bash (and related shells)

bash is a command-line shell for interacting with and controlling a Linux system. It is the most popular shell on Linux, and is the default shell on most distributions.

There are many, many, many commands that one can use in Bash, and it also includes a scripting language so you can make your own custom commands and macros. With enough knowledge of its functions, one could literally run an entire machine from within bash and never even have to leave the shell.

This collection of quick-reference cheat sheets has a brief run-down of various essential Bash commands and flags. You can use the `man` and `type` commands to find out more info about any of these commands. (See “Finding Commands and Docs” in Part 1: Getting Started.

If you are in need of something a bit more thorough, check out The Bash Beginner's Guide or The Linux Command Line and Shell Scripting Bible.

Getting Started - Shell and filesystem traversal. Displaying file data. Finding and getting help with commands. Basic file operations like moving, renaming, and deleting files & directories.

Shortcuts and Piping Commands - Keyboard shortcuts. Chaining together multiple commands. Command history. Metacharacter reference.

Managing Processes - Tracking and stopping system processes. Process signal codes.

Users and Permissions - Adding, modifying, and deleting users. Managing groups and group membership. Reassigning file/folder ownership and setting file permissions.

Managing Files and Archives - Working with file archives. File transfer.

Shell Customization - Setting up shell scripts.