Manipulation

Create, copy, move, rename, and remove files and directories. Build and reshape the filesystem.

Labs in this module

touch - Make a file exist from nothing with touch. It creates empty files, builds several at once, and updates the timestamp on files that already e
rmdir - Meet rmdir, the safe, narrow delete that removes an empty directory only. It succeeds in silence, so you prove each removal with ls. Its def
ln - Give one file a second name with ln, a hard link: same inode, same data, no copy. ln is silent on success, so you prove the link with ls -i
mv - Meet mv, the one command that both moves and renames, because to Linux they are the same act. A new name renames the file; a folder moves it
realpath - Resolve any path to its one true absolute, canonical form with realpath. It makes paths absolute, collapses . and .., and follows symlinks t
dirname - Meet dirname, the mirror of basename: it keeps the folder part of a path and drops the final name. dirname /home/student/report.txt prints /
basename - Strip a path down to its last name with basename. Keep just the file name, drop a suffix with a second argument or with -s, handle a trailin
readlink - Read where a symbolic link points with readlink. Plain readlink prints the raw target stored in the link; readlink -f canonicalizes, followi
ln -s - Plant a signpost with ln -s: a symbolic link that stores a PATH to another file, unlike a hard link that shares the inode. The command is si
mkdir - Make folders on demand with mkdir. It is silent on success, so every drill proves the result with ls. Learn -p to build a whole nested chain
rm - Remove files and directories with rm, the delete key that has no undo and no Trash. rm is silent on success, so every drill proves the effec
cp - Copy files and folders with cp. It is silent on success, so every drill runs cp then proves the result with ls or cat. Learn the core cp sou
The Vault: Operation Archivist - The Manipulation module capstone mission. Drill mkdir, touch, cp, mv, ln -s, rm, rmdir, and the path readers (readlink, realpath, basename,