1  Linux CLI Fundamentals

1.1 Prerequisites

Just like with anything we have to walk before we can run.

1.2 Learning the Linux CLI

A thorough treatment of Linux CLI fundamentals geared towards the beginner/novice is outside of the scope of this book. This book assumes some familiarity with Linux and basic Linux CLI proficiency. That’s not to say that you couldn’t still work through this book and pass the RHCSA exam, but be forwarned the learning curve is steep. But, I can thoroughly endorse any of the following resources to help you get up to speed:

  1. Learning the Shell from LinuxCommand.org and The Linux Command Line by William Shotts
Tip

This is my #1 go-to recommendation for beginners that want to learn Linux and the Linux CLI. This is where I first learned Linux and the Linux CLI many years ago.

  1. Command Line Crash Course from Learn Python the Hard Way by Zed Shaw
  2. MIT Missing Semester Series: Introduction to the Shell & Command-line Environment

Becoming proficient in the Linux CLI is a pre-requisite to learning RHEL and preparing for the RHCSA exam. If this is you, definitely check out the resources above. It’s probably only a few days or weeks of effort to get up to speed on the basics. Then come back and work through the rest of this book.

1.2.1 Other notable mentions

There are some other free Linux learning resources worth mentioning. Some of these are other projects I’m involved with.

  1. Linux Upskill Challenge I’ve contributed to this project as an editor
  2. The Linux Administration Course written by Scott Champine (het_tanis) and maintained by the ProLUG community (I’m a ProLUG Engineer, come say “Hi” in the Discord!)
  3. Linux Commands for Beginners YouTube Playlist by LearnLinuxTV