How to Work in Linux at the Command Line

The Linux command line is a powerful tool. Many users prefer it over graphical interfaces. This article is specifically targeted toward the BASH shell, the shell most Linux distributions use by default.

Steps

1. 1
   Open the terminal, or command line. This varies widely between distributions however most have it under the equivalent of Applications> Accessories.
2. 2
   Understand how to navigate the Linux filesystem.
   • The cd command is used to change directories. It operates under the syntax of cd direcrtory with directory being the directory you wish to enter.
   • The pwd command prints the directory you are currently in.
   • The ls command lists the files in the current directory or the directory you specify, e.g. ls / would list the files and folders in the root of the filesystem.
   • The tilde(~) symbol stands for your home directory. In the example of the user "me" it stands for /home/me.
3. 3
   Understand how to perform basic file operations.
   • The cp command copies the specified file to the specified location. For example, cp file1 /file2 copies file1 to the root directory under the name file2. The cp command can also be used to copy directories by using cp -r directory /directory.
   • The mv command can be used to both move and rename files. For example, mv file1 /moves file1 to the root directory while mv file1 file2 renames file1 to file2.
   • The rm command is used to remove files. rm -r can be used to remove all files in the specified directory.
   • The rmdir command is used to remove directories. It can only be used on empty directories.
4. 4
   Understand Linux users and permissions.
   • The user "root" is the administrator of a Linux system.
   • The su command is used to switch users. For example, su user1 switches to user1.
   • The sudo command, if installed, is used to run a command as another user. When left with no options it is used to run a command as root. For example, sudo -u user command runs the command command as the user user.
   
   

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