CLI and workspace hygiene
Build careful command, path, redaction, configuration, and evidence habits for AI operations work.
What you will practice
Orient inside the AI lab; Read the workspace layout; Inspect redacted environment data; Protect local configuration.
Use the worked examples when needed, then test your understanding without them.
- 01Orient inside the AI labThe current working directory controls relative paths. Confirm your location before opening or writing a case file; an absolute path starts at the filesystem root.Practice
- 02Read the workspace layoutA workspace separates source artifacts, mutable scratch and generated reports. Make experiments in scratch so an investigation does not overwrite the baseline it is meant to compare.Practice
- 03Inspect redacted environment dataRedacted configuration proves which keys are present without revealing their values. A redaction marker is not a credential and should not be pasted into an authentication request.Practice
- 04Protect local configurationConfiguration containing credentials needs an appropriate local permission boundary. In this exercise mode 600 gives the owner read/write access and no group or other access.Practice
- 05Name files predictablyPredictable filenames let another operator relate a note to a case and version. Names should describe what was captured without embedding secrets or sensitive user content.Practice
- 06Compare a configuration copyCompare the intended configuration with the candidate before activation. A one-line change can still alter behavior substantially, so read the value and its context.Practice
- 07Search without exposing secretsSearching logs should minimize unnecessary disclosure. Select the needed fields and redact credentials before sharing an evidence bundle.Practice
- 08Capture bounded command outputBound captured output by relevant scope, not by silently discarding inconvenient evidence. A short recent log window is useful when its limits are recorded in the note.Practice
- 09Build an evidence directoryAn evidence directory should group related observations and leave source artifacts unchanged. A directory name can carry a case ID while each file names one type of evidence.Practice
- 10Verify a manifest checksumA checksum tests byte identity against a trusted expected value. Matching hashes do not by themselves establish the safety or provenance of the expected artifact.Practice
- 11Write an operator noteA useful operator note distinguishes observation, interpretation and next action. Include identifiers and limits so the next person can reproduce the investigation.Practice
- 12Workspace hygiene checkpointWorkspace hygiene protects evidence as well as credentials. A clean handoff keeps the baseline, redacts secrets and records the reversible next action.Practice