Introduction:

In the world of AWS and DevOps, Linux commands play a crucial role in managing infrastructure, automating processes, and troubleshooting. For any professional working in cloud environments, especially on AWS, having a solid understanding of basic Linux commands is essential. In this article, I will cover some fundamental Linux commands used frequently by the Mhtechin software development team when managing AWS resources and implementing DevOps practices.

1. Navigating Directories

When working with AWS EC2 instances or any Linux-based servers, navigating directories is a common task.

• pwd: Prints the current working directory. pwd
• ls: Lists files and directories in the current directory. ls
• cd: Changes the directory.
  bash cd /path/to/directory

2. File Operations

Managing files is a critical part of Linux, especially in the context of deploying applications, configuring services, and logging.

• touch: Creates an empty file. touch filename.txt
• cat: Displays the contents of a file. cat filename.txt
• cp: Copies a file from one location to another. cp source.txt /destination/path/
• mv: Moves a file or renames it. mv oldname.txt newname.txt
• rm: Deletes a file.
  bash rm filename.txt

3. Managing Permissions

Permissions are important when deploying and managing applications on AWS instances or containers.

• chmod: Changes the permissions of a file or directory. chmod 755 filename.sh
• chown: Changes the owner of a file or directory.
  bash chown user:group filename.txt

4. Network Operations

Network management is essential in a cloud environment. Checking connectivity between instances and troubleshooting are common DevOps tasks.

• ping: Checks network connectivity between two machines. ping google.com
• curl: Transfers data from or to a server. It is widely used to check API responses or download files. curl http://example.com
• wget: Downloads files from the web.
  bash wget http://example.com/file.zip

5. Process Management

Managing processes is key in deploying applications and running services on Linux.

• ps: Displays currently running processes. ps aux
• top: Provides a real-time view of running processes, memory, and CPU usage. top
• kill: Terminates a running process.
  bash kill -9 process_id

6. Package Management

Installing and managing software packages is a daily task for Linux system admins and DevOps engineers.

• apt-get: Package manager for Ubuntu/Debian-based systems (used to install, update, and remove software). sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install package_name
• yum: Package manager for Red Hat-based systems.
  bash sudo yum update sudo yum install package_name

7. Disk Space Management

Disk space management is important when handling data storage and backups.

• df: Displays disk space usage. df -h
• du: Shows disk usage of files and directories.
  bash du -sh /path/to/directory/

8. SSH to EC2 Instance

One of the most common Linux tasks in AWS environments is accessing EC2 instances using SSH.

• ssh: Securely connects to a remote Linux server or EC2 instance.
  bash ssh -i keyfile.pem ec2-user@ec2-public-ip

9. System Updates

Keeping your Linux system updated is essential for security and stability.

• For Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
• For CentOS/Red Hat:
  bash sudo yum update

10. Logs and Monitoring

Monitoring logs is important to troubleshoot any issues during application deployment and for AWS services.

• tail: Displays the last lines of a file, useful for checking logs. tail -f /var/log/syslog
• grep: Searches for a specific string within files. Often used to find errors or events in logs.
  bash grep "error" /var/log/syslog

Conclusion

Linux commands are the building blocks for managing cloud infrastructure and implementing DevOps practices. Whether you’re working with AWS EC2 instances, containers, or orchestrating CI/CD pipelines, mastering these basic commands will enhance your efficiency and troubleshooting skills. The Mhtechin software development team frequently relies on these commands in their day-to-day DevOps activities, making them essential for anyone working in the field.

These fundamental commands form the backbone of daily operations, and mastering them is key to success in both AWS and DevOps environments.