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  • Efficient Linux at the Command Line: Boost Your Command-Line Skills

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Efficient Linux at the Command Line: Boost Your Command-Line Skills

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Take your Linux skills to the next level! Whether you're a system administrator, software developer, site reliability engineer, or enthusiastic hobbyist, this practical, hands-on book will help you work faster, smarter, and more efficiently. You'll learn how to create and run complex commands that solve real business problems, process and retrieve information, and automate manual tasks.

You'll also truly understand what happens behind the shell prompt, so no matter which commands you run, you can be more successful in everyday Linux use and more competitive on the job market.

As you build intermediate to advanced command-line skills, you'll learn how to:

  • Choose or construct commands that get your work done quickly
  • Run commands efficiently and navigate the Linux filesystem with ease
  • Build powerful, complex commands out of simpler ones
  • Transform text files and query them like databases to achieve business goals
  • Control Linux point-and-click features from the command line

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From the brand


From the Publisher

Efficient Linux at the Command Line

This book will take your Linux command-line skills to the next level so you can work faster, smarter, and more efficiently.

If you’re like most Linux users, you learned your early command-line skills on the job, or by reading an intro book, or by installing Linux at home and just trying things out. I’ve written this book to help you take the next step—to build intermediate to advanced skills at the Linux command line. It’s filled with techniques and concepts that I hope will transform how you interact with Linux and boost your productivity. Think of it as a second book on Linux use that takes you beyond the basics.

What You’ll Learn

This book will make you faster and more effective at three essential skills:

  • Choosing or constructing commands to solve a business problem at hand
  • Running those commands efficiently
  • Navigating the Linux filesystem with ease

By the end, you’ll understand what happens behind the scenes when you run a command, so you can better predict the results (and not develop superstitions). You’ll see a dozen different methods for launching commands and learn when to use each one for best advantage. You’ll also learn practical tips and tricks to make you more productive, such as:

  • Building complex commands out of simpler ones, step-by-step, to solve real-world problems, such as managing passwords or generating ten thousand test files
  • Saving time by organizing your home directory intelligently so you don’t have to hunt for files
  • Transforming text files and querying them like databases to achieve business goals
  • Controlling point-and-click features of Linux from the command line, such as copying and pasting with the clipboard, and retrieving and processing web data, without lifting your hands from the keyboard

Most of all, you’ll learn general best practices so no matter which commands you run, you can become more successful in everyday Linux use and more competitive on the job market. This is the book I wish I had when I learned Linux.

What This Book Is Not

This book won’t optimize your Linux computer to make it run more efficiently. It makes you more efficient at interacting with Linux.

This book is also not a comprehensive reference for the command line—there are hundreds of commands and features that I don’t mention. This book is about expertise. It teaches a carefully selected set of command-line knowledge in a practical order to build your skills. For a reference-style guide, try my previous book, Linux Pocket Guide (O’Reilly).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Efficient Linux at the Command Line promises to make you more efficient at interacting with Linux, and it more than delivers. I highly recommend it for your library—you'll benefit from it daily." — Michael Hausenblas, Solution Engineering Lead at AWS

"This practical book is full of command-line wisdom that you can start using today and continue to use throughout your career. Chapter 1 is worth the price of the book by itself." — Ken Hess, System Administrator

About the Author

Daniel J. Barrett has been teaching Linux and related technologies in industry and academia for over 30 years. He's the author of O'Reilly's "Linux Pocket Guide" and coauthor of "Linux Security Cookbook" and "SSH, The Secure Shell: The Definitive Guide." Dan has also been a software engineer, heavy metal singer, system administrator, university lecturer, web designer, and humorist. He works at Google.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ O'Reilly Media
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 29, 2022
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 245 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1098113403
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1098113407
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.52 x 9.19 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #726,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars (106)

About the author

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Daniel J. Barrett
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Thanks for looking at my books on Amazon. I've been writing about technical/computer topics since the early 1990s, including Linux, MediaWiki, MacOS, computer security, and responsible/ethical software engineering.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
106 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Excellent
    Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2026
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    A really excellent book.

    It could be described as a series of working examples of

    Bash shell one-liners, and short scripts. The examples are clear,

    and don't seem invented just for the book, but rather are useful,

    even inspiring.

    The writing and explanations are great, and build up your skills as

    you read.

    It is also fairly comprehensive in scope, covering Bash itself

    and many small Unix-y programs (ls, find, sed, awk etc.)

    This is not a glorified manual. Perhaps other books by say

    authors Shotts or Robbins & Beebe, might usefully complement it in that

    area?

    Most of all it conveys a sense of 'how to think' in Bash, the

    spirit of it. Which, speaking for myself at least, may not

    be obvious despite even years of use.

    If you need to seriously use the command line on Linux/Unix/MacOS,

    I highly recommend this.

    2 people found this helpful
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    A Treasure Trove of Technical Instruction and Reference Material
    Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2022
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    As a book author myself, I understand how difficult it is to complete a technical publication. I hadn’t worked with Linux for a while, and I desperately needed a refresher.

    That said, Daniel J. Barrett has done a great job explaining and demonstrating Linux command-line techniques, and his book most definitely helped me get back into the groove.

    With Efficient Linux at the Command Line, Daniel has written a good book, and I’d go as far as to say it’s a great book.

    At 432 pages, it's a fairly lean book by technology realm standards, but I’d go for quality over quantity any day. The book is also written so well, that you could use it as a highly effective reference, so you don’t have to memorize all the command line gems you’re bound to learn about. If I have a problem or a question that I can't resolve, I can simply turn to the index and find what I need.

    Daniel’s well researched and written book reminds me why even though we have the internet, with so much information at our fingertips, there’s no substitute for a book written by an up to date, experienced and highly knowledgeable professional.

