Chapter 10. The Bash Shell

This chapter, along with Chapter 11, tells you most of what you always wanted to know—but were afraid to ask—about working with Linux at the command line. When you interact with Linux at the command line, you are interacting with a Linux shell, just as you interact with Command.com, a DOS shell, when you work with a DOS prompt. Chapters 11 and 12 primarily cover the bash shell, which is Linux's default.

If you are new to Linux, you can comfortably perform such tasks as sending email, browsing the Web, and writing letters using Gnome and applications like Netscape and WordPerfect without ever even seeing a command line. But there comes a time when even the casual user wants to delve deeper.

You might find that there are some things that have to be done at the command line. Then again, there are some things that are simply easier to do at the command line.

In addition, some people simply do not like graphical user interfaces and prefer working at the command line.

Finally, it is simply interesting to understand the way a Linux command shell works!

Topics covered in this chapter include the following:

• How to access the command line

• Available shells

• The bash shell

• Profiles, paths, and environment variables

• How to get your bearings: session history, location, and identity

• How to edit text files and send email