My Linux Devlog: From WSL to the Cloud (Days 1–5)

Source: Dev.to

TL;DR

I’m taking the Linux Upskill Challenge to move beyond just “using” Linux and start actually managing it. I want to handle my own remote servers for my full‑stack and AI projects instead of relying on magic.

Setup: WSL locally, connecting to a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Virtual Machine.

Below is everything I learned in my first week.

Day 1 – The “Front Door”

The Problem

The public internet is fundamentally insecure. Data is transmitted in plaintext, so a hacker on the same network can sniff passwords and other sensitive information.

The Solution – SSH

Secure Shell (SSH) creates an encrypted tunnel between my local machine and the remote server. Even if someone intercepts the traffic, it looks like gibberish.

Key‑Based Authentication vs. Passwords

• Passwords – vulnerable to brute‑force attacks.
• Key pairs (asymmetric cryptography) – far more secure.

The server sends a challenge that only the private key can solve. No private key → no entry.

# Connecting via WSL, using the -i flag to point to my private key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 gcp-tyronemt@34.9.x.x

The “First 5 Minutes” Health Check

Key Takeaway (Day 1) – SSH is non‑negotiable for remote connections; key pairs are infinitely safer than passwords, and you should always run a quick health check (free, df, etc.) right after logging in.

Day 2 – Reading the Manual & Navigating the Filesystem

How to Read the Manual Efficiently

• man <command> – Full reference (e.g., man ls).
• help <builtin> – For built‑in shell commands (cd, export, …). Run type <command> to see if it’s built‑in.
• tldr <command> – Concise, example‑rich cheat sheet (install with sudo apt install tldr).
• apropos "<keyword>" – Search for commands by description.

Navigating the Tree

File Manipulation

mkdir <folder>                # Create a folder
touch <file>                  # Create an empty file
rm -r <folder>                # Delete a folder and everything inside it
# Safer interactive delete:
rm -ri <folder>

Key Takeaway (Day 2) – Knowing how to read the manual saves you from guessing, and understanding that everything branches out from the root (/) makes navigation far easier.

Day 3 – Privilege Management

Who Has the Power?

What Is sudo?

• Not root itself – it acts as an audit layer to prevent mistakes.
• Example: cat /etc/shadow → Permission denied; sudo cat /etc/shadow works.

Useful sudo Commands

# Become root temporarily (full root shell)
sudo -i

# See who logged in
last

# See failed login attempts (e.g., bots)
sudo lastb

Global Administrative Tasks

• Hostname

  hostnamectl                     # Show current hostname
  sudo hostnamectl set-hostname <new-name>
  # On cloud providers, ensure persistence:
  # Edit /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg → preserve_hostname: true

• Timezone

  timedatectl                     # Show current timezone
  sudo timedatectl set-timezone <Region/City>
  # Correct timezone = correct timestamps in logs.

Key Takeaway (Day 3) – sudo is a safety net. Never log in as root directly, and always set the correct timezone so logs are meaningful when debugging.

Day 4 – Package Management & Filesystem Hierarchy

APT (Advanced Package Tool)

• Sources list – /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu.sources
• Search – apt search "<keyword>"
• Install – sudo apt install <package> (requires sudo because installations affect the whole system).

Filesystem Hierarchy (see man hier)

/
├─ /root          – root user’s home folder
├─ /home          – standard users’ home folders
├─ /sbin          – system binaries (admin commands, root‑only)
├─ /etc           – global configuration files
└─ /var
   └─ /log        – system & security logs

Key Config & Log Files (all plain text!)

I also installed Midnight Commander (sudo apt install mc), a visual, text‑based file manager. Launch with mc; use F3 to view files and F10 to exit.

Key Takeaway (Day 4) – Linux is essentially a collection of text files. To change settings, edit files under /etc. To troubleshoot, inspect logs under /var/log.

Day 5 – (Coming Soon)

Stay tuned for the next entry where I’ll dive into networking, firewalls, and automating deployments with Ansible.

Managing text files directly in the terminal is a mandatory skill

Viewing & Editing

• less vs more – Use less to read large files. It lets you scroll up and down and search for text, whereas more is much more limited.
• Dotfiles – Hidden files starting with a dot (e.g., .bashrc). They hold user configurations. Use ls -a to see them.
• nano – A simple, built‑in terminal text editor.

Working Faster in the CLI

• Tab Completion – Hit Tab to auto‑complete a file or folder name. Hit it twice if there are multiple matches.
• Command History (history) – Shows everything you’ve typed.
• Execution by Number – Type ![number] (e.g., !20) to instantly rerun that exact command from your history.
• Reverse Search (Ctrl+R) – Start typing a past command, and the shell will auto‑suggest the rest. Huge time saver.

Advanced Workspaces

• Bash shell – The default interactive shell for many systems.
• Custom Prompts – Edit your PS1 variable to change how your prompt looks.
• Alternative Shells – zsh or fish offer better auto‑suggestions and richer completions.
• Multiplexers (tmux / screen) – Split one terminal window into multiple panes, and keep scripts running in the background even if your SSH connection drops.

Key Takeaway (Day 5)
Stop typing everything out manually. Master Tab completion, use Ctrl+R to find old commands, and always use less to read log files.