Basic Linux Commands for DBA's

In today's world multitasking is the name of the game. All Database administrators have to keep up with the latest information and be ready to be trained as a cross-functional multitasking technical resource. By cross-functional I mean in Windows and Linux environments. All windows admins should know some Linux and all Linux admins should be versed with windows admin tasks.

Typically, in my career and working with fellow DBA's I have seen Windows / SQL server admins find it somewhat unrewarding learning the other side of the tech world, where most are eager to learn and join the multi cross-functional task force.

There are always many advantages to be cross-functional trained in technology. If you look at the jobs out there, all requirements are overlapping and require you to stage yourself as a self-starter and go-getter with pluses if you know the other part of technology.

Long story short, I will try to post my experience as a cross-functional technical resource and post commands, which might make it easier for DBA and Admins to cross-reference commands and how-tos.

Here is a list of some basic Linux commands that can be useful for administration tasks:

"ls" - list the contents of a directory

"cd" - change the current working directory

"pwd" - display the current working directory

"mkdir" - create a new directory

"rmdir" - delete an empty directory

"rm" - delete a file or directory

"mv" - move or rename a file or directory

"cp" - copy a file or directory

"echo" - print a message to the terminal

"cat" - display the contents of a file

"less" - view the contents of a file one page at a time

"grep" - search for a pattern in a file or directory

"find" - search for files or directories based on various criteria

"chmod" - change the permissions on a file or directory

"chown" - change the owner of a file or directory

Some advanced administration Commands

"sudo" - execute a command as the root user

"apt-get" - manage packages on a Debian-based system

"yum" - manage packages on a Red Hat-based system

"systemctl" - manage system services

"useradd" - add a new user to the system

"usermod" - modify an existing user account

"userdel" - delete a user account

"passwd" - change a user's password

"chpasswd" - change multiple user passwords at once

"groupadd" - add a new group to the system

"groupmod" - modify an existing group

"groupdel" - delete a group

"chgrp" - change the group ownership of a file or directory

These are just a few examples of the many commands available in Linux for administration tasks.

Here is a list of some Linux commands that can be useful for database administrators:

"mysql" - connect to and manage a MySQL database

"mysqldump" - create backups of a MySQL database

"psql" - connect to and manage a PostgreSQL database

"pg_dump" - create backups of a PostgreSQL database

"mongod" - start the MongoDB daemon

"mongo" - connect to and manage a MongoDB database

"mongoimport" - import data into a MongoDB database

"mongoexport" - export data from a MongoDB database

"sqlplus" - connect to and manage an Oracle database

"exp" - create backups of an Oracle database

These are just a few examples of the many commands available in Linux for managing databases. It is a good idea to become familiar with these commands and how they can be used to administer and maintain databases on a Linux system.