Linuxabc logo – a guide to Linux for beginners

The terminal and basic commands

Your first steps on the command line without fear

What is a terminal?

A terminal is an application where you type commands with the keyboard. Most everyday Linux tasks can also be done through the graphical interface, so you do not need to use the terminal all the time. It becomes very useful when you want to do something quickly, precisely or understand what the system is doing.

Terminal in Debian Linux
Figure 1: Terminal in Debian Linux.

The terminal is nothing to be afraid of

It is simply another way to communicate with the computer. Instead of clicking a button, you type a command. You only need a few commands at first – you do not need to memorise everything.

Terminal, shell and Bash – what is the difference?

The terminal is the window where you type. The shell is the program that interprets and runs your commands. Bash is one of the most widely used shells on Linux and is a good place to start.

What does the terminal prompt mean?

You may see something like this before the place where you type:

saso@computer:\~$

A command often has three parts

You can read ls -l Documents as: command ls + option -l + target Documents.

Before your first commands

Check a command before using sudo

sudo temporarily gives a command administrator privileges. Do not blindly paste commands from websites or AI tools. First make sure you understand what each part of the command does.

Your first commands

pwd – where am I?

pwd

Shows the current directory, for example /home/saso.

ls – what is in this directory?

ls

Shows files and directories in the current location.

ls -l

Shows a more detailed list.

ls -la

Also shows hidden files and directories together with details.

cd – move between directories

cd Documents

Moves into the Documents directory.

cd ..

Moves one level up.

cd \~

Returns to your home directory.

mkdir – create a directory

mkdir practice

touch – create an empty file

touch notes.txt

clear – clear the terminal display

clear

This clears the visible terminal window but does not erase your command history.

The Linux file system

Simplified Linux file system structure
Figure 2: A simplified Linux file system. Everything begins at the root directory /.

Compared with Windows

Windows users often think in terms of the C:\\ drive. Linux starts from the root directory /. A user's personal files are usually stored in /home/username, while external drives are commonly mounted under directories such as /media or /run/media.

Working with files and directories

cp – copy

cp file.txt copy.txt
cp -r directory1 directory2

The -r option copies a directory and its contents recursively.

mv – move or rename

mv old.txt new.txt
mv file.txt Documents/

rm – remove

rm file.txt
rm -i file.txt

The -i option asks for confirmation before removal and is useful while learning.

Be careful with rm

rm normally does not move a file to the Trash. Commands that combine rm, -r and sudo can be very dangerous if you do not understand their target.

Reading and searching file contents

cat – quickly display a short file

cat notes.txt

less – read a longer file

less notes.txt

You can scroll through the file and press q to quit.

grep – search for text

grep "Linux" notes.txt

head and tail – beginning and end of a file

head -n 5 notes.txt
tail -n 5 notes.txt

find – find files

find . -name "\*.txt"

Searches the current directory and its subdirectories for files ending in .txt.

Package management

Linux distributions use package managers. Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Zorin OS mainly use APT, Fedora uses DNF, and openSUSE uses Zypper. You can also use your distribution's graphical software store for everyday software installation.

What does sudo apt install vlc mean?

APT – Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Zorin OS

sudo apt update

Refreshes package information from the repositories.

sudo apt upgrade

Updates installed packages.

sudo apt install vlc
sudo apt remove vlc

DNF – Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade
sudo dnf install vlc
sudo dnf remove vlc

Zypper – openSUSE

sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper update
sudo zypper install vlc
sudo zypper remove vlc

You do not need package-repair commands yet

Start with updating, installing and removing software. Troubleshooting commands are better used later when you understand the specific problem and the instructions you are following.

Flatpak

Flatpak is a more universal application packaging format that works across many Linux distributions. If you use Flathub, applications can often also be installed through a graphical software store. 

flatpak update

Updates installed Flatpak applications.

flatpak install flathub org.videolan.VLC

Installs VLC from Flathub.

flatpak uninstall org.videolan.VLC

Removes the Flatpak version of VLC.

System information and diagnostics

uname -a – kernel and system information

uname -a

free -h – RAM usage

free -h

df -h – space on mounted file systems

df -h

du -sh \* – size of items in the current directory

du -sh \*

lsblk – disks and partitions

lsblk

Shows storage devices, partitions and their basic layout.

uptime – how long the system has been running

uptime

top – processes and system load

top

Shows processes, CPU usage and memory usage. Press q to quit.

Networking

ping – test reachability

ping linuxabc.si

Sends test packets to the destination. Stop it with Ctrl + C.

ip addr – network interfaces and addresses

ip addr

Shows network interfaces and their IP addresses.

hostname – computer name

hostname

Commands that make terminal work easier

whoami – which user am I?

whoami

history – previously used commands

history

--help – quick help

ls --help

man – manual pages

man ls

Opens a more detailed manual. Press q to leave it.

A small, safe practice exercise

You can practise in a temporary directory inside your home directory: 

cd \~
mkdir linuxabc-practice
cd linuxabc-practice
touch notes.txt
ls -l
cp notes.txt copy.txt
mv copy.txt renamed.txt
ls -l
rm -i renamed.txt
rm -i notes.txt
cd ..
rmdir linuxabc-practice

The final rmdir command only removes an empty directory. If notes.txt is still inside it, remove it first with rm -i notes.txt.

Small exercises are the best way to learn

Practise inside a directory created only for learning. You will quickly see what each command does without touching important system files.

Conclusion

You do not need to memorise the terminal. It is more important to understand the basic logic: where you are, what you want to do, which file or directory is the target, and whether the command really needs administrator privileges.

If you remember only a few commands

For your first steps, pwd, ls, cd, mkdir, cp, mv, careful use of rm and basic system updates are enough. You can look up everything else when you need it.

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