I've been diving into Linux through books and I've noticed that several commands aren't working as I expected. For instance, commands like 'ifconfig' don't work unless I install net-tools, and 'traceroute' also isn't responsive until I install it. I'm curious about how many commands are available by default and also wondering if I should lean towards using 'mtr' instead of 'traceroute'. Any insights?
5 Answers
Why stick with deprecated commands on a modern OS? While some older commands from the 1980s still work, many have changed or been phased out over the years. If you're using books, make sure to check when they were published. It's crucial to discern what's outdated, especially when you're just starting out!
If you're seeing issues with 'ifconfig', it's good to switch to the more modern 'ip' utility from iproute2. Also, keep in mind that what you're running into are command-line applications; not every Linux installation comes with every tool pre-installed, especially more minimal setups! Instead of only relying on books, I suggest you actually try installing a Linux system and perform some administrative tasks to get a practical feel for it. If you're brave, Arch Linux has awesome documentation! Just set it up in a VM and you'll learn a ton.
It really comes down to which Linux distribution you're using. Different distros come with different sets of pre-installed commands. Plus, keep in mind that some commands become deprecated as systems evolve, so you might not find everything that worked in the past still functional.
To find out what commands are available, try using this command in your terminal: `whatis \`compgen -c\` | more`. You can even save the list to a file with `whatis \`compgen -c\` > commands.txt`. Just remember, it really depends on what you need—there's no solid answer for what commands are 'default' because it varies per setup!
Sometimes, having fewer options is actually a good thing! Focusing on essential commands can streamline your learning instead of trying to remember every single one.
Maybe the person is using old tutorials, which is common while learning. It’s totally understandable to want to rely on what's available, even if it's outdated.