A Glimpse into Essential Linux Commands for DevOps & Cloud Computing

Linux is the backbone of modern DevOps and cloud computing, playing a crucial role in infrastructure management, automation, and container orchestration. Whether you're working with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, having a strong command of Linux is essential for managing virtual machines, optimizing performance, and automating workflows. Here’s a list of must-know commands tailored for DevOps and cloud engineers.

1. System Monitoring & Performance Tuning

Monitoring system performance is critical for identifying issues and ensuring smooth cloud operations.

• Interactive process viewer:

htop        

• Real-time system monitoring:

top        

• Check memory usage:

free -m        

• Monitor disk I/O performance:

iostat -x 1         

• Check disk usage:

df -h        

2. User & Permission Management

Securing cloud instances requires proper user and permission management.

• Add a new user:

useradd -m username
passwd username        

• Modify user permissions:

usermod -aG sudo username        

• Change file ownership:

chown user:group filename        

• Modify file permissions:

chmod 755 filename        

3. Process & Service Management

Managing services and processes is crucial for cloud uptime and performance.

• List running processes:

ps aux        

• Kill a process by ID:

kill -9 PID        

• Check open ports and active connections:

netstat -tulnp
netstat -tulnp | grep -i <port num>        

• Start, stop, and check service status:

systemctl start service_name
systemctl stop service_name
systemctl status service_name        

4. Networking Commands

Networking is fundamental for managing cloud-based and distributed environments.

• Check IP configuration:

ip a        

• Test network connectivity:

ping google.com
ping 1.1.1.1
ping 8.8.8.8
ping <ip >        

• Trace network routes:

traceroute google.com        

• Check firewall rules:

iptables -L        

5. Cloud Storage & File Management

Efficient file management ensures seamless cloud storage operations.

• List files in a directory:

ls -lah        

• Find files by name:

find /path/to/search -name filename        

• Copy, move, and delete files:

#COPY : cp source destination
#MOVE : mv source destination
#REMOVE : rm filename        

• Extract compressed files:

tar -xvf archive.tar.gz        

• Mount cloud storage (AWS S3 example):

s3fs mybucket /mnt/mountpoint -o iam_role=myrole        

6. Automation & Scheduling

Automating cloud tasks improves efficiency and reduces manual overhead.

• Schedule a cron job:

crontab -e        

• Run a command at system startup:

0 0 * * * /path/to/backup.sh        

• Automate cloud deployments (Ansible example):

ansible-playbook deploy.yml        

7. Logging & Debugging

Monitoring logs helps detect and resolve issues in cloud environments.

• View system logs:

journalctl -xe        

• Check authentication logs:

journalctl -xecat /var/log/auth.log        

• Monitor logs in real-time:

tail -f /var/log/syslog        

• Check AWS CloudWatch logs:

aws logs describe-log-groups        

Conclusion

Mastering these Linux commands is essential for DevOps and cloud engineers looking to optimize infrastructure, troubleshoot issues, and automate cloud operations. What are your must-know Linux commands for cloud computing? Let’s discuss in the comments! 🚀