Navigating the Windows and Linux OSs

Dipping our Toes 🏊‍♀️

We dipped our toes 🐬 in the Windows and Linux OSs in the first course of this program. Now let's jump right in 💦 and learn how to perform all the common navigational tasks of both operating systems.

Windows Navigation 💻

For Windows, we're going to learn how to navigate the operating system using the GUI and using the command line interpreter or CLI.

Linux Navigation 🐧

For Linux, we're only going to focus on learning the command line. The command-line interpreter in Linux is called the shell. The language that we'll use to interact with the shell is called Bash.

Similarities and Differences 🤔

It's worth calling out that these two operating systems are very similar to one another. Even if you don't know how to use the Linux GUI, as long as you know how to navigate the Windows GUI, you'll be able to apply those tools to Linux GUI. It's possible that you'll only be using the Windows GUI in the workplace. Even so, if you learn how to use the Windows command line, this will set you apart from other IT support specialists.

The Power of Command Line 💪

You'll soon discover that using the command line in any operating system can actually help you complete your work faster and more efficiently.

Hands-on Learning 👨‍💻

We strongly encourage you to follow along and actually perform the tasks that we do in this course yourself. If you can, pause the video and do the exercises that we do or type out any of the commands we introduce. It will be much easier for you to understand them this way.

Documenting Commands 📝

We also recommend that you document all of the commands that we show you. Either write them down with an old-fashioned pen and paper notebook or type them out in a doc or text editor. Chisel them on a stone if you have to. 🗿 We just want you to write them down somewhere. You probably won't remember all the commands immediately when we first introduced you to them. But with a little practice, typing the commands will become second nature to you.

Lesson Structure 🧭

In this lesson, the content is broken down into two themes:

1. Basic operating system navigation, like navigating from one directory to another, getting file information and removing files and directories.

2. File and text manipulation, like searching through your directories to find a specific file, copying and pasting, chaining commands and more.

Let's get started! 🚀