Linux Terminal Introduction

[@Bwyan]

Longtime Linux user here. Never heard of "cd -". What a neat trick. Thanks for the tip.

[@KingJellyfishII]

Hey same here! I always wished there was a "back" option for cd and apparently I just found it... I'll be using that a lot :D

[@powerboy322]

see also pushd and popd

[@tommisgr]

U can simply type "cd" and enter and it will do the same thing

[@KingJellyfishII]

@@tommisgr no it won't, we're talking about `cd -` and I think you're thinking about `cd ~` which look similar but have entirely different functions.

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

@@tommisgr No, that takes you to your home directory.

[@marcrives279]

18:42 "Do you want to continue? [Y/n]" The choice in capital letter is the default one, which will be used when simply hitting enter key.

[@AtlasReburdened]

Nice, thanks. You probably just got me an hour or two of extra free time this life.

[@johnc3403]

really? I didn't know that :) This is a great video from Chris and it's comments section.. thanks Marc

[@marcrives279]

But there is a catch! Sometimes, default choice may not be the right one for you! So, you still have to read, always ;)

[@pspicer777]

One addition to the above. A lot of bash scripts and programs will have a command line argument that allows unattended install by auto selecting the defaults or by specifying them as an argument on the command line. But, you have to be sure if course ... 😁

[@DJ-lg6nu]

also, when running an everyday command such as "apt-get upgrade", end it with -y or -n to skip this step entirely.

[@notalessandro]

So today I decided to finally learn about Linux after 17 years of pure Windows computing... and then this video pops up... the timing couldn't be more perfect

[@ExplainingComputers]

Excellent!

[@DescendantsOfEnoch]

other good channels: joe collins, average linux user, chris titus tech, dorian dot slash, switched to linux, infinitely galactic there is a brand new FB group for newbies called Penguin Momentum

[@notalessandro]

@@DescendantsOfEnoch thanks a lot!

[@FellOnMyKeys]

The ease of navigating by double clicks to access just about anything kept me as a Windows user for 20+ yrs. Recently I've been making many changes to the registry and user account to give myself more control over this operating system that… you know… paid for and own? Microsoft clearly disagrees and feels I need help from myself by denying access to many things and making it literally impossible in some cases to disable software that sends them usage data. Im now a Linux (Arch) user indefinitely now.

[@gavincole5793]

I've been watching loads of Terminal tutorials over the last couple of days. I should have known that Chris would have the best video out there. Clear, concise and to the point. I find myself coming away from this video having learnt something instead of watching someone race through their instructions without mentioning their shortcuts.

[@kennyluba4137]

Ah, the basics explained in comprehensive detail. Thanks again, Chris!

[@grimbalance3435]

As a kali Linux hacker I can say that this video helped to new users using Linux or looking forward to be using it, just a proposition, if someone wants to be anonymous, use Linux becouse it's really secure and they don't steal your information

[@LuisScharf]

This is why I watch your channel. This. You, sir, are thoughtful and generous and patient. I knew all this, but it has been taught well and with the proper pace. Awesome!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks.

[@Dac_DT_MKD]

In my university we have a subject that teaches us how to use the terminal in Linux. Most of the computers run Windows so we need to use a special program, but I just bring my laptop that runs Linux Mint. It's a very interesting subject and the professor who teaches this subject is the best. I'll recommend this video to him to use it in the next year for the next generation of students. Cheers.

[@Tiger351]

Yet another timely video with the end of Windows 7 support earlier this week, very well explained Chris and makes the whole process seem much easier than many Windows users would have expected.

[@George_K1]

Outstanding Terminal video .... One of the best introductory videos to Terminal.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this feedback, most appreciated. :)

[@leeoliver2969]

Been a linux user for quite a while. Still learned lots from this video. Absolutely fantastic teaching.

[@trinityhaokip]

I am new in the Linux world, just 3/4 days old. I find your video very valuable and knowledgeable. Thanks for your time in making the video a very useful one to all like me. I really love your clear pronunciation.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Glad to help!

[@KingJellyfishII]

That's a great tutorial Chris! There's a couple of points that I'll add, although it's not much. 1) be aware that `sudo apt install` is distro specific, most (all?) debian based distros use apt but other distros use different package managers, for example I'm on arch and use pacman (cool name btw arch people). 2) if you want to remove a directory with files in it, neither rm or rmdir will work: you have to use `rm -r` just like you have to do `cp -r` on directories. 3) running a command on the terminal is basically just running a program. cp is a program, so is rm and mkdir etc. Some programs, like cp and rm only work if they are run from the terminal, but others (for example chromium-browser (guess what that does)) will work either from the terminal or from the GUI. 4) If --help doesn't give enough info, try `man `. Man stands for manual, and it usually gives a very indepth view of the options and some examples. 5) ctrl-d to exit terminal is pretty efficient IMO They're just a few things I use a lot and thought some people might want to know.

