| apt |
The package manager on Debian/Ubuntu/Mint — installs and updates software |
| bash |
The most common shell — the program that reads your commands |
| daemon |
A background service process (pronounced "demon") |
| distro / distribution |
A complete OS built around the Linux kernel (Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora...) |
| filesystem |
How files are organized on a disk; also, a mounted disk itself |
| grep |
Search text inside files |
| home directory |
Your personal directory (/home/<you>, shorthand ~) |
| kernel |
The core of the OS — manages hardware, CPU, memory |
| man page |
The built-in manual for a command (man ls) |
| mount |
Attach a disk at a directory so its files appear there |
| package |
A bundle of software the package manager installs |
| package manager |
The tool that installs/updates software from repositories |
| permissions |
Who can read, write, or execute a file (the rwx flags) |
| PID |
Process ID — the number identifying a running program |
pipe (\|) |
Send one command's output into another command |
| process |
A running program |
| prompt |
The text in the terminal waiting for your command ($ or #) |
| repository (repo) |
A server of vetted packages your package manager draws from |
| root |
The superuser (all-powerful account), or the top directory / — context tells you which |
| shell |
The program that interprets your typed commands |
| SSH |
Secure Shell — encrypted remote login |
| sudo |
Run one command as the superuser |
| systemd |
The service manager on modern Linux (PID 1 on most distros) |
| systemctl |
The command for talking to systemd |
| terminal (emulator) |
The window that runs your shell |
| wildcard |
* (any characters) and ? (one character) for matching filenames |