Linux for Hackers // EP 1 (FREE Linux course for beginners)
Based on NetworkChuck's video on YouTube. If you like this content, support the original creators by watching, liking and subscribing to their content.
Start with a browser-based Linux lab to practice immediately instead of waiting to install software locally.
Briefing
Becoming a hacker starts with Linux, and the fastest way to get there is hands-on practice in a browser-based lab. The session pushes viewers to start immediately using a free Linux workstation provided through Hack The Box Academy, where “cubes” unlock the “Linux fundamentals” module. The goal is simple: get comfortable enough with Linux to begin learning hacking workflows without waiting for a perfect setup.
Inside the browser lab, the Linux environment runs Parrot OS, a hacking-focused Linux distribution. The lesson clarifies a common misconception: Linux isn’t an operating system by itself—it’s the kernel. Parrot OS (like other distributions such as Kali Linux, Ubuntu, CentOS, and Debian) is an operating system built on top of the Linux kernel. The kernel’s job is to mediate between software and hardware—handling access to CPU, RAM, and storage—so when a user runs a tool like nmap, the operating system can request hardware resources through the kernel.
The session then answers why Linux is worth the switch from Windows or macOS. Linux is open source, meaning it’s free to use and redistribute, which has enabled a wide ecosystem of distributions. It’s also described as traditionally faster and more secure, which is why many websites and servers run on Linux. For hackers, the practical reason is that many common security tools are built for Linux.
The core workflow shift comes next: using the terminal instead of relying on the graphical user interface. While the lab shows a desktop with icons and menus, the instruction is to treat the GUI as secondary and move toward command-line control—the “truly wheeled power” of Linux. To make that transition manageable, the lesson walks through the first essential terminal commands by pairing them with what users can already do in the file browser.
Four commands anchor the beginner path. First, pwd (print working directory) reveals the current location in the filesystem. Second, ls (list) shows the contents of the current directory. Third, cd (change directory) navigates into folders like Desktop, with pwd used to confirm the move. Fourth, cd .. moves “up” one level in the directory tree, and repeated use can eventually reach / (the root of the filesystem). The session even includes a quick quiz: if pwd shows /, what commands return to the starting home directory?
By the end, the takeaway is both conceptual and practical: Linux is a kernel with many operating-system distributions built on top, and real progress comes from learning terminal navigation—pwd, ls, cd, and cd ..—so learners can gradually leave the GUI behind. Hack The Box Academy is positioned as the guided platform where these commands will be covered in depth, tying the beginner fundamentals directly to later security learning.
Cornell Notes
Linux is presented as the foundational skill for hacking, with Parrot OS used in a browser lab to start learning right away. The session distinguishes Linux (the kernel) from Linux distributions like Parrot OS, Kali Linux, Ubuntu, CentOS, and Debian, which are operating systems built on that kernel. It also explains why Linux matters: open-source flexibility, speed and security benefits, and the fact that many hacking tools are Linux-based. The practical focus is terminal navigation using pwd (where you are), ls (what’s in the current directory), cd (move into folders), and cd .. (move up toward home and beyond). Mastering these commands is framed as the first step toward becoming comfortable enough to continue into deeper security training.
Why does the lesson insist that “Linux” is necessary for hacking, and what’s the immediate way to start learning?
What’s the difference between Linux and an operating system like Parrot OS?
What does the Linux kernel do when running a tool such as nmap?
How do pwd, ls, and cd work together for basic navigation?
How does cd .. change directories, and what does reaching / mean?
What is the quick quiz testing, and what does it reinforce?
Review Questions
- If pwd shows /, what sequence of cd commands would you use to return to your home directory, and why?
- Describe how pwd and ls complement each other when you’re trying to understand where you are and what’s available in the current folder.
- What conceptual distinction does the lesson make between the Linux kernel and a distribution like Parrot OS, and how does that affect how you think about “Linux” as a system?
Key Points
- 1
Start with a browser-based Linux lab to practice immediately instead of waiting to install software locally.
- 2
Parrot OS is a Linux distribution built for hacking, running on the Linux kernel.
- 3
Linux refers to the kernel; operating systems like Parrot OS, Kali Linux, Ubuntu, CentOS, and Debian are built on top of it.
- 4
The kernel mediates between applications (e.g., nmap) and hardware resources like CPU, RAM, and storage.
- 5
Use the terminal as the primary interface; the GUI is treated as optional for beginners.
- 6
Learn filesystem navigation in this order: pwd to confirm location, ls to see contents, cd to move, and cd .. to move up.
- 7
Repeated cd .. can take you from your home directory to / (the root), where ls reveals the top-level filesystem structure.