Become a shell wizard in ~12 mins

How to Become a Shell Wizard in ~12 Minutes

Step 1: Understanding the Basics of Shell Commands

1. Shell Basics: Understand terms like shell, terminal, console, and command line.
2. Common Commands:
   • ls: List content of a directory with various arguments like -lat.
   • cd: Change directory.
   • pwd: Show the full path of the current working directory.
   • echo: Print text.
   • cat: Print contents of a file.
   • touch: Create a file.
   • cp: Copy a file or directory.
   • mv: Move a file or directory.
   • rm: Delete files with options like -rf for force deletion.
   • ln: Create a symbolic link.
   • less and more: View text content in a scrollable format.

Step 2: Advanced Shell Commands

1. Pattern Matching:

   • grep: Pattern match against text content.
   • find: Find files and directories.
   • sed: Stream editor for making changes to text.

2. File Manipulation:

   • head: View the first few lines of a file.
   • tail: View the end of a file.
   • Piping Commands: Use | to pass output from one command to another.

Step 3: Advanced Techniques

1. xargs: Split content into chunks and pass them as arguments to another command.

2. Redirection:

   • Use > to write output to a file.
   • Use < to pass file content to a command's input.

3. Fuzzy Finder (fzf): Use fzf to search and select files interactively.

Step 4: Creating Aliases and Scripts

1. Creating Aliases:

   • Define aliases for complex commands to simplify usage.
   • Add aliases to your shell configuration file for persistent use.

2. Useful Combinations:

   • Combine commands like compgen, fzf, and xargs to enhance productivity.

Step 5: Shell Hot Keys

1. Useful Shortcuts:

   • Learn hotkeys like Ctrl+C, Ctrl+D, Ctrl+A, Ctrl+E, Alt+F, Alt+B, Ctrl+K, Ctrl+U, Ctrl+Z.
   • Utilize shortcuts for efficient navigation and editing in the shell.

2. Command History:

   • Use history to view previous commands for reference.

Step 6: Practice and Exploration

1. Regular Practice:

   • Regularly use shell commands to reinforce learning.
   • Experiment with different commands and techniques to expand your skills.

2. Utilize Resources:

   • Refer to Man pages or TLDR for command usage.
   • Explore subshells, aliases, and scripts to streamline tasks.

By following these steps and practicing regularly, you can enhance your shell skills and become proficient in using command-line interfaces effectively.