13 Essential RedHat Linux Commands to Supercharge Your Java Development: A Useful Reference

Essential RedHat Linux Commands

As a Java developer, working with Linux is almost inevitable, whether you’re developing applications, deploying them on servers, or managing environments. Linux provides powerful command-line tools that can significantly improve your efficiency and productivity. In this guide, we’ll explore essential RedHat Linux commands that every Java developer should know.

Basic File and Directory Management Commands

Navigating Directories

pwd   # Print working directory
ls    # List files and directories
ls -l # List with detailed information
ls -a # List including hidden files
cd    # Change directory
cd .. # Move up one directory level
cd /path/to/directory  # Move to a specific directory

Creating, Moving, and Deleting Files

touch file.txt    # Create an empty file
mkdir myfolder    # Create a new directory
mv file.txt newfile.txt  # Rename a file
mv file.txt /path/to/directory/  # Move a file
rm file.txt  # Delete a file
rm -r myfolder  # Delete a directory and its contents

Managing Java Development Environment

Installing Java

sudo dnf update  # Update package list (RedHat-based distros)
sudo dnf install java-17-openjdk  # Install Java 17
java -version  # Check installed Java version

Setting Java Environment Variables

echo 'export JAVA_HOME=$(dirname $(dirname $(readlink -f $(which java))))' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export PATH=$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc  # Reload bash profile

Compiling and Running Java Programs

javac HelloWorld.java  # Compile Java file
java HelloWorld  # Run compiled Java program

Managing Processes and System Resources

Checking System Usage

top   # Display real-time system usage
htop  # Better interactive system monitor (install required: sudo dnf install htop)
free -h  # Display memory usage
df -h   # Show disk space usage

Managing Processes

ps aux  # List all running processes
kill <PID>  # Terminate a process
kill -9 <PID>  # Force terminate a process

Working with Logs

tail -f /var/log/messages  # View live system logs
tail -n 100 application.log  # Show last 100 lines of a log file
journalctl -u myapp.service  # View logs for a specific service

Networking and Remote Access

Checking Network Status

ping google.com  # Check connectivity
netstat -tulnp   # List all active network connections

SSH into a Remote Server

ssh user@server-ip  # Connect to a remote server
scp file.txt user@server-ip:/path/  # Secure copy file to server

Managing Dependencies with Maven and Gradle

mvn clean install  # Build a Maven project
gradle build  # Build a Gradle project

Using Git for Version Control

git clone <repo-url>  # Clone a repository
git status  # Check the status of the working directory
git add .  # Stage all changes
git commit -m "Commit message"  # Commit changes
git push origin main  # Push changes to remote repo

Package Management

sudo dnf list installed  # List installed packages
sudo dnf remove package-name  # Remove a package

User and Permissions Management

sudo useradd newuser  # Add a new user
sudo passwd newuser  # Set password for the user
chmod 755 file.sh  # Change file permissions
chown user:user file.txt  # Change file ownership

Text Processing Commands

Searching and Filtering Text

grep "ERROR" application.log  # Find error messages in logs
grep -i "warning" file.txt  # Case-insensitive search for 'warning'

Modifying Text Files

sed -i 's/old-text/new-text/g' file.txt  # Replace text in a file
awk '{print $1}' file.txt  # Print the first column from a file
cut -d':' -f1 /etc/passwd  # Extract usernames from system users file

Background Processes & Job Management

nohup java -jar myapp.jar &  # Run Java app in background
jobs  # List background jobs
fg %1  # Bring background job 1 to foreground

Firewall & Security Basics

sudo firewall-cmd --add-port=8080/tcp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Conclusion

Mastering these essential RedHat Linux commands will make your Java development experience much smoother. Whether you are setting up Java, handling files, managing processes, or deploying applications, the Linux command line provides powerful tools that every Java developer should utilize, especially in a RedHat-based environment.

Beyond basic commands, understanding text processing, job scheduling, and networking can greatly enhance productivity. Knowing how to manipulate logs, automate repetitive tasks, and manage system security gives you an edge in DevOps and cloud-based environments.

By incorporating these Linux skills into your workflow, you can streamline your development process, troubleshoot issues faster, and optimize application performance. Whether working on local machines or deploying enterprise-grade applications, proficiency in Linux commands is an invaluable asset for any Java developer.

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