Top 60+ Linux Interview Questions and Answers 2025

Once we are done with this part, the next step is to save the file. This way, a new window manager opens up every time we run a startx, and it becomes the default. Linux distros include dedicated package manager tools like apt, yum, rpm, etc., to find, install, remove, and update packages easily.

Discuss The Use Of Amazon ECS (Elastic Container Service) In Container Management.

Additionally, it will give them a chance to get a better understanding of your technical skills and how they could be used to benefit the company. Many Linux engineering roles require working in the command line environment, so interviewers want to be sure that you’re comfortable with this type of work. Knowing how to navigate the command line is a critical skill for Linux engineers, and your answer to this question will determine whether or not you’re the right fit for the job. After all, this is your chance to show the employer how knowledgeable you are about Linux and why you’d be an asset to their team. Displays information about network connections and network interface statistics. Displays information about disk I/O performance, including read/write rates and average response times.

You should be able to articulate the differences between common file systems like ext4 and XFS.
Evaluation includes processor core count for computational needs, RAM capacity for memory-intensive apps, and storage volume for data retention.
Multi-tenant setups the benefit from enhancing security with inclusion features such as VPC isolation, IAM, encryption, and auditing.
If it is given without this option, then it will display the crontab of the user who is executing the command.
They want to assess your ability to monitor and manage processes effectively – key skills of any sysadmin.

Advanced Linux Interview Questions and Answers: Top 15 Linux Advanced Interview Prep

You should also explain how you use tools such as intrusion detection systems, vulnerability scanners, and network analyzers to ensure that your systems are secure. Finally, mention any experience you have with developing or deploying security policies or procedures. Additionally, be sure to mention any scripting languages you are familiar with, such as Bash or Python, since these can often be used to automate certain tasks. Additionally, monitoring disk usage and ensuring the use of logical volume management (LVM) can improve storage security.

Cloud Service Provider

If you see an entry that includes acl in the options field, it means ACLs are already enabled. In this filename, the pathname is not included, so the total length of the pathname and filename may easily surpass 255 characters. It is used to search for the shared objects/dynamic libraries by the operating system for extendable functionality at the runtime. The selection of various Kernel images and boot routines is supported by LILO. I hope the knowledge, I have shared in this article is useful for you to do well in your interview.

Considering both current Linux resource demands and future growth, it is imperative for ideal procurement. Since /proc contains virtual files, it is called a virtual file system. Virtual files such as /proc/interrupts, /proc/meminfo, /proc/mounts, and /proc/partitions provide an up-to-the-moment glimpse of the system’s hardware. Others, such as the /proc/filesystems file and the /proc/sys/ directory, provide system configuration information and interfaces. The /proc file system is a virtual file system that provides detailed information about Linux Kernel, hardware, and running processes.

They want to verify your knowledge of user management and system security, ensuring you understand how to manage permissions and access effectively. For example, ps aux gives a detailed view of all running processes, which is essential for system monitoring and process management.” Inodes are used whenever the system needs to access file metadata, so understanding inodes helps in tasks like file recovery, performance tuning, and understanding filesystem limits. Packet Internet Groper aur ping command checks the connection status between the destination and source.

However, VMs offer stronger separation for multi-tenant and legacy apps, through higher overhead. Evaluating workload requirements and infrastructure strategies guides the optimal Linux virtualization approach. Linking Linux infrastructure to coding involves version control systems like Git. Repositories on the Linux host mirror code branches, while SSH keys secure developer access.

How do you start and stop a service?

The “ps” linux networking interview questions command displays a list of all currently active processes, along with their ids. Yes, this file assigns a kernel module to each network device. If the -u option is given, then the crontab gives the name of the user whose crontab is to be tweaked. If it is given without this option, then it will display the crontab of the user who is executing the command. When a user exits from the editor, the modified crontab will be installed automatically. Each user can have their own crontab and though these are files in /var, they are not intended to be edited directly.

One common method of doing this is to overload the system server so it cannot anymore process legitimate traffic and will be forced to reset.
It is a bootloader that is used for loading Linux into memory and dawning the OS.
You can start by talking about the scripting languages you’re comfortable with and how you use them to automate tasks.
We must first locate the process id in order to terminate it.
CLI is often preferred by experienced users and system administrators because it is fast and can be automated.
Below is the list of all commonly asked networking questions in technical interviews from basic to advanced levels.

“To change file ownership, use the chown command, e.g., chown user1 file.txt. Only the root user can change ownership, which ensures proper security and access control.” This is necessary for maintaining proper access control and user management. Proper ownership management ensures security and proper access. For example, chown user1 file.txt changes the ownership of file.txt to user1. “The ps command in Linux is used to display information about running processes. It provides details such as process IDs (PIDs), CPU usage, memory usage, and more.

Consequently, it requires that each device has at least two network connections. Rights refer to the authorized permission to perform specific actions on the network. Each user on the network can be assigned individual rights, depending on what must be allowed for that user. In this setup, the data transmit pin of one cable is connected to the data receive pin of the other cable, and vice versa. The main task of the ARP or Address Resolution Protocol is to map a known IP address to a MAC layer address. A hybrid network is a network setup that makes use of both client-server and peer-to-peer architecture.

What is a “/proc” file system?

This layer provides the protocols and means for two devices on the network to communicate with each other by holding a session. This includes setting up the session, managing information exchange during the session, and tear-down process upon termination of the session. Use useradd, userdel, and usermod commands to manage Linux users. Effective user and group management enhances security and system manageability, particularly in multi-user mode. Networking can be configured by editing configuration files (such as /etc/network/interfaces) or using tools like nmcli or nmtui. It is crucial to set up DNS Servers and ensure correct Default Gateway configurations for smooth network operation.