The Linux command line : a complete introduction / by William E. Shotts, Jr.

"It's been said that "graphical user interfaces make easy tasks easy, while command-line interfaces make difficult tasks possible." The Linux Command Line shows readers how to control their computers and accomplish these difficult tasks using Bash, the Linux shell. Designed for command-line users of all levels, the book takes readers from the first keystrokes to the process of writing powerful programs in the command line's native language. Along the way, the author explores basic commands and file system navigation, OS configuration, classic command-line programs, shell programming, and much more, making The Linux Command Line an essential guide for all Linux users who wish to exploit the full power of their systems"-- Provided by publisher.

Includes index.

Learning the shell -- What Is the shell? -- Navigation -- Exploring the system -- Manipulating files and directories -- Working with commands -- Redirection -- Seeing the world as the shell sees it -- Advanced keyboard tricks -- Permissions -- Processes -- Configuration and the environment -- The environment -- A gentle introduction to vi -- Customizing the prompt -- Common tasks and essential tools -- Package management -- Storage media -- Networking -- Searching for files -- Archiving and backup -- Regular expressions -- Text processing -- Formatting output -- Printing -- Compiling programs -- Writing shell scripts -- Writing your first script -- Starting a project -- Top-down design -- Flow control: branching with if -- Reading keyboard input -- Flow control: looping with while and until -- Troubleshooting -- Flow control: branching with case -- Positional parameters -- Flow control: looping with for -- Strings and numbers -- Arrays -- Exotica.