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COMMAND-LINE-BASICS5 MIN READ

Make a Backup You Can Actually Restore

Create and verify a restorable backup before editing a local configuration file.

step trail before-after panel now-you-try card Keisha must edit app.conf for a workshop demo, but she needs a rollback path if the app fails to start. INSPECT -> COPY -> VERIFY -> EDIT -> TEST -> RESTORE READY The common shortcut is cp app.conf app.conf.bak without checking it. On the second attempt, that can overwrite the only known-good backup. Inspect Run pwd and ls -lh app.conf before changing anything. This confirms location, file name, and plausible file size before the backup. Copy Run cp app.conf app.conf.2026-06-25-0855.bak. A timestamped backup avoids clobbering earlier backups and makes the restore point identifiable. Verify…

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