[@Reziac]

Actually, beginners usually want a very simple explanation, not an in-depth one. Even --help makes an appalling amount of output if all you want is the basics of running the command. Good post otherwise, tho ...someone must have typed --help in your terminal :)

[@KingJellyfishII]

@@Reziac yes of course but there's both in-depth and also the basics covered in this video, I'm guessing it's aimed at people who aren't _complete_ beginners but they may have used CMD before etc.

[@Reziac]

That too -- as I mention below, I'm an old DOShead, but still find the linux commandline opaque, so this kind of familiarization is actually quite helpful.

[@DonVigaDeFierro]

@@KingJellyfishII Well, if you just installed a linux distro on your computer, you're not a "complete beginner". Your input is very much appreciated.

[@tomjerr7049]

Linux ppl r gr8t.

[@harrywoodman2988]

Thanks! I used to be a Unix user just to run various pieces of equipment around the lab. Now, thanks to the intrusive mandate of all major computer companies I have switched from Windows and Mac to Linux. It's a great refresher and seems much better than the old days ... much appreciated!

[@5argetech56]

The Terminal is Power... I still remember the early days of MSDOS. PC's before windows. The command line was king!

[@sethrd999]

MSDOS like windows is a rip off of Unix or *Nix to those in the know. DOS or even powershell have anything on the early shells eshell cshell let alone ash or bash. I thankfully skipped the need for dos/windows since I was brought up on SCO ( true SCO ) and Solaris.

[@5argetech56]

@@sethrd999 I use Linux as my everyday OS.

[@sethrd999]

@@Kensownvids Which again is a rip off from Unix

[@5argetech56]

@@Kensownvids Gary Kildall, the creator of CP/M.. Remember Computer Chronicles on PBS? :)

[@sethrd999]

@@5argetech56 Me to all the way back from Slackware ( yes the first Linux distro ( a floppy disc ) .. I used to have various SGi kits also ( pizza boxes ) that had irix on them.

[@arunrchaturvedi]

The command line is what one needs to master to go beyond ‘skin deep’. Thanks for the video, Chris!

[@sailaab]

100% in agreement Arun ji

[@nutinmyass]

Yes. The command line will get you balls deep

[@johanb.7869]

It's also the quickest way to install things, like sudo apt install firefox;) But you can also bork your system as I found out myself.

[@consistentlyinconsistent816]

The command line is a rabbit hole and one can never forget its ease once one gets used to it, even for basic file navigation.

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

11:50 It may be instinctive to MS-DOS-experienced users to type “*.*”, but remember such a wildcard will only match names with a dot in them. To match all names, type “*”.

[@jgurtz]

Nice tutorial and I noticed this too! Indeed, the concept of a file extension as a separate "field" of a filename doesn't really exist in Linux at the CLI. It may be a convenience in recognizing the type of data if one makes a name ending in dot-something (or for the gui file manager which maintains application associations). Maybe it's due to this that there is the `file` command which can deduce what kind of file one is seeing even if there is no extension there. Also, while some commands do support --help or maybe -? or -h (linux not always the most consistent!), there is usually more complete help with the man (manual) command. Hopefully viewers are inspired to explore more around the command line!

[@encycl07pedia-]

Yeah, but that will also catch directories.

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

@@encycl07pedia- Either one can. Directories can have dots in their names. such as /etc/fonts/conf.d.

[@encycl07pedia-]

@@lawrencedoliveiro9104 Yes, but those are far less common. Who puts dots in their folder names? I mean "rmdir dir" and "rm -rf dir" can both delete directories, but one is considerably safer than the other by default.

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

@@encycl07pedia- Rather common, actually, particularly among system directories. On my Debian system, the command find /etc -type d -name \*.\* | wc -l finds 216 of them.

[@christopherraines7080]

I've been using UNIX/Linux for 3 years. I've learned quite a lot from this tutorial. thank you

[@markharrisllb]

In 21 minutes you’ve explained the basics far better than some videos that are hours long. I wanted to learn Linux because of the terminal and not in spite of it, I used to enjoy using MSDOS and XTree gold when they were real programs.

[@factChecker01]

It's worth noting early that Linux directory and file names are case sensitive. You MUST get the capitalization right.

