🖥️ Linux Learning Journey – Week 1
I’ve officially started my Linux learning journey! To get hands-on practice, I installed Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) on VMware Workstation. Running it inside a virtual machine makes it safe to explore, since even if I mess something up, my main system stays unaffected.
Here’s everything I covered in my first week:
🔹 Installation & Setup
I learned the basics of Linux distributions (distros) and why they exist. Some are community-based (like Ubuntu, Debian), while others like RHEL are enterprise-focused. Setting up RHEL inside VMware gave me a real server-like environment to practice on.
🔹 Linux File System
Unlike Windows, where drives are labeled (C:, D:, etc.), Linux has a single root directory (/), and everything starts from there. I explored some important folders:
/home → stores user files
/etc → contains system configuration files
/var → keeps logs and variable data
/bin → essential system commands and binaries
It felt structured and logical once I understood the hierarchy.
🔹 Basic Navigation Commands
I practiced commands to move around and explore the system:
pwd → shows current directory
ls → lists files and directories
cd → change directory
clear → clears the terminal
At first, it felt strange not having a GUI to click around, but slowly I got comfortable navigating purely with commands.
🔹 File & Directory Management
Creating and managing files/directories was my next step:
mkdir newfolder → creates a directory
rmdir oldfolder → removes an empty directory
touch notes.txt → creates an empty file
cp file1 file2 → copies files
mv file1 file2 → moves or renames files
rm file.txt → deletes a file
It’s simple but powerful. With just these few commands, I could organize files completely from the terminal.
🔹 Viewing Files
Linux provides different ways to check file contents:
cat for quick display
less and more for scrolling through long files
head and tail for previewing the beginning or end of a file
This was really useful when I explored system files in /etc and /proc.
🔹 User Management Basics
Linux is a multi-user system, so learning user management was important:
Checked the current user with whoami and id
Switched between users with su and ran admin tasks with sudo
Created new users using useradd newuser and set passwords with passwd
Removed accounts with userdel
This gave me an idea of how Linux handles different users and permissions, something very important in servers.
✨ Takeaway:
Week 1 has been about building a foundation. From installing RHEL inside VMware to creating files, directories, and even new users, I now feel more comfortable with the Linux command line. It was a bit challenging in the beginning, but the more I practice, the more natural it feels.
Next, I’ll move on to permissions, wildcards, and process management in Week 2. Looking forward to diving deeper 🔥
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