Linux Terminal Lab

Master essential Linux/Unix command line operations with hands-on exercises

Lab Overview

This lab teaches you essential Linux terminal commands for navigating the file system, managing files and directories, and performing system operations. These commands also work in WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), Git Bash, and most Unix-like systems.

Prerequisites: Linux system, WSL on Windows, or access to a Linux terminal

Note: Linux commands are case-sensitive. ls is different from LS

Part 1: Opening the Terminal

Methods to Open Terminal:

Ubuntu/Debian:

Ctrl + Alt + T - Direct shortcut
Super key → Type "terminal"
Right-click desktop → "Open Terminal"

Other Distros:

Fedora: Activities → Terminal
Arch: Application Menu → Terminal
WSL: Type "wsl" in Windows Terminal

Part 2: Navigation Commands

Essential Navigation Commands:

Command	Description	Example	Windows Equivalent
`pwd`	Print working directory	`pwd`	cd (without args)
`ls`	List directory contents	`ls`	dir
`ls -la`	List all files with details	`ls -la`	dir /a
`cd [dir]`	Change directory	`cd Documents`	cd [dir]
`cd ~`	Go to home directory	`cd ~`	cd %USERPROFILE%
`cd ..`	Go up one level	`cd ..`	cd ..
`cd /`	Go to root directory	`cd /`	cd \
`clear`	Clear terminal screen	`clear`	cls
`tree`	Display directory tree	`tree`	tree

Exercise 1: Navigation Practice

Open Terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T or equivalent)
Check your current directory: pwd
List files with details: ls -la
Go to home directory: cd ~
Navigate to Documents: cd Documents (create if needed: mkdir Documents)
Return to home: cd or cd ~
View hidden files: ls -a

Part 3: File Management Commands

File Operations:

Command	Description	Example
`touch [file]`	Create empty file	`touch file.txt`
`echo "text" > file`	Create file with content	`echo "Hello" > greeting.txt`
`cat [file]`	Display file contents	`cat file.txt`
`less [file]`	View file page by page	`less largefile.txt`
`head -n [num] [file]`	View first n lines	`head -n 10 file.txt`
`tail -n [num] [file]`	View last n lines	`tail -n 10 file.txt`
`cp [src] [dest]`	Copy file	`cp file.txt backup.txt`
`mv [src] [dest]`	Move/rename file	`mv old.txt new.txt`
`rm [file]`	Remove file	`rm unwanted.txt`
`rm -i [file]`	Remove with confirmation	`rm -i important.txt`
`find [dir] -name [pattern]`	Find files	`find . -name "*.txt"`
`grep [pattern] [file]`	Search in file	`grep "error" log.txt`

Exercise 2: Complete File Management Project

Project: Create a Linux project structure with multiple files and practice all operations

Step 1: Setup Workspace

Go to home directory: cd ~
Create project folder: mkdir linux_practice
Enter the folder: cd linux_practice
Verify location: pwd

Step 2: Create Multiple Files

Create empty files: touch readme.md config.json script.sh
Create file with content: echo "# My Linux Project" > readme.md
Add more content: echo "Learning Linux commands" >> readme.md
Create a log file: echo "$(date): Lab started" > activity.log
Create multiple test files: for i in 1 2 3; do echo "Test $i" > test$i.txt; done
List all created files: ls -la

Step 3: Organize with Directories

Create multiple directories: mkdir src docs tests backup
Create nested directory: mkdir -p src/components/ui
View directory tree: tree (or ls -R if tree not installed)

Step 4: File Operations

Move test files to tests: mv test*.txt tests/
Copy readme to docs: cp readme.md docs/
Move script to src: mv script.sh src/
Create backup of everything: cp -r * backup/ 2>/dev/null
View readme contents: cat readme.md
Search for "Test" in all files: grep -r "Test" .

Step 5: Advanced Operations

Find all .txt files: find . -name "*.txt"
Count lines in all text files: wc -l tests/*.txt
Combine test files: cat tests/*.txt > combined.txt
View last 5 lines of log: tail -n 5 activity.log
Archive project: tar -czf project.tar.gz src/ docs/ tests/

Part 4: Directory Management

Directory Operations:

Command	Description	Example
`mkdir [dir]`	Create directory	`mkdir newfolder`
`mkdir -p [path]`	Create nested directories	`mkdir -p parent/child/grandchild`
`rmdir [dir]`	Remove empty directory	`rmdir emptyfolder`
`rm -r [dir]`	Remove directory and contents	`rm -r fullfolder`
`rm -rf [dir]`	Force remove (careful!)	`rm -rf unwanted`
`cp -r [src] [dest]`	Copy directory	`cp -r source/ destination/`
`mv [old] [new]`	Move/rename directory	`mv oldname newname`
`du -sh [dir]`	Directory size	`du -sh Documents/`
`df -h`	Disk space usage	`df -h`

