Essential Unix Skills for Developers from Udemy

What do C, Go, Python, Perl, Java, Node.js, Git, SSH, Docker, Kubernetes, MySQL, SQLite, iOS, MacOS, Android and SO many more programming languages, tools & platforms have in common? They were all developed on Unix-related operating systems like Linux, MacOS (yes, MacOS IS Unix too), FreeBSD & many others. That means these tools are 1st-class citizens in Unix. Virtually every modern developer will interact with some aspect of Unix in their career whether they're using Git and GitHub or deploying their web applications and services to The Cloud, Unix is nearly inescapable.

In this course, we'll teach you the basics of this amazing and powerful operating system so that you can get the most out of it and feel comfortable working with it to get useful work done. There's a reason Unix is so ubiquitous, and by the end of this course, you'll know exactly why.

What's so special about Unix? It's an operating system that was designed by programmers for programmers. It's basically a giant open development platform. Unix doesn't try to hide its programming tools away from the casual user. Those tools are all up front and center, making it easy and pleasurable to develop sophisticated software and test it out on the platform. That's why so many of the world's most popular languages and development tools have been developed on Unix over the decades.

Do you have to learn Unix to be a developer? No, of course not. But many developers are forced to interact with Unix-related technologies every day without realizing that's what they're doing. As a result, they stumble their way through cryptic-seeming commands and invocations without understanding the underlying technology and the systems and theories on which they are based. If one understands where these commands and techniques are coming from, they become much easier to master and they are much less intimidating. It is at this point that one can truly unleash the power of the tools.

Let us help you to unleash that power for yourself to take your skillset to the next level.

What's inside

Learning objectives

How to use the most common unix tools and utilities
Working with unix shells
Popular command-line editors like vi/vim & pico/nano
Numerous commands & techniques for manipulating text files and text output

Managing user accounts, adding/removing applications, working with processes
Useful networking-related commands to help you troubleshoot your web apps/services & network tools
Deploying apps to linux servers as services & with docker

How to use the most common unix tools and utilities
Working with unix shells
Popular command-line editors like vi/vim & pico/nano
Numerous commands & techniques for manipulating text files and text output
Managing user accounts, adding/removing applications, working with processes
Useful networking-related commands to help you troubleshoot your web apps/services & network tools
Deploying apps to linux servers as services & with docker

Syllabus

The Basics

The Shell

The Beginning

What is Unix?

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Covers essential Unix skills, which are foundational for developers working with various programming languages and platforms like C, Go, Python, and Java

Explores Unix shells, which are essential for scripting and automation in development workflows

Includes practical scenarios such as deploying Spring Boot applications as Linux services and containerizing apps with Docker, which are relevant for modern development practices

Features vi/vim and pico/nano, which are command-line editors that are useful for quick edits and server-side development

Discusses networking-related commands for troubleshooting web applications and services, which is helpful for developers managing deployments

Teaches techniques for manipulating text files and output, which are useful for parsing logs and processing data in development environments

Reviews summary

Essential unix skills for developers

According to learners, this course provides a solid foundation in essential Unix commands and concepts for developers. Many found the hands-on approach and practical examples particularly useful for understanding core utilities like text manipulation, file permissions, and process management. The course is often described as clear, well-explained, and easy to follow, even for those new to the command line. Some students specifically praised the sections on networking and developer-focused scenarios like Docker. While largely positive, a few reviewers felt certain advanced topics could be explored more deeply or that some content might be basic for experienced users. Overall, it's considered a valuable stepping stone for improving command-line proficiency relevant to development workflows.

Helpful coverage of networking and modern dev tools.

"The sections on networking and SSH were particularly useful for my day-to-day work."

"Really liked the module on using Docker from the command line."

"Found the part about deploying applications as services very relevant and practical."

"Covered network troubleshooting commands which I use frequently now."

Content is presented clearly and easy to follow.

"The instructor explained complex topics like file permissions and piping in a very clear way."

"Everything was broken down into easily digestible parts."

"Found the explanations straightforward and the pace just right."

"Even commands I'd seen before made more sense after the clear breakdown here."

Emphasis on practical examples and real-world use.

"The best part were the hands-on exercises that helped solidify the concepts immediately."

"Lots of practical examples make the commands easy to understand and remember."

"I appreciated the 'developer scenarios' section, showing how these skills apply directly to my work."

"The examples used were very relevant to common tasks I encounter as a developer."

Provides a strong base in essential Unix skills.

"This course provides a solid foundation for anyone looking to improve their command line skills on Unix-like systems."

"Gave me a good understanding of the basic Unix commands and how they are used in a development context."

