So, little tiny parts of Linux commands, change kind of often or vary constantly with L. versions?

Question

Long story short, is I've decided to finally dare to ask my question about why I've had such an exceedingly plow rate of success getting anything but the very simplest of command line commands in Linux, to work. On Ubuntu a few years ago, and before that, on the former Linspire, it seemed that no matter how careful I was trying to use the simplest commands, and typing them in as utterly carefully as I could, that I'd have almost no success getting them to work. If I remember right, almost all the time I'd just get reverted to the the place to type a new command...I guess something like the C:\user\ line. It's been so long since I've used any Linux OS, that i'm not exactly sure that's exactly what shows up, but I think what I mean is most likely understood.
The worse of it maybe, was when I bought a rather recent whole book focusing on Linspire itself, and even the commands directly listed in that for Linspire I was on, almost never worked. Maybe two or three times out of the better part of a hundred tries. And on Ubuntu, it was about the same. This was often on various machines, different keyboards, and so on. The Linspire one was a PC bought new from Newegg I think, with Linspire preinstalled on it.
My level of understanding, maybe not surprisingly, isn't exactly too high, especially of course with Linux. I did install the Ubuntu myself, and get use from it off and on, for some time. I always of course tried to precisely transcribe the commands I read about, into Command. I 've always realized about things like, a forward slash and a back slash, are not likely to be interchangeable. REalized that spaces count, and have to be notice. That an unnoticed extra blank space somewhere, such as at the beginning, might throw everything completely off. But it was as though I was constantly making some maybe small but blocking kind of error.
But, could it have been that from version to version, even with tiny changes in version, the necessary commands were just changing almost constantly, even if only a tiny bit? And that 's why almost always, they wouldn't work for me?
I can admit that, I never really got to the level of having an instinct for understanding very much about what was really going on, so as to be able to understand any possible changes that it might be just expected that the person would realize they might have to be changing for lots of commands. Understand it on their own, that is.
I mean, even on Windows with relatively simple things like easy Program installs and their directions, in the large majority of cases, the instructions need to change a little bit all the time as OS s, their updates, and so on, gradually change. But only quite rarely are the instructions updated, meaning the person installing has to keep an overall sense of things in mind, and apply some judgment in figuring out where the instructions need to be varied a little. Or a lot of the installs aren't going to work.
So, could that have been my basic problem? That I didn't have some necessary basic understanding of things with Command to allow me to be modifying commands maybe even as the normal thing. I sure otherwise, am just baffled as to what could have been going on with those almost constant failures I had in my efforts in Terminal.

Answer 1

No, the Linux commands have not been changing. The format is always (command+options). The detail of how you request options might be very slightly different from distro to distro (depending on the historic background of the distro), so it is wise to stick with one distro (say, Ubuntu) till you have mastered the specific detail.



You are right to want to master the command line, because this is real computing in ANY operating system (including Windows) - it is where you the user issue orders to your computer in a very plain and direct way. Any computer which does not instantly do what it is told gets a clip around the ear.



Typically, you won't need the command line much, to run a modern Linux. But if you want to master it, start small with an easy command and work up.

1. Open a command line (also known as Terminal).

2. The prompt will usually show your userid and which directory you are in (usually your Home directory, equivalent of My Documents.

3. Type ls (letters small L and small S) and press Enter.

4. If this works, it will list all the files and sub-directories that exist in that folder

5. If it does not work, update your question with an exact description of what happened, what error msgs you got etc.



If it works, try another easy command from one of your books.

Answer 2

When there's a command/task that doesn't work for you, ask.



The person answering you will also be able to figure out your "weak points" and suggest how to improve in it.



You wrote a lot, but the answer is short: the only solution is to analyze why something fails for you. We can't talk in general. You have to be specific.



This also goes for things you deem problematic, like installation woes and "commands are changing constantly". Sometimes there's a "noble" reason behind these issues. Again: ask. You may be treated to some very interesting stories.



(And don't try to switch your friends' religion or operating system.)

Answer 3

Could you please copy and paste one of the commands that doesn't work here, with the output that appears when you try to use it?



The usage of core commands such as what you're probably using almost never change.



Are you sure you're typing them *exactly*? They also can't be capitalized because they are case-sensitive.



It could also be something weird such as a keyboard configuration being incorrect.

Answer 4

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