Introductory Terms - Red Hat LINUX 7.2 Manual

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Also, there are chapters in the printed version of this manual that contain only general explanations of
the topic at hand (specifically Chapter 9, Manipulating Images With GIMP, Chapter 10, Shell Prompt
Basics, and Chapter 12, Updating and Adding Packages to Red Hat Linux). The documentation CD
and the Red Hat website ( http://www.redhat.com) have the Official Red Hat Linux Getting Started
Guide in its entirety. This non-printed information is certainly important, but not vital to getting started
with Red Hat Linux. Placing this information online helps keep the printed manual smaller, easier to
handle, and more focused.

Introductory Terms

When you learn about a new operating system, you also need to learn new terminology. Here are a
few basic terms you should learn. You will see these terms often:
• Shell prompt: A software interface (similar to a DOS screen) between the user and the operating
system. The shell interprets commands entered by the user and passes them on to the operating
system. The shell prompt displays the command line.
• Command line: The place in the shell prompt where commands are typed.
• Command: An instruction given to the computer, most often with the keyboard or mouse.
• Graphical User Interface (GUI): A screen with icons, menus, and panels for the user to click
on to initiate functions.
• GNOME and KDE: Two popular GUIs included with Red Hat Linux.
• Panel: A GUI environment toolbar, usually located across the bottom of the screen. The panel
contains the main menu button, among other things, and can be customized by the user.
• Root: The root user account is created during installation and has complete access to your system.
You must be logged in as root to accomplish certain system administration tasks. User accounts
are created so typical user tasks can be done without using the root account, to reduce the chance
of damaging your OS.
• su and su -: The command su gives you access to the root account or other accounts on your
system. When you su to root, or switch to your root account while still inside your user account
shell, you have access to important system files that you can change, or damage, permanently.
Logging in with the su - command makes you root within the root account shell. If you log in as
root with su -, you have access to certain commands that the su command does not grant. Use
caution when you are logged in as root.
• Man page and info page: Man (short for manual) and info pages give detailed information about
a command or file (man pages tend to be brief and provide less explanation than info pages). To
read the man page for the su command, for example, type man su at a shell prompt (or type
info su for the info page). To close one of these pages, press
Introduction
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