Home -> Chapters from Class Text > Working with the Command-Line Interface
A shell is a text-based interface that lets you talk to your computer.
Windows primarily utilizes three distinct command-line environments to interact with the operating system: Command Prompt (cmd.exe) for legacy/batch tasks, PowerShell for advanced automation and scripting, and Windows Terminal, a modern host application that can run both plus other shells like Bash.
There are different types of shells for Linux, but the Bash (Bourne Again SHell) is the most popular because it's powerful and easy to use.
Here are some fundamental Linux commands frequently used in demonstrations:
ls: List files and directories.
pwd: Print the current working directory.
cd: Change the current directory.
mkdir: Create a new directory.
touch: Create a new, empty file.
cp: Copy files or directories.
mv: Move or rename files or directories.
rm: Remove files or directories.
cat: Display the contents of a file.
grep: Search for a specific string within an output or file.
man: Access the manual pages (documentation) for a command.