Linux GUI utilities are time-consuming and awkward to use. You can run a simple Linux command to do the equivalent task in a fraction of the time. Here’s how to use Linux command “patterns” to run Linux commands.

Linux GUI utilities provide an easy “point-and-click” method of doing Linux administration tasks, but they are time-consuming and awkward to use. You can run a simple Linux command to do the equivalent task in a fraction of the time it would take to use a Linux GUI utility.

When you get Linux training, be sure that it is focused on how to use Linux commands. Also, if you are interested in getting Linux certification, you need to know how to use Linux commands to be able to pass, not Linux GUI utilities.

Linux Tips - How to Use Linux “Patterns” (Linux Wildcard characters)

Some Linux documentation uses the term “pattern” to refer to Linux wildcard characters.

Wildcard characters are used in a “pattern” to cause a Linux command to work on multiple items, such as multiple directories and files in the Linux file system.

The two Linux wildcard characters are the * (asterisk) and ? (question mark).

Using an * (asterisk) with a Linux Command

An * (asterisk) is used in a pattern to represent “all” characters of an item (directory or file).

The Linux command below shows an example of the using the cp (copy) command to copy all (because of the * without any other letters or numbers) files in the current directory into the directory named memos.

]# cp * memos

Linux Tips: Keep in mind that Linux commands are “case sensitive”. Always type the letters in upper or lower case, as shown.

Linux Tips: Also, be sure to use spaces where they are shown. For example, in the Linux command above, you need a space (just a single space) between cp and the * and you need a single space between the * and memos.

The * (Linux wildcard character) can be combined with one or more letters at the front of it or after it.

The following Linux command is an example of the using the cp (copy) command to copy all files in the current directory beginning with the letter r into the directory named memos.

]# cp r* reports

The Linux command below copies all files ending in “sxw” into the directory named weekly.

]# cp *.sxw weekly

The next Linux command copies all files containing “mem” (anywhere in the file name) into the directory named monthly.

]# cp *mem* monthly

Using a ? (question mark) with a Linux Command

The ? (question mark) is used in a pattern to represent a single character.

The Linux command below shows an example of the using the mv (move) command to move files that have a single character and end in “cfg” into the directory named june.

]# mv ?.cfg june

The following Linux command moves all files beginning with “month”, and having two characters after “month”, and ending in “sxw”, into the folder named years.

]# mv month??.sxw years

To learn how to use Linux commands the easy way, you can watch Linux video tutorials. When you work with Linux videos, you can actually see Linux commands being run and hear a detailed description of why you need to run a certain Linux command.

Another benefit is that you can also see the output of the Linux command and hear a description of what the output means.

After seeing how to use Linux commands, you can run them yourself - to get practical Linux training.

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