Linux and the command line: a free hands-on course for beginners
Seven short lessons that take you from your first command to small scripts that do the boring work for you. You don’t need to replace your operating system or know anything about programming: it all runs on the computer you already have, on Windows, Mac or Linux. You’ll type every command yourself, and see what it does.
0 of 7 lessons done
By the end you’ll be able to
- Open a terminal on any computer and find your way around
- Create, edit, move and delete files without accidents
- Pull answers out of a log file with grep and pipes
- Read and change permissions, and use sudo carefully
- Check your network and open ports from the command line
- Write scripts that check your websites and back up your files
What you need: a Windows, Mac or Linux computer. Lesson 1 sets up the terminal, which on Windows means a free Microsoft feature and one restart. There’s no need to do How the Internet Works first, although Lesson 6 makes more sense if you have.
- 1
Your First Linux Commands
Get a terminal on Windows, Mac or Linux, run your first commands, read the prompt, and learn the keys that get you out of trouble.
Open20 minutes · hands-on - 2
Find Your Way Around the Files
See how Linux organises everything under one tree, move between folders, show hidden files, and build a practice folder.
Open20 minutes · hands-on - 3
Create, Move and Delete Files Safely
Write and edit files, copy and rename them, and delete safely on a system with no recycle bin.
Open25 minutes · hands-on - 4
Search and Filter With Pipes
Chain small commands together to go through a web server log and find out who is probing the site, in one line.
Open25 minutes · hands-on - 5
Users, Permissions and Sudo
Read file permissions, fix “Permission denied”, install software with sudo, and recognise the paste-this-command scam.
Open25 minutes · hands-on - 6
Your Network From the Terminal
Find your addresses and router, read a website’s replies with curl, run a small web server and see which ports are listening.
Open25 minutes · hands-on - 7
Write Your First Bash Script
Turn commands into scripts: one that checks a list of websites, and one that backs up a folder and proves the backup works.
Open30 minutes · hands-on
What do you know already?
Try these three now, then again when you finish the course. Pick one answer each and you’ll see why.
1. You’re about to delete a file in the terminal. Where does it go?
rm has no recycle bin. That’s why Lesson 3 teaches a simple habit to check before you delete.2. What does the | character do in a command line?
3. A web page says: “Paste this command into your terminal to verify you’re human.” What is it?
This course is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0: teachers and learners may share and adapt the lessons for non-commercial use, with credit to ExamineIP and a link to the original. The tools, books and other pages it links to aren’t covered by this licence.