Don't fear the command line...

Many of us grew up on Windows.  It's not like we chose Windows, it's just what was there.  While I really don't care much for Windows anymore, I will admit that there are some convenient features in the operating system.  I can't think of any...but I'm sure there's one or two...

Anyway, Windows has turned us all into GUI-babies.  Everything we use has some sort of interface where we just point and click on options.  We don't really have to tell the program what to do, we just choose from some canned, square-shaped choices.  It's easy, and easy is good.  After all, computers aren't supposed to make our lives more complicated, they're supposed to make them easier.

The first time I really had to work with the command line was when I was taking a C++ class.  Most of my coding, compiling, debugging, etc. was done through a putty interface, connected to a remote linux host.  I cut my teeth on very basic commands, like moving through directories, creating folders and files, and changing permissions so I could just get something to run!

Over time I picked up a few more skills, and started forcing myself to use VIM instead of GUI-based text editors.  VIM stands for VI improved.  I don't know what VI means.  Eventually I was able to navigate proficiently through linux operating systems, creating and modifying files with ease.  I thought I was becoming a proficient linux user.  Ha...

Then I started working here.  I was introduced to things like 'grep', 'awk' and 'cat'.  I learned how to parse through documents using only the command line.  I learned out to launch and use applications without a GUI, like nmap.  I started writing code and configuring servers all inside the terminal window.  Even after all of this, I still feel like a newborn when using a linux machine.

That's not to say I'm not confident in my abilities to use linux or the command-line, but I've come to realize that there is just so much to learn!  The key is not to be intimidated.  There are still times when I spend way longer than I should trying to figure something out, which is fine.  That's how you learn.

As frustrating as it can be sometimes, I've gotten to the point where I think I'd rather use the terminal window than some fancy GUI, and that might sound silly, but I like it this way.