linux-basics.md

description
Commands and programs that all Linux users need to know (but many don't!)

Linux Basics

TODO: Add screenshots/code examples for each command; put commands in tables; clean and organize all (issue #7)

Command-line Basics

Command	Description
man $command	Get help with a command
history	View history of commands that have been typed into the terminal
!<number>	Repeat a specific command from command history
Ctrl + r	Search through command history: then cycle with Up or Down arrows. (Do not need to type history command first)
alt + .	Cycle through previously used command arguments
ctrl + [arrow_keys]	Move between "words" on a command line
clear	Clear all text off the terminal window
echo $text	Print string to terminal. Most useful when piped into other commands. Can be used to display environment variables such as $USER, $HOME, $PATH
Ctrl + Shift + c	Copy selected text
Ctrl + Shift + v	Paste clipboard contents
lp $filename	Print from file to printer
cd $directory	Change directories
cd ..	Move up one directory
cd ~	Change directory to current user's home directory
cd -	Return to previous directory
exit	Exit terminal session

Special Symbols

Symbol	Purpose
|	Send the output of one command to another.
>	Redirect output to a file.
<	Redirect input from a file.
>>	Append output to an existing file.
/	Separator used in path names.
\	Used to escape characters and to send multi-line commands.
.	Current directory.
..	Parent directory.
$$	displays the process ID of the current shell instance.
&	Process command in the background (and give control of the terminal back).
&&	Run the next command only if the previous completed successfully.
*	Match any number of characters in file name.
?	Match any single character in file name.
[ ]	Match any one of the enclosed characters in file name.
;	Run commands in sequence, regardless if the previous succeeded.
( )	Group commands.
{ }	Used to feed multiple parameters to a single command. Separate parameters by ,
!	Followed by a digit will repeat the command from the history file that corresponds.
!!	Repeat the previous command.
0	Shortcut that stands for Standard Input (STDIN)
1	Shortcut that stands for Standard Output (STDOUT)
2	Shortcut that stands for Standard Error (STDERR)

Filesystem Basics

Everything in Linux is a file, even directories and devices. Directories have some special restrictions, but for the most part can be treated like files.

Listing and viewing Directories and Files

Command	Description
ls -a	List files in a folder, to include hidden files: Hidden files in Linux begin with a . these files can still be accessed normally, but the . must be added to the name.
ls -la	List files with attributes (filesize, permissions, etc.)
ls -lS	List files, sorted by Size
ls -R	List files in current folder and all subfolders (Recursive)
find -L / -samefile $file	Locate all files that symlink to a file
which $file	Searches for files in a $PATH directory only.
locate $file	Uses a database to search for files. Update the database with sudo updatedb
df	List the size, used space, and available space on the mounted filesystems of your computer
cat $file	Print the contents of a file to the command line
cat $file1 $file2 > $newfile	Combine the contents of two text files
diff $file1 $file2	Compare two files and show differences (Only for text-based files)
grep $string $file	Search for string inside a file
head $file	Displays the first 10 lines of a file. Specify the number of lines with -#
tail $file	Displays the last 10 lines of a file. Specify the number of lines with -# -f - Update the output continuously.
file $file	Displays the filetype of a file, determined by the hexadecimal " magic bytes".

File and directory creation and deletion

Command	Description
touch $fileName	Create a new blank file with this name
cp $file [/path/to/]$newFile	Copy file from one location to another. If no location is specified, creates the copy in the same directory. [Path optional]
mv $file [/path/to/]$newFile	Move file from one location to another. If no location is specified, renames the file in same directory (removes the old file).
rm $file	Removes (deletes) a file.
rm *	Removes (deletes) all files in the directory.
rm -rf *	Recursively deletes all files in the directory and all subdirectories and files. Will not prompt for approval with -f.
mkdir [/path/to/]$dir	Makes a new empty directory
mkdir -p test/{test1,test2}	The -p flag creates multiple directories at once. In this example we use brace expansion to create test/ and two subdirectories under it simultaneously.
rmdir $dir	Deletes an (empty) directory
sudo rm --force $(which $file)	Removes all instances of a specified filename. Only searches PATH directories. You could also use find or locate instead of which to find more files. With --force will not prompt for approval!

File & text manipulation

Command	Description
cat $file1 $file2	Concatenates the contents of two files
wc	Counts the lines, words, and bytes in a file. -l will count only lines, -m will count only characters, -c will count only bytes, -w will count only words
awk	A programming language for text processing. Can do many many things.
sed	Performs text editing on a stream of text. Useful for replacing text in a file and much more. Example: Replace all occurrences of 1001 with 0 in /etc/passwd. sed -i -e 's/1001/0/g' /etc/passwd
cut	Extract a section of text. -f selects the field, -d sets the delimiter.
sort
uniq
comm $file1 $file2	Compare two files and show differences. Output is in three columns: Lines that are unique to the first file Lines that are unique to the second file Lines that are shared by both files.
diff $file1 $file2	Compare two files and show differences. Has two modes: -c Context format -u Unified Format
vimdiff $file1 $file2	Opens two files in Vim side-by-side and highlight the differences. Some shortcuts: [ctrl] w - Switch to the other split window do - Gets changes from the other window into the current one dp - Puts the changes from the current window into the other one ]c - Jump to the next change [c - Jump to the previous change

Write to a file without opening a text editor

The cat command can be used to write text to a file without opening it in a text editor. This can be very useful in times when you do not have a full TTY/PTY shell.

cat > $fileName
 [Type your file contents]
 [Press `Ctrl+d` to return to your terminal]

File Permissions

The permissions for a file (for example, viewed with the ls -l command) are typically written as:

-rwxrwxrwx owner group [metadata] $filename

• r = read
• w = write
• x = execute

Breaking down this format gives us four parts:

1. The first character tells if it is a file or a directory. if it is a - (hyphen) then it is a file. However if the first character is a d, then the file is a directory. (Remember, technically everything in Linux is a file, even directories).
2. The next three characters specify the permissions of the owner of the file.
3. The following three characters specify the permissions of the group that owns the file.
4. The final three characters specify the permissions of all other users.

