Introduction to Linux

The history of Linux, the layers that make up a Linux system, and the distributions you will meet in practice.

Learning Objectives

• Describe how Unix and the GNU Project led to the creation of Linux.
• Explain what the GNU General Public License (GPL) allows.
• Name the main parts of a Linux system and explain the difference between user space and kernel space.
• Describe what happens when you run a command.
• Name the main distribution families and their package managers.
• Compare fixed and rolling releases.
• Identify the kernel version and distribution a system is running.

How to read the shell prompt, move around the file system, and create, copy, move and delete files.

Learning Objectives

• Explain the difference between a terminal, a shell and a console.
• Read a shell prompt and break a command into its parts.
• Use absolute and relative paths to move around the file system.
• Create, copy, move and delete files and directories.
• Use wildcards to act on several files at once.

Where Linux keeps its settings, logs and programs, how to read files of any size, and how to find files and the text inside them.

Learning Objectives

• Name the main directories in the Linux file system and what each one holds.
• Find a system's settings, logs and programs.
• Read files with cat, less, head and tail, and follow a log as it grows.
• Find files with find and search inside them with grep.
• Join commands with pipes and save output with redirection.
• Apply the skills from the first three topics in a hands-on lab.

How Linux keeps track of users and groups, how file permissions control access, and how to use root rights safely with sudo.

Learning Objectives

• Explain how Linux identifies users and groups.
• Read the account details in /etc/passwd and find the groups a user belongs to.
• Read file permissions in an ls -l listing.
• Change permissions with chmod and ownership with chown.
• Explain the difference between su and sudo, and how sudo decides who may run what.

How to install and update software with a package manager, watch and stop processes, and manage services and their logs.

Learning Objectives

• Explain what packages, repositories and package managers are.
• Install, update and remove software with apt and dnf.
• List processes and read their PID, owner and resource use.
• Stop a process with the right signal.
• Start, stop, enable and check services with systemctl.
• Read a service's logs with journalctl.
• Apply user, permission, software, process and service skills in a hands-on lab.