Product: The Linux Command Line: A Complete Introduction

For some reason, people think that to use Linux you need to understand the scary, scary command line. That might have been true 15 years ago, but not today. In fact, I know a number of Linux users who have never and will never type a command. But for others, a knowledge of the command line is essential. Or, at least, useful. And if you need to learn the Linux command line from the ground up, this book can help you.

It walks you through what the shell is, how to enter commands, and how to end a terminal session. From there, you learn how to navigate and explore the file system. In explaining those commands, the author also offers some good explanations of the structure of the Linux filesystem and of absolute and relative paths. I can’t tell you how many people I know who still mix those up …

Once you’ve got that under your belt, the author shows you how to manipulate file, understand the environment, and doles out a number of useful command line tips and tricks that make using it easier. And it’s all done in a fairly lively and easy-to-understand way packed with plenty of examples.

The book isn’t perfect. There were a few things that I glossed over or that fell flat for me – like the section explaining how to determine the type of command that you’re using. On top of that, I found the book to be a bit long. It weighs in at 482 pages. I like things a bit shorter and more concise. You might find the section on writing shell scripts – which takes up almost a third of the book – useful. I felt it was a both a bit long and a bit rushed. The section felt like it had been tacked on. I think it would have worked better as a separate book.

Overall, though, The Linux Command Line does a good job of taking someone new to the subject from being unfamiliar with the command line to a level of mastery. Or, at least, familiarity.
Rating: 4
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