Introduction to Linux

1. ReadingWhat is Linux?
2. ReadingWhy Learn the Command Line?
3. Run PowerShell as administrator, type wsl --install and hit Enter. This will enable WSL and download Ubuntu.
4. Open the Start Menu and launch Ubuntu. It might take a few minutes to extract and set up the file system. Once that's done, restart your computer (don't skip this step!)
5. After rebooting, launch Ubuntu. You'll be asked to enter a new UNIX username. Choose something simple with no spaces and no capital letters.
6. Then you'll be asked for a password. When you type the password, nothing will appear on the screen. Don't worry, that's normal! It's registering your key presses, just not showing them for security reasons.
7. Once that's done, we need to verify that your installation worked. Type pwd and hit Enter. If you see /home/[username], that means you're inside your Linux home directory. Congrats, you did it!
8. Update your system. Enter sudo apt update and sudo apt upgrade. It will ask you for the password you just created. If it says there are updates, press Y and hit Enter to install. (Commands are case-sensitive. So, for example, Sudo Apt Update is NOT a valid command.)
9. Video Resource: Watch Learn Linux TV beginner videos for a visual overview of Linux concepts and setup.

Learn Linux concepts and terminal basics using Ubuntu (WSL).

1. ReadingIntro to WSL
2. ReadingBash Command Tutorial 1 - mkdir, ls, pwd, cd, clear
3. ReadingBash Command Tutorial 2 - rm, rmdir, touch, echo, cat, nano, mv
4. ReadingBash Command Tutorial 3 - wget, head, tail, less, grep, cp, |, >, >>
5. QuizBash Commands
6. ReadingPackage Managers
7. ReadingBash Command Tutorial 4 - apt, tree
8. Unit 1 Lab - Create hello.sh with #!/bin/bash and echo 'Hello Linux!' Practice chmod +x hello.sh and run with ./hello.sh
9. Video Resource: Watch freeCodeCamp Linux command-line lessons to see each Bash command demonstrated in context.

Explore Linux GUI and system tools using a Virtual Machine (Ubuntu Desktop).

1. Step 1: Download and install VirtualBox for your operating system. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
2. Step 2: Download the latest Ubuntu Desktop ISO. Save it somewhere you can easily find it (like your Downloads folder).
3. Step 3: Open VirtualBox and click New. Name your VM (e.g. 'Ubuntu Desktop'), select Type: Linux and Version: Ubuntu (64-bit). Allocate at least 4 GB RAM (4096 MB), 2 CPU cores, and create a virtual hard disk with at least 25 GB of space.
4. Step 4: Before starting the VM, go to Settings → Storage. Click the empty disc icon under Controller: IDE, then click the disc icon on the right and choose your downloaded Ubuntu ISO file. Click OK.
5. Step 5: Start the VM and install Ubuntu. Choose Install Ubuntu, select your language and keyboard, choose Normal installation, and select Erase disk and install Ubuntu (this only erases the virtual disk, not your real one!). Create your user account and let the installation finish.
6. ReadingAbsolute vs Relative Paths
7. Exercise: In your VM, open the Terminal app. Create a directory structure: mkdir -p ~/practice/{docs,images,scripts}. Navigate between them using both absolute and relative paths. Use pwd to verify your location after each cd command.
8. ReadingFile Permissions and Ownership
9. Exercise: Create a file with touch ~/practice/secret.txt. Check its permissions with ls -l. Remove all permissions for others: chmod o-rwx secret.txt. Make a script executable: echo '#!/bin/bash' > ~/practice/scripts/test.sh && chmod u+x ~/practice/scripts/test.sh. Verify with ls -l.
10. Exercise: Open a config file with nano ~/.bashrc. Scroll to the bottom and add a custom alias: alias ll='ls -la'. Save with Ctrl+O, exit with Ctrl+X. Run source ~/.bashrc to apply, then test by typing ll.
11. CheckpointReflection: CLI vs GUI

Practice system monitoring, user management, and troubleshooting on a Linux system.

1. Live USB Experience: Your instructor will distribute bootable Ubuntu Desktop Live USBs. To boot from one: plug it in, restart your computer, and press F12 (or F2/Esc/Del depending on your system) to open the boot menu. Select the USB drive. Choose Try Ubuntu — this runs Ubuntu directly from the USB without installing anything!
2. Walkthrough: Explore the Ubuntu Desktop. Find the application launcher (bottom-left or press the Super/Windows key). Open the file manager (Files), the web browser (Firefox), the text editor, and the Terminal. Try right-clicking the desktop and exploring the Settings app.
3. ReadingSystem Monitoring Tools (top, htop)
4. Exercise: Open a terminal and run top. Press M to sort by memory usage. Press q to quit. Then install and run htop. Try the tree view (F5) and search (F3). Finally, start a background process with sleep 300 &, find its PID, and kill it.
5. ReadingUser and Group Management
6. Exercise: Create a new user with sudo adduser labuser. Create a group with sudo addgroup labteam. Add the user to the group: sudo usermod -aG labteam labuser. Switch to the new user with su - labuser, run whoami and groups, then type exit to return. Clean up with sudo deluser --remove-home labuser and sudo delgroup labteam.
7. ReadingBasic Troubleshooting Techniques
8. ReadingGuide - I Broke It — Now What?
9. CheckpointFinal Project - Linux Task Challenge
10. Video Resource: Watch Linux admin basics videos for practical troubleshooting and system management examples.