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Learn moreShell Workshop
Free Course
Getting Started in the Shell
Estimated time
Approx. 1 Day
Skill level
Beginner
Prerequisites
See prerequisites in detail
About this course
A quick, one-lesson introduction to the Unix-style command-line environment.
This course is intended to get you up to speed on the shell — using a terminal, managing files and directories, and running command-line programs.
What you will learn
Starting out
- Using a terminal; working with files and directories
- Using command-line programs with options
- Customizing the shell
Prerequisites and requirements
This is a course for beginners to the shell environment.
To take this course, you'll need a current Mac, Windows, or Linux computer.
You should be familiar with elementary programming concepts such as "statement", "variable", "argument to a function", and "file". No particular programming language is required, though.
See the Technology Requirements for using Udacity.
Why take this course?
Although the Unix shell has an "old school" feel, it remains an important skill, due to the incredible popularity of Unix-like systems: The majority of web servers in the world today run on Linux, and the same bash command line is shipped with every Mac computer.
Using the shell is a prerequisite for many other developer skills including version control (such as git) and deployment.
Learn with the best.
Karl Krueger
Instructor