Up until now we have been creating files and directories, but how do you remove them? That is where rm and rmdir come in. This tutorial takes you through the usage’s of rm and rmdir. It also covers some of the common pitfalls that you might encounter when using rm and rmdir. Check it out now on youtube.
The mkdir command, standing for make directory is invaluable when using any Linux system. Its sole purpose is to allow you to make directories and directory structures. Using mkdir instead of the GUI to create your directories in a lot faster and actually requires less steps! For a full explanation of mkdir’s usage and some examples click here.
Input output redirection is a very useful concept, and something that any Linux user should learn to use. Redirection allows you to control where you want to send data rather than being restricted by a programs predisposition to just show you the data on screen. To find out more about redirection and its uses in Linux check out this tutorial.
The cat command which gets its name from the word catenate, has a very basic function that is to take some kind of input file, or input from stdin (the keyboard) and write it somewhere else. This could be to stdout(the screen) or another file. Cat is a very versitile tool and is able to work with any file type, whether it be a text file or a binary file. You can also use cat to view the content of a file right in the terminal window, by simply typing cat and then the name of the file you wish to view. To see cat in action check out this video tutorial on cat usage.
ls is a command that you will find yourself using very often. Its function is to show you the contents of a directory, but it doesn’t end there. Just being able to view a directories content is very useful, but viewing specifically what you want the way you want to see it is even better. By manipulating ls’s output with a few short options you are able to see specifically what you want, and if that is everything you can do that as-well. For a walkthrough of some of ls’s coolest features click here.
The cd command in one of the most useful commands for navigating your Linux file system. It has many options that enable you to move between directories with ease and speed. Learning how to use the basic functionality of cd is a must for any Linux user. Learning how to use its options will allow you to work faster with less keystrokes (which is always a good thing). To check out the full tutorials click here.
The PWD command, which is an acronym for Print Working Directory does exactly what it says it does it prints out the path to the directory that you are currently working in. To put it in another way, it tells you where you are. For the full video tutorial on the usage of pwd check out this tutorial.
After demonstrating some of the many different ways of getting Linux running on your machine i thought the next logical step in learning how Linux works would be to start working with BASH. BASH(Bourne Again SHell) is a Unix shell which was first released in 1989 as a free alternative to the Bourne Shell. Its main purpose is to process commands from a user or a file and act on them. Working with BASH might seem daunting at first glance but once you learn a few basics you will start to see how powerful and convenient it is, you will also develop a much more detailed understanding of Linux’s inner workings. Plus 99% of the time using BASH is faster than using the GUI and there are some things that you can only do in BASH.
The next few tutorials will be covering all of the basics of BASH.