The Linux Command Line, 2nd Edition: A Complete Introduction
William Shotts
Mar 2019 · No Starch Press
4.5star
8 reviewsreport
Ebook
504
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About this ebook
You've experienced the shiny, point-and-click surface of your Linux computer--now dive below and explore its depths with the power of the command line.
The Linux Command Line takes you from your very first terminal keystrokes to writing full programs in Bash, the most popular Linux shell (or command line). Along the way you'll learn the timeless skills handed down by generations of experienced, mouse-shunning gurus: file navigation, environment configuration, command chaining, pattern matching with regular expressions, and more.
In addition to that practical knowledge, author William Shotts reveals the philosophy behind these tools and the rich heritage that your desktop Linux machine has inherited from Unix supercomputers of yore.
As you make your way through the book's short, easily-digestible chapters, you'll learn how to:
• Create and delete files, directories, and symlinks
• Administer your system, including networking, package installation, and process management
• Use standard input and output, redirection, and pipelines
• Edit files with Vi, the world's most popular text editor
• Write shell scripts to automate common or boring tasks
• Slice and dice text files with cut, paste, grep, patch, and sed
Once you overcome your initial "shell shock," you'll find that the command line is a natural and expressive way to communicate with your computer. Just don't be surprised if your mouse starts to gather dust.
The Linux Command Line takes you from your very first terminal keystrokes to writing full programs in Bash, the most popular Linux shell (or command line). Along the way you'll learn the timeless skills handed down by generations of experienced, mouse-shunning gurus: file navigation, environment configuration, command chaining, pattern matching with regular expressions, and more.
In addition to that practical knowledge, author William Shotts reveals the philosophy behind these tools and the rich heritage that your desktop Linux machine has inherited from Unix supercomputers of yore.
As you make your way through the book's short, easily-digestible chapters, you'll learn how to:
• Create and delete files, directories, and symlinks
• Administer your system, including networking, package installation, and process management
• Use standard input and output, redirection, and pipelines
• Edit files with Vi, the world's most popular text editor
• Write shell scripts to automate common or boring tasks
• Slice and dice text files with cut, paste, grep, patch, and sed
Once you overcome your initial "shell shock," you'll find that the command line is a natural and expressive way to communicate with your computer. Just don't be surprised if your mouse starts to gather dust.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
8 reviews
Calvin Irby
- Flag inappropriate
May 16, 2021
First off, I had a pleasant experience reading this book. Although I knew some of the basics of command-line use like adding directories, creating files, and several years of using Vim: I did still learn a lot of new things. It was pleasant to read through Google Books and I had fun doing so. The reason why I'm giving it 4 stars is that I think the author can optimize it to work for Chromebooks and Crostini. If you like Linux you need to try Linux Beta (Crostini) ASAP! I did have trouble doing several things and I think if this book is going to continue to sell it would need to cater to a ChromeOS audience as well. Some improvements I think the text could take are: I think that the author could make some of the shell scripts at the end of the book more fun or useful. Check out, "Wicked Cool Shell Scripts" to see what I mean. Overall, it's a solid book just be ready to write a lot of shell scripts at the end and get in some practice with Vim.
About the author
William Shotts has been a software professional for more than 30 years and an avid Linux user for more than 20 years. He has an extensive background in software development, including technical support, quality assurance, and documentation. He is also the creator of LinuxCommand.org, a Linux education and advocacy site featuring news, reviews, and extensive support for using the Linux command line.
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