Getting Started · #5 of 19

The Terminal

Your Command Center

Why the Terminal?

The graphical interface is nice, but the terminal is:

Faster: Type commands instead of clicking through menus
Scriptable: Automate repetitive tasks
Consistent: Works the same across all Linux systems
Powerful: Access features GUIs don’t expose
Remote: Works over SSH on servers

Anatomy of a Command

┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  user@ubuntu:~$ ls -la /home             │
│  └──┬───────┘ └┘ └─┬─┘ └──┬──┘           │
│     │         │    │      │              │
│   prompt   command flags  argument       │
└──────────────────────────────────────────┘

Prompt: Shows user, hostname, current directory
Command: The program to run
Flags/Options: Modify behavior (usually start with -)
Arguments: What the command operates on

Essential Commands

pwd                 # Print working directory (where am I?)
ls                  # List files and directories
ls -l               # Long format (permissions, size, date)
ls -la              # Include hidden files (starting with .)
cd /path/to/dir     # Change directory
cd ~                # Go to home directory
cd ..               # Go up one level
cd -                # Go to previous directory

Getting Help

man ls              # Manual page for 'ls'
ls --help           # Quick help for 'ls'
whatis ls           # One-line description

Terminal Control

clear               # Clear the screen (or Ctrl + L)
history             # Show command history
exit                # Close terminal

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Tab`	Autocomplete command/path
`Tab Tab`	Show all possible completions
`↑ / ↓`	Navigate command history
`Ctrl + C`	Cancel current command
`Ctrl + L`	Clear screen
`Ctrl + R`	Search command history
`Ctrl + A`	Move cursor to start of line
`Ctrl + E`	Move cursor to end of line
`Ctrl + U`	Delete from cursor to start
`Ctrl + K`	Delete from cursor to end

The Manual (man pages)

Every command has a manual. Press q to exit.

man ls       # How to use 'ls'
man man      # Manual for the manual!

Sections of a man page:

NAME: What the command is called
SYNOPSIS: How to use it
DESCRIPTION: What it does in detail
OPTIONS: Available flags
EXAMPLES: Usage examples (not always present)

Try It!

Use the terminal below to practice basic commands:

Suggested commands:

pwd — see where you are
ls — list files
ls -la — show hidden files with details
cd /etc — change to /etc directory
cat /etc/hostname — display your hostname
history — see what you’ve typed
help — see available commands

Try it in the terminal

A sandboxed shell with this lesson’s commands. Type help to see what’s available.

bash — try it

⌨️ The Terminal