[@encycl07pedia-]

Yeah, but that's why you shouldn't have dirs with capitals... or filenames with capitals...

[@ericscaillet2232]

@@encycl07pedia- unless duplicate names but not content

[@encycl07pedia-]

​@@ericscaillet2232 You shouldn't duplicate names like that. It's just asking for problems and confusion, especially when copying between filesystems. You're very likely to wipe one of the folders/files out.

[@ElyRiverBlues]

I learned more in 20 min here than all my attempts at books and texts on the subject. Thank you so much - excellent! Need to re-watch and tale some notes now.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear. :)

[@NoEgg4u]

1) @0:36 The terminal: Note that all of the examples given require that your system's GUI (graphical user interface) is cooperating. If for some reason your GUI stops responding, or your mouse stop working, you will need an alternative for starting the terminal (which, once started, can be used to trouble-shoot and fix any issues, or to do a clean reboot). There are a few terminals that you can access, that are independent of your GUI. You access them by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F3 (or F4, or F5, etc). Each one will open a terminal. From there, you can run a command to reboot your computer, or any other commands to help identify problems and apply fixes. Pressing Ctrl+Alt+F6 (might differ depending on which Linux distribution you are running), will take you back to your GUI. 2) @12:01 That will copy only files that have a dot (a period symbol). If you have a file named "stuff", then using "cp **.** Pictures" will not include your "stuff" file when the copying takes place. If you really want to copy everything, then use only an asterisk (*). cp * Pictures If you want to see what will be copied, before executing the cp command, then run (for example): ls **.** Whatever "ls" shows you is what will be copied when you, instead of using "ls" you use "cp". 3) @19:44 Yes, issuing some command with the "--help" argument will usually provide documentation on how to use the command. Note: "usually", not "always". Also note that Linux documentation is built around the "man" command (stands for reading the "manual" for a command). So for help on the cp (copy) command, you can use either: cp --help (or) man cp Does it matter? It might. The help that is returned will be similar, but not the same. You might need to run both, in order to have your question(s) answered. Cheers!

[@fredhair]

There is something very satisfying about learning to use the cli and linux in general. I know a fair bit about the shell but it never hurts to brush up and this channel is always a reliable source of useful information that I never have to point out corrections or criticise the fact checking.

[@BlueSpruce2]

Thanks for a great intro tutorial on the Linux terminal! As someone looking for an alternative to the ever more intrusive and restrictive Windows OS this is very helpful. With each new version of Windows we know even less about what's going on under the hood, not to mention how much Microsoft is spying on users of their bloated operating system.

[@d3vastat0r89]

Been using Linux for months and didn't know half of these. It helps that it's not compulsory to know them since the Mint let's you do many things as you would in Windows, but it's still good to learn.

[@mjdxp5688]

The terminal might seem scary at first, but it doesn't have to be. It's pretty easy to learn the basics, and it can make doing certain tasks easier. If you're looking to learn more about the Linux terminal, Joe Collins made a fantastic video which teaches you all the basics I definitely recommend.

[@laertesl4324]

The GUI makes easy things easy, the command line makes difficult things easy. I always have at least one terminal open. Great video!

[@johancouder8013]

I took a course in CLI Linux a year ago. Six months later I've almost forgotten half of it. :( You really have to keep practicing these things.

[@ExplainingComputers]

This is so true -- knowledge that is not excercised somehow drains from our skulls. I sometimes have to go back to my own videos (or scripts therefore) to check what I "know" about something! :)

[@horizon42q]

This is one of the best tutorials. Chris is the best teacher on KZbin

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks! :)

[@kennyluba4137]

CTL + l (that’s a lowercase L) is also an alternate to typing in the clear command.

[@cdl0]

Correct, and to exit the terminal shell, the shortcut is Ctrl-D. The case does not matter for these shortcuts. In days of yore, a terminal was a large, noisy electromechanical machine called a Teletype, the classic model being ASR-33. These machines could only print capital letters.

[@cybair9341]

Kenny Luba - That's the kind of futile detail that Linux users love to throw at newbies. Maybe to create confusion or to brag about their superior knowledge of Linux.

[@RandomNullpointer]

Sadly Ctrl+L (or clear) only scrolls the terminal, and doesn't remove the lines above it from the screen.

[@johnm2012]

@@cybair9341 And your comment is unnecessarily aggressive and so typical of what is seen all over KZbin comments and on social media these days.

[@johnm2012]

@@RandomNullpointer Well, it dates back to the days of teletypes. You can't erase what's printed on paper so to 'clear' it you issue a formfeed to eject the current page of continuous stationery (fan-fold paper) and start at the top of a new page.

