11 Basic Linux Interview Questions and Answers

Theories apart, we are proud to announce a new section on Tecmint, dedicated to Linux Interview. Here we will bring to you Linux Interview Questions and all other aspects of Linux, which is must for a professional in this cut-throat competition world.

A new article in this section (Linux Interview) will be posted on every weekend. The initiative taken byTecmint is first of it’s kind among other Linux Dedicated websites, along with quality and unique articles.

We will start with Basic Linux Interview Question and will go advance article by article, for which your response is highly appreciated, which put us on a higher note.

Q.1: What is the core of Linux Operating System?

1. Shell
2. Kernel
3. Command
4. Script
5. Terminal

Answer : Kernel is the core of Linux Operating System. Shell is a command Line Interpreter, Command is user Instruction to Computer, Script is collection of commands stored in a file and Terminal is a command Line Interface

Q.2: What Linus Torvalds Created?

1. Fedora
2. Slackware
3. Debian
4. Gentoo
5. Linux

Answer : Linux Torvalds created Linux, which is the kernel (heart) of all of the above Operating System and all other Linux Operating System.

Q.3: Torvalds, Wrote most of the Linux Kernel in C++ programming Language, do you agree?

Answer : No! Linux Kernel contains 12,020,528 Lines of codes out of which 2,151,595 Lines are comments. So remaining 9,868,933 lines are codes and out of 9,868,933 Lines of codes 7,896,318 are written in C Programming Language.

The remaining Lines of code 1,972,615 is written in C++, Assembly, Perl, Shell Script, Python, Bash Script, HTML, awk, yacc, lex, sed, etc.

Note : The Number of Lines of codes varies on daily basis and an average of more than 3,509 lines are being added to Kernel.

Q.4: Linux initially was developed for intel X86 architecture but has been ported to other hardware platform than any other Operating System. Do you agree?.

Answer : Yes, I do agree. Linux was written for x86 machine, and has been ported to all kind of platform. Today’s more than 90% of supercomputers are using Linux. Linux made a very promising future in mobile phone, Tablets. In-fact we are surrounded by Linux in remote controls, space science, Research, Web, Desktop Computing. The list is endless.

Q.5: Is it legal to edit Linux Kernel?

Answer : Yes, Kernel is released under General Public Licence (GPL), and anyone can edit Linux Kernel to the extent permitted under GPL. Linux Kernel comes under the category of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).

Q.6: What is the basic difference between UNIX and Linux Operating System.

Answer : Linux Operating System is Free and Open Source Software, the kernel of which is created by Linus Torvalds and community. Well you can not say UNIX Operating System doesn’t comes under the category of Free and Open Source Software, BSD, is a variant of UNIX which comes under the category of FOSS. Moreover Big companies like Apple, IBM, Oracle, HP, etc. are contributing to UNIX Kernel.

Q. 7: Choose the odd one out.

1. HP-UX
2. AIX
3. OSX
4. Slackware
5. Solaris

Answer : Slackware is the odd in the above list. HP-UX, AIX, OSX, Solaris are developed by HP, IBM, APPLE, Oracle respectively and all are UNIX variant. Slackware is a Linux Operating System.

Q.8: Is Linux Operating system Virus free?

Answer : No! There doesn’t exist any Operating System on this earth that is virus free. However Linux is known to have least number of Viruses, till date, yes even less than UNIX OS. Linux has had about 60-100 viruses listed till date. None of them actively spreading nowadays. A rough estimate of UNIX viruses is between 85 -120 viruses reported till date.

Q.9: Linux is which kind of Operating System?

1. Multi User
2. Multi Tasking
3. Multi Process
4. All of the above
5. None of the above

Answer : All of the Above. Linux is an Operating System which supports Multi User, Running a Number of Processes performing different tasks simultaneously.

Q.10: Syntax of any Linux command is:

1. command [options] [arguments]
2. command options [arguments]
3. command [options] [arguments]
4. command options arguments

Answer : The correct Syntax of Linux Command is Command [options] [arguments].

Q.11: Choose the odd one out.

1. Vi
2. vim
3. cd
4. nano

Answer : The odd one in the above list is cd. Vi, vim and nano are editors which is useful in editing files, while cd command is used for changing directory.

That’s all for now. How much you learned for the above questions? How it helped you in your Interview? We would like to hear all these from you in our comment section. Wait till the next weekend, for new set of questions. Till then stay healthy, tuned and connected to Tecmint.