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The Command Line Interface: Network and System Administration

The document discusses the differences between command line interfaces (CLI) and graphic user interfaces (GUI). While CLIs are not intuitive, they allow tasks to be completed more quickly and efficiently once learned. CLIs are simpler, more secure, and use fewer system resources than GUIs. They remain consistent across operating system updates while GUIs often change substantially. Various professional roles benefit from CLI use due to its efficiency. The document provides examples of CLI commands on different operating systems and recommends online resources for learning CLI skills independently.

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Meredith Q Ku
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143 views6 pages

The Command Line Interface: Network and System Administration

The document discusses the differences between command line interfaces (CLI) and graphic user interfaces (GUI). While CLIs are not intuitive, they allow tasks to be completed more quickly and efficiently once learned. CLIs are simpler, more secure, and use fewer system resources than GUIs. They remain consistent across operating system updates while GUIs often change substantially. Various professional roles benefit from CLI use due to its efficiency. The document provides examples of CLI commands on different operating systems and recommends online resources for learning CLI skills independently.

Uploaded by

Meredith Q Ku
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MeredithKu

November24,2016
LCH:A,DanHastings

Network and System Administration

The Command Line Interface

Introduction
Commandlineisfun!Beingabletousecommandlinebasicallyallowsyoutotalktoyour
computerdirectly,noextracolorsanddistractions.
Commandlinemakestasksmuchmoreefficientandsimple.

Difference between CLI and GUI?


Letsstartwiththebasics.CLIstandsfor
CommandLineInterface
,andGUI
(
pronouncedGOOEY
,and
onlyreferred
toitas
GOOEY
)standsfor
GraphicUserInterface
.
CLIisnteasy.CLIdefinitelyisnotintuitive,butonceitslearned,itcanbeextremely
useful.ItshardtomultitaskwithCLI,butyoullbeabletodothingsmuchquickerandeasier
youllnoticethatyouspendmoretimetypingthatclickingwhenusingCLI.
GUIiseasy.GUIisaestheticallypleasing,andmuchmoreintuitivethanCLI.Insteadof
memorizingandtypingincommands,youcanclickafewbuttons.TheGUIallowsyouto
multitask,itseasytoswitchfromprogramtoprogram.Yes,youcanwatchNetflixandfinish
thoseessaysforFinals.EventhoughtheGUIisveryintuitiveandpretty,youlleventuallyfind
thatyouhavetotakemanymorestepstoperformmanybasictasks(likecopying/moving
folders).OneofthebiggestflawswithGUIsisthefactthattherearesomany.Sometimesits
difficulttotransitionfromoneGUItoanother.
Thedifferencesaregreat,andthemainoneisthevisualappeal.Wouldyouratherstareat
linesoftextallday,orwouldyouratherclicknicebuttons?Ultimately,havingknowledgeof
bothisideal.TheeaseofbasictasksthatcanbeaccomplishedthroughtheCLIandthe
multitaskingabilitiesoftheGUIputtogetherwouldonlymakeyoumoreefficient.

Is CLI Used Professionally?


Yes,CLIisusedprofessionally,andformanyreasons.Anybodythatwantstobemore
productiveshoulduseCLIwiththeGUI.Itwouldonlymeanlesstimewastedclickingaround,

andmoretimeactuallydoingajob.ThejobsthataremostimpactedbyCLIarerolessuchas:
techsupportspecialists,systemadministrators,andprogrammers.Thelistgoeson.Whyisitso
important?
1. Simplicity
Interface
Security
Resources
Moreoftenthannot,theGUIgetsoverwhelmingandconfusing.Everythingisespecially
confusingwhenswitchingfromoperatingsystemtooperatingsystem.
OneofthebestfeaturesoftheCLIisthefactthatitssosimple.Itsjustawindowthat
youopenandtypecommandsinto.Howmuchsimplercanitget?Youcancustomizethetext
andbackgroundcolorssoyouwonthavetostrainyoureyes.CLIissimplicityatitsfinest.
Alongwithsimplicityissecurity.ManyGUIsrequirethousandsoflinesofcoding,andit
allgetsprettycomplex.Withcomplexity,though,comestheproblemofsecurity.Themore
complexanythingis,themorelikelyitistohavemistakes.Thosemistakescouldleadtohuge
problemswiththesecurityofyourprivateinformation.Whenyoustripawaythecomplexities,
youreleftwiththeCLI,andthatsaboutassecureasitgets.
BecausetheCLIissosimple,itdoesntusethatmuchofthecomputersresources.
Realisticallyspeaking,youreallyonlyneedtotypetousetocommandline,therewouldbeno
needtodownloadallofthedriversandprogramsthatcomewithaGUI.
2. Stability
AlthoughWindowsbasicallyhasthesameCLIoneverysingleoperatingsystem,their
GUIsareworldsapart.Ashardwaregetsupdated,sodoessoftware.Withfeaturesand
applicationsofeachGUIsodifferent,youcanbetthattheonethingthatwillstaythesameisthe
CLI.Stabilityisavitalpartofworkefficiency.

