1 The *shell* is a program that presents a command line interface which
2 allows you to control your computer using commands entered with a
3 keyboard instead of controlling graphical user interfaces (GUIs) with
4 a mouse/keyboard combination.
6 There are many reasons to learn about the shell. In my opinion, the
7 most important reasons are that:
9 1. It is very common to encounter the shell and
10 command-line-interfaces in scientific computing, so you will
11 probably have to learn it eventually
13 2. The shell is a really powerful way of interacting with your
14 computer. GUIs and the shell are complementary—by knowing both you
15 will greatly expand the range of tasks you can accomplish with
16 your computer. You will also be able to perform many tasks more