[@adrianfox9099]

Incredibly useful summary. You have explained more in a few minutes than I have absorbed trawling through pages of text in trying to learn.

[@thomasburnett4712]

Thank you so much for the terminal commands refresher video! As always, I enjoyed watching it, was reminded of things I had forgotten over the years and learned a few things I had previously missed.

[@andrey_pav]

I remembered a question from the distant past, when I sat down to study the Linux terminal. for some reason, all linux tutorials never indicate how to create a file on the command line. At first I thought I was imagining it. I flipped through several printed and electronic books, the same thing. All they have answers how to create a directory, how to move or delete, but how to create a new file "test.txt" not. in one place, I remember, I found the command "touch" to create a new file. The lesson is great, the picture, the sequence, the work of the master indeed! Thank you very much! Like and subscribe!)🍻

[@rickhunt3183]

This is a good basic foundation to the linux terminal command line. Watch this video 10 times. There's a lot of information to take away from this, but Chris is only scratching the surface, and there is so much more you can do.This is where the real magic happens. I would encourage anyone to use only the command line for a week. I learned Unix in the 70's out of a manual before I had access to a computer, so you can learn this too. Linux is very closely related to Unix. If you know one. You pretty much know the other. I don't see a link to a linux tutorial here, but there are many out there on Amazon.

[@fattyMcGee97]

I just moved over to Ubuntu from windows about a week ago. I’ve been using the terminal a fair amount since installing Ubuntu, mostly for installing packages. Your tutorial has made my life so much easier now that I know the shortcuts and how to navigate through my files. Thank you!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear!

[@ryancoke777]

I love using the Linux terminal for the most part. It brings me back to the days where DOS was the primary OS and windows was just a program

[@gregoryturner1505]

I always look forward to Sunday and a new video from ExplainingComputers. Thanks for giving back to the Linux community with your tutorials.

[@kenm.7651]

To answer your closing statement, I did find this useful...you’re a very good instructor. Thanks!

[@haint7709]

Nice. I'm one of the users who recently migrated from Windows to Mint. This playlist really helps with progressing with my Linux learning. I'm glad for all the gui options as it has helped with the transition, but it's been long enough. I have leaned on the update manager, but i'd like to start using the command terminal and see what is possible. These videos are a good start for me. Ta!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Good luck with Linux! It sounds like you are digging in just fine.

[@rutkowskir]

It is good to see command line basics explained, thanks!! Amazing what you can do with command line with the addition of grep, sed & awk tools! It would be great to see a basic demo of these powerful tools at some point. Many think you would need a formal programming language like C or Python to get more complex tasks completed but by using these tools, complex data manipulation and more are very possible with one command line. Thanks again for another great video!! Great to see deeper dives into the complexities of Linux!

[@benrandomly2016]

Dispelling the wondrous mysteries of the dreaded terminal. Good video. I've been running various versions of Linux since 2008. I found this to be very helpful.

[@rekkanoryo]

The 'cd' command without arguments will also return you to your home directory. The 'clear' command can also be done as Ctrl-L, as well. Handy little shortcuts that turn up over time.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Ah, thanks. I will remember Ctrl-L. :)

[@iceman442ho]

I switched from Windows 7 to Linux Mint. This will speed up the learning curve a lot! Thanks a million Chris.

[@reggiep75]

It's been decades since I really worked on a computer from the command line interface (in the context of using a PC), probably 1993, and yet I can still remember learning MS-DOS before then, at school, and continuing in computer training. I might get a book on Linux as I intend to re-purpose an older PC as a Linux machine.

[@carlosmaguayosr6162]

Hello. OpenSource enthusiast since first Linux distro release, Slackware. I have watched several of your videos and I am very impressed with the tools, creation, content, and the way u explained some complicated subjects for the regular audience in very understanding manner. Not to mention the nice British accent!! Kudos!!!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this feedback, appreciated.

[@johncollectsstamps]

As a Systems Engineer, I work with both Windows and Linux machines, mostly servers. I'd recommend anyone who uses Linux to jump into using the Terminal, much as I advise people using CMD Prompt or better still, Powershell on a Windows box. Great tutorial for the novice Linux user!

[@weerobot]

Sudo install ExplainingComputers...

