DevOps Commands Cheat Sheet: Your Ultimate Quick Reference

 

DevOps unites software development and operations, emphasizing automation, collaboration, and efficiency. Whether you’re deploying servers, managing code, building containers, or orchestrating cloud infrastructure, mastering key command-line tools is essential. This cheat sheet distills the most important commands for Linux, Git, Docker, Kubernetes, Helm, and Terraform—helping you work smarter and troubleshoot faster.

Linux Essentials: The Swiss Army Knife for DevOps

Basic Linux Commands

• pwd, ls, cd, touch, mkdir: Navigate and manage files/directories.

• cp, mv, rm, cat: Copy, move, delete, and view files.

• chmod, chown, grep, find: Set permissions, change ownership, search files.

System Monitoring and Networking

• top, htop, ps, vmstat: Monitor system performance and processes.

• ping, wget, curl, ssh: Check connectivity, download files, and access servers.

• df -h, du, lsof, iotop: Disk usage, directory size, open files, and I/O monitoring.

Automation & Package Management

• cron, crontab, at, alias: Schedule tasks and create command shortcuts.

• apt, yum/dnf, snap, rpm: Install and manage packages across distributions.

Basic Git Commands: Your Code Time Machine

• git init, git clone: Initialize and copy repositories.

• git status, git add, git commit: Check status, stage, and commit changes.

• git log, git diff, git show: Inspect history and differences.

• git branch, git checkout, git merge, git rebase: Branch management and integration.

• git pull, git push, git fetch: Sync with remote repositories.

• git stash, git clean: Save work-in-progress and tidy your workspace.

• Advanced: git bisect, git blame, git reflog: Debugging and deep repository introspection.

Docker: Packaging Apps for Any Environment

Everyday Docker Commands

• docker pull, docker images, docker run: Download images and start containers.

• docker ps, docker stop/start, docker rm/rmi: Manage containers and images.

Intermediate & Advanced

• docker build, docker commit, docker logs, docker exec: Build images, inspect, debug.

• docker network, docker volume, docker-compose: Orchestrate complex apps.

• docker save/load, docker export/import, docker system prune: Manage storage and backups.

• docker swarm, docker service, docker stack: Native orchestration and scaling.

Kubernetes (kubectl): Orchestrating Your Container Army

• kubectl get nodes/pods/services: List cluster resources.

• kubectl describe/ logs: Dive into pod details and logs.

• kubectl apply/delete/scale/expose: Create, remove, scale, and expose workloads with YAML.

• kubectl exec/port-forward: Shell access and networking to pods.

• kubectl rollout, kubectl top, kubectl drain, kubectl taint: Deploy, monitor, and tune nodes.

• kubectl config, kubectl namespace, kubectl patch: Configurations, environments, and resource updates.

• Advanced: kubectl autoscale, kubectl get ingress, kubectl get crds: Autoscaling, traffic, and custom resources.

Helm: Kubernetes Package Management Made Easy

• helm repo add/update/list: Manage chart repositories.

• helm search repo, helm install/upgrade/uninstall: Discover, deploy, and manage charts.

• helm list/status, helm history/rollback: Track deployments and roll back quickly.

• helm get values/all, helm install --set --values: Custom configuration.

• Debug & Develop: helm lint, helm template --debug, helm dependency update/list/build.

Terraform: Infrastructure as Code Powerhouse

• terraform init, terraform validate, terraform plan/apply/destroy: Setup, validate, preview, and apply/destroy cloud infrastructure.

• terraform show/output/state/graph: Inspect configuration, outputs, and dependencies.

• terraform taint/untaint: Force recreation of resources.

• terraform import, terraform providers, terraform workspace: Import resources, manage provider plugins, and separate environments.

• Advanced state/file management: terraform state mv/rm, terraform backend, terraform login.

Why Use This Cheat Sheet?

• Reduce cognitive overload: No need to memorize every flag—just glance at this guide!

• Speed up troubleshooting: Jump straight to the commands you need when under pressure.

• Accelerate onboarding: Great for beginners and as a refresher for seasoned pros.

Bookmark, share, and revisit this page to streamline your DevOps muscle memory. Mastering these commands empowers you to build, ship, and maintain cloud-native applications efficiently and confidently.

READ DevOps Commands Cheat Sheet FULL PDF