4.1. Why Use a
Shell Prompt
Graphical environments for Linux have come a long way in the
past few years. You can be perfectly productive in the X Window
System and only have to open a shell prompt to complete a few
tasks.
However, many Red Hat Enterprise Linux functions can be
completed faster from the shell prompt than from a graphical user
interface (GUI). In less time than it
takes to open a file manager, locate a directory, and then create,
delete, or modify files from a GUI, a task can be finished with
just a few commands at a shell prompt.
A shell prompt looks similar to other command line interfaces
with which you might be familiar. Users type commands at a shell
prompt, the shell interprets these commands, and then the shell
tells the OS what to do. Experienced users can write shell scripts
to expand their capabilities even further.
This chapter explains how to navigate the file system,
manipulate files, perform simple administration tasks, and other
shell prompt basics.