[@ExplainingComputers]

:)

[@АлексейГриднев-и7р]

You should turn your website into a desktop app and add it to Debian repository to make sure it works :)

[@KingJellyfishII]

Sorry to be that guy but `sudo apt install ExplainingComputers`

[@weerobot]

@@KingJellyfishII Thanks...lol

[@sailaab]

*+Алексей* second that. i've been suggesting that on a couple of videos. or even the less exhausting Patreon type route. but seems Chris Sir is a one many army and with other real life work there's only so much he might be getting time to tidy things up. although it doesn't cost that exorbitantly to get someone to create phone or PC applications.. still it's a cost and ..finding the right people.. who remain invested (mentality) invested.. over 2-3 years to iron things out. .. that's a bit tough. unless we all, those with relevant skills, resources chip in too.

[@СергейД-ч4ь]

Just migrated to Linux Mint. Very happy with its performance and productivity. But of course know nothing about using Terminal:( So this video is exactly what I have been waiting for! Thanks!

[@rustino666]

Great video. I think the terminal scares a lot of potential new Linux users. Nice to see you explain the basics and show that it's not really that scary. I love working in the terminal, you can do so many cool things with it, especially when you get into writing shell scripts.

[@AnthonyElsom]

Same reason I'm using command prompt in Windows(7)..I re-activated my pirate copy this way the last time Microsoft disabled my "genuine" activation.. 😇

[@bitemykrank1970]

You got a like from me for one reason alone. I had always thought the progression was aptitude, shortened to apt, then, to avoid confusion GET was added to show what apt did when run, for Windows dummies like me....I had NO IDEA that apt was newer than apt-get. You learn something new everyday....

[@9SMTM6]

Hmm, there's room for improvement. 1) Copy and paste with the terminal is annoyingly much work, but there's a other way that's usually far quicker and has worked on every Linux distro I've used: Just mark the text, it gets automatically moved into a copy buffer, and then anywhere you press your middle mouse key it gets pasted (I. E. The terminal). 2) like others mentioned `apt` is a distro specific command, that's something you should've mentioned 3) also like others mentioned you could've shown `man [cmd]` too 4) while we're speaking of that, another command I find pretty helpful from time to time is `apropos [keyword]`, that one searches all the documents you get shown with `man` (called manpages). That helps you find a commands name if you can only remember what it does, or if you want to find a new command 4) there's autocomplete, and then there's autocomplete suggestions, which in my setup is called when I press tab twice, that's very helpful if you're writing a long directory and can't remember it precisely 5) also the generic nature of `- - help`, where you can often use it on subcommands like `apt install - - help`

[@ExplainingComputers]

I tried here to cover things for beginners; knowing what to leave out is as important as what is included. Not every mouse has a middle button! And doing things with a mouse button click is not good in video, as the viewer cannot see what you are doing.

[@deflatedrubberduck]

Thank you Samuel, I didn't know about middle mouse key, must remember that one. :)

[@cyberp0et]

Middle mouse button can be pressing the scroll wheel?

[@shamrock1961]

As a full-time Linux user I must say thanks for the terminal primer. Got be remind about some of back door stuff via the terminal.

[@ESquared42]

This was a great video, I have been using Linux as my desktop for almost 10 years, started with Ubuntu, then Mint, I now use Manjaro with KDE and love it. That said I picked up a few tricks from this video that I didn't know. Thanks!

[@Fernandovecchi]

great channel. I'm from Brazil and I needed a channel like this !! congratulations!

[@clochard4074]

Last week I took with me the old core2duo pc my grandmother used, since she recently bought a laptop. I installed Mint over Windows 10 (it ran so slowly) with the intention to give it away, but now I'm using it as my main machine: I've been inadvertently converted!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great story. Linux can so often revitalize an older PC.

[@KingJellyfishII]

That's cool dude! It's amazing how much faster computers can feel with linux.

[@derekp2674]

Thanks Frank. I've also found that many old PC's run horribly slowly with Windows 10 but run much faster with Linux, for example MX or Xfce versions of Mint (etc....).

[@benof4635]

I had the same experience with LXLE Linux who works so much faster than Windows 10 on an old Celeron PC.

[@aquarianage3953]

THE BEST INTRO TO THE LINUX TERMINAL I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!!! You did an outstanding job with the crystal clear graphic presentation of the Linux terminal, the narration, and the demonstrations. I have always loved the way your videos begin with electronic music and the various computers being displayed. Keep up the great work! 👍

[@ExplainingComputers]

Wow, thanks! :)

[@pspicer777]

Even on topics for which I have some expertise, I always enjoy your videos. Happy New Year Chris.

[@ExplainingComputers]

A Happy New Year! :)

[@franciscalderbank8623]

Thanks Chris this 21.39 minute video has just consolidated my last two weeks of linux fact finding. Excellent Video.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear!