    10 people found this helpful
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Exceptional
    Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2023
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    I'd expected this title to be a collection of handy tips and tricks to boost your command line skills. Sure enough, the book does include those.

    But it also does an exceptional job of breaking down each command and option, giving you a comprehensive understanding of what each command does.

    Some important tidbits of Unix/Linux theory and explanations of how shells and processes work here and there. Certainly a "must have" for anybody serious about deepening their understanding of the Linux OS

    7 people found this helpful
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    -
    Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2026
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    An extremely useful book
    Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2022
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    I've been using Linux Mint for about 7 years and have read several books on the command line. This book really helps boost me to the next level and greatly increases my efficiency. I particularly liked the method he offers to move quickly and with ease into folders many levels deep. In addition the pushd and popd commands are saving me a lot of time. I feel like I've certainly gotten my money's worth and I am only on page 67 of 230. I love the many concrete and practical suggestions.

    5 people found this helpful
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    A Great Read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024
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    This book gives a lot of great information on Linux. If you need to increase your Linux command line skills, this book is a great starter.

    One person found this helpful
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    True to the Title
    Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2022
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    Lots of great tips, tricks, and insights into Linux. There are a few excellent sections on building complex commands. Beginners transitioning to intermediate and intermediate Linux users will likely get the most out of this book.

    6 people found this helpful
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  • 2 out of 5 stars
    lemonade
    Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2024
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    light to read but not much is explained...In some cases explanations are arguably not precise/clear.

    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Highly recommended for Linux command line users
    Reviewed in Australia on June 20, 2023
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    This is a very clear logical book that is a real help for those wanting to learn more about the

    command line. Most Linux users are in a sense helpless: they know how to use the nice friendly

    GUI ("windows") interface in Ubuntu for example but that's it. That's fine most of the time - except

    when things are not going well and then some command line skills are needed because an application

    is not working and immediate help is not available. Instead of feeling helpless one can use some basic

    command line skills to get things back on track.

    It is not commonly appreciated that the"black box" GUI provided by the big two OS providers

    fails to give the user the same ability to fix things that Linux users enjoy. There is a vast amount of

    information about Linux and users can find out how it works if they are curious. The big two OS

    cannot be looked at in depth by their users. Linux is open source.

    Anyway, I can recommend this book as a superb text for both learning and getting a better

    understanding of how to use the command line in Linux.

    - espec

    I wonder why people bother

    with the big two operating systems except for being forced to use them because they need particular

    software(Windows and iOSMOSThose that urhaveleaves little room the Windows and biiand r

    ththingsnobody is around to help or because it starts to empower Linux enthusiasts with more than just the crudest ability some (and y

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Un sacré bon livre qui vous fera énormément progresser
    Reviewed in France on February 12, 2026
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    Ce livre permet de faire des progrès très significatifs dans la manipulation des commandes linux. C'est un livre extraordinaire bourrée d'astuces. Si vous regardez avec envie les anciens utilisateurs de linux manier avec dextérité les commandes linux, une fois que vous aurez appris ce livre je pense avec certitude que vous pourrez leur donner des leçons si vous avez tout retenus. L'avantage c'est qu'il n'est pas trop épais et vas droit a l'essentiel. C'est le livre sur linux le plus intéressant que j'ai lu. Ce livre ne se contente pas d'expliquer comment marche une commande , il montre comment les enchevêtrer entre elles pour rendre votre saisie hyper efficace. Il a le mérite de vous donner plein d'idées.

    Je conseille en plus l'achat d'un autre livre : "Le Guide de survie Linux - 2e édition: L'essentiel du code et des commandes" qui liste toutes les commandes linux et détaillant leur utilisation.

    Avec ces 2 livres vous serez le roi de la ligne de commande, pas besoin d'aller regarder ailleurs.

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Si quieres mejorar tu eficiencia en la terminal, este es tu libro
    Reviewed in Spain on September 19, 2025
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    Bastante bueno para mejorar habilidades en la terminal y bash en general. Merece la pena comprarlo!!

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Both for new and advanced users
    Reviewed in Sweden on May 16, 2023
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    I think this book succeeds at what it sets out to do.

    The author is a good writer and explains everything in a very pedagogic way.

    For a relatively short book there is a lot of information to take in. It's probably best to read it bit by bit in front of a computer, so you immediately can try out the examples one after one, and really practice and get a feel for them. Else you will probably forget a lot of it pretty quickly.

    Be aware that due to the often cryptic syntax of Linux/UNIX commands, especially when combing them, the more advanced stuff often looks almost incomprehensible. It will certainly help to be a more experienced user to get something out of those parts and concepts.

    Still, I'm pretty sure this is one of the best books about the command line.

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Exceptionally good
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2024
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    O'Reilly have been releasing some real stinkers over the last few years. Seems that almost anyone who can spell the app or framework or whatever it is, qualifies to write a book about it and O'Reilly will happily release it and charge 40UKP for you to find out that its actually junk.

    This book is certainly not in that category! This is the proverbial hidden gem, a book you won't want to put down because every page rewards you with something interesting or useful, oftentimes both.

    I'd been a reasonably proficient shell user for more years than I would care to admit but always knew that there was more to learn and smarter ways to do things. This was exactly the resource I was looking for, The material follows a perfect gradient between easy and useful but tracks you toward more complex but insanely useful.

    The explanations are fantastic. The author has the knack of being able to describe whats going on in a way that connects with the reader and hammers home the learning.

    I'm a fan of this book and hope O'Reilly take heed and try to use this one as a template going forward (if you are going to charge > 40UKP for a book, it really should be decent).

    If you are looking to level up your Linux shell game, this is the one to buy.

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