This week, I took a deep dive into how Linux actually works under the hood — from system boot to process management, and how the kernel ties everything together. It’s fascinating how much happens in the background of even the simplest command!
🔍 What I Learned This Week:
🧠 Understanding the Linux Kernel
Explored the role of the kernel as the core of the OS — handling memory, process scheduling, hardware interaction, and more. Learned about kernel space vs user space and how system calls bridge the two.
⚙️ How Linux Works: Boot to Shell
Studied the Linux boot process (BIOS → Bootloader → Kernel → init/systemd → Shell) and how the system initializes services and user sessions.
💻 Advanced Linux Commands
Practiced top, htop, ps, kill, nice, df, du, uname, dmesg, and more — gaining insight into system performance and kernel logs.
🧰 File System and Mounting
Learned how Linux manages filesystems, mounted devices manually using mount, and checked system partitions with lsblk and fdisk.
🧠 Resources That Helped Me:
📘 How Linux Works by Brian Ward
🔗 https://linuxjourney.com/
📺 Linux Boot Process Explained
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sebgrmiYdk4
🛠️ Tasks Completed:
✔️ Traced the Linux boot process using logs and dmesg.
✔️ Identified and managed processes using ps, kill, nice, and top.
✔️ Mounted USB drives manually and explored /dev and /proc.
✔️ Explored system call tracing with strace.
✔️ Compared kernel versions and configurations using uname and /proc.
⚠️ Common Errors & Solutions:
❌ Error 💡 Solution
mount: permission denied Use sudo and ensure the device is properly formatted
kill: operation not permitted You can only kill processes you own, or use sudo
command not found Make sure essential packages are installed with sudo apt install
Permission denied when accessing /proc Some files are protected — view as root if necessary
🎯 Biggest Takeaway:
Linux isn't just a command-line interface — it's a beautifully structured operating system with the kernel as its brain. Understanding how it boots, manages processes, and interacts with hardware makes me feel one step closer to being a true DevOps engineer.
Let’s connect if you're exploring Linux internals or getting serious about DevOps foundations!
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