{"id":29070,"date":"2021-02-08T10:17:18","date_gmt":"2021-02-08T18:17:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careerkarma.com\/blog\/?p=29070"},"modified":"2021-02-09T07:19:28","modified_gmt":"2021-02-09T15:19:28","slug":"how-to-learn-unix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careerkarma.com\/blog\/how-to-learn-unix\/","title":{"rendered":"Unix: Courses, Trainings, and Other Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Unix is an operating system that was developed in the Bell Laboratories of AT&T. An operating system is a software that manages the hardware resources of a computer system, and provides an interface for the user to interact with the hardware. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are multiple variants of Unix available in the market. The most common ones include Solaris Unix, BSD, HP Unix, and AIX. One of the very popular operating systems \u2014 Linux \u2014 is a flavor of Unix as well. It is a multi-user multitasking operating system, meaning multiple users can simultaneously operate it. In this article, we take a look at how you can learn Unix as an operating system, and what are the various uses of this skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Learn Unix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unix, as an operating system, consists of a vast number of concepts. Learning every concept in their entirety is a huge task to undertake. Therefore, you must first gain an overview of what you need to learn before setting down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Unix?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned previously, Unix is an operating system. It comprises three essential components: Kernel, Shell, and File System.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kernel<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The kernel is considered to be the core of the Unix operating system. The kernel gets loaded into the memory whenever the system boots up, and it checks with all hardware components. Then, it moves on to fetching the appropriate software applications that can enable these devices, which are also called device drivers. Once these tasks are completed, the kernel then moves on to the various application software that is installed in the system.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kernel has to carry out the following tasks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Primary Memory Management.<\/strong> Responsible for allocating memory to running processes in the system.<\/li>
  2. Data Transmission Management.<\/strong> Responsible for the efficient transfer of data across the various storage devices in the system.<\/li>
  3. Access Management.<\/strong> Responsible for enforcing restricted access to various resources available in the system.<\/li>
  4. Task Management and Scheduling.<\/strong> Responsible for managing CPU time and ensuring that all running processes are executed in the most efficient manner possible.<\/li>
  5. Shell Management.<\/strong> Responsible for communicating with the user via the shell, and carrying out tasks that are requested by the user.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Shell<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The shell is a command-line interface that connects the user with the kernel. The shell provides users with a platform to run commands and scripts. It processes them and sends them to the kernel for execution.
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It is the primary use of the shell to enable users to run commands and scripts. As a developer, scripting is the fastest way to get work done. This is so because even though graphical interfaces may provide a great experience, they can slow you down when you\u2019re looking to complete repetitive tasks. In these cases, shell commands and scripts can help you automate work easily. The shell supports command auto-completion as well as maintains a history of previously run commands for convenience.
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are two variants of the shell available in Unix \u2014 Bourne shell and C shell. The Bourne shell uses a $ character as the default prompt, while the C shell uses a % character for the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    File System<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The last piece to this puzzle is the file system. It supports file management in the operating system and allows storing and organizing huge amounts of data for easy retrieval. In Unix, the smallest unit of data is a file, and everything in the system is stored in the form of files. Raw data is stored inside files.
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There can be different kinds of files depending upon their location and existence. They are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Ordinary Files.<\/strong> These are general files that can store any type of data.<\/li>
    2. Symbolic Links.<\/strong> These are references to existing files, and do not hold any data of their own.<\/li>
    3. Special files.<\/strong> These are located in the \/dev directory and they represent special resources like hard disk drives, printers, etc.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      What is Unix Used for?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Unix finds its way to a lot of general-purpose as well as dedicated use cases, which include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Software Development<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Flavors like Linux are used extensively by software developers around the globe due to their open-source nature, and high customizability. Unix systems are lighter and faster than their counterparts, so they make up great solutions for heavy-duty software production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Cloud Support Systems<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Contemporary cloud infrastructure, such as Oracle Cloud, supports some flavors of Unix, including Solaris. It provides the system ability to power cloud applications in an optimized manner. Cloud support engineers, as well as DevOps engineers, often find themselves on a Unix interface in their day to day jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Data Center Applications Support<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Flavors like Solaris still underpin data center infrastructure and applications, thanks to their robust filesystems. They also find their way into distributed scientific computing, virtual server deployments, databases, and web servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Cyber Security<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Kali Linux \u2014 a flavor of Linux \u2014 is every cybersecurity researcher\u2019s go-to when creating or using penetration testing tools. Kali offers a great level of freedom to the user, thereby allowing the creation of powerful tools that make the most out of the hardware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Learning Unix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Having gone through all of the use cases as well as features of Unix, let’s now take a look at the most popular resources used for learning Unix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The Best Unix Courses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The Unix Workbench<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n