First Steps With Linux

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This never gets old

Within 5 years, knowing Linux will matter more than it does today. AI is increasing the number of people deploying servers, containers, and infrastructure. Those systems still need to run somewhere.

If your first instinct is to ask ChatGPT or Google how a Linux command works, you’re learning dependency, not Linux. Start with: • --help
• help
• whatis
• man The best Linux documentation is often already installed on your machine. Google last.

Linux now powers more Azure workloads than Windows. Yet many people still treat Linux as a niche skill. The industry moved on years ago.

P.S. If you're learning Linux and want to build a solid foundation, I wrote First Steps With Linux — a beginner-friendly guide that takes you from the basics to more advanced Linux concepts. 700+ pages packed with practical examples and hands-on learning: read.sysxplore.com/l/first-steps-…

Quick Linux tip: Did you know you can change the colors used by top? While top is running, press z to toggle color mode. Want to customize the colors? Press Shift + Z and follow the on-screen help to change the colors of different sections. A simple way to make top easier to read and match your terminal theme.

P.S. Learning Linux doesn’t have to be overwhelming. I wrote First Steps With Linux, a 700+ page guide designed to take you from beginner to confident Linux user and sysadmin. read.sysxplore.com/l/first-steps-…

How to master Linux? • Use Linux every day • Build a home lab • Create real projects • Break things and fix them • Read man pages • Read Linux books • Learn networking • Automate repetitive tasks • Understand logs and troubleshooting • Learn Shell Scripting • Stay curious Linux is learned through practice, not memorization.

Quick Linux tip: When you need to create several directories at once, you don’t have to do it one by one. By using shell brace expansion with mkdir, you can create multiple nested directories in a single command: $ mkdir -p scripts/{site-01,site-02}/{backup,monitoring,network} This instantly creates folders for two sites, each with its own backup, monitoring, and network directories. A neat way to save time and keep your directory structure organized.

Linux filesystem and directory structure🐧 📁 / ├── 📁 bin │ ├── ⚙️ ls │ └── ⚙️ bash ├── 📁 boot │ ├── 💾 vmlinuz │ └── 💾 initrd.img ├── 📁 dev │ ├── 💿 sda1 │ └── 💿 sdb ├── 📁 etc │ ├── 🛠️ passwd │ └── 🛠️ fstab ├── 📁 home │ ├── 📁 james │ │ ├── 🛠️ .bashrc │ │ ├── 📁 documents │ │ └── 📁 .ssh │ │ ├── 🔐 id_rsa │ │ └── 🔑 authorized_keys │ └── 📁 traw │ ├── 🛠️ .profile │ ├── 📁 pictures │ └── 📁 .ssh │ ├── 🔐 id_rsa │ └── 🔑 authorized_keys ├── 📁 lib │ ├── ⚙️ libc.so │ └── ⚙️ libm.so ├── 📁 media │ ├── 📁 cdrom │ └── 📁 usb ├── 📁 mnt │ └── 📁 mymount ├── 📁 opt │ └── 📁 myapp ├── 📁 proc │ ├── 📄 cpuinfo │ └── 📄 meminfo ├── 📁 root │ ├── 🛠️ .bash_history │ └── 📁 .ssh │ ├── 🔐 id_rsa │ └── 🔑 authorized_keys ├── 📁 run │ ├── 📄 utmp │ └── 📄 systemd ├── 📁 sbin │ ├── ⚙️ init │ └── ⚙️ reboot ├── 📁 srv │ └── 📁 myservice ├── 📁 sys │ ├── 📄 devices │ └── 📄 firmware ├── 📁 tmp │ ├── 📄 temp1 │ └── 📄 temp2 ├── 📁 usr │ ├── 📁 bin │ │ ├── ⚙️ perl │ │ └── ⚙️ python │ ├── 📁 lib │ │ ├── ⚙️ libssl.so │ │ └── ⚙️ libcrypto.so │ └── 📁 local │ ├── 📁 bin │ ├── 📁 lib │ └── 📁 share └── 📁 var ├── 📁 log │ ├── 📄 syslog └── 📄 auth.log ├── 📁 mail ├── 📁 run ├── 📁 spool └── 📁 www

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That's it! This post is just a small taste. I wrote 700+ pages in a full Linux book. If you’re serious about learning Linux properly, this is for you: read.sysxplore.com/l/first-steps-…

📁 /var • Contains variable data like logs, mail, and web files (e.g., /var/log, /var/mail, /var/www). This directory holds data that typically changes during system operation.