[@anonylesss]

sorry if this was mentioned and i missed it, another important thing to point out is that unlike Windows file system (and its own terminal) , in Linux there's a difference between files written with small and capital letters. for example, if you have a directory called ExplaingComputers , you won't be able to access it by cd explainingcmputers

[@ExplainingComputers]

Very good point -- I should have mentioned this.

[@norbertfischer5855]

2:57 "Nagivasion" typo made me smile since your videos are normally flawless. Its like seing a unicorn

[@ExplainingComputers]

Sorry about that. :(

[@folk.]

In addition to --help, one can also use the command *man* ( for manual? ) in front of an app you need to know more about. Type *man nano* , or *man ifconfig* etc, and *ctrl+z* to exit the manual.

[@MrTrizter]

Another helpful option when using ls is to add ”-h” for example: ”ls -lh”. This will give you the list with more ”human readable” numbers for size etc...

[@derekp2674]

Chris, thanks very much. As ever, I think you've produced an excellent basic introduction. I expect many of the comments here will add further useful tips and tricks. For example, one thing I use a lot, if I have managed to input an incomplete or incorrect command, is "control-C" to cancel that command.

[@ljpellegrino6843]

Great stuff. Would love to see more terminal use videos. Very helpful and easily to keep up with your explanations.

[@sadiahabib5506]

Finally someone explained from the basic for new users Normally videos skip the small details and which is indeed confusing

[@mikecook317]

I love your channel, always so much useful information, I'm new to linux and the terminal is still a mystery to me

[@johnthomas645]

"Hope you found this useful." Quite the understatement, I found it extremely useful as a new Linux user. Thank you.

[@sedanchair2]

...Fantastic video! It took some of the mystery out of the terminal for me!

[@RussellStovetop386]

Excellent content. I'm a newer user and greatly appreciate your clear voice and descriptions.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Awesome, thank you!

[@DrZbo]

Thank you thank you! This really helps fill in a few of the gaps! I already have a small amount of experience but this was really really helpful. Do as many of these as you can haha.

[@todetermined7421]

best linux intro that I have watched over the last year. Thanks it is appreciated.

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

9:47 Worth demonstrating what happens when it cannot find an unambiguous completion: pressing tab the first time will do nothing, pressing it a second time will display available completion candidates. Then you can type some more to narrow the options down, and try again.

[@srryan5150]

You could not have made this video at a better time! I am in the process of trying to learn more about linux and I find your videos always informative and entertaining. Keep it up!

[@maartenc6099]

Liked your video very much. I have worked with MSDOS in the early days. So I am not afraid of the terminal. Maybe you could explain more about sudo and how permissions work. Maybe also try to explain the file-system in Linux. It is not so difficult to copy and paste commands in the terminal. But sometimes on the internet you get a lot of mis-information and then you need some skills to recover. But this is very newbie friendly. Thanks for the nice video.

[@LordWillyGee]

Thank Christopher Barnatt, you show me a little more of the problems that I was trying to find on the flash drive? Using Linux. The way you explained terminal was like the early computing day with the MS/PC Dos command prompt/symbol, I learn a little faster now. Ol'd them day 1980-1995 when dos/Basic C, C+ was common. B4 Window point and clicks now! Thanks.

[@klivekussler4496]

Thank you Chris for another great presentation , easy to understand visually and audibly . This Tutorial is without doubt a great help for those like myself and others who need reassurance when delving into the Terminal in Linux OS . I thank you again Chris for your contribution in helping the not so savvy Terminal users into gleaning much needed down to Earth information on this subject . Oh and by the way " happy new year " .

[@ExplainingComputers]

A Happy New Year!

[@phildodd9942]

A great response that you're getting from viewers to your tutorial ! Excellent ! At least people new to the concept now know that there is "something there" which they can use, and can delve around later to find out more ! Hard work for you, that tutorial ! Perhaps a future one on Midnight Commander ( which I understand that Microsoft have adopted as part of their Linux portal on Windows 10 which someone mentions below ) ? Or maybe show how to connect a Raspberry Pi shell to a desktop system, in order to control the Pi remotely ? Yes, a good introduction - and you are a very noble person to have even attempted it ! Great stuff !

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

13:01 Probably a good time to mention another useful feature of tab completion, namely if you type a wildcard spec and then press tab once or twice, Bash will show you all the expansions of that wildcard spec, so you can confirm that your command will be acting on what you thought it would be acting on. Another useful trick is to first use the wildcard with something harmless like an “ls” command, to confirm that it only shows the files you want to affect. Then press uparrow to bring the command back, change the “ls” to “rm”, and turn it loose. Because, you know, having suffered the occasional embarrassment of inadvertent deletion or overwriting of files I didn’t mean to over the years, you learn a few tricks for, shall we say, “defensive command-lining” ...

