Top 11 UNIX Interview Questions and Answers to Show What You Know
The UNIX operating system helps a computer work by using a set of programs. It is made to work well with multiple tasks and users. Today, developers and engineers use this operating system to help businesses reach their goals by deploying multiple applications. So, developers need to know what their coworkers’ business goals are in order to help them and their customers finish projects. In this article, we list the most important questions you’ll need to know for a UNIX developer job interview. Top 11 UNIX Interview Questions
Common general interview questions
The interviewer won’t ask you only questions about UNIX. They will probably ask you about your past jobs, what skills you have, and what your professional goals are. General questions include:
- How do you deal with stress when you have to talk to customers?
- What kind of management do you like the best?
- What are some good and bad things you’ve done as a manager in the past?
- Why are you leaving the job you have now?
- What makes you worth hiring?
How do you deal with stress when you’re talking to customers?
Stress is a part of every job, and employers will want to know if you can do your job duties when you’re feeling stressed. This gives the interviewers a sense of how well you’ll fit into the company’s culture, as well as how well you can analyze a customer situation.
“Communication is very important for a developer’s job because getting codes and sequences right the first time depends on it. If I have a question, I’ll ask my manager or a senior developer, and if I need to, I’ll check it again.
In my last job, my boss held weekly meetings so that we could talk about our projects and share important questions and talking points. This helped us stay on track and kept us from getting behind. Overall, it’s important to overcommunicate and get things right the first time to meet business goals and keep customers happy with our services.
2. What kind of management do you like the best?
The person interviewing you needs to know how you want to be managed to improve communication, especially in times of crisis. Your answer should fit in with how you want to talk to your boss and how you want to get feedback on your work.
“I’m a hands-on learner when it comes to understanding new ideas and putting them into practice. My manager makes sure that I do my work right the first time. This gives me the green light to do it again and fix problems if they come up. Once I understand my work better, it will be easier for me to talk to customers and give presentations.”
3. What are some good and bad things you’ve done as a manager in the past?
This is your chance to explain more about your answer to the question above and show how it works in real life. This answer can help the interviewer decide if you’ll be able to work well with the hiring manager in this job.
“My old boss usually gave straight answers to feedback, but there were no suggestions for how to improve my skills. Even though he made it clear what our goals and objectives were, I wanted to know how meeting our goals would help us advance in our careers. Based on the job duties, I think this is a chance for me to work with a manager who cares about my professional growth as well as helping the company reach its goals.
4. Why are you leaving the job you have now?
Employers want to make sure that they can give you what you want in your next job. Answer this question honestly, but don’t say too much about what you didn’t like about your last job.
“Even though I liked my last job, I think there’s more room for growth here that will help me reach my career goals.” This job is a good fit for my skills and my desire to become a UNIX developer.
5. Why do you deserve to be hired?
This is where you stand out from the other applicants and explain why you are the best person for the job. You can make your answer to the interviewer more relevant if you look at the job description first.
Example: “You should hire me because I love making software and working with clients from Fortune 500 companies. As a junior software developer, I used to help businesses plan and organize their software strategies so they could meet their annual revenue goals. I saved this client 20% on their software budget from last year to this year, and I’m looking forward to bringing my efficiency to this role.”
UNIX developer job interview questions and answers as examples
Here are some examples of real interview questions and answers for UNIX developers:
- About UNIX operating systems, what do you know?
- What does Kernel mean?
- What does it mean by Shell?
- What is a superuser’s job?
- How do you get rid of a file using UNIX?
- What makes a soft link different from a hard link?
1. What do you know about systems that run on UNIX?
As a UNIX developer, it will be your job to know a lot about the operating system so you can help customers solve hard problems. The interviewer wants to make sure that you know how the system works and are comfortable with all of its parts. So, when you explain this idea, be clear and to the point.
Example: “UNIX is one of the most popular operating systems used to make and run computer programs. It was first used as an easy way for programmers to make software that would run on other systems. Now, it can be used to store data as plain text or as a hierarchical filing system to make communication between processes easier.
2. What does Kernel mean?
The interview could quickly change direction and start asking you specific questions about your past. You should be able to think of answers quickly that meet the employer’s needs. Don’t be afraid to show how knowledgeable you are about your field.
“The main program in a UNIX operating system is called “kernel.” Its goal is to give the user control over the resources of their computer. Kernels don’t talk directly to the user, and when a user logs in, a separate, interactive program called Shell is started for each user.
3.What does the word “Shell” mean?
Make sure to connect these ideas to the job you’re interviewing for. If you looked at the answers above, you can write down your answer however you want.
“Shell is the connection between the user and the system. As a command interpreter, the shell takes orders and gets them ready to be carried out. If I am talking to a customer, I would explain the difference between a Kernel and a Shell as the difference between an operating system and the interface that it uses. This would help them understand it better, especially if they have never worked with a coding language before.
4. What is the role of a superuser?
Some technical terms may be easier to explain in an interview than others. Still, you should study these ideas to help you remember them and use them in your interview answer.
“A superuser is a special type of user who can access all files and commands on a system.” Also, keep in mind that the login for the superuser is usually root and is protected by a root password. But an example of a superuser who has full access and user privileges on an operating system would be a system administrator.
5.How do you get rid of a file in UNIX?
If you are asked to explain a process, you can be more direct as long as you are talking about what the interviewer asks about. Most of the time, these questions are asked to help a new intern or user learn how to do something you already know how to do.
“The rm command lets you get rid of files you no longer need. If you need to, this command can delete multiple files in a single directory. You must have permission to access the directory where the files are, though.
6.What’s the difference between a soft link and a hard link?
During an interview, give as much detail as you can when asked a technical question. This will help the interviewer get a full picture of what you know. They might ask more questions to make sure you know what you’re talking about.
“A soft link is a link to the original file, such as a PDF. A hard link is a copy of the original file.” If you delete a soft link, there is no new information in the original file, but if you delete a hard link, there is still information in the original file. Make sure you don’t delete things on your computer by accident.”
Some interview questions may still catch you off guard, but being ready can help you answer those questions just as well as the ones you expect. Try to talk to other professionals in your field about their interview experiences to get a better idea of how to answer tough questions.
