Some people still have a silly notion that to use Linux you must know Linux shell commands and syntax like the back of your hand. What nonsense! With any modern Linux desktop distribution, you no more need to use Linux commands like ps, grep, or ls than you need to use DOS commands in Windows today.

Except, of course, just as in Windows, every now and then it is helpful to use the good, old ASCII command-line instructions.

Mind you, 99% of the time desktop Linux users are fine with Linux desktops such as Cinnamon, GNOME, Unity, or KDE. For system administrators, it’s a bit different. Linux sysadmins use shell commands all the time.

But, once every blue moon, its handy to know some Linux command basics, so here’s what you need to know.

The 16 Linux Shell Commands Every Desktop Linux User Should Know. More >