In the above example (-rwxrwxrwx), the owner, group, and everyone permissions are all rwx; hence anyone can read, write, and execute this file.

The chmod command

The chmod command is used to set the permissions on a file. This is usually expressed in one of two different formats, ugoa+rwx and octal notation. The command is used as follows:

chmod [permissions] $file

Octal notation

In octal notation, the permissions are assigned using triple octal (base8) digits. The first digit is the cumulative permissions for the owner, the second for the group, and the third for everyone else.

Permissions	Binary notation	Octal notation	Description
---	000	0	No permissions
--x	001	1	Execute permission only
-w-	010	2	Write permission only
-wx	011	3	Write and execute
r--	100	4	Read permission only
r-x	101	5	Read and execute permission
rw-	110	6	Read and write permission
rwx	111	7	Read, write and execute

From the above table we can easily derive :

Read = 4    Write = 2     Execute = 1

Therefore, if you want to give only the owner read and write permissions, they would be assigned 600 (4+2=6).

Taking the same example from above, to assign the permissions -rwxrwxrwx the command would be:

chmod 777 $file

That is: read (4), write (2), and execute (1) permissions for the owner, group, and all others.

ugoa+rwx notation

In this notation format, there are three main components:

1. Who. The users to modify permissions for: u = user (owner), g = group, o = others, and finally a = u+g+o (all).
2. What. The modifier: = to set permissions, + for adding permissions, - for removing permissions.
3. Which. The permissions to set, add, or remove: one or more of rwx as above.

As you can see, this notations allows for easier and more explicit control over exactly which permissions are given to whom.

Examples:

To give all users the write permission:

chmod a+w $file

To remove write and execute permissions from the 'other' group:

chmod o-wx $file

These permission changes can also be chained by adding a comma between the permission changes.

To add read/write permissions for the file owner and group, while making it read only for everyone else:

chmod ug+rw,o=r $file

Advanced Permissions in Linux

Beyond standard read, write, and execute permissions, Linux offers special permissions like SUID (Set User ID) and GUID (Set Group ID), which allow files and executables to run with elevated privileges.

Set User ID (SUID)

The SUID (Set User ID) permission allows a file to execute with the privileges of its owner, rather than the user running it. This is commonly used in programs that require elevated privileges (e.g., passwd for changing passwords).

How to Set SUID

To add the SUID bit to a file:

chmod 4000 file
chmod +s file

Verifying SUID

Run:

ls -l file

If SUID is set, the output will show:

-rwsr-xr-x 1 root root 12345 Apr 21 12:00 file

Note the s in the owner’s execute permission (rws), indicating that SUID is active.

Example: SUID in Action

The passwd command runs with root privileges via SUID:

ls -l /usr/bin/passwd

Output:

-rwsr-xr-x 1 root root 52724 Apr 21 12:00 /usr/bin/passwd

When a regular user runs passwd, it executes as root to modify the password database.

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Set Group ID (GUID)

Similar to SUID, the GUID (Set Group ID) permission allows files to execute with the group’s privileges instead of the user’s privileges. This is useful in shared directories where multiple users need access.

How to Set GUID

To set GUID on a file:

chmod 2000 file
chmod +g file

Verifying GUID

To verify permissions on a file, run:

ls -l file

If GUID is set, you will see:

-rwxr-sr-x 1 user group 12345 Apr 21 12:00 file

The s in the group execute permission (r-s) confirms that GUID is active.

Example: GUID in Action

When set on a directory, GUID ensures that all files created within inherit the same group ownership.

Set GUID on a shared directory:

chmod 2775 /shared

Now, any files created inside /shared will belong to the directory’s group.

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Security Considerations

• SUID/GUID can be risky: If improperly set on sensitive binaries, they can be exploited for privilege escalation.
• Audit SUID/GUID files regularly:

  find / -perm -4000 -type f 2>/dev/null   # Find SUID files
  find / -perm -2000 -type f 2>/dev/null   # Find GUID files
• Restrict executable SUID/GUID binaries in critical environments (especially on shared or multi-user systems).

The sticky bit

The sticky bit is a special permission that prevents users from deleting files they don’t own within a shared directory, even if they have write access. This is commonly used in directories like /tmp, where multiple users store temporary files.

Setting the Sticky Bit

To set the sticky bit on a directory, use:

chmod +t /shared_directory

Or, using octal notation:

chmod 1000 /shared_directory

Verifying Sticky Bit

Run:

ls -ld /shared_directory

Output:

drwxrwxrwt 2 user group 4096 Apr 21 12:00 /shared_directory

Note the "t" at the end of the permissions, indicating the sticky bit is active.

How Sticky Bits Work

• If a directory does not have a sticky bit, any user with write access can delete any file inside.
• When the sticky bit is set, only:
  • The file’s owner can delete their file.
  • The root user can remove any file.

Common Usage Example

The /tmp directory is a well-known example:

ls -ld /tmp

Output:

drwxrwxrwt 10 root root 4096 Apr 21 12:00 /tmp

Since /tmp is shared among all users, the sticky bit prevents users from deleting files that aren’t theirs.

Best Practices

• Use sticky bits on shared directories (e.g., /tmp, project collaboration folders).
• Regularly audit permissions using:

  find / -perm -1000 -type d 2>/dev/null
• This lists all directories where sticky bits are set.

The chown command

The chown command can be used to change the owner of a file or a directory.

chown $user $group $file

The above command would change the owner of the file to $user and also the group to $group.

File Attributes

Read attributes of files on Linux with lsattr

lsattr lists the file attributes on a second extended file system. See chattr below for a description of each attribute.

Useful options:

Argument	Description
-R	Recursively list attributes of directories and their contents.
-a	List all files in directories, including files that start with . (hidden files).
-d	List directories like other files, rather than listing their contents.
-l	Print the options using long names instead of single character abbreviations.

You can chain together these options to recursively list the attributes of all files and folders in a directory with long names:

lsattr -Ral /home/

Change attributes of files on Linux with chattr

chattr changes the file attributes on a Linux file system.

The format of a symbolic mode is +-=[aAcCdDeFijmPsStTux].

