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Chetan Tekam
Chetan Tekam

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Linux Filesystem and Navigation for DevOps (With Practical Demo) - v1.1

#devops #cli #linux #tutorial

Epic: Linux Foundations for DevOps
Work Card: Filesystem & Navigation
Status: ✅ Completed up to v1.1 (Efficiency & Safety)
Previous Iteration: v1.0
GitHub: linux/filesystem-navigation/
Demos: Linux for DevOps — Execution Demos

Introduction

Once you’re comfortable SSH-ing into remote Linux systems, a new problem appears:
you’re no longer afraid to move — but it’s easy to lose context.

In real DevOps workflows, you constantly jump between:

  • logs
  • configuration files
  • application directories

This post documents v1.1 of my Linux filesystem navigation journey — focused on efficiency, safety, and context preservation while working on live systems.

The Goal

The objective of this iteration was:

Move across multiple directories without losing context or risking mistakes.

That meant learning how to:

  • Switch between locations efficiently
  • Keep track of navigation history
  • Understand directory structure before diving in
  • Inspect unknown files safely

The Core Enhancements

1. Preserving Context with Directory Stacks (pushd, popd) 

pushd /var/log
pushd /etc
popd
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Instead of mentally tracking where I came from, I let Linux do it for me.

  • pushd moves into a directory and saves the previous location
  • popd returns to the last saved directory

This made backtracking predictable and stress-free.

2. Fast Switching (cd -) 

cd -
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This instantly toggles between the current and previous directory.

It’s the fastest way to jump between two locations — especially useful when comparing logs and configs.

3. Seeing the Big Picture (dirs -v) 

dirs -v
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This command shows the directory stack with index numbers.

It helped me answer:

“Where have I been, and where can I jump back to?”

Understanding Directory Structure Before Acting

Before entering unfamiliar paths, I started visualizing them first.

Using tree and ls -R 

tree
ls -R
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These commands reveal directory depth and layout, helping avoid blind navigation into complex structures.

Safely Inspecting Unknown Files

Opening the wrong file the wrong way can be risky.

So I adopted a safe inspection workflow:

file filename
head filename
less filename
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  • file → identify what kind of file it is
  • head → preview the beginning
  • less → scroll safely without editing or executing

This made exploration much safer on live systems.

What I Learned

  • Navigation efficiency matters once basics are mastered
  • Context preservation reduces mistakes
  • Directory stacks remove mental overhead
  • Visualizing structure prevents blind exploration
  • Safe inspection should always come before editing

Demo

🎥 YouTube v1.1 — Directory Stack & Safe Inspection — Linux Filesystem

Final Thoughts

v1.0 taught me how not to get lost.
v1.1 taught me how to stay in control.

This iteration marked a shift from learning Linux commands to operating Linux systems deliberately — the mindset required in DevOps roles.

What’s Next

The next iteration focuses on:

  • File and directory operations
  • Copying, moving, deleting safely
  • Permissions and ownership

Each step builds directly on the last.

Canonical Source

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

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