Linux Commands Every DevOps Engineer Must Know
Ask a seasoned DevOps engineer what they use every day, they will probably tell you about Linux. You will be using Linux a lot when you are working with applications on Kubernetes troubleshooting problems on a server setting up cloud servers or writing scripts to do tasks. That’s because most cloud platforms, containers and DevOps tools run on Linux. You do a DevOps course, and you learn Linux. This is not surprising because it is Linux that makes everything work behind the scenes. If you want to become a DevOps engineer you should be comfortable with the command line.
To be a DevOps engineer, you need to start with the basics of Linux
As you learn more about Linux you also need to know how to control who can access or modify files on your Linux system. You can do this on your Linux system with commands like `chmod` `chown` and `umask`. If you make a mistake with file permissions on your Linux system it can cause problems and even be a security risk. These commands are really important for your Linux system. A lot of beginners do not realize this.
At some point you will have to look at log files to figure out what is going wrong with an application on your Linux system.This is where commands like `grep` `find` `cat` `tail` `head` `awk` and `sed` are useful for your Linux system.These tools for your Linux system help you find the information you need quickly so you do not have to look through thousands of log entries on your Linux system.You will use these commands a lot on your Linux system to debug applications and fix problems, on your Linux system.Another common task is installing software to your Linux system.
Monitoring Systems and Troubleshooting – A DevOps Engineer’s Perspective
A DevOps engineer’s job is to keep systems up and running and ensure that they are available. Linux commands like `top`, `htop`, `df`, `du`, and `vmstat` can help you monitor your Linux system’s CPU usage, memory usage, storage capacity, and overall system performance. This lets you quickly see if a server is running low on resources or if a specific process is causing problems on your Linux system.
Linux is good for networking too. You can try to ping to check if you are connected to a Linux running server. You can download files from a Linux running server using wget and curl. You can SSH into a Linux server. You can use `dig` and `nslookup` to test for DNS issues on your Linux system. These are commands which you use every day on your linux system. Knowing how the network works is just as important as knowing the applications themselves on your Linux system in an environment.
Linux is an important topic for DevOps training online because of these skills. If you have hands-on experience with Linux, you are ready to work with different technologies .
You are a beginner and you may think that you need to learn hundreds of Linux commands before you can apply for a DevOps job. An experienced engineer does not know every Linux command by heart. They are familiar with the concepts of linux. Know how to get the right information when they need it on Linux.
The best way to learn Linux is to use it a lot on your Linux box. Start an instance Install Linux on your computer. Create a Linux virtual machine. Try to do things on your Linux system via the terminal. The more you use Linux the more natural the Linux system commands will become.
Another habit to get into when learning Linux is to read the docs. The man command is a learning tool in Linux. About copying and pasting commands from the internet without knowing what they do on your Linux system Spend a few minutes reading about each option on your Linux system. “You feel confident.” Eventually you will learn more and more about linux.AI assistants could improve at writing scripts and suggesting Linux commands. Knowledge of Linux is irreplaceable when working with Linux. AI can propose a solution for Linux. It takes a Linux expert to confidently troubleshoot problems, validate automation and keep critical systems running smoothly on your Linux system
Linux is not another technology for a DevOps engineer to learn. Cloud computing, containerisation, automation and Kubernetes. Almost everything else is built on top of them and they all rely on Linux. Learning the command line isn’t a one day thing. Each command you learn about Linux is getting you closer to being the kind of DevOps engineer that companies want to hire to work with Linux.
