Learn Linux Command Line Basics

The purpose of this manual is to provide the training required to access a remote server from the command line by an individual that is new to Linux or at least new to the command line. The goal is to provide adequate training and repetitive application to insure confidence when working at the command line.

This 200 page manual is built for those coming from a Windows background that want to learn Linux and be able to perform basic Linux commands with confidence.   The manual has 40 Labs so that you can interact with the learning on a Linux machine.

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A thorough understanding of the command line is essential to become a system administrator.  This manual will provide the introduction you need to learn how to work at the command line.

Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Getting Started 1
Lab 1.1 The Linux Prompt 6
Finding Help 7
Lab 1.2 Using man Pages 8
Understanding Users 9
Normal Users 9
Lab 2.1 Users and Groups 11
The root User 12
How to Acquire root Privileges 13
Lab 2.2 Acquire root Privileges 15
Passwords 16
The history Command 17
Lab 2.3: history Command 19
Managing the File System 21
Pathnames 21
Lab 3.1: Understanding Relative/Absolute Paths 23
Path and Environmental Settings 25
Lab 3.2: Checking the PATH 26
A Linux Standard 27
Directories vs. Partitions in the File System 29
Lab 3.3: Recognizing Partitions 31
File Types 32
File Permissions 34
Lab 3.4: Recognize Permissions 35
Lab 3.5: Change File Permissions - chmod 37
Link 39
Diagnostic Tools 41
Purpose of the Shell 43
The Command Line 44
Structure of a Command 44
Lab 4.1: Linux Commands 49
Disk Space 51
Lab 4.2: Disk Space Use 52
Group Permissions 53
Lab 4.3: Adjusting Group Permissions 55
Timestamps 56
Lab 4.4: Checking File Timestamps 59
Process Management 60
Managing Processes 60
ps 60
Nice 63
Creation of Process 64
Lab 4.5: Listing Processes 64
Signals 65
How to Kill Processes 65
Process States 66
top 66
Lab 4.6: top 67
Dealing with Wild Processes 68
Lab 4.7: Using Signals 69
Navigation 71
Lab 5.1: Navigation Tools 72
Text Manipulation 73
Search 77
Insert Mode: Changing Text 78
Saving and Exiting 80
Global Replacement 80
Lab 6.1 : Learning vim 81
Split Screen 83
Lab 6.2: Split Window 83
nano 85
Lab 6.3: Basic Nano 89
Locating Information 91
Search Packages 91
Search for Sizes 91
Search User Owned Files 92
Managing Versions 92
Using Aptitude to Locate Information 92
Using dpkg to Locate Information 94
Lab 7.1: Managing Package Versions 95
Managing System Logs 98
Lab 7.2: Web Server Log Files 102
View System Logs 103
Log File Rotation 106
Lab 7.3 Log Management 108
Creating Backups 111
Using tar 111
Lab 8.1 Simple tar Backup 112
Search the Contents of a tar File 113
Compress the Backups 113
Simple tar Script 114
Lab 8.2 Backup /home Directory with Script 114
rsync 116
Lab 8.3 rsync 118
Using dd to Back Up Partitions 120
Lab 8.4 Backup /boot Directory with dd 121
Managing Automated Actions 123
Using at 123
Lab 9.1: Using at 124
Using cron 125
Lab 9.2: Backup 128
Networking 131
LAN - Local Area Network 131
WAN - Wide Area Network 131
Network Basics 132
Test Network Connections 133
Check Network Devices 134
Display Routing Table 135
route 137
Reviewing Network Connections 137
Common Ports and Services 138
Lab 10.1 Network Troubleshooting 139
Basic Linux Commands 141
cp - Copy 141
Lab 11.1: Copy Files and Directories 142
date - Date 143
rm - Remove 143
Lab 11.2: Delete Files and Directories 144
mv - Move 144
mkdir - Make Directory 145
Lab 11.3 : Commands 146
SSH – Secure Remote Access 147
SSH Basics 147
Lab 12.1: SSH Secure Connection 149
Generate a Key Pair 150
Preventing Man in the Middle 151
Known Hosts 154
Making Connections 154
Initializing a Connection to a Server 154
Transfer Files Using scp 155
Transfer Remote File to Local Machine 155
Transfer a Directory to Remote Server 156
Using sftp for Secure File Transfer 156
Change Port Number on Client 157
Connect With Keys Only 157
Lab 12.2: SSH Connect Without Passwords 158
Transferring Files With FileZilla 162
Connecting With FileZilla 163
LAB 12.3: SSH Move Directories 167
LAB 12.4: SFTP 171
Webmin: Remote Access 173
Lab 13.1 : Webmin Security 191
Lab 13.2 : Webmin Options 192
Lab Answers 193

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