LINUX COMMANDS FOR
REAL-WORLD
ENTERPRISE
CHALLENGES
01
ESSENTIAL DAILY
COMMANDS
pwd: Show current directory location.
cd /path: Change directory to /path.
ls -l: List files with details.
cat file.txt: View contents of file.txt.
These four commands form the foundation
of terminal navigation. Use these every
time you open the terminal to stay
oriented.
02
UNCOVERING
HIDDEN FILES (.)
ls -a: List all files, including hidden
ones.
ls -la: Detailed list, including
hidden files.
find . -name ".*": Recursively search
hidden files.
Use Case: Troubleshoot missing .env or
.bashrc configs.
03
LIGHTNING FAST
FILE SEARCH
Search Files Fast & Smart:
find /etc -name "*.backup": Find all
.backup files in /etc.
grep -r "PermitRootLogin" /etc/ssh/:
Recursively search text in SSH configs.
locate nginx.conf: Quickly find nginx
config using a database.
Use Case: Locate misplaced config backups
or key settings.
04
FILE SIZE
ANALYSIS
Analyze Disk Usage & Big Files:
ls -lh: Show human-readable file
sizes.
du -h /var/log: Check disk usage by
folder.
find / -type f -size +500M: Find files
over 500MB.
Use Case: Diagnose why servers run out of
disk space.
USER ACCESS 05
AUDIT
Audit Users & Permissions:
id devuser: Show user ID and groups.
grep devuser /etc/passwd: Check
user account properties or details in
the passwd file.
ls -l /home/: List home directories.
Use Case: Ensure old employees or
contractors no longer have access.
06
PERMISSION
ANALYSIS
Fix Risky File Permissions:
ls -l script.sh: View file permissions.
find / -perm 777: Find files writable by
everyone.
chmod 644 file.txt: Set secure
read/write permissions.
Use Case: Secure critical files, scripts and
configs from unauthorized access.
07
NETWORK SERVICES
Investigate what’s Listening on Ports:
ss -tuln: List active listening TCP/UDP
ports (modern).
netstat -tuln: Active listening ports
(legacy).
lsof -i :8080 - Show processes using
port 8080.
curl localhost :8080 - Local Service
response test.
Use Case: Troubleshoot apps not responding
due to port issues.
08
DECODING SECRET
MESSAGES
Base64 Encoding & Decoding:
echo -n "YW5zd2Vy" | base64 -d:
Decode Base64 string.
echo -n "secret" | base64: Encode text
in Base64.
chmod 644 file.txt: Set secure
read/write permissions.
Use Case: Decode API tokens or encoded
credentials.
09
SSH
CONFIGURATION
Fix SSH Access or Connection Issues:
ls -la ~/.ssh/: View SSH files and keys.
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa: Set proper
private key permissions.
ssh-keygen -t rsa: Generate a new SSH
keypair.
Use Case: Resolve permission denied errors
when connecting.
10
DNS
TROUBLESHOOTING
Diagnose DNS Resolution Problems:
cat /etc/resolv.conf: View DNS resolver
settings.
diff /etc/resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf.bak:
Compare current and backup DNS configs.
nano /etc/resolv.conf: Edit DNS settings
safely.
Use Case: Fix apps failing due to hostname
resolution issues.
11
SECURE FILE
TRANSFER
Move sensitive data safely between systems:
scp error.log user@host:/tmp/ - Securely
copy file over SSH.
rsync -av file.txt user@host:/var/logs/ -
Sync files while preserving metadata.
Use Case: Upload logs or configs for support
or backups without exposing them to
network sniffing.
12
WEB
CONFIGURATION
Find & Fix Web Server Port Issues:
grep "listen" /etc/nginx/nginx.conf: Find
port nginx listens on.
systemctl reload nginx: Reload nginx
config without downtime.
Use Case: Troubleshoot unreachable web apps
due to wrong port.
13
NETWORK TRAFFIC
ANALYSIS
Capture & Inspect Network Data:
tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture.pcap: Capture
live network traffic.
strings capture.pcap | grep "token": Extract
readable text and search for "token".
Use Case: Investigate data leaks or
suspicious network activity.
14
CONCLUSION
These commands and use cases will help
you tackle real world Linux challenges
enterprise face regularly.
Practice these scenarios in a test
environment.
Each challenge builds essential skills for
production system administration and
troubleshooting.
FOLLOW TO
GET MORE
INFORMATION
AND TIPS LIKE
THIS.
SAVE & SHARE
