Fedora Linux

Using the Command Line

Many system management tasks can be performed using either of the graphical user interfaces provided with Fedora (i.e., GNOME or KDE). However, most power users prefer the command line for system management work because they find it faster, more consistent between different versions of Linux, and easier to access remotely. The command line is also called a shell prompt, because the commands are processed by a program called a shell; the standard shell on a Fedora system is the Bourne-again shell (bash).

How Do I Do That?

If you are logged in to the system through the graphical user interface, access the command line through the terminal program. Select the menu option Applications→Accessories→Terminal (System→Terminal in KDE), or right-click on the desktop background and select Konsole under KDE.

Tip

If you find yourself using the terminal frequently, you can make it easier to launch: right-click on the Terminal option in the application menu and select “Add this launcher to panel.” A new panel icon will appear that will launch a new terminal when clicked.

If you have logged in to the system through a character-mode login screen or an SSH login, you will automatically be presented with a command line.

Understanding the shell prompt

The standard shell prompt looks like this:

[chris@concord2 ~]$

This message is an invitation to enter a command. It shows the name of the user (chris), the computer being used (concord2), and the current working directory within the ...