MODULE 7 - Navigating the Filesystem

Question 1

Which command would you use to view the contents of the top-level directory in Linux?

Answer 1

ls /

Question 2

How can you refer to the home directory of a user named bob from the command line, without typing the full path?

Answer 2

Use ~bob, which expands to /home/bob.

Question 2

Which structure defines how files and directories are organized across all Linux systems?

Answer 2

The Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS)

Question 2

What does the command cd do when run without any arguments?

Answer 2

It takes the user back to their home directory.

Question 3

Which command would you run to display the path of your current location in the Linux filesystem?

Answer 3

pwd

Question 3

Which command is used to navigate from one directory to another in the Linux shell?

Answer 3

The cd (change directory) command.

Question 3

What command moves a user from /home/sysadmin/Documents back up one level to /home/sysadmin?

Answer 3

cd ..

Question 4

What type of path begins with the / character and always starts from the root directory?

Answer 4

An absolute path.

Question 4

What is defined as is a list of directories separated by slashes / that describes the location of a file or directory within the filesystem?

Answer 4

A path

Question 4

Which type of path gives directions starting from the current working directory?

Answer 4

A relative path.

Question 4

What is the key difference in how absolute and relative paths begin?

Answer 4

Absolute paths start with /; relative paths do not.

Question 5

Which command lets the user confirm their current location in the filesystem?

Answer 5

pwd (print working directory)

Question 5

What does the command cd ../.. do from any location?

Answer 5

It moves the user up two levels in the directory hierarchy.

Question 6

Which shortcut always represents the current directory?

Answer 6

The single dot . represents the current directory.

Question 6

Which command is used to list the contents of a directory in Linux?

Answer 6

ls

Question 7

Which command reveals whether ls is aliased on the system?

Answer 7

type ls

Question 8

What is the command to run ls without the color alias?

Answer 8

\ls

Question 9

Which command reveals all files, including hidden ones, in a directory?

Answer 9

ls -a

Question 10

Which command displays file metadata such as size, owner, and modification time?

Answer 10

ls -l

Question 10

What is the purpose of hidden files like .bashrc and .profile?

Answer 10

They are customization files used to configure Linux, the shell, or specific programs.

Question 11

What file type is represented by the symbol d in ls -l?

Answer 11

A directory.

Question 12

What file type is represented by - in ls -l?

Answer 12

A regular file (text, binary, image, etc.).

Question 12

What does the character l represent in the first position of ls -l output?

Answer 12

A symbolic link.

Question 13

Which file type is used for inter-process communication and is shown as s or p?

Answer 13

s for socket, p for pipe.

Question 13

What does the number after the permissions in ls -l represent?

Answer 13

The hard link count—how many hard links point to the file.

Question 14

Which option shows all files, including hidden files that start with a dot?

Answer 14

→ ls -a displays all files, including hidden ones that begin with a . character.

Question 14

What does the number before the date and time in ls -l indicate?

Answer 14

The file size in bytes.

Question 14

What does the timestamp in ls -l indicate?

Answer 14

The last modification time of the file contents.

Question 14

How are symbolic links displayed in ls -l?

Answer 14

With an arrow (->) showing the link name and the target path.

Question 15

Which character at the beginning of a filename indicates a hidden file in Linux?

Answer 15

→ A file that begins with a dot (.) is a hidden file.

Question 16

Which option combination shows file sizes in megabytes, kilobytes, or gigabytes?

Answer 16

→ ls -lh displays human-readable file sizes.

Question 16

Which option causes ls to list the directory itself rather than its contents?

Answer 16

-d option when used with ls

Question 17

Which command performs a recursive listing, showing all files in a directory and its subdirectories?

Answer 17

ls -R

Question 18

Which option allows you to list the contents of a directory and all its subdirectories?

Answer 18

-R

Question 18

Which ls option is used to sort files from largest to smallest by size?

Answer 18

-S (capital S)

Question 19

Which ls option is used to sort files based on modification time, with the most recent files first?

Answer 19

-t

Question 20

Which ls command shows full timestamps including nanoseconds?

Answer 20

ls - -full-time