10 Essential Linux Commands Every Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) Should Know

Introduction

In the role of a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE), knowing the right Linux commands is key to maintaining, monitoring, and troubleshooting complex systems. These commands can make everyday tasks smoother and ensure reliable system performance. Here’s a look at ten must-know commands that every SRE should keep handy.

1. uptime- System Uptime and Load

Description: Shows how long the system has been running and displays the average load.

Why It’s Important: Quick way to gauge system load and identify if the system is under stress.

Basic Usage: uptime

2. journalctl - System Logs Access

Description: Displays logs collected by systemd.

Why It’s Important: Essential for troubleshooting errors or investigating performance issues, particularly on systemd-based Linux systems.

Basic Usage: journalctl -u nginx.service (Show logs for a specific service)

3. free- Memory Usage

Description: Displays memory usage including free, used, and cached memory.