Beginner's Guide to the Bash Terminal

This video is a crash course to help new users get started with BASH. Here is a list of the commands we'll cover:

BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO THE BASH TERMINAL

NAVIGATION

ls - list directory contents
pwd - print name of current/working directory
cd - change working directory
pushd/popd - put working directory on a stack
file - determine file type
locate - find files by name
updatedb - update database for locate
which - locate a command
history - display bash command history

GETTING HELP

whatis - display the on-line manual descriptions
apropos - search the manual page names and descriptions
man - an interface to the on-line reference manuals

WORKING WITH FILES

mkdir - create a directory/make directories
touch - change file timestamps/create empty files
cp - copy files and directories
mv - move (rename) files
rm - remove files or directories
rmdir - remove empty directories

TEXT FILES

cat - concatenate files and print on the standard output
more/less - file perusal filter for crt viewing
nano - command line text editor

USERS

sudo - execute a command as superuser
su - change user ID or become another user
users - print the user names of users currently logged in
id - print real and effective user and group IDs

CHANGING FILE PERMISSIONS

chmod - change permissions of a file

KILLING PROGRAMS AND LOGGING OUT

Ctrl+C - kill a running command
killall - kill processes by name
exit - log out of bash

USEFUL SHORTCUTS

Ctrl+D - signal bash that there is no more input
Ctrl+L - redraw the screen
Ctrl++ - make text bigger in terminal emulator
Ctrl+- - make text smaller in terminal emulator

[jw]

why would anyone dislike this video? This man spent hours trying to teach us and he did a great job.

[EzeeLinux]

FOR THE PEDANTIC PEOPLE: No, BASH is not a Terminal, It is a Shell. I explain that in the video. The title is constructed to be searchable, not taken literally. Since I have clarified this in the comment section already, there is no need for you to do so. Thanks. :)

[waliboy]

Based on 50 years of using computers (mainframes the size of tennis courts!) and 25 years of PCs and 15 years of searching through poorly produced instructional videos I have to say that this is, without doubt, the best that I have seen on any subject. Well scripted, well presented and incredibly helpful. Thank you!

[fernandoc]

This was my first video of Linux. After two years working with it almost as a daily driver I can tell that this is for sure one of the most useful and comprehensible video-tutorial of everything I've learn in my entire life. Congrats Joe👍

[RKBibleStudy]

I'm about to give you an unusual complement. I live in Nashville where obviously there are a lot of songwriters. I actually am very close to some people who have written some big hit songs. one thing I know about songwriting is that you have to keep the song moving forward continually. In other words, you can't just hover over one idea for a long time. You should always keep the story moving forward, the next event always progressing from the last event especially if you're telling a story of course, and making it very understandable to the listener. Your lessons flow very much like a well-written song. You're an excellent orator, and your lessons flow from one thing to another in a very logical way. I just thought I'd put that out there. I'm very appreciative of the work you do to get these videos out there. I don't know why, but I am really into Linux very much. I just thought I'd pass that along. God bless.

[GunnerJoe]

Wow I've been reading a book on Bash commands. This video couldn't have come at a better time! I was thinking of the hours I would've wasted learning all the non-essential stuff from a 1000 page book.

[MichaelSharpTechniSmart]

Joe, I have been landing on your videos for years whenever I was in need of something specific and you always seem to have a tutorial in your inimitable style. No more a lurker, you have a brand new subscriber!

[helloworld]

i love how you don't _assume_ that the person watching knows this or that. this is truly a beginner's guide; you explain *everything, * even the parts i feel other tutorials would skip. i've been using bash for almost a year now and there was still so much that i had no idea of, or that i did know how to use but didn't know how it worked. this crash course was a massive insight into all that. thank you for the great video!

[garyc]

This video is absolutely brilliant. I'm studying operating systems at Uni and we are learning bash at the moment, this has helped so much. Really appreciate the time and effort you've put into this. Liked and Subbed!!!

[ceruleanfish]

Really enjoyed your presentation, Joe. I'd learned some of these commands before. However, to have someone tie them together like that really makes things easier to remember. Thank you for sharing.

[subliminalcastillo]

God damn, dude. This was one of the best things I've ever seen on youtube. I swear to god the progression, flow & order of this tutorial is so flawless & perfect it's hard to believe a human being came up with it.

[bovrarnd]

Thank you very much sir, I was really needing that didactic approach to the terminal. The fear of the unknown vanishes with valuable information.

[luke]

Dude....your teaching skills are amazing. Thank you so much for taking the time to put this together; while being clear and concise.

[watchingallyall]

I took basic linux unix in school but this video taught me advance commands I never knew and explained deeper why basic commands work and what they mean so much better than any course I have ever taken. Can't tell you how many videos I have seen in the past 4 years, this one is THE BEST one I have ever come across! Thank You

[rugglez]

I am so impressed with your guide! You have presented a lot of useful information in a well paced, well spoken and well delivered way.

You are clear with your instructions, keep things moving forward but also don't pile on too much new information all in one go. I already knew a little bit about Bash, and your guide helped me to validate things I thought I already knew, then taught me a whole lot more on the subject.


A massive thank you from me for your wonderful teaching style. I'm off to search through your archives now in the hope of some Javascript and other web development guides :)

[synen]

I like to watch multiple videos of the same tech topics to make sure I grasp all the concepts correctly. Without a doubt, this one is by far the best one for linux terminal usage, thank you so much Joe.

[petey]

This video is incredible. I was hardcore into DOS back in the old days, have my first Linux computer coming this week. I'm a total Newb, and am so excited! Thank you for this, you are a great teacher!

[CharlesChoMD]

I've been using command line to do small things but this video gave me more understanding. Thanks

[kamcosmic]

My new assignment requires me to know my way around Linux and this was exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much for your clear and concise explanations. It's perfect for short attention spanned me.

[Roger-weco]

2017. I've been missing this video for 4 years! I'm learning for the A+ exam, I'm finding myself really attracted to linux. Even today this info is gold, TY!