10 Interview Questions and Answers on Linux Commands

Linux is one of the most widely used operating systems worldwide. It is an open-source system, which means it is free to use and customize. As a result, Linux skills are in high demand, making it an essential skill for any IT professional.

As Linux is so popular, it is common for interviewers to ask candidates about their knowledge of Linux commands during job interviews. In this article, we will discuss 10 interview questions and possible answers on Linux commands.

1. How do you navigate through Linux directories?

One of the most fundamental commands in Linux is the cd command, which stands for “change directory.” By typing cd followed by a directory name, you can move to that directory. For example, if you want to move to the “documents” directory, type cd Documents.

Other useful commands for directory navigation include pwd (print working directory) to display the current directory and ls (list) to display the contents of the current directory.

cd Documents
pwd
ls

2. How do you search for a file in Linux?

The find command is used to search for files or directories under a given directory hierarchy. It is a flexible and powerful command that can search based on different criteria, such as the filename, the modification time, or the owner of the file.

For example, to search for a file named “example.txt” in the current directory and its subdirectories, type find . -name “example.txt”

find . -name "example.txt"

3. How do you determine the disk space usage of a file or directory in Linux?

The du command is used to estimate the file space usage of a directory or a file. It can be used to determine the size of a file or directory, as well as the size of its subdirectories.

The -h option makes the output human-readable, while the -s option provides a summary of the disk usage instead of listing each file.

For example, to find the disk usage of a file named “example.txt,” type du -h example.txt. To get the summary of the disk usage of the current directory, type du -sh ..

du -h example.txt
du -sh .

4. How do you kill a process in Linux?

The kill command is used to terminate a process in Linux. Each process in Linux has a unique identifier called a PID (process identifier), and the kill command sends a signal to a specific process to request its termination.

The kill command can accept either the PID of the process to be killed, or the name of the process. For example, to kill a process with the PID 1234, type kill 1234. To kill a process by name, use the pkill command followed by the name of the process.

kill 1234
pkill firefox

5. How do you rename a file in Linux?

The mv command is used to rename a file or directory in Linux. It can also be used to move a file or directory from one location to another.

To rename a file, use the mv command followed by the current name of the file and the new name. For example, to rename a file named “old.txt” to “new.txt,” type mv old.txt new.txt.

mv old.txt new.txt

6. How do you create a new file in Linux?

The touch command is used to create a new file in Linux. If the file does not exist, this command creates an empty file. If the file already exists, the touch command updates its modification and access times.

For example, to create a new file named “example.txt,” type touch example.txt.

touch example.txt

7. How do you view the contents of a file in Linux?

The cat command is used to view the contents of a file in Linux. It can display the contents of one or more files, and it can also concatenate files.

For example, to display the contents of a file named “example.txt,” type cat example.txt.

cat example.txt

8. How do you edit a file in Linux?

The nano command is a simple text editor in Linux. It is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface, making it a good choice for beginners.

To open a file in nano, type nano followed by the name of the file. This will open the file in the nano editor, where you can edit the contents of the file.

nano example.txt

9. How do you grant permissions to a file or directory in Linux?

The chmod command is used to change the permissions of a file or directory in Linux. Permissions in Linux are represented by a three-digit code, where the first digit represents the owner’s permissions, the second digit represents the group’s permissions, and the third digit represents the permissions for everyone else.

For example, to grant read, write, and execute permissions to the owner of a file named “example.txt,” type chmod 700 example.txt.

chmod 700 example.txt

10. How do you install software in Linux?

The package manager in Linux makes it easy to install software from the command line. The package manager handles all the dependencies and ensures that the software is installed correctly.

In Ubuntu and other Debian-based distributions, the apt-get command is used to install software. For example, to install the gimp image editing software, type sudo apt-get install gimp.

sudo apt-get install gimp

Conclusion

Linux commands are an essential skill for IT professionals. These interview questions and answers should give you a good idea of what to expect in a Linux interview. By practicing these commands, you will be well-prepared to demonstrate your Linux skills and land that dream job.