Grasping the basics of Bash
One disadvantage of the modern emphasis on the desktop is that people learn about the command line only when they need it. As a result, their knowledge of is often haphazard and full of gaps. For example, for years I've been using the su - command several times a day to log in as root from a virtual terminal on the desktop of my everyday account. I always thought that when you were finished as root, you couldn't return to the everyday account in the same terminal; instead, you had to close the window and open another one. Then I learned, purely by accident, that all I really needed to do was type exit.
Since then, I've discovered that, if pressed, even experts would confess to a similar gap in their knowledge at one time or the other.
Back to the Basics
In this article, I'll discuss a topic I should have covered months ago: the basics of Bash, the command line used by most GNU/Linux distributions. I'll discuss the basic tools and sources for information, as well as the basics of navigation. Even if you know some of this information, a systematic discussion might fill in gaps in your knowledge. If not, you can always pass on the information to a desktop user to further their education.
[...]
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.
-
Linux Kernel 6.14 Released
The latest Linux kernel has arrived with extra Rust support and more.
-
EndeavorOS Mercury Neo Available
A new release from the EndeavorOS team ships with Plasma 6.3 and other goodies.
-
Fedora 42 Beta Has Arrived
The Fedora Project has announced the availability of the first beta release for version 42 of the open-source distribution.
-
Dash to Panel Maintainer Quits
Charles Gagnon has stepped away as maintainer of the popular Dash to Panel Gnome extension.
-
CIQ Releases Security-Hardened Version of Rocky Linux
If you're looking for an enterprise-grade Linux distribution that is hardened for business use, there's a new version of Rocky Linux that's sure to make you and your company happy.
-
Gnome’s Dash to Panel Extension Gets a Massive Update
If you're a fan of the Gnome Dash to Panel extension, you'll be thrilled to hear that a new version has been released with a dock mode.
-
Blender App Makes it to the Big Screen
The animated film "Flow" won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards held on March 2, 2025 and Blender was a part of it.
-
Linux Mint Retools the Cinnamon App Launcher
The developers of Linux Mint are working on an improved Cinnamon App Launcher with a better, more accessible UI.
-
New Linux Tool for Security Issues
Seal Security is launching a new solution to automate fixing Linux vulnerabilities.