2.1 Terminal and Shell Basics
The terminal is the primary way users interact with a Linux system at a low level.
This section introduces the basic concepts behind the terminal and the shell, helping you understand who you are communicating with when typing commands.
The goal of this section is not speed, but clarity.
Learning Goal
After completing this section, you should be able to:
- Understand the role of the shell in Linux
- Distinguish between terminal, console, and SSH
- Use common keyboard shortcuts to work efficiently
- Feel comfortable interacting with Linux through the command line
What You Are Interacting With
When you type a command in Linux:
- You are not talking directly to the operating system
- You are communicating through a shell
- The shell translates your input into actions handled by the system
Understanding this interaction model is essential before learning specific commands.
📌 Note:
The following subsections break down each component of this interaction in detail.