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Chetan Tekam
Chetan Tekam

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Linux Filesystem and Navigation for DevOps (With Practical Demo) - v1.0

#devops #beginners #learning #linux

Epic: Linux Foundations for DevOps
Work Card: Filesystem & Navigation
Status: ✅ Completed up to v1.1 (Efficiency)
GitHub: linux/filesystem-navigation/
Demos: Linux for DevOps — Execution Demos

Introduction

The first time you SSH into a remote Linux server, even simple tasks can feel risky.
A wrong turn in the filesystem can leave you disoriented, unsure where you are, or afraid to touch anything.

This post documents v1.0 of my Linux filesystem navigation journey — focusing on survival skills that let you move confidently without breaking anything.

The Goal

The objective was simple:

Navigate a remote Linux system without getting lost.

That meant learning how to:

  • Connect safely to a remote server
  • Understand where I am in the filesystem
  • Move between important directories
  • Recover quickly when I lose context

The Core Commands

1. Connecting to the Server (ssh) 

ssh user@host
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SSH gives you full access to a remote system as if you were local.
Once connected, every command matters — awareness is key.

2. Knowing Where You Are (pwd) 

pwd
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This command prints your current working directory.

I learned to use pwd defensively — whenever something felt off, I ran it to re-orient myself.

3. Moving Around (cd) 

cd /etc
cd /var/log
cd /home
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I practiced navigating using:

  • Absolute paths (start with /) — predictable and safe
  • Relative paths (./, ../) — shorter, but context-dependent

Understanding the difference made navigation far less confusing.

Understanding Key Linux Directories

One of the biggest confidence boosts came from understanding what lives where:

  • /etc → system and application configuration files
  • /var/log → logs used for troubleshooting
  • /home → user home directories

Knowing this meant I wasn’t just moving blindly — I had intent.

Recovering When Lost

Getting lost is inevitable. What matters is recovery.

These commands became muscle memory:

cd ..
cd /
cd ~
pwd
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They let me:

  • Move up one level
  • Reset to the root
  • Return home
  • Reconfirm my location

What I Learned

  • Remote systems demand discipline
  • pwd is not optional — it’s a safety tool
  • Absolute paths reduce mental overhead
  • Linux filesystem layout is consistent and learnable
  • Recovery commands are as important as navigation commands

Demo

🎥 YouTube v1.0 — Navigating /etc, /var, /home — Linux Filesystem (Remote SSH)

Final Thoughts

This v1.0 work wasn’t about speed or elegance.
It was about confidence.

Once I could reliably answer:

“Where am I, and how do I get back?”

Everything else became easier.

What’s Next

In the next iteration, I focused on:

  • Navigating faster
  • Preserving context
  • Safely inspecting unknown files

👉 Follow-up: v1.1 introduces directory stacks and safer workflows.

Canonical Source

📘 Workcard (living, updated):
GitHub → docs/linux-basics/linux-filesystem-navigation

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