Files and paths · Lesson 23 of 36 · 8 minutes

Restore drill

Restore into a review folder before touching live paths.

Open the lab Course map

Mastery 0/3Run itExplain itApply it

learner@clairos:~ $

↑ history · Tab complete · Ctrl+C cancel · Esc, Tab to leaveExit 0

Your objectives

Hints are always available. Wrong turns never cost XP.

1
Copy web file
Run cp /srv/www/index.html restore/index-copy.html.
Hint & worked example
Copy a file to a new location, leaving the original in place.
The command outcome must match the task, including successful access or the explicitly requested failure.
```
cp /srv/www/index.html restore/index-copy.html
```
Remember: Confirm the destination before replacing a file. This lab supports file copies, not every cp option.
2
Compare restore copy
Run diff /srv/www/index.html restore/index-copy.html.
Hint & worked example
Compare two text files; a difference is a meaningful nonzero status, not necessarily an execution error.
Inspect the differences. diff exits 1 when files differ and 0 when they match.
```
diff /srv/www/index.html restore/index-copy.html
```
Remember: Status 1 means differences for diff; shell status must be interpreted in command context.
3
Inspect restore copy
Run stat restore/index-copy.html.
Hint & worked example
Inspect a file or directory metadata record, including ownership, permissions, and size.
The command outcome must match the task, including successful access or the explicitly requested failure.
```
stat restore/index-copy.html
```
Remember: Metadata and file contents answer different questions.

Understand the pattern

Junior operators build confidence by gathering evidence before changing systems.

cp: Copy a file to a new location, leaving the original in place.
Confirm the destination before replacing a file. This lab supports file copies, not every cp option.
diff: Compare two text files; a difference is a meaningful nonzero status, not necessarily an execution error.
Status 1 means differences for diff; shell status must be interpreted in command context.
stat: Inspect a file or directory metadata record, including ownership, permissions, and size.
Metadata and file contents answer different questions.

Worked example and expected result

$ cp /srv/www/index.html restore/index-copy.html

(no output; exit 0)

Exit status: 0. The command completed successfully in the training fixture.

$ diff /srv/www/index.html restore/index-copy.html

(no output; exit 0)

Exit status: 0. The command completed successfully in the training fixture.

$ stat restore/index-copy.html

Path: /home/learner/restore/index-copy.html
Type: file
Mode: -rw-r--r--
Owner: learner
Group: learners
Size: 72 bytes

Exit status: 0. The command completed successfully in the training fixture.

Try a variation

Repeat this workflow in the sandbox with a different scratch filename. Keep the system fixtures unchanged and compare the observed output with your expectation before moving on.

Explain it

In “Restore drill”, which interpretation is safe?A successful first check guarantees that every dependent service is healthy.Status 1 means differences for diff; shell status must be interpreted in command context.A command appearing in history proves it completed successfully.

Apply it elsewhere

Before adapting the diff workflow from “Restore drill” to another server, what should you do?Confirm the current directory, target identity, permissions, and the installed command behavior first.Paste the training paths unchanged into production.Skip output inspection whenever the command is familiar.

Keep the momentum.

Complete the lab, then explain and apply the pattern.

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