Symbol	Meaning
+	Add the following attributes the to specified file
-	Remove the following attributes from the specified file
=	Set the attributes of the specified file to be the following

The letters aAcCdDeFijmPsStTux select the new attributes for the specified files:

Attribute	Description
a	append only
A	no atime updates
c	compressed
C	no copy on write
d	no dump
D	synchronous directory updates
e	extent format
F	case-insensitive directory lookups
i	immutable
j	data journaling
m	don't compress
P	project hierarchy
s	secure deletion
S	synchronous updates
t	tail-merging
T	top of directory hierarchy
u	undeletable
x	direct access for files

The following attributes are read-only and may be listed by lsattr but not modified by chattr:

Attribute	Description
E	encrypted
I	indexed directory
N	inline data
V	verity

See the chattr manpage for more detailed descriptions of each attribute.

File Compression Tools

Command	Description	Example
unzip	Extracts files from a .zip archive.	unzip file.zip
zip	Compresses files into a .zip archive.	zip archive.zip file1 file2
gunzip	Decompresses .gz files created by gzip.	gunzip file.gz
gzip	Compresses files using GNU Zip, reducing size efficiently.	gzip file.txt → Produces file.txt.gz
tar	Archives files and directories without compression.	tar -cvf archive.tar folder/
tar + gzip	Creates a compressed archive using gzip.	tar -czvf archive.tar.gz folder/
tar + bzip2	Uses bzip2 for higher compression.	tar -cjvf archive.tar.bz2 folder/
tar + xz	Compresses with xz, producing very small files.	tar -cJvf archive.tar.xz folder/
xz	Compresses files using the xz algorithm.	xz file.txt
bzip2	Compresses files with higher efficiency than gzip.	bzip2 file.txt
7z	Compresses files using the 7z format.	7z a archive.7z file1 file2
rar	Compresses files into .rar archives (requires rar package).	rar a archive.rar file1 file2
tar -xf	Extracts files from a .tar archive.	tar -xf archive.tar

Encryption Tools

Command	Description	Example
gpg (GnuPG)	Encrypts files securely using password-based encryption.	gpg -c file.txt
gpg --decrypt	Decrypts a file previously encrypted with gpg.	gpg file.txt.gpg
openssl	Encrypts files using OpenSSL encryption.	openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -salt -in file.txt -out file.enc
aespipe	Encrypts files and data streams using AES encryption.	cat file.txt | aespipe -e > file.enc
dm-crypt/LUKS	Full-disk encryption tool built into Linux, commonly used for encrypting partitions.	cryptsetup luksFormat /dev/sdX
EncFS	Encrypts individual files and directories dynamically without requiring a full disk encryption setup.	encfs ~/encrypted ~/decrypted
eCryptfs	Stackable cryptographic filesystem, often used for encrypting home directories.	mount -t ecryptfs /home/user /home/user
VeraCrypt	Cross-platform encryption tool for encrypting entire disks or partitions.	veracrypt -c
bcrypt	Encrypts files using the Blowfish cipher.	bcrypt file.txt
CryFS	Encrypts files for cloud storage, ensuring metadata and filenames remain encrypted.	cryfs ~/encrypted ~/decrypted
Tomb	Creates encrypted storage containers using LUKS.	tomb create secure.tomb
Cryptmount	Allows non-root users to mount encrypted filesystems.	cryptmount -m secure

System Information

System Information

Command	Description
uname -a	Shows OS details, hostname, kernel version, and architecture.
lsb_release -a	Displays Linux distribution information (Debian-based distros).
cat /etc/os-release	Shows distribution details (works on most distros).
hostnamectl	Provides details on hostname, kernel, and architecture.
df -h	Displays disk space usage in a human-readable format.
free -h	Shows memory usage including swap space.
uptime	Displays system uptime and load average.
who -b	Shows last system boot time.
dmesg | head	Displays system log messages (hardware boot events).
lsblk	Lists block devices (disks and partitions).
mount | column -t	Shows mounted file systems.
env	Prints system environment variables.

Processes

Command	Description
ps	Lists running processes for the current user only.
ps aux	Shows all running processes with details for all users.
top	Provides a real-time view of system resource usage and processes.
htop	Enhanced version of top with an interactive UI (install with sudo apt install htop).
pgrep process_name	Finds processes by name and returns their process IDs.
pidof process_name	Returns the process ID of a running program.
kill PID	Terminates a process by its PID.
kill -9 PID	Forcefully terminates a process.
pkill process_name	Kills processes by name.
nice -n priority command	Adjusts process priority when executing a command.
renice priority -p PID	Changes priority of a running process.
strace -p PID	Debugs a running process by tracing system calls.

The /proc Directory

The /proc directory is a virtual filesystem in Linux that provides runtime system information in a structured, readable format. Unlike traditional directories, /proc doesn’t store actual files; instead, it generates dynamic data about system processes and hardware on the fly.

Why /proc Matters

• It allows users and administrators to monitor system performance.
• It provides detailed insights into running processes, memory usage, hardware configurations, and more.
• Many Linux tools like top, ps, and htop rely on /proc for retrieving system statistics.

Key Files & Directories

• /proc/cpuinfo → Displays information about the CPU.
• /proc/meminfo → Shows detailed memory usage.
• /proc/uptime → Indicates how long the system has been running.
• /proc/loadavg → Displays system load averages.
• /proc/swaps → Lists active swap partitions.
• /proc/[PID] → Contains details for each running process (where [PID] is the process ID).

Exploring /proc for System Insights

Here are some key files inside /proc that can provide valuable system data:

File	Purpose	Example Usage
/proc/cpuinfo	Displays CPU details (cores, vendor, speed).	cat /proc/cpuinfo
/proc/meminfo	Shows memory statistics (RAM usage, swap, buffers).	cat /proc/meminfo | grep MemTotal
/proc/uptime	Indicates how long the system has been running.	cat /proc/uptime
/proc/loadavg	Displays system load averages over 1, 5, and 15 minutes.	cat /proc/loadavg
/proc/swaps	Lists active swap partitions.	cat /proc/swaps
/proc/filesystems	Shows supported filesystems by the kernel.	cat /proc/filesystems

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Monitoring Running Processes via /proc

Each process running on the system has a dedicated directory under /proc, named by its Process ID (PID). Example: /proc/1234 corresponds to process ID 1234.

