How to Run a Shell
To run a shell within GNOME, KDE, or any other graphical interface for Linux, you’ll need to open a shell window. This is done by programs like xterm, gnome-terminal, konsole, and uxterm. Each of these programs does the same basic thing: open a window that is running a shell, awaiting your input. To run a shell window using the three default windowing interfaces for Fedora:
Interface | Take this action… | …to run this shell window program |
GNOME | Menu : System Tools : Terminal or on the desktop: Right Mouse Button : Open Terminal |
|
KDE | Menu : System Tools : Terminal or on the desktop:Right Mouse Button : Open Terminal |
|
twm | On the desktop:Right Mouse Button : XTerm |
|
Don’t confuse the window program (like konsole) with the shell running inside it. The window is just a container—albeit with fancy features of its own—but the shell is what prompts you for commands and runs them.
If you’re not running a graphical interface—say, you’re logging in remotely over the network, or directly over an attached terminal—a shell will run immediately when you log in. No shell window is required.