The Sysadmin's Labyrinth - Terminal Challenge Game

Why “The Sysadmin’s Labyrinth”?

The name “The Sysadmin’s Labyrinth” reflects the challenge of navigating complex systems like a sysadmin. The game is like a labyrinth: full of puzzles and hidden paths that require logic, problem-solving, and terminal skills to advance. Each level pushes the player to explore, experiment, and find the right solutions, just as a sysadmin solves problems in a real IT environment.

Overview

This terminal-based game is designed to introduce players to core terminal commands and basic system administration concepts, while also stimulating algorithmic thinking and problem-solving skills.

By playing the game, you will:

Practice basic and essential terminal commands.
Explore coding algorithms and logical strategies in a fun, interactive way.
Train your mind by testing multiple approaches and solutions to advance in the game.

How to Win

Advance through each level by solving puzzles and experimenting with different strategies. Collect clues and fragments to deduce the final passphrase. Enter it correctly to unlock the secret and reach the ultimate level!

Commands and Instructions

Each level comes with its own ***_readme.txt file containing the instructions for that stage. It is essential that you read and understand these instructions carefully, as they guide you through the challenges.

In addition, hint files may be generated as you progress. Whenever such a file is created, you will be notified. It is crucial to follow the guidance in these hint files to successfully advance through the game and solve the puzzles.

Basic Commands to Know

Run a Bash script: ./<script_name.sh> – Bash scripts usually have a .sh extension.
List all files: ls
Get help for a command: man
Navigate directories:
- cd <directory_name> to enter a directory
- cd .. to go up one directory
View the contents of a file: cat <file_name>

Using the `man` Command

If you ever encounter a command you don’t know or need help with its options, you can use the man command.

For example:

man ls

Pipelines

A pipeline in the terminal is a way to connect the output of one command directly to the input of another using the | symbol. This allows you to combine multiple commands into a sequence, so the data flows from one command to the next.

For example:

cat file.txt | grep "hello"

Encoding and Decoding Tools

Base64

Base64 is used to encode or decode data in a textual format. It is commonly used to safely transmit binary data over text-based systems.

Encode a string:

echo "hello" | base64

Decodong a string:

echo "hello" | base64 --decode

ROT13

ROT13 is a simple letter substitution cipher that replaces each letter with the letter 13 positions after it in the alphabet. It is often used to obscure text.

Encode/decode using ROT13:

echo "hello" | tr 'A-Za-z' 'N-ZA-Mn-za-m'

xxd

xxd is used to create a hex dump of a file or convert hex back to binary. It is useful for inspecting binary files or converting data between formats.

xxd may not be installed by default on some systems. On Debian/Ubuntu, you can install it with:

sudo apt install xxd

This command takes a plain hex dump from file.hex, converts it back into the original data, and writes it into output.txt

xxd -r -p file.hex > output.txt

How to Play

Open a terminal.
Navigate to the folder where you want to download the game:
```
cd /path/to/your/folder
```

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/mohamadyoussefio/sysadmin-labyrinth.git

Go the game directory
```
cd sysadmin-labyrinth
```
Make the launcher executable:
```
chmod +x start.sh
```
Run the launcher:
```
./intro.sh
```