File	Description	Example Usage
/proc/[PID]/cmdline	Displays the exact command used to start the process.	cat /proc/1234/cmdline
/proc/[PID]/status	Provides detailed status info, including memory and CPU usage.	cat /proc/1234/status | grep VmRSS
/proc/[PID]/fd/	Lists open file descriptors of the process.	ls -l /proc/1234/fd/
/proc/[PID]/environ	Displays environment variables for the process.	cat /proc/1234/environ

Security Warning: /proc/[PID]/environ may expose sensitive environment variables, such as API keys and passwords used by the process.

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Changing Kernel Parameters Using /proc/sys

The /proc/sys directory allows on-the-fly tuning of system behavior. Instead of permanently modifying system configs, administrators can dynamically adjust performance-related settings.

File	Purpose	Example Usage
/proc/sys/kernel/hostname	Displays or modifies the system hostname.	echo "NewHost" > /proc/sys/kernel/hostname
/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward	Enables/disables IP forwarding (useful for setting up a router).	echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
/proc/sys/vm/swappiness	Controls how aggressively the system swaps memory.	echo 10 > /proc/sys/vm/swappiness
/proc/sys/kernel/panic	Sets the timeout before the system reboots after a kernel panic.	echo 30 > /proc/sys/kernel/panic

For persistent changes across reboots, update /etc/sysctl.conf:

echo "net.ipv4.ip_forward = 1" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
sysctl -p  # Apply changes

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Finding System Limits via /proc

Linux enforces resource limits to prevent system overuse. The /proc directory contains relevant limit files.

File	Purpose	Example Usage
/proc/sys/fs/file-max	Maximum number of open files allowed.	cat /proc/sys/fs/file-max
/proc/sys/kernel/threads-max	Max number of threads that can be created.	cat /proc/sys/kernel/threads-max
/proc/sys/net/core/somaxconn	Maximum queue length for incoming connections.	cat /proc/sys/net/core/somaxconn

If you need to increase the maximum number of open files, adjust:

echo "100000" > /proc/sys/fs/file-max

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Debugging with /proc

Developers and system administrators use /proc for troubleshooting performance issues:

• Check network connections:

  cat /proc/net/tcp | grep :80  # Find all active TCP connections on port 80
• Monitor kernel events:

  dmesg | tail -20  # Shows the latest 20 kernel log messages
• Analyze running processes:

  ps -eo pid,comm | grep firefox  # Find Firefox’s process ID
  cat /proc/$(pgrep firefox)/status  # Get its resource usage details

Services

Services in Linux are background processes that provide various system functions, such as networking, logging, or application hosting. These services can be started, stopped, restarted, or configured to start at boot. Linux uses init systems to manage these services, with Systemd and SysVinit (System V) being the two major methods.

Most modern Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Fedora, RHEL) use Systemd due to its speed and flexibility. SysVinit is mostly found on legacy systems, but some lightweight distros (like Alpine Linux) still use it.

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How Services Work in Linux

Linux services function as daemon processes, meaning they run in the background without direct user interaction. These services are controlled through a process management system known as an init system—responsible for starting, stopping, and managing processes during system boot and runtime.

Some common services include:

• Network services (NetworkManager, sshd, apache2)
• Logging services (rsyslog, journalctl)
• Cron jobs (cron, anacron)
• Database services (mysqld, postgresql)

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Systemd vs. SysVinit (System V)

Here are some of the differences between the two main service management systems in Linux:

Feature	Systemd	SysVinit (System V)
Service Management	Uses systemctl to start, stop, restart, and enable services.	Uses service and chkconfig for service control.
Startup Speed	Parallel service startup for fast boot times.	Services start sequentially, leading to slower boot times.
Logging	Uses journalctl for advanced logging and debugging.	Relies on traditional log files (/var/log).
Dependency Handling	Automatically manages dependencies between services.	Manual dependency management required.
Configuration	Centralized unit files (/etc/systemd/system/).	Uses shell scripts in /etc/init.d/.
Modern Adoption	Used in most modern Linux distributions (Ubuntu, CentOS, Fedora, Arch).	Found in older distros (Debian, Slackware, older CentOS versions).

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Managing Services in Systemd

With Systemd, services are managed using the systemctl command:

systemctl start apache2    # Start a service
systemctl stop apache2     # Stop a service
systemctl restart apache2  # Restart a service
systemctl enable apache2   # Enable service at boot
systemctl disable apache2  # Disable service at boot
systemctl status apache2   # Check service status

To view all active services:

systemctl list-units --type=service

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Managing Services in SysVinit

Older SysVinit systems use the service command and scripts in /etc/init.d/:

service apache2 start    # Start a service
service apache2 stop     # Stop a service
service apache2 restart  # Restart a service
chkconfig apache2 on     # Enable service at boot
chkconfig apache2 off    # Disable service at boot

View all active services:

service --status-all

In modern Linux systems, both set of commands are generally available for use, and are often mapped to do the same thing as many system admins have built the habit of using one set of commands over the other.

Other service command examples:

Command	Description
systemctl list-unit-files	Shows all installed services with their status.
systemctl list-units --type=service	Lists all active services.
systemctl status service_name	Displays detailed status of a specific service.
systemctl start service_name	Starts a service.
systemctl stop service_name	Stops a service.
systemctl restart service_name	Restarts a service.
systemctl enable service_name	Enables a service to start on boot.
systemctl disable service_name	Disables a service from starting at boot.
journalctl -u service_name	Shows logs for a specific service.
service --status-all	Lists all services (SysV init-based systems).
chkconfig --list	Lists services and their startup status (RHEL-based systems).
netstat -tulnp	Shows network services and ports currently in use.

Networking

Networking in Linux is built on a flexible and robust system that enables communication between devices over different protocols, such as TCP/IP. Linux provides various commands and configuration files for managing network interfaces, routing, services, and troubleshooting connectivity issues.

