Linux Command-Line for Beginners
This chapter covers some of the basic commands that you need to know to be productive at the Linux command line. You find out how to get to the command line and discover some of the commands used to navigate the file system and perform basic operations with files, directories, and users.
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This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
The Linux command line is one of the most powerful tools available for computer system administration and maintenance. The command line is also known as the terminal, shell, console, command prompt, and command-line interface (CLI). For the purposes of this chapter and the next, these terms are interchangeable, although fine-grained differences do exist between them.
Using the command line is an efficient way to perform complex tasks accurately and much more easily than it would seem at a first glance. Knowledge of the commands available to you and also how to string them together makes using Ubuntu easier for many tasks. Many of the commands were created by the GNU Project as free software analogs to previously existing proprietary UNIX commands. You can learn more about the GNU Project at www.gnu.org/gnu/thegnuproject.html.
This chapter covers some of the basic commands that you need to know to be productive at the command line. You find out how to get to the command line and discover some of the commands used to navigate the file system and perform basic operations with files, directories, and users. This chapter does not give comprehensive coverage of all the commands discussed, but it does give you enough to get started. Chapter 11, “Command-Line Master Class, Part 1,” advances the subject further and expands on some of the commands from this chapter. The skills you discover in this chapter help you get started using the command line with confidence.
What Is the Command Line?
If you have spent any amount of time with experienced Linux users, you have heard them mention the command line. Some, especially those who began their journey in the Linux world using distributions that make it easy to complete many tasks using a graphical user interface (GUI), such as Ubuntu, might speak with trepidation about the mysteries of the text interface. Others either praise its power or comment about doing something via the command line as if it were the most natural and obvious way to complete a task.
It is not necessary for you to embrace either extreme. You might develop an affinity for the command line when performing some tasks and might prefer using the GUI for others. This is where most users end up today. Some might say that you will never need to access the command line because Ubuntu offers a slew of graphical tools that enable you to configure most things on your system. Although the premise might be true most of the time, there are some good reasons to acquire a fundamental level of comfort with the command line that you should consider before embracing that view.
Sometimes things go wrong, and you might not have the luxury of a graphical interface to work with. In such situations, a fundamental understanding of the command line and its uses can be a real lifesaver. Also, some tasks end up being far easier and faster to accomplish from the command line. More importantly, though, you will be able to make your way around a command-line-based system, which you will encounter if you ever work with a Linux server because most Linux servers have no GUI, and all administration is done using a command-line interface.
Initially, you might be tempted to think of the command line as the product of some sort of black and arcane art; in some ways, it can appear to be extremely difficult and complicated to use. However, with a little perseverance, by the end of this chapter, you will start to feel comfortable using the command line, and you’ll be ready to move on to Chapter 11, “Command-Line Master Class, Part 1,” and Chapter 12, “Command-Line Master Class, Part 2.”
This chapter introduces you to commands that enable you to perform the following:
Routine tasks—Logging in and out, changing passwords, listing and navigating file directories
Basic file management—Creating files and folders, copying or moving them around the file system, renaming and deleting them
Basic system management—Shutting down or rebooting, changing file permissions, and reading man pages, which are entries for commands included as files already on your computer in a standardized manual format
The information in this chapter is valuable for individual users and system administrators who are new to Linux and are learning to use the command line for the first time.