Linux Shells

As regular users of operating systems, we all extensively use the Graphical User Interface (GUI) to carry out most operations. It takes a few clicks on different options, and your task is done. However, you can perform almost every task by writing commands in the CLI of your operating system rather than using the GUI. The shells give you some great features for the commands you write in your CLI. This way of interacting with the OS is more efficient and resource-friendly.

Suppose you are in a restaurant and have two options for your food. The first option is to order food from the menu, and the waiter will serve it. The second option is to cook your desired dish yourself in the kitchen. In terms of a Linux system, the kitchen here is the OS, and using the GUI of the OS is just like ordering the food from the menu, and the waiter will serve it for you. However, using the CLI means you would have to go to the kitchen (OS) and cook your desired food. In this example, Shell would help you cook your desired dish by giving you some recipe suggestions. Using CLI to perform operations in a Linux system gives you more power and control while carrying out the tasks.

You may have seen hacking scenes in movies that show cool terminals with many commands getting executed. This is because most Linux users prefer to perform operations by writing commands on the CLI using shells instead of using the GUI. This room will teach us how to interact with a Linux shell. We will also explore different shells available in Linux and write some shell scripts in the end.

Learning Objectives

• Learn interaction with Linux shell
• Use basic shell commands
• Explore the types of Linux shells available
• Write some shell scripts

Room Prerequisites

• Linux Fundamentals module