Traditionally, most new users have always been reluctant to experiment with the command line interface. Once you understand the terminal, Linux will finally open up to you. The terminal is easily the most powerful part of a Linux system.

A frequent worry of Linux newbies is that they will have to learn how to use the terminal, something that is unfamiliar to new users. There is some debate, however, over when you have to use the terminal, if you have to at all. The question is: it is possible to use Linux without using the terminal?

The linux terminal can get boring at times owing to lack of colors & a rigid black background. Hardcore Linux enthusiasts won’t think about the appearance of the terminal but normal users will surely get bored of the monochrome terminal sooner or later. Surprisingly beautifying the terminal is pretty simple.

A very long time ago, computers didn’t have mice, icons or fancy graphics. Instead of an Operating System with a Graphical User Interface, there was the Command Line Interface. With it, you would issue commands to your computer in a text only environment that is not seen so often these days.

Admit it. You enjoy using the command line in Linux. You only have a graphical interface so people in the office don't look at you strangely. So why not embed a terminal window into the Gnome desktop and have a soothing desktop picture and the power of the command line all at once?

I’ve moved my desktop at home from a Windows XP to a Ubuntu Hardy Heron (8.04 - and soon the new Intrepid Ibex), and have had to google a bit to find the answers to my following “problems”.
Here are some of the issues I experienced, and some possible solutions (and as usual, there are several different solutions to each problem).

If you’re a Linux guru or or experienced enough to know what all of these things are then you probably don’t need this article and we can go our merry ways. If not, then DO NOT, DON’T, NEVER EVER EVER EVER run these commands in a terminal session. If you do you will render your system anything from useless without a forced reboot to devoid of any useful purpose ever.

A lot of people believe that you have to know how to use the terminal in order to use Linux. Other people claim you never have to touch the terminal at all. In reality, the neither group is quite right.

A common misconception with Linux is that you have to know how to use the terminal in order for you to use linux. The fact is you won’t have to use the linux terminal more than you would use CMD in Windows or the terminal in Mac OSX.