Basic Linux Training - Course Index

Basic Linux Training - Course Index

Duration: 2 weeks (80 hours intensive or 40-50 hours comfortable pace)
Level: Beginner to Functional
Goal: Essential Linux skills for daily work

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Course Philosophy

This course teaches what you’ll actually use. Instead of covering every option for every command, we focus on:

• The 20% of commands you’ll use 80% of the time
• Essential flags and options (like ls -lrt for production work)
• Practical scenarios over theoretical completeness
• Getting productive fast

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Week 1: Fundamentals (40 hours)

Day 1-2: File System Basics (16 hours)

File: week1_fundamentals.md - Section 1-4

Commands:

• pwd - Where am I?
• cd - Navigate directories
• ls - List files (with -la, -lrt, -lrth)
• mkdir - Create directories
• touch - Create files
• cp - Copy files
• mv - Move/rename files
• rm - Delete files (safely!)

You’ll learn:

• Navigate the Linux file system
• Understand home directory (~) and root (/)
• Create, copy, move, delete files
• Work with hidden files
• Use WSL with Windows drives (/mnt/c/)

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Day 3-4: Text & Permissions (16 hours)

File: week1_fundamentals.md - Section 5-7

Commands:

• cat - Display file contents
• less - View files page by page
• head / tail - View start/end of files
• nano - Edit text files
• chmod - Change permissions (755, 644, +x)

You’ll learn:

• View file contents multiple ways
• Edit configuration files with nano
• Understand rwx permissions
• Make scripts executable
• Set safe file permissions

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Day 5: Searching & Pipes (8 hours)

File: week1_fundamentals.md - Section 8-9

Commands:

• find - Find files by name
• grep - Search inside files
• | - Pipe commands together
• > - Redirect output
• >> - Append output

You’ll learn:

• Find files quickly
• Search log files for errors
• Chain commands with pipes
• Save command output to files
• Basic command substitution

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Week 2: System & Remote (40 hours)

Day 1-2: System Administration (16 hours)

File: week2_system_admin.md - Section 1-3

Commands:

• ps aux - List processes
• top - Monitor processes
• kill - Stop processes
• sudo - Run as administrator
• df -h - Check disk space
• du -sh - Check folder size
• free -h - Check memory
• apt - Install software (Ubuntu)

You’ll learn:

• Monitor running programs
• Stop hung processes
• Check system resources
• Install and update software
• Use sudo safely

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Day 3: Archives & Compression (8 hours)

File: week2_system_admin.md - Section 4

Commands:

• tar -czf - Create compressed archive
• tar -xzf - Extract archive
• zip / unzip - Work with zip files

You’ll learn:

• Create backups
• Extract downloaded archives
• Compress large files
• Share multiple files

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Day 4: SSH & Remote Access (8 hours)

File: week2_system_admin.md - Section 5-6

Mac users: Mac SSH & SCP Howto (Docker)

Commands:

• ssh - Connect to remote servers
• ssh-keygen - Generate SSH keys
• ssh-copy-id - Set up key authentication
• scp - Copy files securely
• exit - Disconnect

You’ll learn:

• Connect to remote Linux servers
• Set up passwordless SSH
• Transfer files between systems
• Basic security practices

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Day 5: Review & Real Scenarios (8 hours)

File: week2_system_admin.md - Section 7

Practice:

• Set up a web server
• Deploy an application
• Create automated backups
• Monitor logs
• Troubleshoot common issues

You’ll learn:

• Apply all skills together
• Handle real-world tasks
• Debug problems
• Work efficiently

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Quick Reference

Throughout the course, refer to quick_reference.md for a one-page command cheat sheet.

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Setup Requirements

Recommended: Ubuntu on WSL2

Install (5 minutes):

# In PowerShell as Administrator
wsl --install

Verify:

$ pwd
$ ls
$ cd ~

Hardware Needs

• Windows 10 (version 2004+) or Windows 11
• 4GB RAM minimum
• 10GB free disk space

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Study Tips

Intensive Path (2 weeks)

• Study 8 hours/day, Monday-Friday
• Weekend break after Week 1
• Focus, no distractions
• Type every command

Comfortable Path (3-4 weeks)

• Study 4-5 hours/day
• Spread over 15-20 days
• More time for practice
• Better retention

Either Path

• Practice is mandatory - You can’t learn Linux by reading
• Make mistakes - It’s safe on WSL
• Use man - Built-in help is excellent
• Google errors - Everyone does this

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What’s Different from Full Program?

Basic Training (this):

• 2 weeks / 80 hours
• Essential commands only
• Most common options
• Get productive fast
• Good for: Daily work, junior roles

Full Training (200 hours):

• 5 modules / 10 weeks
• Comprehensive coverage
• All options explained
• Certification prep
• Good for: SysAdmin, DevOps, certifications

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Success Criteria

After completing this course, you should be able to:

Independently:

• Navigate any Linux system
• Find and edit configuration files
• Install and update software
• Check system resources
• Search logs for errors
• Create backups
• SSH to servers
• Transfer files

With guidance:

• Write simple scripts
• Set up services
• Troubleshoot issues
• Automate tasks

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Daily Checklist Template

Copy this for each day:

Day X - [Topic]
[ ] Read the section
[ ] Type all example commands
[ ] Complete exercises
[ ] Can explain to someone else
[ ] Ready for next day

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Getting Help

In order of speed:

1. Man pages: man ls - Built-in documentation
2. Help flag: ls --help - Quick reference
3. Google: “ubuntu how to [task]”
4. Stack Overflow: Search existing answers
5. Reddit: r/linux4noobs for beginners
6. Full program: Check 200-hour version for details

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After This Course

Immediate next steps:

1. Use Linux daily in your work
2. Set up your development environment
3. Automate one repetitive task
4. Explore tools specific to your role

Long term:

• Take full 200-hour program for depth
• Learn shell scripting (bash, python)
• Specialize (DevOps, SysAdmin, Security)
• Get certified (LPIC-1, RHCSA)

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Ready to Start?

Begin Week 1: Fundamentals →

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