Author: Teach

How Git fits into your Linux scripting process

When you begin to learn the basics of the Linux command line, you also find that you want to automate commands by gathering them in scripts. This will prove to be a valuable time-saver as you grow your Linux skills.

But when you have scripts that are longer than, say 20 lines, and you go back to modify and build on them, the complexity increases. Whether you are the only one working on and using the scripts, or if it is a team effort, you will want to use revision control. This helps you track changes to the scripts over time and can also save time so you don’t have to ask yourself, “What on earth was I thinking when I added command x?”

This is where Git comes in handy. Git is a distributed version control system. As such, you use it to track changes in computer files. It is often associated with developers and their toolset, but as the IT industry grows more concerned with durability and transparency, Git also becomes a useful tool for IT Operations staff and data scientists. Just to name a few.

Use Git to control changes and improve transparency

Even if you write and use your scripts exclusively, as your scripts begin numbering in the hundreds (not uncommon), you will find that you need to recall why some changes were made. Git comes to the rescue in this case. Of course, that depends on whether the git commit comments are descriptive and clear.

Read more about Git here (its homepage) and here (Wikipedia page).

Happy scripting! And go ahead and create your first git repository.

AWS introduces a new charge for IPv4 addresses, do you know how to check your own IPv4 and IPv6 configuration?

The IPv4 address pool has decreased over the years, and as reported by AWS the cost to acquire one IPv4 address has increased by 300% the last five years1. Because of this and the gradual transition to IPv6, AWS is introducing a new charge, $0.005 per IPv4 address per hour for all public IPv4 addresses.

As a fun perspective, check out what IP address you are using on your own Linux OS (not necessarily Linux running in AWS).

ifconfig -a | egrep "inet|inet6"

The output will show you the filtered output from ifconfig, with the IPv4 (inet) and IPv6 (inet6) addresses that are configured.

  1. See the AWS News Blog. ↩︎

The Linux command line from a Return of Investment (ROI) perspective AND as a tool to work with data and files

You know, many IT professionals likely meet the following realities in their exposure to Linux:

  • Chances are you will work with files on an existing Linux system. In Linux, all configurations can be traced back to plain text files. Yes, if you work on Windows you also work with files, but maybe working more on the command line when in Linux). So you need to know how to work with those text files.
  • Moreover, in your daily work with text files – essentially data – you will encounter that because of business and IT reasons, data files will be shared in ASCII formats, such as CSV, JSON, YAML, Syslog (RFC 5424), and more. Therefore, you need to know how to import, export, manipulate, and interpret files in these particular formats.
  • Chances are you will not install any system software. So why even bother learning how to do that [rhetorical question]? This might sound awkward to many IT engineers, but there is a range of IT professions where there is no need to change the system configuration of an existing system. Instead, these IT professionals need to use the computer system to work with data, not with software application management.

You can call the three points above an argument that includes three premises. The conclusion that follows in the purpose of this website, Nail Linux Exam. There are many (too many) Linux certifications out there. How can you know which one to pick? Which one is most respected in the industry you are in? Which one is a fad? So which one is more cost effective for your particular situation?

Nail Linux Exam aims to help you with these questions. This is not just another website promising to help you pass Linux exam X. No, this site takes a more holistic approach to Linux skills and exams, tailored to the needs of professionals working on data that happens to reside or pass through a Linux system. And we don’t care about that the system is configured correctly, we take that for granted!

If you agree with the statements above, then NailLinuxExam.com is likely a useful tool on your Linux command line learning path.

Reap the highest possible benefit as fast as possible

So what you want is to invest a) as little time as possible, b) reap the highest possible benefit (useful Linux command line knowledge), and c) have a solid foundation for passing the basics of any Linux certification exam.

The common denominator here is The file system and the commands to work with files and the filesystem without configuring the system itself.

Linux basics on the command line

This site and its quizzes are for you who want to learn how to work with Linux on the basics – That means files, importing/exporting data, and relational databases running on Linux. If we glance back at those three bullet points above, you can see that we will completely avoid installing and maintaining system software (whether they are web servers, proxy servers, email servers, or whatever have you). Because of the Linux paradigm, everything is a file in Linux, we will learn how to work with files and their contents in a Linux environment. This website does not compete, condone or support any of the well-known Linux certifications on the market. They all touch upon the Linux command line and how to work on it, and that is also the foundation for this site. Learn how to work on the command line, with a few role-specific entrances: The business professional, the data scientist, and the Windows engineer.

Check your Linux commandline basic skills!

First out, let’s have a look at navigating the file system..

Next, check what you know about running processes.

Now it’s time to test your skills for sending and receiving data on networks.

What do you know about installing software in Linux? Test your skills.

Can you list hardware and system services? This quiz will test your knowledge on these topics.