Workshop 0. Basic Linux and Command Line Usage: Online Materials

Introduction

Runtime: ~3 min

Basic command line usage

Basic file operations

Commands for working with directories:

  • mkdir - make directory
  • rm - remove file or directory
  • mv - rename or change location of (move) file or directory

Runtime: ~9 min

Two videos covering commands for working with files:

  • head - print first lines of a file
  • tail - print last lines of a file
  • find - search for a file in a and below a directory
  • Ctl-C - interrupt a running command

Runtime: ~9 min

NB: At one point the speaker says the find command is not very useful. I disagree!!

Two more useful commands:

  • less - print a file to the screen page by page
  • nano - very basic command line text editor

Runtime: ~10 min

I/O redirection and commands that commonly use it:

  • >, >> - redirect standard output (stdout) and replace/append to file
  • 2>, 2>> - redirect standard error (stderr) and replace/append to file
  • &>, &>> - redirect both stdout and stderr and replace/append to file
  • > - standard input redirect from file
  • grep - search for text patterns in file/output
  • | - pipe, forward stdout from one program to another program
  • cat - print file(s) to stdout
  • ps - print out information on running processes

Runtime: ~20 min

Globbing

  • * - the glob character

Runtime: ~6 min