101

My shortcuts and tools reference.

Linux Ghostty Shell Git Kubernetes Docker Terraform k9s lazygit Utilities

Linux File System Basics

Understanding where you are and how Linux organises files is critical for managing your server.

The Prompt Explained

When you log in, you see something like this: wegoagain@k8s:~$

Part	Meaning
`wegoagain`	Your username
`@k8s`	The hostname (name of the server)
`~`	Current directory (`~` = your home folder)
`$`	Privilege level (`$` = user, `#` = root)

The Tree Structure

Linux uses a single hierarchical tree starting at / (root).

Path	Purpose
`/`	Root directory. The beginning of the filesystem.
`/home`	Contains user directories.
`/home/user` (`~`)	Your home directory. Your personal workspace with full control.
`/etc`	Configuration files. System-wide settings (SSH, network, k3s).
`/var`	Variable data. Files that grow/change (logs, databases).
`/bin` & `/usr/bin`	Binaries. Where programs live (`ls`, `kubectl`).
`/tmp`	Temporary. Files here are deleted on reboot.

Navigation Commands

Command	Action
`pwd`	Print working directory. Shows where you are.
`ls`	List files in current folder.
`ls -la`	List all files including hidden (starting with `.`) with permissions.
`cd /path`	Change directory. Moves you to a specific folder.
`cd ~` or `cd`	Go home. Takes you to `/home/yourname`.
`cd ..`	Go up one folder in the tree.
`mkdir <dir>`	Create a directory.
`touch <file>`	Create an empty file.
`cp <src> <dest>`	Copy a file.
`mv <src> <dest>`	Move or rename a file.
`rm <file>`	Remove a file.
`rm -rf <dir>`	Remove directory and all contents. What does -rf mean? `-r` = recursive (delete folders and everything inside). `-f` = force (don't ask for confirmation). Use carefully.

Permissions 101

Linux is strict about who owns what.

Permission	Meaning
`r` (read)	Can open/view the file.
`w` (write)	Can edit/delete the file.
`x` (execute)	Can run the file as a program.

You own everything in /home/yourname. Root owns almost everything else (/etc, /usr, etc). To edit system files, use sudo to temporarily act as root.

Command	Action
`sudo <command>`	Run command as root (admin). Example `touch /etc/myfile.txt` fails (permission denied). `sudo touch /etc/myfile.txt` works.
`chmod <mode> <file>`	Change file permissions. Common modes `chmod +x script.sh` = make executable. `chmod 755 script.sh` = rwx for owner, rx for others. `chmod 644 file.txt` = rw for owner, r for others.
`chown <user>:<group> <file>`	Change file owner. Example `sudo chown www-data:www-data /var/www` = give ownership to web server user.

Ghostty

GPU-accelerated terminal emulator with native macOS feel.

Key	Action
`cmd+d`	Split pane vertically (left/right)
`cmd+shift+d`	Split pane horizontally (up/down)
`cmd+[` / `cmd+]`	Focus previous/next split
`cmd+ctrl+arrow`	Resize splits

Shell

Zsh with starship for a minimal prompt showing git status, k8s context, and terraform workspace. Using zed as my editor for its speed and built-in AI assistance.

Navigation

Shortcut	Action
`ctrl+r`	Fuzzy history search (fzf)
`ctrl+t`	Fuzzy file finder (fzf)
`z <dir>`	Smart cd (zoxide)
`fe`	Fuzzy find + open in zed

File Listing (eza)

Alias	Command
`ls`	eza with icons
`ll`	Long format with git status
`lt`	Tree view
`la`	All files, long format

File Reading (bat)

Alias	Command
`cat`	bat (plain style)
`catp`	bat (full decorations)

Git

Alias	Command
`gs`	git status -sb
`gp`	git pull
`gpo`	git push origin
`gc`	git commit -m
`gco`	git checkout
`gd`	git diff
`glog`	Visual log (oneline, graph, decorate)
`fgh`	Fuzzy search git history

Kubernetes

Alias/Function	Action
`k`	kubectl
`kg`	kubectl get
`kd`	kubectl describe
`kdel`	kubectl delete
`kl`	kubectl logs -f
`kctx`	Fuzzy context switch
`kns`	Fuzzy namespace switch

Docker

Alias/Function	Action
`d`	docker
`dc`	docker compose
`dps`	Formatted container list
`dex`	docker exec -it
`dclean`	Prune everything (containers, images, volumes)
`dlogs`	Fuzzy container logs

Terraform

Alias/Function	Action
`tf`	terraform
`tfi`	terraform init
`tfp`	terraform plan
`tfa`	terraform apply
`tfd`	terraform destroy
`tfv`	terraform validate
`tff`	terraform fmt -recursive
`tfw`	Fuzzy workspace switch

k9s

Kubernetes TUI for cluster management. Faster than kubectl for most operations. Docs

lazygit

Git TUI for staging, committing, and branch management. Makes complex git operations visual. Docs

Utilities

Function	Description
`killport <port>`	Kill process on port
`top10`	Show top 10 CPU processes
`replace 'old' 'new'`	Search and replace in files
`brewup`	Update, upgrade, cleanup brew
`ports`	Show listening ports
`myip`	Show public IP