Linux Embraces the CLI

There are two basic types of interfaces available that allow you to interact with the operating system. The typical computer user today is most familiar with a graphical user interface (GUI). In a GUI, applications present themselves in windows that can be resized and moved around. There are menus and tools to help users navigate. Graphical applications include web browsers, graphics editing tools and email, to name a few.

Below is an example of a graphical desktop, with a menu bar of popular applications to the left, a LibreOffice document being edited in the foreground and a web browser in the background.



The second type of interface is the command line interface (CLI), a text-based interface to the computer. The CLI relies primarily on keyboard input. Everything the user wants the computer to do is relayed by typing commands rather than clicking on icons. It can be said that when a user clicks on an icon, the computer is telling the user what to do, but, when the user types a command, they are telling the computer what to do.

Typically operating systems offer both GUI and CLI interfaces. However, most consumer operating systems (Windows, macOS) are designed to shield the user from the complexity of the CLI. The Linux community is different in that it positively celebrates the CLI for its power, speed and ability to accomplish a vast array of tasks with a single command line instruction. The virtual machines used for the chapters and labs in this course provide a CLI for you to practice on without fear of damaging anything.

When a user first encounters the CLI, they can find it challenging because it requires memorizing a dizzying amount of commands and their options. However, once a user has learned the structure of how commands are used, where the necessary files and directories are located and how to navigate the hierarchy of a filesystem, they can be immensely productive. This capability provides more precise control, greater speed and the ability to easily automate tasks through scripting.

Furthermore, by learning the CLI, a user can easily be productive almost instantly on ANY distribution of Linux, reducing the amount of time needed to familiarize themselves with a system because of variations in a GUI.

 

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