[@YuGiOhJCJ]

In fact, in this video you are not using a Terminal but a Pseudo Terminal Slave (PTS). It is just an emulated Terminal. This emulation is done by Terminal Emulators like Xterm. The real Terminal is a TeleTYpe writer (TTY). It is accessible from the Ctrl + Alt + F shortcut. In order to know if you are currently using a PTS or a TTY, type the 'tty' command. I know that the word Terminal is commonly used for PTS so it is acceptable for novice users but I had to explain that for expert users. By the way, great video as always, the basics are explained perfectly.

[@ExplainingComputers]

At the start of the video I do say that I am using a terminal emulator. But pragramtically, I then use the term "terminal"

[@ForOdinAndAsgard]

There is no need to explain it to the experts as we are aware but this is aimed at noobs who wanne become. This is trivial for them at this point in their learning curve. They are not gonna hop TTY for at least another year at this stage and this might only confuse them more.

[@choro76]

Oh wow, you just made me remember when learning how to use DOS at school! Happy days!

[@arthurdent8091]

Another first-rate addition to your already substantial catalog of great videos. I have been looking for a video, off and on, for\some time to explain why commands and printouts were in different colors and spaced in the Linux way. Thanks, Chris.

[@peterjansen4826]

The Linux terminal is awesome once you get used to it. You need to set it up properly though, choose a good font and font-size, add some colors to LS and the man-pages, maybe make the command prompt look better if you want to...

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, there is so much you can customize -- the user can be in control! :)

[@MaynardFreek]

I know I'm a bit late to the party but I've been watching your vids quite a bit lately and I decided to give Linux another go (it's been years). I've tried several Distros that you have recommended and I ended up liking Linux Mint the best. This tutorial has been extremely helpful (actually necessary for me) and I greatly appreciate it!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear! And good luck with Linux Mint. I still always come back to it. :)

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

17:49 That’s assuming you know what command(s) are installed by a package. To see what was actually installed as part of a package, try “dpkg-query -L «package-name»”.

[@dktol56]

Or just type "dpkg -L package-name" and dpkg passes the -L option and argument to dpkg-query. Saves some typing and having to remember the -query part.

[@Uniblab8]

Excellent! This clarified some terminal commands for a fairly new Linux user such as myself.

[@horstschlumma8501]

Also useful: *man bash* -- an exhaustive but dense [edit: like compact / non-verbose] description of your shells capabilities (I assumed bash here. Run "echo $SHELL" to see what's your shell.) Comes handy when you only have a terminal and no Internet connection. Although, reading the man pages online in a browser is often more comfortable. *alias* to define your personal shortcuts (confession: I still use : alias dir="ls -ltrF". Current distributions already provide a *dir* command nowadays to welcome refugees ;-) You might still want to tweak it as you like.) *less* - it's Windows *more* (but less is still more) to page through long outputs (i.e. "ls -l | less" or "dmesg | less"). When working with terminals have a look at *tmux* and *screen* . These are ultra useful when all you have is a terminal (no GUI at all, i.e. on remote logins). They allow you to have multiple terminal sessions within your single terminal and can even make sessions permanent, so after logging out&in you can continue where you left (assuming no reboot happened in between).

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

man bash is the full Bash manual-all 5000 or so lines of it. It’s also available to read online at www.gnu.org/savannah-checkouts/gnu/bash/manual/bash.html

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

21:00 One reason for using the terminal is if you switch between distros a lot. Each distro will likely provide its own GUI tools for performing various admin/config tasks, but they will all be different. But behind the scenes, they are all managing the same common config files, system processes etc. In fact, they are very likely generating command-line sequences to perform their actions. So at the command-line layer, a lot of the differences between distros disappear, and you have common ways of performing common tasks.

[@derekp2674]

A further big advantage is that on-line help resources can just present the commands we need to input, as opposed to describing complicated dances that involve identifying and clicking on particular buttons or options in a given sequence...

[@ercole1488]

10:33 you could also do "rm -rf "

[@resrussia]

When I use the terminal in Linux, I always feel like I really using Linux. Also, I find it easier to use SSH to connect to my Raspberry Pi's terminal to write python programs on it than using my Rii keyboard. Like 5argeTech, I remember the happy days of using MS-DOS on personal computers. Keep up the excellent work you do each week!

[@pshearduk]

Thanks for the video as always Chris, I've liked while watching.. I know it will be as quality as always. atb for 2020 amigo. ty

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks Paul.

