Linux Training for People New to Linux – How to Use Linux Command Names

There are over 130 Linux distributions (versions) and they can be administered (managed) by Linux Graphical User Interface (GUI) utilities – or by using Linux commands.

Linux GUI utilities give you a “point-and-click” interface for doing Linux administration tasks, like working with the Linux file system (to make directories and copy files), and to create Linux users. However, they are slow and awkward to use – and even worse, they are different from one Linux distribution to another!

On the flip side, Linux commands are virtually identical from one Linux distribution to another. So, when you learn a Linux command in one Linux distro, that same command will work in all 130+ Linux distros.

However, new Linux users often have difficulty learning how to use Linux commands to administer the Linux OS (operating system). This is because most Linux training materials are poorly written by Linux techies that don’t know how to write in plain English for people new to Linux.

Linux Tips: When you get Linux training, don’t spend time learning Linux GUI utilities – learn how to use Linux commands, even though they are a bit harder to learn than GUI utilities.

Linux Command Names

Linux command names are often an abbreviation of what the command does. For example, the rm command stands for remove.

Linux command names and command options are “case sensitive”. Lower case letters need to be typed in lower case and vice versa. You must type in a Linux command and the options of the command, exactly as shown.

Linux Tips: Be sure to put a space between the Linux command name, its options, and what the Linux command is being run “on”, such as the name of a file.

Linux Command Name Examples

Here are some Linux command examples. The task is described and then the Linux command name is shown.

make (create) a directory – the Linux command is md

create new Linux users – the useradd command is used for this

search the Linux file system for information – the Linux command is grep

see the “type” of a Linux file – the file command displays this information

see the names of new Linux users, currently working on the system – the Linux command is users

find Linux directories and files in the Linux file system – the command for this is called find

Linux video tutorials are an easy and fast way to get Linux training and actually “see” how to use Linux commands.

When you watch a Linux video tutorial, you get to see, hear and do! You see and hear how to run a Linux command and you can even pause the presentation so you can run the Linux command yourself!

Linux Training – Linux Installation Help – Install Linux on Windows to Run Linux in Windows!

If you already have a computer system with Windows installed, you can easily get a free Linux distribution and install Linux on Windows. This allows you to run Linux in Windows and get Linux training so you can learn how to use Linux!

To run Linux in Windows, you run the free virtual machine “player” (program) and then open a free Linux virtual machine.

A Linux virtual machine is a complete new Linux distribution, including the Linux OS (operating system) and Linux software programs, that has been compressed into a single Linux download file.

All you need to do is download and install the free Linux virtual machine player and a free Linux virtual machine, so you can run Linux in Windows, as described in the steps below.

7 Steps to Install Linux on Windows So You Can Run Linux in Windows!

1. Download the free Linux virtual machine player to your Windows desktop and a player installation icon appears on the desktop so you can install the player.

2. Double-click on the player installation icon and follow the prompts to install the Linux virtual machine player. The player program easily installs like any other Windows program and this takes just a few minutes. After the installation, a virtual machine player icon appears on the desktop. This second icon is used to run the player, as opposed to the icon that was used to install the player.

3. Download a free Linux virtual machine. This is a single large compressed (zipped) file. And this file contains several Linux virtual machine files, all of which make up the virtual machine. These files provide a “pre-installed” version of a new Linux OS, including Linux software programs. Lots of free Linux virtual machines are available for many popular Linux distributions.

Linux Tips: When you download Linux as a virtual machine, be sure to get one that includes a Linux desktop. Some virtual machines are created without Linux desktops and are used as Linux servers. As a new Linux user, you will want a Linux desktop so you can easily use the menus to run Linux software programs. The desktop also allows you to open one or more terminal emulation windows so you can go to the Linux command line and run Linux commands.

Linux Tips: Also be sure to get the password of the root user, which will be posted at the site where you download Linux. When you go to the Linux command line to run Linux commands, you need the root user password to run the Linux administration commands.

4. Create a folder on your Windows hard disk for the Linux virtual machine files. You need to create this folder before uncompressing (unzipping) the single file that contains the compressed Linux virtual machine files.

5. Uncompress (unzip) the Linux virtual machine files, from the single Linux download file, into the folder you created on your Windows hard disk.

6. Run the Linux virtual machine player. Just double-click on the virtual machine player icon that was created on the desktop. At this point, you will be prompted for the name of a virtual machine to “open”.

7. Browse to the folder you created and “open” the Linux virtual machine. This quickly and easily runs Linux in Windows!

Linux Tips: A compressed Linux virtual machine file is quite large. High-speed Internet accesses is highly recommended. If you don’t have high-speed access, look into getting a Linux live CD version. These are inexpensive to buy and have delivered to you by mail.

By installing Linux on Windows to run Linux in Windows you get practical Linux training and valuable experience at how to use Linux!

Linux Training for People New to Linux – How to Use Linux Command Line Components

Linux Commands – The great thing about Linux commands is that they are virtually identical from one Linux distribution (version) to another. So the way the real pros do Linux administration is to work at the Linux command line and run Linux commands.

Learning how to run a Linux command can be very difficult for someone new to Linux, so here are some Linux tips that will help you to learn how to use Linux commands when working at the Linux command line prompt.

There are three main parts of a Linux command:

1. The Linux command name

2. Options that can be used with the Linux command

3. The “item(s)” that the Linux command is being run “on”

When you run a Linux command, spaces are used between: the Linux command name, the command options and the “item” the command is being run “on”. The “item” could be a Linux directory, file, user or some other Linux software component.

For example, you run the Linux command named ls (for list) “on” a Linux directory to see a list of files in the directory. You run the Linux command named rm (remove) “on” a Linux directory to remove the directory from the Linux file system.

To run a Linux command, you type in the name of the command, and any other parts of the command, such as options, and press the Enter key.

You can see an example of the Linux command that is used to create a new Linux user below. The useradd command is being run “on” the bthatcher user name to create this Linux user.

Linux Tips: Linux commands are run at the Linux command line prompt and this prompt is shown as ]# at the left of the command. You don’t type in the prompt, you type the Linux command at the right of the prompt.

Linux Tips: The Linux command prompt may also appear as: ]$ or as another symbol, instead of # or $.

]# useradd -c “Becky Thatcher” bthatcher

This Linux command creates a new Linux user named bthatcher with the full name of “Becky Thatcher”. The -c (for comment) option is used with this command to add the full name as a comment to the Linux user name of bthatcher.

One of the easiest and best ways to get Linux training is to see Linux commands being run in Linux video tutorials. With this method – you see, hear and do.

With a Linux video tutorial, you see and hear how to run a Linux command and see and hear a description of the output of the command. You can also pause the video so you can run the Linux command yourself!

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Linux Training for People New to Linux – How to Use Linux Command Names

Linux Training – Linux Installation Help – Install Linux on Windows to Run Linux in Windows!