Linux Command Line for Beginners

Set up your virtual lab by installing VMware Workstation Player and Ubuntu desktop. Create and configure a virtual machine with a user named Alex and automatic login.

Explore the Ubuntu interface—from the purple home screen and left taskbar to the home directory, files, trash, and space indicators—and discover the Ubuntu Software Center.

Open a terminal to explore the linux command line and learn a shell prompt. Edit commands with arrow keys, navigate history, and exit with exit or control-d; use multiple terminals.

Explore the Linux file system structure, represented by a slash, and learn how the command line prompt shows user and host, the home directory tilde, and the shell symbol $.

Learn to print the current working directory with pwd, showing your home directory and tilde notation, and use clear to tidy the terminal.

Learn how to use the history command in the Linux command line to view past typed commands, helpful for remote sessions or auditing the environment.

Learn the cd change directory command in Linux, explore the home directory and tilde, navigate with cd dot dot, and build and move through file paths.

Discover how to get help with command usage using dash help, dash h, and the manual page, and learn to navigate man pages to understand command usage.

Use the LZ command to list the current directory’s contents, including hidden files, with verbose details, ownership, and permissions, and refine results using wildcards and specific paths.

Learn to read Linux file permissions by analyzing the three permission segments, identifying read, write, and execute for the owner, group, and others, and recognizing files versus directories.

Learn how to create text files with the touch command and make hidden files by prefixing names with a dot, then verify with ls and ls -A.

Create directories with mkdir and verify them by listing the current directory. Create a hidden directory by starting its name with a period, then reveal it using ls a.

Learn to use the file command to identify file types with practical examples, and master shell auto-completion with tab to speed up writing and editing on the Linux command line.

Learn the nano text editor, navigate with arrow keys, type and save with ctrl x, and create new files on the Linux command line.

Install gedit on Linux using sudo and apt-get, and learn basic editing, saving files, and how password entry is hidden to prevent shoulder surfing.

Learn to install and remove software from the command line with apt-get, handle authorization and password prompts, and use the -y flag to auto-confirm actions.

Print file contents to the terminal with cat, head, tail, less, and more. Use cat for full files, head or tail for parts, and navigate with less or more.

Use grep to locate specific words or phrases in a file by searching for a string. Pair grep with pipes to filter outputs from commands like cat, showing matching lines.

learn how the echo command prints text to the terminal and how to redirect output to files using > and >>, including overwriting versus appending content.

learn how to copy files in Linux using the cp command, verify files with ls and cat, and create a new copied file named copied.

Use the mv command to move files in Linux by specifying the source and destination, as shown by moving copied two to the desktop.

Learn how to rename files on the Linux command line by using the move command to rename a file from its old name to a new one.

Learn to remove files and directories using rm and rmdir or rmd, move from the desktop to the home directory, and verify deletions with ls.

Explore Linux command line basics. Preview advanced Linux systems administration and security; discover value for cybersecurity analysts, ethical hackers, and developers seeking a better integrated development environment.