[@BagusSumanjaya]

Linux BASIC command i like it. Since windows 7 ends i want to migrate to Linux permanently. Thank you Mr. Barnatt. I hope will be usefull with the next part of Linux command on the next videos

[@ExplainingComputers]

This is indeed another of those videos that can provide a stepping stone to other things. I am trying to build up a library of them covering such topics.

[@BagusSumanjaya]

ExplainingComputers yes Mr. Barnatt. I like the way you explain how to use Linux command. Step by step with Example thank you so much

[@troyforce1]

Learn Linux now boys. There are veiled whispers speaking of Windows turning into a subscription based service.

[@g4r15]

As a new comer in Pi, raspbian and linux environment, this video is very very informative !! thank you ! keep up the good work !!

[@thomasherzog86]

extremely helpful for linux starters, excellent video!

[@markconger8049]

Awesome! Thank you for casting a positive light on the command line. There’s so much that could be covered but you pegged the core pretty well. That said, here are some additional things for those interested in diving in a bit more. pwd - this command shows what directory/folder you’re currently in. It can be easy to forget where you are if a distraction occurs. pwd to the rescue! Pressing ctrl-d is another way to quit a terminal if you don’t want to type exit (Ctrl and D held and released together) ls -ltra - this my favorite way to view file listings as it shows all files (hidden too) by reverse date/time order (tr) so the newest appear at the bottom. lsusb - shows all USB devices that are attached and can be very handy to see what’s what. man - this shows extensive help about any command. man ls, man cd, man lsblk, etc. Try one! touch - creates an empty file. For example “touch myfile.txt” created a file named myfile.txt with no content. This can be helpful as you grow in experience with command line. whoami - shows the user account you’re logged in as. While most systems you use you’ll have only one user account, it is possible to change to a different user using the su command. If you troubleshoot Linux systems the whoami command can be a life saver. apt - The apt package management system is robust and, frankly, worth learning the command line for. However, only Linux distros based on Debian will have it. Other distros use different package managers like yum and rpm, so be aware what Linux you’re using. If sudo apt or sudo apt-get shows an unknown error you’re likely no using Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, Raspbian, etc uname -a - this is a quick way to see what system you’re using. Try it grep is a tool to search for text within a file(s) find - this command is very robust and can be confusing with so many options, but here is what I use a lot. find . -name “*.php” -print This find command searches all folders including the current one and below (not above) that have the php extension. The period “.” Is what denotes the current and lower folders. -name is the filename operative and “*.php” says all files with php extension, and -print shows the results. Now, for an advanced trick. You can run a command as a parameter to another command. Enclose the nested command in backward single quote which is usually found to the left of the number 1 key on most keyboards. So, for example, I want to find all php files in my home folder and below that contain my name. grep “Mark” ‘find . -name “*.php” -print’ file - this shows file type. Example, “file someimage.jpg” will show yhe JPEG details. “file myfile.txt” shows ASCII text. This is helpful if you’re not sure what a file is. Two more points and I’ll quit. Be very careful with commands that remove, rename, or move files because if you’re not sure what you’re doing things can get ugly! Lastly, the command line commands like rm, rmdir, and other deleting commands do *not* have an undo feature. There is no trashcan. Once a file or folder is deleted you cannot get it back without special tools or restoring from backup!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great post -- thanks for sharing.

[@coreyaudet8574]

The comments are a continuation of this lesson! I am inspired, and I thank all of you who enjoy sharing your knowledge, and not looking down on beginners. We all had to crawl before we walked people. Thank you ALL, especially Chris for starting this information filled basic lesson. I have found it the most exciting place to begin out of all the stuff I've been learning.

[@strayling1]

Worth it for the Crl-Alt-T shortcut for opening a terminal - thanks. Question: why use "*.*" in your examples? The shell doesn't care about extensions, so just using "*" works.

[@Giuseppecarusoplus]

I really love these videos. Very well done and exhaustive. One tip about going back to you home folder: you don't need to actually type the tilde character (~), just type CD and hit return. It will bring you to your home folder anyway. ☺️

[@horseradishpower9947]

Ah, I new taking a look at the site would yeild a new video!

[@horseradishpower9947]

And I just got a notification for this video, and I am five minutes in... KZbin, please don't change... 😂

[@phreakwars]

Great video. Gave me flashbacks of college back in the 90's. Strange that after all these years I still have all the common Linux commands memorized, but oddly enough, I have forgotten several DOS commands. I blame Windows for being too easy. Love how Linux will keep you on your toes and your mind sharp.