Next: Command History
You'll hear words like terminal, console, shell, command thrown around constantly. To beginners it sounds spooky — the real power lives here. GUIs are fine for comfort, but true control belongs to the CLI.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Terminal | The app you open to type commands — your window into the system |
| Shell | Lives inside the terminal; takes your commands and tells the kernel what to do |
| Console | Old-school term for a direct system interface — often used interchangeably with terminal |
| GUI | Graphical user interface — point, click, drag |
| CLI | Command line interface — type commands, automate, script |
Common shells: bash, zsh, fish.
{command} -option [argument]
| Concept | Example |
|---|---|
| Short option | ls -l |
| Long option | tar --verbose |
| Combine short options | ls -alh |
| Short + long together | ls -a --color |
| Some commands accept argument before option | grep file -i |
man lsInside the manual: press h for navigation help, q to quit.
tldr tarCommunity-maintained; shows real-world usage instead of exhaustive reference.
grep --helpMost commands support this flag.
help cdUse type <command> to check whether a command is a shell built-in or an external program:
type echo
type ls| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
CTRL + L |
Clear the screen |
CTRL + D |
Exit the current shell session |
CTRL + C |
Terminate the running command |
CTRL + Z |
Pause (suspend) the current process |
CTRL + A |
Move cursor to start of line |
CTRL + E |
Move cursor to end of line |
CTRL + U |
Clear the current command line |
UP Arrow |
Recall previous command |
DOWN Arrow |
Navigate to newer command |
| You want to... | Go here |
|---|---|
| Recall and search past commands | Command History |
| Understand users and permissions | Users & Root |