Efficient Linux at the Command Line

Efficient Linux at the Command Line

By Daniel J. Barrett, author of Linux Pocket Guide!

Want to increase your Linux productivity to get more done in less time? This practical guide teaches the concepts you need to be quick and efficient at the command line. You'll learn to create and run complex commands that solve real business problems, organize your files for quick access, efficiently process and retrieve information, and automate manual tasks.

No matter which Linux tools you use, Efficient Linux at the Command Line can help you become more effective in your daily work and more competitive in the job market.

Buy   Read Online   Download the Examples

Table of Contents

Preface
This book will take your Linux command-line skills to the next level, so you can work faster, smarter, and more efficiently. We assume you already know basic commands (ls, cp, mv, rm, etc.) and a Linux text editor. (If your skills are rusty, a quick Linux refresher is in the appendix.)
Chapter 1: Combining Commands
Starting with just six Linux commands, you'll rapidly build multi-stage pipelines that solve diverse business problems.
Chapter 2: Introducing the Shell
When you type a command and press Enter, some parts of the command are the responsibility of the shell, and some are the responsibility of the program it invokes. Knowing which is which will make you a wiser Linux user.
Chapter 3: Rerunning Commands
Save tons of time and typing by leveraging three kinds of command history and three kinds of command-line editing.
Chapter 4: Cruising the Filesystem
Vastly speed up your use of the "cd" command via directory stacks, cd search paths, and other features for navigating the filesystem efficiently.
Chapter 5: Expanding Your Toolbox
A dozen more commands — some simple, some advanced — will help you produce, isolate, combine, and transform text files to achieve practical business goals quickly.
Chapter 6: Parents, Children, and Environments
Discover what happens behind the scenes when you run a command, and how you can leverage this knowledge to work more quickly and avoid superstitious beliefs.
Chapter 7: Eleven More Ways to Run a Command
Become more flexible at the command line by moving beyond pipes and redirection. You'll learn command substitution, process substitution, job control, process replacement, and other powerful techniques for speed.
Chapter 8: Building a Brash One-Liner
Step by step, you'll learn to create long, complex, one-line commands to solve a variety of business problems.
Chapter 9: Leveraging Text Files
On Linux, the common currency for programs is text. You'll construct customized, structured text files for your data and create commands to process them.
Chapter 10: Efficiency at the Keyboard
Ten fingers are faster than one mouse. You'll learn to work with windows, browse the web, and copy & paste with the clipboard without taking your hands off the keyboard.
Chapter 11: Final Timesavers
A dozen great speed tips that didn't fit elsewhere in the book.
Appendix A: Linux Refresher
If your Linux skills are rusty, this 10-page refresher will get you back on track.
Appendix B: If You Use a Different Shell
We translate all the bash techniques in this book for use with other popular shells, including dash, fish, ksh, tcsh, and zsh.
 

About the Author