Introduction to Command Line and Unix Shell

4.425 hours4K learnersCertificate
Explore the potential of the Unix shell for building and running programs. Boost your productivity and control your computer with programmable commands.
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What you'll learn

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the Unix/Linux command line interface and the Bash shell scripting language. It explores such key concepts as file systems, text processing, Bash syntax, and system administration. You will also gain an understanding of web technologies, operating systems, and the standards and formats prevalent in the industry. On completing the course, you will be able to:

  • Сreate, manipulate, and manage files and directories in a Unix/Linux environment.
  • Write Bash scripts with variables and control structures and make them executable to automate tasks and manipulate data.
  • Build, compile, and execute programs right from the command line.
  • Create, manage, and manipulate files and directories like a pro.
  • Handle industry-standard data formats like JSON and YAML.
  • Work with VCS systems and the most popular language for creating CI/CD pipelines.

 

 

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Learn by doing

# 1
Apply knowledge into practice
You already know the theory. Now it's time to code like you do at work—in a professional IDE, with real project constraints, solving problems that actually matter. Welcome to software engineering as it should be.
# 2
Navigate complexity with surgical precision
Most developers waste months learning random concepts without seeing how they connect. Our interactive Knowledge Map fixes this. It shows exactly how every programming concept relates to others, helping you build a structured mental model of coding.
# 3
Copy the best. Then improve.
Here's what top engineers do that others don't: they study other people's code obsessively. When you get stuck on Hyperskill, you can explore solutions published by other developers. See their exact code. Understand their approach. Learn their tricks.
# 4
Code review that actually makes you better
We stripped code review down to what actually matters: does your solution work? Have you handled the edge cases? Is there a cleaner way to write this? Hyperskill acts like a competent reviewer who actually tests your code. Not genius-level analysis, not architecture debates — just solid feedback on making your code better.

Elevate your engineering mastery through real-world challenges

Master advanced engineering concepts through ambitious projects. Each project deepens your expertise and transforms you from an experienced engineer into an exceptional one.

Hyper Commander

In the time of DOS, a popular file manager called Norton Commander appeared. The usability and a visual interface were the keys to its rise. Let's make your own commander with this Bash project.

Graduate

Enigma

Humanity has explored ways to keep secrets since the early days — non-standard hieroglyphs were found in a tomb from the Old Kingdom of Egypt around 1900 BC. Julius Caesar invented a substitution cipher in 60 BC. The Enigma machine was designed in 1918 to protect communications in the banking industry. In the early 1970s, IBM founded the "crypto group," which developed a block cipher to protect its customers' data. In 1973, the US adopted it as a national standard; it took 25 years for hackers to crack it.

This project allows you to write a program for encrypting messages and files. But first, you need some basic knowledge about ciphers. You will start with the validation of user input. Then you need to convert chars to ASCII values. In the end, you will build a simple cipher that creates a file and encrypts it with a Linux utility.

Graduate

True or False

All successful programmers work hard. But they need to relax too. A way to get relaxed is to play computer games. In this project, you will create a question game with the help of the curl utility.

Graduate

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Topics covered by this course

Working with files
10 topics
Bash syntax
9 topics
Operating systems
8 topics
Software construction
8 topics
Web technologies
7 topics
Standards and formats
6 topics
Text processing
5 topics
CI/CD processes
5 topics
Managing processes
4 topics
Programming concepts
3 topics
Networking
3 topics
Command line basics
3 topics
Networking
3 topics
Package managers
3 topics
Git
2 topics

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JetBrains Academy

JetBrains Academy

JetBrains Academy is a part of JetBrains, a global software company specializing in the creation of intelligent, productivity-enhancing tools for software developers and teams. With years of expertise in software development and education, JetBrains Academy empowers more than a million people worldwide to learn and teach computer science, and help organizations inspire their teams to reach their goals in tech. Professional development tools play a big role in computer science education. This is why JetBrains Academy courses offer integration with JetBrains IDEs. This integration assists learners in getting experience with real development processes to streamline their learning curve at future work.

Your peers think Hyperskill rocks

ABHIJEET KATORE avatar
ABHIJEET KATORE
4 weeks ago
This course is a solid introduction to Unix and Linux. It covers file management, Bash scripting, system administration, web technologies, and industry-standard formats like JSON and YAML. By the end, you can write scripts, manage files, and work with version control.
Yevhen Shemiakin avatar
Yevhen Shemiakin
3 months ago
Good course, gives knowledge about most popular command line functions. Also gives suggestions for further self-study
Benjamin Cheng Yew Pu avatar
Benjamin Cheng Yew Pu
5 months ago
Alot of things to learn and must use everything to create a program

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Anonymous 154248806has successfully completed the courseIntroduction to Command Line and Unix Shell
Issue date November 27, 2025
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