I’ve just started my Linux journey earlier this year. As a goal to learn how to self-host applications and services that will allow me to take back some control of my data. Immich instead of Google Photos, for example.

I have a local server running Unraid and 22 docker containers now. And then a VPS (Ubuntu 20.04 LTS) running two apps. I’ve learned a ton but one thing I can’t seem to wrap my brain around is navigation through the file structure using only terminal. My crutch has been to open a SFTP session in Cyberduck to the same device I’m SSH’d to and try to figure things out that way. I know enough to change directories, make directories, using Tree to show the file structure at different levels of depth. But I feel like I’m missing some efficient way to find my way to files and folders I need to get to. Or are y’all just memorizing it and know where everything is by now?

I come from a Windows background and even then I sometimes catch myself checking via explorer where a directory is instead of using CMD or PowerShell to find it.

I’d love to hear any tips or tricks!

EDIT: I’ve been using Termius because they have a great Android client, but I wasn’t about to pay $5/mo for sync. Especially to sync to someone else’s cloud. Which led me to Tabby, which I understand has quite a large footprint resource-wise. But I guess I either don’t know enough yet to be mad about it or it hasn’t impacted any of my systems negatively yet. No Android client though, but you can bring your own sync solution and it has a handy little shortcut to SFTP to the current directory you’re in. Between that and stuff like ranger, it’s made it so much easier to learn my way around!

  • trompete [he/him]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    11
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    What file structure? I just put everything in /home and then try to vaguely remember part of the filename and glob *part-of-filename*.

    Ok, actually, every couple of years, I move all my files into a new directory, /home/old. I think I’m up to /home/old/old/old/old/old right now. I recommend using find to look for files in there.

      • @constantokra
        link
        31 year ago

        You kid, but I just ripped a bunch of old data CDs and decided to also scan their covers and stick them in the tar.gz file along with the images. Some of them were pretty creative.

        • Back when I started my dream was go have folders of DVDs of all things I would need. Luckily for me cheat fast HDDs became a thing. Still should burn atleast my favourite contents.

          • @constantokra
            link
            21 year ago

            Yeah. I recently bought a tape drive to do just that. Turns out fiber channel hbas are harder to get working than I thought. First one didn’t fit, like physically the card was too long and hit the CPU fan power connector. Second one fit, but the computer wouldn’t boot. Third I get a driver error, and since it’s enterprise stuff the threads I find on it basically say ‘contact your vendor’. At least they’re really cheap. Should have spent the extra money for a SAS compatible one.