Hey everyone! I'm gearing up for a second-round technical interview for a Linux Support Engineer role at a web hosting company that focuses on Linux and AWS. The interview involves a hands-on troubleshooting challenge where I'll SSH into a server and fix issues, all while sharing my screen and explaining my thought process. I'm familiar with basic Linux commands and Azure cloud environments, but I haven't worked with managed hosting on the scale that they operate, especially regarding NGINX, Apache configurations, cPanel, or advanced AWS tools. I'm looking for advice on what common issues to expect, strategies for effective troubleshooting, quick tips on hosting environments, and AWS EC2 specifics. I know I'll be using resources like man pages and Google during the test, but I need to be quick and clear in my approach. Any real-world examples or practice steps would be super helpful!
5 Answers
Make sure you can find service logs and know where to look for running services and their configuration files. Quick access to this information will save you a lot of time. Also, don't underestimate the power of Google for effectively searching solutions when you're stuck!
Before the interview, jot down default log locations and commands for checking service statuses. During the interview, check if the service is running, view error logs, and remember to interpret what those logs say. Use 'cat' and 'grep' to filter for errors. The interviewers want to see your process of navigating through problems!
Start off with the basics when troubleshooting. Check for simple issues first, like firewall blocks, permission issues, or configuration errors. The interviewers are likely not trying to trick you; they want to see if you can keep your cool while troubleshooting under pressure.
Expect a mix of easy and challenging problems. In my experience, interview assessments are usually designed to see how you approach issues rather than just finding the answers. They're looking to see if you can identify problems and troubleshoot effectively, even if some of the questions are a bit tough!
There's actually a site dedicated to those hands-on troubleshooting scenarios for Linux interviews. You can practice there before the real thing. Just find a broken Linux server scenario and give it a try!
What’s the name of the site? I’d love to check it out!
No way, that sounds super helpful!
Yeah, I once had a misconfigured systemd service trip me up. Remember to look for any services that may have stopped or just need a quick 'systemctl start' if they're not running.