Part 5: Permissions & Ownership

Understanding Linux Permissions:

Permission Format: rwxrwxrwx = Owner|Group|Others
r=read(4), w=write(2), x=execute(1)

Command	Description	Example
`ls -l`	View permissions	`ls -l file.txt`
`chmod [mode] [file]`	Change permissions	`chmod 755 script.sh`
`chmod +x [file]`	Make executable	`chmod +x script.sh`
`chmod -x [file]`	Remove execute	`chmod -x file.txt`
`chown [user] [file]`	Change owner	`sudo chown user file.txt`
`chgrp [group] [file]`	Change group	`sudo chgrp staff file.txt`
`umask`	Default permissions	`umask 022`

Common Permission Values:

777 - Everyone can read, write, execute (dangerous!)
755 - Owner: all, Others: read+execute (common for executables)
644 - Owner: read+write, Others: read only (common for files)
600 - Owner only: read+write (private files)

Part 6: Process Management

Command	Description	Example
`ps`	Show running processes	`ps aux`
`top`	Real-time process viewer	`top` (q to quit)
`htop`	Better process viewer	`htop` (if installed)
`kill [PID]`	Terminate process	`kill 1234`
`kill -9 [PID]`	Force kill process	`kill -9 1234`
`killall [name]`	Kill by name	`killall firefox`
`jobs`	Show background jobs	`jobs`
`bg`	Send to background	`bg %1`
`fg`	Bring to foreground	`fg %1`
`&`	Run in background	`command &`
`nohup`	Run after logout	`nohup command &`

Part 7: Package Management

Debian/Ubuntu (apt)

sudo apt update - Update package list
sudo apt upgrade - Upgrade packages
sudo apt install [pkg] - Install package
sudo apt remove [pkg] - Remove package
apt search [term] - Search packages
apt list --installed - List installed

RedHat/Fedora (dnf/yum)

sudo dnf update - Update system
sudo dnf install [pkg] - Install package
sudo dnf remove [pkg] - Remove package
dnf search [term] - Search packages
dnf list installed - List installed

Homebrew (macOS/Linux)

# Install package
brew install <package_name>

# Update Homebrew
brew update

# Upgrade packages
brew upgrade

# Search packages
brew search <package_name>

APT (Ubuntu/Debian)

# Install package
sudo apt install <package_name>

# Update package list
sudo apt update

# Upgrade packages
sudo apt upgrade

# Search packages
apt search <package_name>

YUM/DNF (RedHat/CentOS)

# Install package
sudo yum install <package_name>

# Update packages
sudo yum update

# Search packages
yum search <package_name>

# DNF (newer)
sudo dnf install <package_name>

Tip: Always run update before installing new packages to ensure you get the latest versions

Quick Reference Card

Essential Navigation

pwd - Where am I?
ls -la - List everything
cd ~ - Go home
cd .. - Go up
clear - Clear screen

File Operations

touch file - Create file
cat file - View file
cp src dest - Copy
mv src dest - Move
rm file - Delete

Useful Shortcuts

Tab - Auto-complete
↑ ↓ - Command history
Ctrl+C - Cancel command
Ctrl+Z - Suspend process
Ctrl+D - Logout/EOF
Ctrl+L - Clear screen
Ctrl+R - Search history

Piping and Redirection

| - Pipe output to next command: ls | grep txt
> - Redirect output to file: echo "text" > file.txt
>> - Append to file: echo "more" >> file.txt
< - Input from file: sort < list.txt
2> - Redirect errors: command 2> errors.log
&> - Redirect all output: command &> all.log

Bonus: Useful Tips & Tricks

Command Aliases

Create shortcuts for frequently used commands:

alias ll='ls -la' - Create alias
alias gs='git status' - Git shortcut
Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc to make permanent

Wildcards

* - Matches any characters: rm *.txt
? - Matches single character: ls file?.txt
[abc] - Matches a, b, or c: ls file[123].txt
[a-z] - Matches range: ls [a-z]*.txt

Command Chaining

; - Run sequentially: cd /tmp; ls
&& - Run if previous succeeds: mkdir dir && cd dir
|| - Run if previous fails: cd dir || mkdir dir

Pro Tip: Use man [command] to read the manual for any command. Press q to quit the manual. Example: man ls