Linux sounds alien to many who are used to only working with Windows or Mac desktops. Why even learn an operating system so alien? Why? 

The reason is Linux use is growing at a rapid pace. Linux is the most used operating system in the world. Linux is used to power the majority of servers hosting your favorite websites. Amazon uses it. Google uses it and many other companies use it.  Your phone runs Linux if you use Android. If you use a smart device, it is likely running a version of Linux. 

Due to the wide-spread and increasing use of Linux, Linux skills are in demand. The trouble many people have, who are curious about the operating system, is knowing where to start learning how to use Linux. 

The first place is start is at the command line. The command line is where most Linux administrators spend most of their time. There is a Graphical user interface (GUI)  for many distros, however, most administrators do not use or rarely use a GUI. Most servers will not have a graphical environment installed. So, it is better to get comfortable with the command line. 

The command-line scares most people. The command-line is not scary once you get used to it. You just have to start with the basics and move your way up. 

The first command a first time Linux user should learn is ‘whoami.’ I know it may seem strange to ask yourself who you are, however, in Linux using ‘whoami’ serves an important purpose. 

Administrators login to many machines throughout the day. There is the possibility to forget the machine you logged into when switching from one machine to the next – especially when there are dozens upon dozens. 

The ‘whoami’ command allows users to know the identity of the machine and the user of the machine they are logged in as. Another use case is when you are performing actions on the behest of other user accounts. It is important to know what account you are logged in as so you can make the correct configurations. 

The second command a new Linux user must know is touch. Touch creates a file. Touch can also alter the timestamp of a file. A timestamp is an indication of when a file was created or changed.  To use touch, you simply type ‘touch file.’ File is a placeholder for the file name you will create. You could name the file anything you want. 

It is easier to create files at the command line instead of using a graphical user interface (GUI). This, especially, holds true when you create multiples files. You simply type ‘touch file 1 file 2 file 3 file 4 file5’. The number of files you can chain can be endless.  You can create 5 files with such a command in seconds whereas it would take you a minute and half to create them using a GUI.

Believe it or not you can make the creation of 5 files even faster if the files all contain similar names. You just need to type ‘touch {1…5} ’ and files 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 will be created. 

After mastering those basic commands, the third command a new Linux user should master is CD. CD stands for change directory. The command, as indicated, changes the directory which you are working. A directory is the same as a folder icon on a desktop. The only difference is there is no visual indicator when working in the command line.  To change a directory type ‘cd  directory/ .’