Everyone has seen these “Top 50 commands” blah blah blah….. #clickbait….

I am writing this just to make BASH a much more pleasant experience for people new and old to Linux.  It is also for any sysadmin that has simply not been introduced to some of them.

I could list tons of them, but that’s going to get a simple TL;DR for most people.  Then they will move on.  So I will list a few and lets let those digest.  Keep in mind all commands are in Linux, and may vary by distribution.

First BASH tips (Simple, but time savers):

1.  Type ‘cd’ and you will go to your home directory for the user you are logged into.
   1. Similar to “cd” ~, however ~ can sometimes rely on the environment.
2. To return to the previous directory you can type ” cd -“.
   1. This will return you to your previous location, not home.
3. Type “tailf”, instead of “tail f” for the same results.
   1. Also, “tail -200” can be used instead of “tail -n 200”
4. Use a custom “PS1” for root, and regular users.
   1. A “PS1” is the text in the login prompt. See Example to the right:
      1. Notice it is yellow
      2. Do the same but in red for root.
   2. Examples:
      1. Debian PS1 for a normal user (as seen to the right)
      2. Debian PS1 for a ROOT user.
         1. These will need to be added to the bottom of “.bashrc” in your home directory
         2. Keep in mind files starting with a . are hidden in Linux, but there.
            1. I also have MAC PS1’s public in my gists.

I think that is enough for today, I hope this helps make BASH your friend.

-M