"It covered all the fundamentals I needed to feel comfortable working in the terminal for my projects."

"I feel much more confident navigating and manipulating files on Linux after this course."

May be too basic for those already familiar with Unix.

"If you already use Unix extensively, much of this will be review."

"Felt a bit slow in the early sections as I already knew the basic navigation commands."

"Good for absolute beginners, but intermediate users might find it too introductory."

"I was hoping for more depth on scripting and automation."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Essential Unix Skills for Developers with these activities:

Review Basic Networking Concepts

Show steps

Reinforce your understanding of networking fundamentals to better grasp the networking-related commands covered in the course.

Browse courses on Networking Basics

Show steps

Review the OSI model and TCP/IP protocol suite.
Practice basic network troubleshooting techniques.

Review 'The Linux Command Line'

Show steps

Deepen your understanding of the Unix command line by working through the exercises and examples in this book.

View The Linux Command Line, 2nd Edition on Amazon

Show steps

Read the first few chapters covering basic commands.
Experiment with the commands in a terminal.

Practice File Manipulation Commands

Show steps

Reinforce your understanding of file manipulation commands like `cp`, `mv`, `rm`, and `mkdir` through repetitive exercises.

Show steps

Create a directory structure with several files.
Practice copying, moving, and deleting files and directories.
Experiment with different options and flags.

Four other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all seven activities

Create a Cheat Sheet of Common Unix Commands

Show steps

Solidify your knowledge by creating a cheat sheet of the most frequently used Unix commands and their options.

Show steps

Identify the most common commands covered in the course.
Summarize the purpose and options of each command.
Organize the cheat sheet for easy reference.

Automate a Task with a Shell Script

Show steps

Apply your Unix skills by creating a shell script to automate a repetitive task, such as backing up files or processing data.

Show steps

Identify a repetitive task that can be automated.
Write a shell script to perform the task.
Test the script thoroughly and debug any errors.

Review 'Classic Shell Scripting'

Show steps

Improve your shell scripting skills by studying the techniques and examples presented in this book.

View Classic Shell Scripting on Amazon

Show steps

Read chapters on advanced scripting techniques.
Try implementing the examples in your own scripts.

Contribute to an Open Source Project

Show steps

Contribute to an open-source project that uses Unix-based tools and technologies to gain real-world experience and collaborate with other developers.

Show steps

Find an open-source project that interests you.
Identify a bug or feature that you can contribute to.
Submit a pull request with your changes.

Career center

Learners who complete Essential Unix Skills for Developers will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

System Administrator

A system administrator is responsible for maintaining and managing computer systems and servers. This course is very helpful, since Unix skills are foundational to system administration. The course's modules on file systems, user account management, installing applications on various Linux distributions, and managing system resources directly translate into essential skills for a system administrator. Understanding process management, covered in the course, is another key aspect of this role. This course can certainly help one become a system administrator.

See salaries and explore the career path for System Administrator

Software Engineer

A software engineer designs, develops, tests, and maintains software applications. This course, with its focus on Unix, directly benefits software engineers. The course teaches how Unix tools are first-class citizens for developers, especially since many programming languages and tools were built on Unix operating systems. Learning about Unix shells, command line editors, and file manipulation techniques helps build a foundation for efficient software development. An understanding of installing applications on Linux and MacOS, a topic covered in this course, is useful for a software engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Site Reliability Engineer

Site reliability engineers focus on ensuring the reliability and performance of software systems. This course directly aligns with the responsibilities of site reliability engineers. The course's sections on Unix shells, system commands, and networking provide essential skills for monitoring and managing systems. Understanding how to troubleshoot network issues, manage processes, and automate tasks with scripting, all taught in the course, significantly enhances an engineer's ability to maintain site reliability. As such, completing this course may help one become a site reliability engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Site Reliability Engineer

Cloud Engineer

Cloud engineers build, maintain, and troubleshoot cloud infrastructure. Unix is the backbone of many cloud platforms, so this course can be extremely useful for cloud engineers. The course's focus on deploying applications to Linux servers, containerization with Docker, and networking commands offers relevant, practical knowledge. Specifically, understanding SSH for secure remote operations and the ability to troubleshoot network issues, taught in this course, are critical for managing cloud environments. This course is a way to help prepare for the role of cloud engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cloud Engineer

Backend Developer

Backend developers build and maintain the server-side logic of web applications. This course can directly benefit backend developers, since Unix-like environments are common for server deployments. The course's material on deploying applications to Linux servers, managing processes, and using command-line tools offers essential skills. Understanding how to troubleshoot network issues and use SSH for secure operations, also taught in the course, are quite useful for managing backend infrastructure. Learning about essential Unix skills helps one to be a backend developer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Backend Developer

DevOps Engineer

DevOps Engineers automate and streamline software development and deployment processes. This course on Unix skills may be quite useful. It shows the basics of an operating system to help get the most out of it to get useful work done. The course's coverage of deploying applications to Linux servers with Docker and managing system resources using TOP will directly assist a DevOps engineer. Furthermore, understanding networking commands and SSH, also taught in the course, further enhances a DevOps Engineer's ability to troubleshoot and manage infrastructure.

