10 Linux command tutorials for beginners and experts
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Learn how to make Linux do what you need it to do in Opensource.com's
top 10 articles about Linux commands from 2019.
![Penguin driving a car with a yellow background][1]
Using Linux _well_ means understanding what commands are available and what they're capable of doing for you. We have covered a lot of them on Opensource.com during 2019, and here are10 favorites from the bunch.
### Using the force at the Linux command line
The Force has a light side and a dark side. Properly understanding that is crucial to true mastery. In his article [_Using the force at the Linux command line_][2], Alan Formy-Duval explains the **-f** option (also known as **\--force**) for several popular and sometimes dangerous commands.
### Intro to the Linux useradd command
Sharing accounts is a bad idea. Instead, give separate accounts to different people (and even different roles) with the quintessential **useradd** command. Part of his venerable series on basic Linux administration, Alan Formy-Duval provides an [_Intro to the Linux useradd command_][3], and, as usual, he explains it in _plain English_ so that both new and experienced admins can understand it.
### Linux commands to display your hardware information
What's _inside_ the box? Sometimes it's useful to inspect your hardware without using a screwdriver. In [_Linux commands to display your hardware information_][4], Howard Fosdick provides both popular and obscure commands to help you dig deep into the computer you're using, the computer you're testing at the store before buying, or the computer you're trying to repair.
### How to encrypt files with gocryptfs on Linux
Our files hold lots of private data, from social security numbers to personal letters to loved ones. In [_How to encrypt files with gocryptfs on Linux_][5], Brian "Bex" Exelbierd explains how to keep*private*what's meant to be private. As a bonus, he demonstrates encrypting files in a way that has little to no impact on your existing workflow. This isn't a complex PGP-style puzzle of key management and background key agents; this is quick, seamless, and secure file encryption.
### How to use advanced rsync for large Linux backups
In the New Year, many people will resolve to be more diligent about making backups. Alan Formy-Duval must have made that resolution years ago, because in [_How to use advanced rsync for large Linux backups_][6], he displays remarkable familiarity with the file synchronization command. You might not remember all the syntax right away, but the idea is to read and process the options, construct your backup command, and then automate it. That's the smart way to use **rsync**, and it's the _only_ way to do backups reliably.
### Using more to view text files at the Linux command line
In Scott Nesbitt's article [_Using more to view text files at the Linux command line_][7], the good old default pager **more** finally gets the spotlight. Many people install and use **less**, because it's more flexible than **more**. However, with more and more systems being implemented in the sparsest of containers, the luxury of fancy new tools like **less** or **most** sometimes just doesn't exist. Knowing and using **more** is simple, it's a common default, and it's the production system's debugging tool of last resort.
### What you probably didn't know about sudo
The **sudo** command is famous to a fault. People know the **sudo** term, and most of us believe we know what it does. And we're a little bit correct, but as Peter Czanik reveals in his article [_What you probably didn't know about sudo_][8], there's a lot more to the command than just "Simon says." Like that classic childhood game, the **sudo** command is powerful and also prone to silly mistakes—only with greater potential for horrible consequences. This is one game you do not want to lose!
### How to program with Bash: Syntax and tools
If you're a Linux, BSD, or Mac (and lately, Windows) user, you may have used the Bash shell interactively. It's a great shell for quick, one-off commands, which is why so many Linux users love to use it as their primary user interface. However, Bash is much more than just a command prompt. It's also a programming language, and if you're already using Bash commands, then the path to automation has never been more straightforward. Learn all about it in David Both's excellent [_How to program with Bash: Syntax and tools_][9].
### Master the Linux ls command
The **ls** command is one of those commands that merits a two-letter name; one-letter commands are an optimization for slow terminals where each letter causes a significant delay and also a nice bonus for lazy typists. Seth Kenlon explains how you can [_Master the Linux ls command_][10] and he does so with his usual clarity and pragmatism. Most significantly, in a system where "everything is a file," being able to list the files is crucial.
### Getting started with the Linux cat command
The **cat** command (short for con_cat_enate) is deceptively simple. Whether you use it to quickly see the contents of a file or to pipe the contents to another command, you may not be using **cat** to its full potential. Alan Formy-Duval's elucidating [_Getting started with the Linux cat command_][11] offers new ideas to take advantage of a command that lets you open a file without feeling like you've opened it. As a bonus, learn all about **zcat** so you can decompress files without all the trouble of decompression! It's a small and simple thing, but _this_ is what makes Linux great.
### Continue the journey
Don't let Opensource.com's 10 best articles about Linux commands of 2019 be the end of your journey. There's much more to discover about Linux and its versatile prompt, so stay tuned in 2020 for more insights. And, if there's a Linux command you want us to know about, please tell us about it in the comments, or share your knowledge with Opensource.com readers by [submitting an article][12] about your favorite Linux command.
[1]: https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/styles/image-full-size/public/lead-images/car-penguin-drive-linux-yellow.png?itok=twWGlYAc (Penguin driving a car with a yellow background)
