories, respectively.
• Example: Create a directory named “project” using mkdir project and remove it with rmdir project.

b. touch Command

• Description: Create a new empty file.
• Example: Create a file named “example.txt” using touch example.txt.

3. Text Editing Techniques

Editing files is a routine task in DevOps. Here, we look at commands that facilitate easy editing:

a. nano & vi Commands

• Description: Text editors for creating or editing files.
• Example: Edit a file named “example.txt” using nano example.txt or vi example.txt.

b. cat & less Commands

• Description: Display file content. cat displays content at once, while less allows for pagination.
• Example: View content of “example.txt” using cat example.txt or paginate with less example.txt.

4. System Management Fundamentals

Maintaining the system health is a critical task. Here are commands to help you monitor your system:

a. df & du Commands

• Description: df displays disk space usage, and du shows file and directory space usage.
• Example: Check disk space using df -h and directory space using du -sh /path/to/directory.

b. top & ps Commands

• Description: top displays real-time system processes, while ps lists the processes currently running.
• Example: Monitor real-time processes with top and view current processes using ps -e.

c. grep Command

• Description: Searches for a specific pattern within files.
• Example: Find lines containing “error” in “logfile.txt” using grep "error" logfile.txt.

d. chmod & chown Commands

• Description: chmod changes file permissions, and chown alters file ownership.
• Example: Change file permissions using chmod 755 filename and modify ownership with chown user:group filename.

5. Networking Basics

Networking is crucial in DevOps. Here are commands to assist you in managing network tasks:

a. ifconfig & ping Commands

• Description: ifconfig displays network configuration, and ping tests the connectivity to a network host.
• Example: View network configuration using ifconfig and test connectivity to Google using ping www.google.com.

b. curl & wget Commands

• Description: curl and wget are used for data transfer. curl can transfer data with URL syntax, while wget is for downloading files from the network.
• Example: Fetch data from a URL using curl http://www.example.com and download a file using wget http://www.example.com/file.zip.

Conclusion

Understanding and mastering these basic Linux commands can be a substantial step forward in your DevOps journey. They are practical tools that can simplify and streamline your daily tasks considerably.

So, take a step forward, experiment with these commands, and enhance your DevOps expertise.