Concept: Shell Basics

Skill: shell-basics

The shell is a text conversation with the operating system.

You type a command. The machine prints output. Read the output before typing the next command.

The fastest beginners are not the ones who type fastest. They are the ones who read errors carefully.

Go Deeper

• Shell explains what Bash does before a program starts.
• Terminal explains the text interface carrying your keystrokes and output.
• Readline gives the keystrokes that make command-line editing fast.
• Environment Variables explains values such as $HOME, $USER, and $PATH.