Hdi2u S01

The Command-line (shell)

The real power of Linux/Unix systems is the command line.

• Many programs and facilities are available through graphical options on Linux, but all programs and facilities can be accessed by the command line, also known as the shell.
• Graphical interfaces are good for reduced data, when analysing processed data.
• web services and curses-mode screens are halfway between command-line and grapihical interface.
• However for "heavy-lifting", the command-line is much more convenient
• Obvious examples include when you need to work with large numbers of files or want to automate processes.
• It's common to talk about "fear of the commandline", our aim is to reduce this.