Linux networking consists of several key components:

• Network Interfaces (eth0, wlan0, lo) – physical or virtual devices connecting to networks.
• IP Addressing – static or dynamic (DHCP) assignments to interfaces.
• Routing – directing traffic between networks using ip route or route.
• Firewalls & Security – managed using tools like iptables and firewalld.
• Network Monitoring – troubleshooting connectivity with tools such as ping, netstat, and tcpdump.

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Basic Networking Commands

These Linux networking commands help manage interfaces, connections, and troubleshooting:

Command	Description	Example Usage
ip a	Displays network interfaces and IP addresses.	ip a show eth0
ifconfig	Shows or configures network interfaces (deprecated, replaced by ip).	ifconfig eth0
nmcli dev status	Lists network devices and their status using NetworkManager.	nmcli dev status
dhclient	Requests a new IP address via DHCP.	dhclient eth0
ping	Tests network connectivity to a target IP or domain.	ping google.com
traceroute	Displays the route packets take to a destination.	traceroute 8.8.8.8
netstat -tulnp	Lists active network connections and listening services.	netstat -tulnp | grep :80
ss -tulnp	Modern replacement for netstat, shows listening ports and active connections.	ss -tulnp
tcpdump	Captures and analyzes network packets.	tcpdump -i eth0 port 443
iptables -L	Lists firewall rules set by iptables.	iptables -L INPUT
ufw status	Displays firewall rules with Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW).	ufw status
ip route	Shows or modifies IP routing tables.	ip route add 192.168.1.0/24 via 192.168.1.1
hostname -I	Shows the current IP address of the system.	hostname -I
curl -I	Fetches HTTP headers from a website to test connectivity.	curl -I example.com

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Network Configuration

Common Network Configuration Files in Linux

Linux relies on several key files to store and manage network settings, services, and tasks.

File	Purpose	Example Usage
/etc/network/interfaces	Defines network configurations (Debian-based systems).	Configure static IP: auto eth0 + iface eth0 inet static
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0	Network configuration for RHEL-based systems.	Set DHCP: BOOTPROTO=dhcp
/etc/resolv.conf	Stores DNS server settings for name resolution.	nameserver 8.8.8.8
/etc/hosts	Defines local hostname resolutions without DNS.	127.0.0.1 localhost
/etc/nsswitch.conf	Configures lookup order for hostname resolution.	hosts: files dns
/etc/hostname	Contains the system hostname.	Change hostname: echo "NewHost" > /etc/hostname
/etc/iptables/rules.v4	Persistent firewall rules for iptables.	iptables-save > /etc/iptables/rules.v4
/var/log/syslog	Logs general system and network-related events.	tail -f /var/log/syslog

---

Managing Network Interfaces

Command	Description	Example Usage
ip link show	Displays the status of all network interfaces.	ip link show eth0
ip link set eth0 up	Activates a network interface.	ip link set eth0 up
ip link set eth0 down	Disables a network interface.	ip link set eth0 down
ifconfig eth0 up	Starts the interface (deprecated).	ifconfig eth0 up
ifconfig eth0 down	Shuts down the interface (deprecated).	ifconfig eth0 down

---

Configuring IP Addresses

Command	Description	Example Usage
ip addr show	Lists all interfaces and assigned IPs.	ip addr show eth0
ip addr add 192.168.1.100/24 dev eth0	Assigns a new static IP to an interface.	ip addr add 10.0.0.50/24 dev wlan0
ip addr del 192.168.1.100/24 dev eth0	Removes an assigned IP from an interface.	ip addr del 192.168.1.50/24 dev eth0
ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.100 netmask 255.255.255.0	Configures a static IP (deprecated).	ifconfig eth0 10.0.0.50 netmask 255.255.255.0

---

Managing Routes

Command	Description	Example Usage
ip route show	Displays the current routing table.	ip route show
ip route add 192.168.10.0/24 via 192.168.1.1 dev eth0	Adds a route to a network via a gateway.	ip route add 10.0.0.0/16 via 10.0.0.1 dev eth0
ip route del 192.168.10.0/24	Deletes a specific route.	ip route del 10.0.0.0/16
route -n	Displays routing table using legacy command (deprecated).	route -n
route add default gw 192.168.1.1 eth0	Sets a default gateway (deprecated).	route add default gw 10.0.0.1 eth0

Wireless Network commands

Command	Description	Example Usage
iwconfig	Shows wireless network details (SSID, signal strength, mode).	iwconfig wlan0
iwlist scan	Scans for available Wi-Fi networks.	iwlist wlan0 scan
nmcli device status	Shows network interfaces and their state.	nmcli device status
nmcli device wifi list	Lists available Wi-Fi networks.	nmcli device wifi list
nmcli device wifi connect "NetworkSSID" --ask	Connects to a Wi-Fi network (prompts for password).	nmcli device wifi connect "HomeWiFi" --ask
nmcli device wifi connect "NetworkSSID" password "YourPassword"	Connects to Wi-Fi without interactive input.	nmcli device wifi connect "OfficeNet" password "SecurePass123"
nmcli connection show	Displays saved network connections.	nmcli connection show
nmcli connection down "NetworkSSID"	Disconnects from a Wi-Fi network.	nmcli connection down "HomeWiFi"
nmcli connection modify "NetworkSSID" ipv4.addresses 192.168.1.50/24	Assigns a static IP to a wireless connection.	nmcli connection modify "OfficeNet" ipv4.addresses 10.0.0.100/24
nmcli radio wifi off	Turns off Wi-Fi completely.	nmcli radio wifi off

