The Linux Command Line, 3rd Edition: A Complete Introduction

William Shotts

Feb 2026 · No Starch Press

About this ebook

Banish Your Mouse.

The Linux Command Line isn’t just a reference manual. It’s a complete education on how Linux really works. From your first tentative keystrokes to writing powerful shell scripts, you’ll build the confidence and understanding to make your system work for you.

Now in its third edition, this best-selling guide has been fully updated with modern examples, nearly 40 pages of new content, and downloadable scripts from LinuxCommand. Used in more than a thousand classrooms and libraries worldwide, it has helped over 150,000 readers gain fluency and confidence in Linux.

Author and command line guru William Shotts delivers not just commands, but genuine insight, guided by his philosophy: Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler.

Through short, digestible chapters, you’ll learn to:

• Navigate the filesystem, manage files, and configure your environment
• Chain commands, redirect input/output, and use regular expressions
• Control processes, manage packages, and work with networking tools
• Edit text with Vim
• Write shell scripts to automate tasks and build custom tools
• Use core utilities like grep, cut, sed, and tar to process data
• Manage filesystems and compile programs from source

Whether you’re managing servers, studying cybersecurity, or just curious about your computer, The Linux Command Line gives you the knowledge to command your system with confidence.

About the author

William Shotts has been a software professional for more than 40 years and a dedicated Linux user and advocate since 1996. Over his career, he’s worked as a programmer, teacher, photographer, and technical manager leading teams in customer support, software quality assurance, system administration, and documentation. He is also the creator of LinuxCommand, a long-running site that helps users master the Linux command line.