Linux traditionally operates in text mode or in graphical mode. Since CPU power and RAM are not the cost anymore these days, every Linux user can afford to work in graphical mode and will usually do so. This does not mean that you don't have to know about text mode: we will work in the text environment throughout this course, using a terminal window.
Linux encourages its users to acquire knowledge and to become independent. Inevitably, you will have to read a lot of documentation to achieve that goal; that is why, as you will notice, we refer to extra documentation for almost every command, tool and problem listed in this book. The more docs you read, the easier it will become and the faster you will leaf through manuals. Make reading documentation a habit as soon as possible. When you don't know the answer to a problem, refering to the documentation should become a second nature.
We already learned some commands:
Table 2-3. New commands in chapter 2: Basics
| Command | Meaning |
|---|---|
| apropos | Search information about a command or subject. |
| cat | Show content of one or more files. |
| cd | Change into another directory. |
| exit | Leave a shell session. |
| file | Get information about the content of a file. |
| info | Read Info pages about a command. |
| logout | Leave a shell session. |
| ls | List directory content. |
| man | Read manual pages of a command. |
| passwd | Change your password. |
| pwd | Display the current working directory. |