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Show HN: I wrote a modern Command Line Handbook

commandline.stribny.name

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Show HN: I wrote a modern Command Line Handbook

#1

Post by petr25102018 »

TLDR: I wrote a handbook for the Linux command line. 120 pages in PDF. Updated for 2025. Pay what you want.

A few years back I wrote an ebook about the Linux command line. Instead of focusing on a specific shell, paraphrasing manual pages, or providing long repetitive explanations, the idea was to create a modern guide that would help readers to understand the command line in the practical sense, cover the most common things people use the command line for, and do so without wasting the readers' time.

The book contains material on terminals, shells (compatible with both Bash and Zsh), configuration, command line programs for typical use cases, shell scripting, and many tips and tricks to make working on the command line more convenient. I still consider it "an introduction" and it is not necessarily a book for the HN crowd that lives in the terminal, but I believe that the book will easily cover 80 % of the things most people want or need to do in the terminal.

I made a couple of updates to the book over the years and just finished a significant one for 2025. The book is not perfect. I still see a lot of room for improvement, but I think it is good enough and I truly want to share it with everyone. Hence, pay what you want.

EXAMPLE PAGES: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PkUcLv83Ib6nKYF88n3OBqeeVff...

https://commandline.stribny.name/

Show HN: I wrote a modern Command Line Handbook
commandline.stribny.name

Re: Show HN: I wrote a modern Command Line Handbook

#2

Post by charlie-83 »

Cool, couple of comments. The website it a bit broken on mobile (at least for me) since text goes off the screen. Second, it would be good to have some sample pages or at least a page of contents so people can see the level of detail the book is aimed at. I know I could just get the book for free and then pay later but that kind of a faff and I feel bad choosing $0 for these kinds of things.

Re: Show HN: I wrote a modern Command Line Handbook

#3

Post by petr25102018 »

charlie-83 wrote: post #2

Cool, couple of comments. The website it a bit broken on mobile (at least for me) since text goes off the screen. Second, it would be good to have some sample pages or at least a page of contents so people can see the level of detail the book is aimed at. I know I could just get the book for free and then pay later but that kind of a faff and I feel bad choosing $0 for these kinds of things.

Thanks for the feedback. I was trying to make it work on mobile but maybe I didn't test it well in the end.

As for a sample, I will go and try to make something now. Thanks.

Edit: Example pages here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PkUcLv83Ib6nKYF88n3OBqeeVff...

Re: Show HN: I wrote a modern Command Line Handbook

#4

Post by JLO64 »

Honestly I would’ve liked to fork over cash for a book like this but the deal breaker for me is that it’s in PDF format. I like to read all of my books on a Kindle (with koreader installed) so epub files that can be resized to fit its weird dimensions are a must.

Re: Show HN: I wrote a modern Command Line Handbook

#6

Post by petr25102018 »

JLO64 wrote: post #4

Honestly I would’ve liked to fork over cash for a book like this but the deal breaker for me is that it’s in PDF format. I like to read all of my books on a Kindle (with koreader installed) so epub files that can be resized to fit its weird dimensions are a must.

Noted. I will try to provide alternative formats. Not sure how it will go with the code examples, but I shall try.

Edit: One reason why I picked PDF is that I expect the readers to actually follow the examples in their own terminal while going through the book. So in that sense I was thinking about reading it on the desktop.

Re: Show HN: I wrote a modern Command Line Handbook

#7

Post by InsideOutSanta »

JLO64 wrote: post #4

Honestly I would’ve liked to fork over cash for a book like this but the deal breaker for me is that it’s in PDF format. I like to read all of my books on a Kindle (with koreader installed) so epub files that can be resized to fit its weird dimensions are a must.

Yeah, same. On a phone or smaller e-reader, regular PDFs designed for normal book size are often unreadable.

Re: Show HN: I wrote a modern Command Line Handbook

#8

Post by mtlynch »

Cool book!

Humble suggestion: Give more specific examples of what the reader will learn on the landing page. From the landing page, I don't know if this is for total command line beginners or has helpful tips for people familiar with bash already. I had to hunt around to find sample pages, and they provided much better sense of what's in the book.

Also, spotted some small issues in the copy:

"Fresh out of press" - The more common expression is "hot off the press." "Out of press" sounds similar to "out of print" (i.e., no longer sold)

"Grok the Linux command line on only 120 pages" - should be "in only 120 pages"

Re: Show HN: I wrote a modern Command Line Handbook

#9

Post by petr25102018 »

mtlynch wrote: post #8

Cool book! Humble suggestion: Give more specific examples of what the reader will learn on the landing page. From the landing page, I don't know if this is for total command line beginners or has helpful tips for people familiar with bash already. I had to hunt around to find sample pages, and they provided much better sense of what's in the book. Also, spotted some small issues in the copy: "Fresh out of press" - Th…

True, the landing page could be more detailed. I didn't want to repeat much the info on Gumroad page, but maybe I should rethink it.

And thanks for the copy suggestions. I am not a native speaker :)

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