Lab# 1

Linux Environment, Introduction to CLI and

File & Directory Management
CS311L

Lab Engr. Eisha ter raazia Mir

Learning Outcomes
 Log in and log out of the Linux operating system.
 Understand the Linux file system and directory hierarchy.
 Navigate and manipulate files and directories.
 Know the root directory, home directory, and paths.
Operating System
• Operating System is a type of System Software and a collection (set)
of programs that performs two specific functions.
• First, it provides a user interface so that users can interact with the
machine.
• Second, the operating system manages computer resources. It
accepts user commands, then detrains, allowing the programs to run
where they are loaded into memory first, and communication
between various hardware devices is coordinated.
• Windows, Linux, and DOS are popular operating systems.
Linux System Components:
Linux systems can be split into two parts. User
• Shell Shell
1. A Shell is an interface between a user and a Linux operating Kernel
system, i.e., the user interacts with the Linux operating system
UUUSER
Sh
through the Shell. Shell

2. The Shell performs two tasks; it accepts and interprets a user's

commands.
• Kernel
1. The Linux kernel, a core component of the operating system,
handles critical functions like system calls, process management,
scheduling, signals, paging, swapping, file systems, and storage I/O.
Files
Mechanism - store information
Two modes of storing information
• File
• Directories
• File
• Store information
• File attributes:
• Read - "r"; allows - read, nothing can be changed
• Write - "w"; allows - written to and changed.
• Execute - "x"; allows - executed by users or the operating system
File
• The significant operations which can be performed on files are given below:
• Create
• Delete
• Open
• Close
• Read
• Write
• Rename
• Get Attributes
• Set Attributes
Directories
• A directory, also known as a folder, is a virtual location within a file
system where files are stored.
• Users can navigate through the file system efficiently, moving in and
out of directories to locate and manage files.
Directories
• The significant operations which can be performed on the directories are given
below:
• Create
• Delete
• Open
• Close
• Read
• Write
• Rename
• Get Attributes
• Set Attributes
Linux File System Hierarchy
 /home: Users’ home directory
 /etc: All system administrator commands,
configuration, and installation control files
 /bin: The core set of system commands and programs.
Most systems cannot boot (initially start) without
executing some of the commands in this directory
 /dev: The device files used to access system peripherals
(for example, your terminal can be accessed from
/dev/tty)
 /lib: The standard set of programming libraries required
by Linux programs
 /root: The root user’s home directory.
 /usr/bin: Common commands and programs.
 /usr/doc: Documentation
 /usr/games : Games
 /usr/include : Header files
 /usr/man : Manual pages (help)
File and Directory Commands

• Move from home to root

• cd /
• Move from root to home
• cd
• cd ~
• . ( single dot) denotes the current directory in the path.
• .. (two dots) denotes the parent directory, i.e., one level above.
• sudo su (Stands for "Switch User" and is used to switch to another user, in this case,
the root user.)
• dollar ($) – non privileged user
• hash (#) – privileged user
Shell Commands (Case Sensitive)
pwd - present working directory
mkdir name - make a directory
rmdir name - remove directory
cd - change directory
rm - remove a file
clear - clear all
exit - come out of the shell
ls - list the files
• -a Display all the files and subdirectories, including hidden files.
• -l Display detailed information about each file and directory.
• -r Display files in the reverse order.
Pathname
Absolute Path
•The Absolute path always starts from the root
directory (/)
•Absolute pathname identifies a file or a directory
irrespective of the user's current state.
•The user's "current directory" is part of the user's
state. The absolute pathname always starts from the
root directory.
•For example, to locate the my_scripts.sh file in the
script directory, the absolute path of the file is:
•/home/abhishek/scripts/my_scripts.sh
Relative Path
•The pathname identifies a file or a directory that
depends on the user's state, i.e., the user's current
directory
• Relative pathname specifies files concerning the
user's current directory
• A relative path starts from the current directory.
•For example, if you are in the /home directory and
you want to access my_scripts.sh you can use.
•abhishek/scripts/my_scripts.sh
Commands and Directories

How would you go to the directory you created?

• cd dir_name
How would you go up?
• cd .. (space between cd and ..)
Command and Directories
• Create another directory, chemistry under books
• mkdir book
• cd book
• mkdir chemistry
• cd chemistry
Command and Directories
Now you are quite away from your home directory

How would you go to your home directory?

pwd
cd ..
cd ..
pwd
Commands and Directories
How do we remove our created directories?
• ls
• rmdir book
• ls
rmdir will only work if the directory you are trying to remove does
not contain any file
So first, remove all files from the directory
File Manipulation commands
• Create a file with nano editor
• nano file_name or touch file_name
• Ctrl-o -> save file
• Ctrl-x -> exit editor
• rm -r directory_name
• rm -r -i directory_name (ask for permissions)
• cat file_name (to view the created file)
• The cat command will print the file contents for the read-only mode
• Text editor must be used to make changes in the file.
File manipulation commands
Rename an old directory with new one
• mv oldfile newfile
Delete a directory having a file
• rm -r directory_name
Inode number
 Uniquely existing number for the files in Linux
ls -i directory_name
ls -l directory_name
 The following information is printed in the given order:
• 1: file permissions (coming lab)
• 2: File links (coming next)
• 3: Owner of a file
• 4: group (coming lab)
• 5: the size of a file
• 6: last change
• 7: Time of change
• 8: File/directory name
Tasks
1. Remove a subdirectory name capital from country directory from
the home directory
• Make a directory name capital. In capital directory create subdirectory name country. Now
come back to the home directory and remove country subdirectory directly from home
directory.
2. Move to a directory name plant directly from a subdirectory name
lion
• Make a directory name plant in home directory. Create another directory name animals in
home directory as well. Now create a subdirectory name lion in animal directory. Move to
the directory name plant from the lion subdirectory directly
Tasks
3. Rename a file name data.txt with new name lab_data.txt in a folder
name data_file
• Create a directory name data_file. In data_file directory create a file name
data.txt. After creation of data.txt rename it to lab_data.txt
• Find the Inode number of file named lab_data.txt by keeping yourself in
home directory