Linux for Absolute Beginners: Command Line for Biologists

If you're a biologist, biotechnology student, researcher, or life science professional who has never used Linux before, this course is the perfect place to start.

Linux for Absolute Beginners is a practical, step-by-step course that teaches only the Linux command line and Bash shell scripting. It is specially designed for biologists who want to become comfortable working in a Linux environment before learning bioinformatics tools or sequencing analysis.

The course begins with the fundamentals of the Linux operating system and the Terminal. You'll learn how to navigate directories, create and organize files and folders, copy, move, rename, and delete files, and understand the Linux file system. Every command is explained in a simple way with hands-on practice exercises.

As you progress, you'll learn powerful Linux text-processing commands such as grep, cat, head, tail, sort, cut, wc, find, and chmod. You'll also understand file permissions, users, processes, and other essential command-line concepts used in day-to-day research work.

The course also introduces Bash shell scripting, where you'll learn how to write and execute shell scripts, use variables, loops, conditions, and automate repetitive command-line tasks.

This course focuses entirely on building a strong Linux foundation. No bioinformatics software or programming knowledge is required. By the end of the course, you'll be able to confidently use the Linux Terminal, understand commonly used commands, and write simple shell scripts for everyday tasks.