Use Essential Commands in Ubuntu Linux
Linux is omnipresent and occupies a central position in cloud computing, making it challenging to escape its influence. By completing this lab, you will acquire the necessary abilities to proficiently maneuver and utilize the Linux command line interface.
Terms and conditions apply.
Challenge
Getting Started in the Lab Environment
Here are the initial instructions and explanation of the lab environment. Read this while your environment is busy creating itself from nothing. Yes, this violates physics; we know. How fun!
Challenge
Identify Connection Properties
Through this challenge, you will gain familiarity with the Linux command line and execute a series of simple commands. You will determine your connection, connection properties, and retrieve the current date and time on the system.
Challenge
Locate Help from the Linux Command Line
In this challenge, you will develop familiarity with accessing assistance on the Linux command line. You will learn to utilize various resources such as simple help commands, man pages, and help pages to seek guidance and information.
Challenge
Work with Files
Efficiently managing files in a Linux system is consistently crucial. Throughout this task, you will operate within the command line environment, mastering the usage of the "ls" command to list hidden files and file metadata. Additionally, you will learn basic file management techniques, including copying (cp), moving (mv), and removing (rm) files.
Challenge
Work with Directories
Now that you have gained experience working with files, it is time to delve into the realm of directories. A directory serves as a specialized file type, and plays a crucial role in organizing files within the filesystem. In this task, you will focus on creating, viewing, and removing directories, thus honing your skills in directory management.
Challenge
Use File Redirection
By default, command output is typically directed to the console. However, through the use of redirection, you can redirect the output to files for the purpose of logging and future review. This allows you to store and access the command output at a later time, enabling efficient tracking and analysis of the information.
Challenge
Read Files
In previous challenges, you have already explored a few commands for reading the contents of text files, such as "cat," "less," and "tail." Now, you will delve further into additional commands that can be utilized to read file content. This will broaden your understanding of the available tools for viewing and analyzing file data.
Challenge
Create and Manage Symbolic Links
During the process of managing directories, you have already encountered hard links, which enable multiple names for a file. However, there are also symbolic links, also known as soft links. These are a specific file type that serve as shortcuts to the target file. Symbolic links can point to regular files or directories and are widely used in various Linux distributions, including Ubuntu 22.04, which is utilized as the lab system in this lab. In this challenge, you will gain the knowledge to view existing symbolic links and create new ones as needed.
Challenge
Work with Linux File Permissions
Ensuring security within the Linux file system is of the utmost importance. File permissions, also referred to as the file's mode, play a vital role in maintaining this security. By utilizing the "chmod" command, you can manage and modify file permissions as needed. In this challenge, you will learn how to effectively set the required permissions on both files and directories, empowering you to maintain the desired level of security within your Linux system.
Challenge
Work with Linux Special Permissions
In Linux, there are not only standard permissions but also special permissions, namely the SUID, SGID, and Sticky bit. These special permissions expand the range of options beyond the standard read, write, and execute permissions. They are crucial components of your security plan, and require in-depth knowledge for effective implementation.
Challenge
Locate Files Using the find Command
The "find" command in Linux is an incredibly powerful tool that is highly recommended to learn. It not only enables you to locate files based on specific criteria, but also allows you to execute commands on those files. With the "find" command, you can efficiently search for files, perform various operations on them, overall expanding your capabilities for file management and automation.
Challenge
Search Files for Content
You will utilize the command-line tool "grep" to extract data from text files. The focus will be on searching for patterns in "/etc/passwd," "/etc/os-release," and the dictionary file. The examples provided will serve as valuable guidance for any system, showcasing effective ways to use grep for searching specific text patterns within these files. Armed with this knowledge, you will gain the ability to proficiently search for and extract relevant information from text files on any system.
Challenge
Archive Files in Linux
Archiving and backing up files in Linux is an essential task. The "tar" command allows you to create a tape archive, even though tapes are not commonly used anymore. Additionally, you have the option to compress these archives, which reduces the space required, but increases CPU usage due to compression and decompression processes.
Challenge
Elevate User Privileges
Throughout these challenges, you may have encountered situations where your standard privileges were insufficient to complete certain tasks. In such cases, you utilized the "sudo" command to elevate your privileges. In Linux, privilege elevation can be managed through either "su" (substitute user) or "sudo" commands. However, "sudo" is generally preferred as it eliminates the need for administrators to know the root user password or even have a password set for the root account.
Challenge
The Last Challenge
Welcome to the final challenge! This is your last chance to experiment in the environment. Clicking Finish Lab will end this little world that flittered into existence just for you
Provided environment for hands-on practice
We will provide the credentials and environment necessary for you to practice right within your browser.
Guided walkthrough
Follow along with the author’s guided walkthrough and build something new in your provided environment!
Did you know?
On average, you retain 75% more of your learning if you get time for practice.
Recommended prerequisites
- The lab is suitable for anyone starting to learn Linux