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Using Linux More Efficiently(For Beginners)

Once you’ve got the basics, using Linux efficiently is all about learning a few power moves that save time and effort. Here’s a set of practical, beginner-friendly tips to help you use Linux more smoothly and effectively:

1. Use Tab to Auto-Complete

Instead of typing full commands or file names:

cd Doc<TAB>

It auto-completes to Documents (if that folder exists). Saves time and avoids typos!

2. Use the Up/Down Arrows to Reuse Commands

  • Press ↑ to see your last commands.
  • Press ↓ to move forward again. No need to retype long commands — just reuse and edit.

3. Learn the man Command (Manuals)

Don’t know what a command does?

man ls

Shows the manual. Press q to quit. You don’t need to memorize everything — just know where to find help.

4. Use history to See Past Commands

history

Shows a numbered list of your past commands.
You can re-run any one with !number, like:

!105

5. Use alias for Shortcuts

Typing a long command often? Make it short:

alias ll='ls -lah'

Now typing ll does a detailed list of files.

To make it permanent, add it to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc file.

6. Use Wildcards * and ?

rm *.txt

Deletes all .txt files.

ls file?.txt

Matches file1.txt, file2.txt, etc.

7. Use apt smartly (on Debian/Ubuntu)

Install:

sudo apt install program-name

Search for something:

apt search image

Get info about a package:

apt show curl

8. Learn to Pipe (|) and Redirect (>)

Redirect output to a file:

ls > files.txt

Append to a file:

echo "New line" >> notes.txt

Pipe output into another command:

ls -l | grep ".txt"

Only show .txt files.

9. Try a More Powerful Shell (zsh + Oh My Zsh)

Replace bash with zsh + Oh My Zsh for:

  • Better autocompletion
  • Git integration
  • Prettier terminal

10. Use curl or wget to Download from the Web

curl -O https://example.com/file.zip

or

wget https://example.com/file.zip

11. Understand sudo and Root Access

If you’re doing something system-level (like installing software), you need admin permission:

sudo do-something-important

Never use sudo unless you’re sure. It gives you superpowers — and super ways to mess things up

12. Keep Things Clean

  • Use df -h to check disk space.
  • Use du -sh * to see which folders are large.
  • Clean up unused packages:
sudo apt autoremove