Homework: Linux Practice

For this homework, you’re going to use Docker to run a Ubuntu container and then practice using the Linux command line.

Docker setup

You may need to create a Docker account when you run Docker Desktop.

Once you have Docker Desktop running, you’re going to use a terminal for the following commands. You can use a Mac terminal (I recommend iterm2), WSL on Windows, or the terminal that is built into DOcker Desktop (see bottom right of the window).

(2) Verify you can use docker on the command line:

docker version

(3) Get the Docker container from Docker Hub:

docker pull zappala/linux-land

(4) Run the Docker container:

docker run -d -p 2222:22 --name lotr zappala/linux-land

This runs the container and maps port 22 (used for ssh) to port 2222 and also gives the container the name lotr.

(5) Find the IP address of your Docker container:

docker inspect lotr | grep IPAddress

(6) Use ssh to login to the Linux image.

There are two accounts set up on this image: root (password tolkien) and bilbo (password ring):

ssh -p 2222 bilbo@localhost

Linux command line

Use the Linux Journey site to complete the following sections:

Command Line
Text-Fu
User Management
Permissions
Processes

For each section, run all the commands they show you, and play around. Create directories and files. Add a new user. Change permissions on files.

Note, the following commands will not work:

man: because man pages are not installed
whatis: because man pages are not installed
sudo: use root account instead

You can use Google to find the appropriate man pages as needed.

Finally, I recommend using useradd to add an account as shown. Try using ssh to connect to that account with the password you create. What happens? Then create an account using useradd -m -s /bin/bash arwen. Why does this work better?

Grading

Homework is graded on a participation basis. Turn in this homework if you:

Have run the Docker setup and logged into the machine.
Have run at least 80% of the commands given

Note, if you are already a master with Linux (e.g. you have used it for several years on a personal machine), then review all the material but you may skip anything you already know. If you don’t know Docker, be sure to at least try that part.