Whywastehours,potentiallydays,tryingtomasteranewGUI(thatsjustgoingtobe
replacedbythenextbigupdate),whenyoucanlearnthestandardandeverfaithfulCLI?Sure,
somemay
add
totheCLI,buttheywillnevertakeaway.
3. Efficiency
Whenworking,youalwayswanttobethemostefficientthatyoucanbe.TheCLIoffers
efficiencybecauseyoucandomanythingswithjustonelineoftext.Itsveryeasytolearnand
memorizecommands,butitsreallyhardtomemorizeclickinganddraggingamouse.

CLI on Different Operating Systems

OS

Windows

NameofCLI cmd,DOS,Command

Mac

Linux

Terminal

Terminal,bash

ClickonSpotlightand
searchforTerminal

SearchforTerminal
fromtheDash,search
forTerminalinthe
applicationfolder,
defaultedkeyboard
shortcutisCtrl+Alt+T

Prompt
AccessingCLI StartMenu>Search

Bar>Typeincmd

CLIWindow
(orCommand
Prompt)

Sample dir
displaysalistof
Command filesandfolders

chmod
changes
clear
clearsthe
accesspermissions
terminalscreen
(oftenusedifaccessing
publicservers)

CLI Preferences
WhichinterfaceIwouldusetoperformcertaintasks(GREENISYES,REDISNO):
Task

CLI

GUI

Why?

a.Copyafile

Copyingafileiseasy
withGUI,justCtrl+C.
TheproblemIhave
withCLIisthatI
alwaysneeda
destination,soImnot
actuallyjustcopyinga
file.

b.Copyafilebetween
folders

CLItakesthecakefor
thisbecauseitsSO
easytojustcopyafile
aspecifywhichfolder
youwanttomoveitto
withinthesameparent
folder.

c.Copyafilebetween
drivers

CLIalsotakesthecake
forthisbecauseitsjust
aseasyasmoving
betweenfolders.Itgets
alittlehardertryingto
rememberfilepaths
andwhichfolder
youreactuallyin,but
itgetsbetter.

d.Createafolder

Onelineisallyouneed
tomakeanewfolder.
Youreallydontneed
toclickamilliontimes
tomakeanewfolder.

e.Renameafileor
folder

CLImakesrenaming
easybecauseitsthe
samecommandas
moving(mv).Youjust
havetotypethe
command,thecurrent
filename,andthenthe

newnamethatyou
want
f.Deleteafileor
folder

Personally,Iwould
deletefilesandfolders
withGUIbecause
deletingfilesgets
trickywithCLI.With
GUI,Itrashit,andI
emptyrecycle.With
CLI,Icandelete:a
directory,anempty
directory,anda
directorywithallofits
contents.Itgetsalittle
hardtodifferentiate.

Learn On Your Own!


Clearly,theCLIisveryimportant,andvitalifyouwanttobecomemoreefficientwhen
workingonacomputer.Herearesomeresourcesthatwillhelpyoustartlearningonyourown!
Allofthesesourcescoverbasicsofcommands,andprovideexplanationsofwhatcommandsdo,
actualcommands,examples,andadditionalsourcestoexpandyourknowledgebase.
http://cli.learncodethehardway.org/book/
Thiswebsiteisorganizedlikeanonlinebook.Itseasytofollowandunderstand.
Mostlessonsarelaidoutwithwhatyoushouldknow,whatyoushoulddo,what
youshouldhavelearned,andwhatyoushoulddotofurtheryourunderstanding.
http://learnpythonthehardway.org/book/appendixa.html
VERYsimilartothefirstlink,butthiswebsitecomeswithavideoforthe
audio/visuallearners.
https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learnthecommandline
GreatforlearningthebasicsofCLI.Everythingyouneedtodoisinthe
codecademywindow(theyhavetheirowncommandprompt).Itwillexplainthe
pointofeverythingthatistyped,anditwilleventellyouwhenyouvemadea
mistake.Withinthewebsite,thereisalsoaresourcesectionwhereyoucanfinda
wholeglossaryofcommonlyusedcommands.

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