See salaries and explore the career path for DevOps Engineer

Full-Stack Developer

Full stack developers work on both the front-end and back-end of web applications. This course provides valuable skills for the back-end aspects of this role. The course's coverage of Unix shells, text manipulation, and server deployment helps full stack developers manage and deploy their applications effectively. The ability to troubleshoot network issues and use SSH, both covered in the course, are essential for managing the full application stack. This is valuable background toward becoming a full stack developer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Full-Stack Developer

Build Engineer

Build engineers are responsible for creating and maintaining the build infrastructure for software projects. Unix skills are essential to this role, as build systems often rely on Unix-like environments. The course directly helps build engineers. The course's focus on command-line tools, file manipulation, and scripting provides relevant knowledge for automating build processes. Understanding how to manage processes and use networking commands, taught in the course, further supports a build engineer's ability to maintain and improve the build infrastructure. It helps those wanting to become a build engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Build Engineer

Technical Support Engineer

Technical support engineers assist customers with technical issues. The skills taught in this course can be quite relevant for troubleshooting software and systems. Understanding Unix commands, file systems, and networking concepts, covered in the course, allows support engineers to diagnose and resolve issues effectively. The ability to use command-line tools and manage processes, also taught in the course, is particularly useful for technical support. This course may be helpful to a technical support engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Support Engineer

Embedded Systems Engineer

Embedded systems engineers design and develop software for embedded devices, which often run on Unix-like operating systems. This course helps build a foundation. The course's focus on Unix fundamentals, command-line tools, and system commands provides relevant knowledge for working with embedded systems. Understanding file permissions, process management, and networking concepts, taught in this course, is useful for developing and debugging embedded software. Working as an embedded systems engineer may be more manageable after completing this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Embedded Systems Engineer

Release Engineer

Release engineers manage the process of releasing software. This course may be quite useful to them. The course's coverage of installing applications on Linux servers, containerization with Docker, and managing system resources aligns with the responsibilities of a release engineer. Understanding how to use Unix shells, manage processes, and troubleshoot network issues, also taught in the course, further aids in automating and streamlining the software release process. Considering the knowledge gained, one may wish to become a release engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Release Engineer

Security Engineer

Security engineers focus on protecting computer systems and networks from threats. A deep understanding of Unix can greatly enhance a security engineer's capabilities. This course may be helpful. The curriculum's coverage of file permissions, system logs, and networking commands provides a security engineer with the knowledge to identify and address vulnerabilities. Learning about secure remote operations with SSH, a topic in the course, is especially important for managing secure infrastructure. This course may give one better preparation to be a security engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Engineer

Database Administrator

Database administrators are responsible for managing and maintaining databases. This course helps give background knowledge. The course's coverage of Unix shells, file systems, and system commands can aid database administrators in managing database servers, which often run on Linux or other Unix-like systems. Understanding file permissions, process management, and networking concepts, taught in the course, is relevant for database administration tasks. This course may provide relevant background for a database administrator.

See salaries and explore the career path for Database Administrator

Data Scientist

Data scientists analyze large datasets to extract meaningful insights. While data science often involves higher-level tools, understanding the underlying operating system can be advantageous. This course may be quite useful. Skills such as manipulating text files, using command line tools, and managing system resources, all covered in the course, can aid in data preprocessing and analysis. The ability to install applications on Linux, also part of the course, is often necessary for setting up data science environments. This background may broaden the experience of the data scientist.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Kernel Developer

Kernel developers work on the core of the operating system. This role typically requires an advanced degree and a deep understanding of Unix-like systems. This course may be useful as a foundational base. The course's exploration of Unix commands and system administration provides background knowledge. Understanding the commands and techniques are helpful for developers in general. This course may be worth taking for a kernel developer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Kernel Developer

Essential Unix Skills for Developers

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

Traffic lights

Save this course

Reviews summary

Essential unix skills for developers

Activities

Career center

Reading list

Share

Similar courses