---

Additional Network Troubleshooting Commands

Command	Description	Example Usage
ip addr show	Shows all network interfaces and IP addresses.	ip addr show eth0
ip link show	Displays the status of network interfaces.	ip link show wlan0
ip route show	Displays the routing table and default gateway.	ip route
ethtool eth0	Provides details about a network interface (speed, duplex, link status).	ethtool eth0
mtr google.com	Continuous traceroute to analyze network stability.	mtr -rw google.com
dig example.com	Performs DNS lookups and queries nameservers.	dig example.com
nslookup example.com	Legacy DNS lookup tool to resolve domain names.	nslookup example.com
host example.com	Another alternative to nslookup for resolving DNS.	host example.com
arp -a	Displays the ARP cache to see connected devices.	arp -a
nc -zv target.com 80	Tests if a remote port is open (Netcat).	nc -zv 8.8.8.8 53
tcpdump -i eth0	Captures network packets for analysis.	tcpdump -i eth0 port 443
nmap -sP 192.168.1.0/24	Scans the network for active hosts.	nmap -sP 192.168.1.0/24
netstat -i	Lists network interfaces along with statistics.	netstat -i
ss -tln	Displays listening TCP ports and services.	ss -tln
lsof -i	Shows all processes using network connections.	lsof -i :22
systemctl status network.service	Checks if the network service is running.	systemctl status NetworkManager.service

---

Firewall Configuration

Firewalls are essential for securing a Linux system by controlling incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predefined rules. Linux offers multiple firewall management tools, each with different capabilities and use cases.

Which Firewall Should You Use?

• Use iptables for fine-grained control in security-critical environments.
• Use UFW for easy firewall management on personal or desktop systems.
• Use firewalld if you need dynamic zones for managing multiple services efficiently.

---

Kernel Modules for Firewall Configuration

Linux firewalls rely on kernel modules that provide packet filtering capabilities:

Kernel Module	Description
nf_tables	The successor to iptables, used by nftables for efficient packet filtering.
iptables	Traditional firewall framework for packet filtering, NAT, and security policies.
xtables	Used by iptables and nftables to define advanced filtering options.
netfilter	Core Linux kernel framework for managing network packets and filtering.
conntrack	Tracks connections for stateful firewall rules (used in iptables and firewalld).
xt_tcpudp	Provides additional filtering options for TCP/UDP packets.

You can check if these modules are loaded using lsmod:

lsmod | grep netfilter

---

Comparison of Firewall Management Tools

Linux provides multiple tools for firewall management, each with unique strengths:

Feature	iptables	UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall)	firewalld
Complexity	Advanced	Simple	Moderate
Stateful Rules	Yes	Yes	Yes
Interface	Command-line	User-friendly CLI	Dynamic Zone-based
Logging Support	Yes	Limited	Yes
IPv6 Support	Yes	Yes	Yes
Firewall Zones	No	No	Yes
Best Use Case	Fine-grained rule customization	User-friendly firewall for desktops	Managing multiple interfaces and services dynamically

iptables - Advanced Firewall Control

iptables provides full control over packet filtering and NAT.

Example:

iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT   # Allow SSH connections
iptables -A INPUT -p icmp -j DROP               # Block ping requests
iptables -L                                     # List current rules

UFW - Simplified Firewall for Users

UFW is a more user-friendly wrapper for iptables.

Example:

ufw enable                       # Enable firewall
ufw allow 22/tcp                 # Allow SSH
ufw deny 80/tcp                  # Block HTTP traffic
ufw status                       # Show active rules

firewalld - Dynamic Firewall with Zones

firewalld manages firewall rules dynamically with predefined zones.

Example:

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http  # Allow HTTP traffic
firewall-cmd --remove-service=ftp            # Block FTP traffic
firewall-cmd --list-all                      # Show rules in a zone

---

Managing connections

TODO: add more information about Managing connections in Linux (Issue #9)

• Add commands such as telnet, SSH, nc, curl, wget
• Add commands for listing information about open network connections: lsof -i, ss, netstat
• include description and examples

Command	Description
telnet
ssh
nc
curl	Transfer data to or from a server using a variety of protocols including IMAP/S, POP3/S, SCP, SFTP, SMB/S, SMTP/S, TELNET, TFTP, and others.
wget	Downloads files using the HTTP,HTTPS, or FTP protocols.
axel	Download files using concurrent connections -a - Show progress indicator -n # - # number of connections to use -o - Specify the output file's name

nc listener: nc -lvnp <port>

list open network connections

Command	Description
lsof -i
ss	Shows State, data sent/recieved, local process:port, remote address:port
ss -anlp	Get all connections that are listening, do not resolve names, show process information
netstat

Shared folders

Command	Description
showmount -e $ip	Show available shares to mount
smb://$ip/$share_name	Connect to Windows SMB share folder
smbclient -L //server_ip -U username	List available shares on a server
smbclient //server_ip/share_name -U username	Connect to a share using smbclient
smbclient //server_ip/share_name -U username -c "prompt OFF; recurse ON; mget *"	Recursively download files from a share using smbclient
smbmap -H server_ip	Enumerate SMB shares and permissions
sudo mount -t cifs -o username=your_username,password=your_password //server_ip/share_name /mnt/shared	Mount a CIFS/SMB share manually
sudo mount server_ip:/share_name /mnt/shared	Mount an NFS share manually

Mounting and Using Network Shares

Network shares allow multiple users or systems to access shared files and directories over a network. Below are some common tools and commands for working with network shares, particularly Samba (SMB) shares.

Creating a Network Share (Samba)

1. Install Samba:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install samba

2. Edit the Samba configuration file:

   sudo vim /etc/samba/smb.conf

   Add a section for the shared folder:

   [shared_folder_name]
   path = /path/to/shared/folder
   browseable = yes
   read only = no
   writable = yes
   

3. Restart the Samba service:

   sudo systemctl restart smbd

4. Set permissions for the shared folder:

   sudo chmod 777 /path/to/shared/folder

Mounting a Network Share

1. Install the required tools:

   sudo apt install cifs-utils

2. Create a mount point:

   sudo mkdir /mnt/shared

3. Mount the share:

   sudo mount -t cifs -o username=your_username,password=your_password //server_ip/share_name /mnt/shared

   Replace server_ip, share_name, your_username, and your_password with the appropriate values.

