Programs consisting of commands that are stored
and run from a file are referred to as shell scripts. Most Linux system administrators
use shell scripts to automate tasks such as backing up data, monitoring log files, or
checking system health.
The shell is a command language interpreter. If you have used Microsoft operating systems, you??™ll
see that using a shell in Linux is similar to??”but generally much more powerful than??”the interpreter
used to run commands in DOS or in the CMD command interface. You can happily use
Linux from a graphical desktop interface, but as you grow into Linux you will surely need to use
the shell at some point to track down a problem or administer some features.
How to use the shell isn??™t obvious at first, but with the right help you can quickly learn many of
the most important shell features. This chapter is your guide to working with the Linux system
commands, processes, and file system from the shell. It describes the shell environment and helps
you tailor it to your needs. It also explains how to use and move around the file system.
Starting a Shell
There are several ways to get to a shell interface in Linux. Three of the most common are the shell
prompt, Terminal window, and virtual terminal. They??™re discussed in the following sections.
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