Today I explored Linux more deeply — understanding how this powerful, open-source operating system is the backbone of modern cloud infrastructure, especially in AWS.

🔍 What is Linux?

Linux is a Unix-like, open-source OS known for:

Stability
Speed
Security
Full control via command line (CLI)

In the cloud, Linux powers most servers, containers, and dev environments.

💻 Why Linux is Important in AWS

Most EC2 instances run Amazon Linux (secure, cloud-optimized)
Accessed remotely via SSH
Essential in automation, DevOps, Docker/Kubernetes
Lightweight → perfect for microservices and containers

⚙️ Key Components of Linux (Cloud Context)

Kernel – Core engine that manages hardware resources
Shell – CLI interpreter (like bash)
File System – Tree-like structure starting from / (root)
Package Manager – Install/update software via yum, dnf, or apt
System Services – Controlled via systemctl (e.g., SSH, cron)

🛠️ Basic Linux Commands I Practiced on EC2

📁 File & Directory Management

ls           # List files
cd /path     # Change directory
pwd          # Print current directory
mkdir name   # Make new directory
touch file   # Create an empty file
rm file      # Delete a file
rmdir dir    # Remove empty directory
cp src dest  # Copy file/directory
mv src dest  # Move or rename file/directory

🧠 System Info & Monitoring

bashCopyEdituname -a             # System info
top                  # Live process monitor
htop                 # (if installed) better process viewer
df -h                # Disk usage
free -m              # Memory usage
uptime               # How long the system has been running
whoami               # Current user
id                   # User ID and group info

🔐 Permissions, Users & Ownership

bashCopyEditchmod +x file        # Make a file executable
chown user:group file# Change ownership
useradd username     # Add user
passwd username      # Set user password
usermod -aG group user # Add user to group

🌐 Networking

bashCopyEditip a                 # Show IP address
ping google.com      # Test connectivity
netstat -tuln        # Show open ports (install `net-tools`)
ss -tuln             # Alternative to netstat
curl ifconfig.me     # Get public IP address

📦 Package Management (Amazon Linux)

bashCopyEditsudo yum update           # Update system
sudo yum install nginx    # Install a package
sudo systemctl start nginx# Start service
sudo systemctl enable nginx# Enable at boot
sudo systemctl status nginx# Check status

🌐 Real-World Linux Use in AWS

Hosting web servers (Apache, Nginx)
Running automation scripts (Bash, Python)
Deploying Docker containers
Monitoring logs and system performance
Managing users, firewalls, permissions

🌟 Final Thoughts

Mastering Linux is essential for every Cloud or DevOps engineer.
Whether you're launching EC2, deploying serverless functions, or running Kubernetes clusters — Linux is everywhere in the cloud.

✅ Day 5 of My Cloud Journey ☁ – Deep Dive into Linux in the Cloud 🐧