4. To make the mount persistent, add an entry to /etc/fstab:

   //server_ip/share_name /mnt/shared cifs username=your_username,password=your_password 0 0
   

Useful Commands for Network Shares

• List available shares on a server:

  smbclient -L //server_ip -U username

• Connect to a share using smbclient:

  smbclient //server_ip/share_name -U username

• Recursively download files from a share:

  smbclient //server_ip/share_name -U username -c "prompt OFF; recurse ON; mget *"

Additional Tools

• smbmap: Enumerate SMB shares and permissions.

  smbmap -H server_ip

• showmount: List NFS shares:

  showmount -e server_ip

• mount: Mount NFS shares:

  sudo mount server_ip:/share_name /mnt/shared

Identifying Mounted Shared Folders/Drives

Linux provides built-in tools to identify and manage mounted shared folders or drives. Below are some commonly used commands:

• mount: Displays all currently mounted filesystems, including network shares.

  mount

  Look for entries with cifs or nfs to identify SMB or NFS shares.

• df: Reports disk space usage for mounted filesystems.

  df -h

  Use the -h flag for human-readable output. Network shares will typically appear with their mount points and remote server paths.

• findmnt: Provides a tree view of mounted filesystems.

  findmnt

  This command is particularly useful for visualizing the hierarchy of mounted filesystems.

• lsblk: Lists information about block devices, including mounted filesystems.

  lsblk

  Use this to identify devices and their mount points.

These tools are essential for troubleshooting and verifying the status of mounted shared folders or drives.

DNS

Command	Description
dig @$server $domain_or_ip $record_type	Look up DNS information for a site
dig -x $ip	Reverse look up a domain from an IP
host $hostname	Look up the IP address for a host- or domain-name.

Installing and Managing Programs

Command	Description
sudo apt update	Update repository database
sudo apt upgrade	Update installed programs and packages (must update repository database first). Adding -y will accept all prompts and install automatically. Specifying a package name after "upgrade" will upgrade only that package.
sudo apt dist-upgrade
sudo apt full-upgrade
apt search $keyword	Search for packages (unknown name) to install from repositories
apt-cache search $keyword	Search for package in repositories
apt show $package	Show details about the specified package
sudo apt install $package	Installs the specified package (and any dependencies).
sudo apt remove --purge $package	Uninstalls the specified package
dpkg -i $deb_file	Installs the specified .deb package file (Does not install dependencies).
alien $file.rpm	Convert rpm to Debian packages

Users and Groups

Linux provides robust tools for managing users and groups. Below are commands and examples for creating, modifying, and deleting users and groups, as well as managing passwords and viewing user-related information.

Managing Users

Command	Description
adduser $username	Add a new user with a home directory and default settings.
userdel $username	Delete a user. Use -r to remove the user's home directory as well.
usermod -l $newname $oldname	Rename a user.
passwd $username	Set or change the password for a user.

Examples:

# Add a new user named 'john'
sudo adduser john

# Delete the user 'john' and their home directory
sudo userdel -r john

# Change the password for 'john'
sudo passwd john

Managing Groups

Command	Description
addgroup $groupname	Create a new group.
groupdel $groupname	Delete a group.
usermod -aG $groupname $username	Add a user to a group.
gpasswd -d $username $groupname	Remove a user from a group.

Examples:

# Create a new group named 'developers'
sudo addgroup developers

# Add 'john' to the 'developers' group
sudo usermod -aG developers john

# Remove 'john' from the 'developers' group
sudo gpasswd -d john developers

Viewing User and Group Information

Command	Description
id $username	Display user ID (UID), group ID (GID), and group memberships.
groups $username	Show groups a user belongs to.
who	Show who is currently logged in.
w	Display who is logged in and what they are doing.
last -a	Show the login history of users.

Examples:

# Display information about the current user
id

# Show groups for 'john'
groups john

# See who is logged in
who

# View login history
last -a

User Privileges

Command	Description
sudo $command	Execute commands with elevated privileges.
sudo -u $username $command	Execute a command as another user.
sudo -l	List sudo privileges for the current user.
sudo -k	Stop remembering credentials and re-prompt for password.

Examples:

# Run a command as another user
sudo -u john whoami

# List sudo privileges for the current user
sudo -l

Using getent

The getent command is a versatile tool for querying entries from the system's databases, such as users, groups, and more. It is particularly useful for retrieving information about users and groups from /etc/passwd, /etc/group, or even network-based databases like LDAP or NIS.

Command	Description
getent passwd $username	Retrieve information about a specific user from the passwd database.
getent group $groupname	Retrieve information about a specific group from the group database.
getent passwd	List all users in the passwd database.
getent group	List all groups in the group database.
getent hosts $hostname	Query the hosts database for a specific hostname.
getent services $service	Query the services database for a specific service.
getent protocols $protocol	Query the protocols database for a specific protocol.

Examples:

# Retrieve information about the user 'john'
getent passwd john

# Retrieve information about the group 'developers'
getent group developers

# List all users
getent passwd

# List all groups
getent group

# Query the hosts database for 'example.com'
getent hosts example.com

# Query the services database for 'http'
getent services http

# Query the protocols database for 'tcp'
getent protocols tcp

Querying LDAP or NIS Databases

When configured, getent can also query network-based databases like LDAP or NIS. This is particularly useful in enterprise environments where user and group information is managed centrally.

Examples:

# Query LDAP for a specific user
getent passwd john

# Query LDAP for all users
getent passwd

# Query NIS for a specific group
getent group developers

# Query NIS for all groups
getent group

Note: To enable LDAP or NIS queries, ensure that the appropriate Name Service Switch (NSS) modules are configured in /etc/nsswitch.conf. For example:

passwd: files ldap
group: files ldap
hosts: files dns nis

The getent command is particularly useful in environments where user and group information is managed centrally, as it queries the system's Name Service Switch (NSS) configuration.

Environment Variables

Command	Action
env	List all current environment variables and their values.
export [variable_name]	Define the value of an environment variable. Can be a new or existing variable. Exported variables only work in the context of the current shell.
echo $PATH	List the values in the PATH environment variable.
echo $USER	Show the current username.
echo $PWD	Show the current working directory.
echo $HOME	Show the current user's home directory
echo "$$"	Show the process ID of the current shell.
stty size	Show number of rows and columns in the current shell.

