this exercise is slightly modified from http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/Harrison/LearnLinux/Module1.html

Exercise 1

• Log in
• Use the ls command to see if you have any files
• Log out
• Log in again
• Create a new file by doing one or more of the following:
• Create a file with cat:

[you@faraday pwd]$ cat > hello.txt
Hello world!
This is a text file.
^d
[you@faraday pwd]$ _

• Press Enter at the end of the last line, then Ctrl+D (^d) to denote the end of the file.
• Use vi. to create a file.

[you@faraday pwd]$ vi hello.txt

• type vi hello2.txt
• type i to get into insert mode
• type words inside your file
• press escape to return to command mode
• type :wq and enter to write and quit
• Use the ed editor to create the text:
• type ed hello3.txt
• type a and enter to add lines
• type words inside your file
  
  Hello world!
  This is a text file.
• type . and enter to end the add mode
• type w and enter to save
• type q and enter to exit
• Use ls to see that the file exists.
• Display the contents of the file.
• Display the file again, but use the cursor keys to execute the same command again without having to retype it.

Exercise 2

• Create a second file. Call it secret-of-the-universe, and put in it whatever content you deem appropriate.
• Check that the contents of the file is ASCII text using the file command.
• Display the contents of this file. Minimise the typing needed to do this:
• Scroll back through the command history to the command you used to create the file.
• Change that command to display secret-of-the-universe instead of creating it.

Exercise 3

• Copy secret-of-the-universe to a new file called answer.txt. Use Tab to avoid typing the existing file’s name in full.
• Now copy hello.txt to answer.txt. What’s happened now?
• Delete the original file, hello.txt.
• Rename answer.txt to message.
• Try asking rm to delete a file called missing. What happens?
• Try copying secret-of-the-universe again, but don’t specify a filename to which to copy. What happens now?