Challenge Easy

Locate a File Hidden in an Unfamiliar Directory Tree

Unni P
by  Unni P · on
Linux
You have been dropped into a server you have never seen before. Somewhere in its directory tree is a configuration file, and part of the path is hidden from a normal listing. Find it without being told where to look.
#linux-101#filesystem

A directory tree has been set up at /home/laborant/datacenter. It represents a handful of server racks, each holding a few nodes.

Somewhere inside it is a file called api-key.conf. Nothing will tell you which rack or node it belongs to, and a plain listing will not reveal the directory it sits in.

Find it.

Task 1: Report the location

Work out the full path of api-key.conf and enter it below.

Hint 1

A normal listing will not show you everything that is there.

Task 2: Leave a marker

Create an empty file called found.txt in the same directory as api-key.conf.

Task 3: One more hidden thing

There is also a hidden file sitting directly inside /home/laborant/datacenter, not in any of the racks. What is it called?

Give the name exactly as it appears.

How to Author Challenges on iximiuz Labs

Instead of providing a subpar online editing experience, iximiuz Labs offers a helper CLI tool called labctl, allowing you to use your favorite text editor (or a full-featured IDE) to write content from the comfort of your local machine.

Install labctl CLI

curl -sf https://labs.iximiuz.com/cli/install.sh | sh

This will download and install the latest version of the labctl CLI. You only need to do this once per workstation.

Authorize labctl

labctl auth login

This will open a browser window asking you to authorize labctl to access your account. You need to do it after a fresh install of labctl and repeat it whenever the auth session expires.

Pull challenge content

labctl content pull challenge linux-basics-navigate-challenge-da9214fb

This will create a local copy of the challenge content in a directory named linux-basics-navigate-challenge-da9214fb. You only need to do this once per challenge.

Stream your changes

labctl content push -fw challenge linux-basics-navigate-challenge-da9214fb

Run this command in a separate terminal to continuously upload your changes to the server while editing the challenge in your favorite text editor or IDE.

You can also use labctl to create, list, and delete your content. Learn more about the available commands: labctl content --help

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