$PATH

• To make $PWD part of path so you don't need ./ when running commands/scripts: (NOT RECOMMENDED for home/production use!) export PATH='pwd':$PATH
• Add new $PATHs to the .profile file rather than .bashrc. Then, use the command source ~/.profile to use the newly added PATHs.
• The best way to add a path (e.g., ~/opt/bin) to the PATH environment variable is:

export PATH="${PATH:+${PATH}:}~/opt/bin"
#for appending (instead of PATH="$PATH:~/opt/bin")

export PATH="~/opt/bin${PATH:+:${PATH}}"
#for prepending (instead of PATH="~/opt/bin:$PATH")

(from https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/26047/how-to-correctly-add-a-path-to-path)

$HISTCONTROL

The HISTCONTROL environment variable can be used to control whether the bash history removes duplicate commands, commands that start with a space, or both. The default behavior is to remove both.

export HISTCONTROL=ignoredups

ignoredups - Ignore Duplicates

$HISTIGNORE

The HISTIGNORE environment variable can be used to filter commands so they do not appear in the history.

export HISTIGNORE="ls:[bf]g:exit:history"

This example causes the history command to not log common commands such as ls,bg,fg,exit,and history. Uses standard bash text shortcuts such as [ ] to indicate options.

$HISTTIMEFORMAT

The HISTTIMEFORMAT environment variable controls date/time stamps in the output of the history command.

export HISTTIMEFORMAT='%F %T '
#show date and time before each command in history

Startup Scripts

Add script to run at startup: update-rc.d </path/to/the/script> defaults (needs 755 permissions)

Delete script from default autorun: update-rc.d -f </path/to/the/script> remove

Make a Linux live boot USB

On Windows (easiest way!):

1. Download and run Rufus.
2. Select the USB device and ISO you want to use, giving the volume a name if you wish.
3. If you want to use persistence,
   1. Click "Show advanced drive options".
   2. Select the amount of storage to use for persistence.
4. Click "Start" and wait for it to finish.

For Kali live persistent boot USBs you will need the additional step of adding a persistence.conf by following the instructions below.

1. Verify your USB devices persistent storage partition with the command fdisk -l.

2. After locating your partition (in this example it is /dev/sdb3), label it persistence.

   e2label /dev/sdb3 persistence
   

3. Create a mount point, mount the new partition there, and then create the configuration file to enable persistence. Finally, unmount the partition.

   mkdir -p /mnt/my_usb
   mount /dev/sdb3 /mnt/my_usb
   echo "/ union" > /mnt/my_usb/persistence.conf
   umount /dev/sdb3
   

Troublshooting

Recover an unresponsive terminal

1. Press the RETURN/ENTER key.

   You may have typed a command but forgotten to press RETURN to tell the shell that you’re done typing and it should now interpret the command.

2. If you can type commands, but nothing happens when you press RETURN, try typing CTRL-J. If this works, your terminal needs to be reset to fix the RETURN key. Some systems have a reset command that you can run by typing CTRL-J reset CTRL-J. If this doesn’t work, you may need to log out and log back in or turn your terminal off and on again.

3. If your shell has job control type CTRL-Z.

   This suspends a program that may be running and gives you another shell prompt. Now you can enter the jobs command to find the program’s name, then restart the program with fg or terminate it with kill.

4. Use your interrupt key (typically DELETE or CTRL-C).

   This interrupts a program that may be running. (Unless a program is run in the background as the shell will wait for it to finish before giving a new prompt. A long-running program may thus appear to hang the terminal.) If this doesn’t work the first time, try it once more, though doing it more than twice usually won’t help.

5. Type CTRL-Q.

   If output has been stopped with CTRL-S, this will restart it. (Note that some systems will automatically issue CTRL-S if they need to pause output; this character may not have been typed by the user from the keyboard.)

6. Check that the SCROLL LOCK key is not toggled on.

   This key stops the screen display from scrolling upward. If pressing it once does not work, make sure you’ve pressed it an even number of times as this leaves the key in the same state it was when you started.

7. Type CTRL-D at the beginning of a new line.

   Some programs (like mail) expect text from the user. A program may be waiting for an end-of-input character from you to tell it that you’ve finished entering text. However, typing CTRL-D may cause you to log out, so you should only try this as a last resort.

8. If you’re using a windowing system, close (or terminate) the terminal window and open a new one.

Fixing command-not-found errors

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/19873430/command-not-found-message-when-i-try-to-add-command-in-bashrc/26976325

If you encounter errors on your system when you mistype a command or try to run a program that is not installed try these steps to fix the command-not-found command.

TODO: screenshot or type out example so people know what I am referring to...

sudo apt purge command-not-found #uninstall
sudo apt install command-not-found #reinstall
sudo update-command-not-found #rebuild the database
sudo chmod ugo+r /var/lib/command-not-found/commands.db* #fix database permissions

https://bugs.launchpad.net/command-not-found/+bug/1824000

Fork Bomb

A fork bomb is a type of denial-of-service attack against Unix-based systems, which makes use of the fork operation (or equivalent functionality) whereby a running process spawns another running process indefinitely. This attack works by creating a large number of processes very quickly in order to saturate the available resources of the operating system.

Once this code is executed, within seconds the target system will freeze and will have to hard rebooted.

A common succinct bash fork bomb looks like:

:(){:|:&};:

Which can be explained as:

Function	Description
:()	define a function named : . Whenever we call :, execute the commands inside the { }
`:	:`	load a copy of the : function into memory and pipe its output to another copy of the : function, which has to also be loaded into memory separately.
&	Disowns the other functions. If the first : is killed, all of the functions that it started should NOT also be killed.
;	Ends the function definition and tells the interpreter to run what is next as a command
:	Call function : initiating a chain-reaction: each call of : will start two more

It can also be written as:

forkbomb() { forkbomb | forkbomb & } ; forkbomb

References

• https://www.kali.org/docs/usb/kali-linux-live-usb-persistence/
• https://linuxconfig.org/linux-tutorials
• https://explainshell.com/
• https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/26047/how-to-correctly-add-a-path-to-path

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