Most servers and many dev machines run Linux. Knowing the basics makes deployment, scripting, and daily coding much easier. Here’s a focused set of essentials.
1. Essential Commands
Navigate and manage files: cd, pwd, ls -la, mkdir, cp, mv, rm -rf (use with care). View files: cat, less, head, tail -f. Search: grep, find. Permissions: chmod, chown. Process management: ps aux, kill, killall.
2. Shell Basics
Use | to pipe output, > and >> to redirect. Chain commands with && and ;. Edit your .bashrc or .zshrc for aliases and PATH. Use nano or vim for quick edits in the terminal.
3. SSH and Remote Access
Connect to servers with ssh user@host. Use key-based auth: ssh-keygen and copy your public key to the server’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys. Use scp or rsync to transfer files securely.
4. Package Managers
On Ubuntu/Debian: apt update && apt install <package>. On Fedora: dnf install. On Arch: pacman -S. Use these to install Node, Python, Docker, and dev tools—or use version managers (nvm, pyenv) for runtimes.
5. Dev Environment on Linux / WSL
Install Node.js (nvm), Git, and your editor (VS Code works great on Linux and WSL). Use WSL2 on Windows for a full Linux environment. Keep your dotfiles in a repo so you can replicate your setup on any machine.
Need help with Linux servers or deployment? Contact me—I can help you configure and maintain Linux-based development and production environments.