The Linux arguments are very important tools that you must know how they work within the OS. For it, you need to know what they are for and what is the difference with a command.
If you are interested in the Linux world and want to handle the terminal like an expert, we invite you to continue reading this post. This is because we will show you all the information you need in a very simple way.
But this is not all, We will also explain to you what kind of data can be used as arguments for commands in Linux and how you should use single quotes.
What are arguments in Linux and what are they for in the operating system?
When you access the Linux terminal you must tell the OS distro what you want to do, but not only that. You should also clarify where in the program do you want to carry out this action. From this follows the basics of running Linux, one is the command (what to do) and the other is the argument (where the command should act). Arguments are actions that the command is told what to act on.
In this way accompanies the command in the syntax so that it returns a certain value, information or action within a directory, file within Linux. The syntax used is Command [] [Argumentos]. For example, ~$ls documents, where the arguments are separated by spaces when typed on the terminal command line. In addition, you have to take into account the upper and lower case because if you misspell the capitalization it will not work and it will make the command not find data correctly.
What are the differences between a command and an argument in Linux?
As we told you before, the commands are the elements that serve to tell the program what task to do. Namely, lCommands are programs found in a specific folder on Linux, so if you are logged in as superuser, it is not necessary to clarify where they are. Furthermore, these small programs are always written in lower case, whereas parameters must be entered exactly for syntax to work well.
Commands within the command line interface are used for the operating system to take a certain action. But you have to tell him where to act, so at this stage the parameters come into play. This elements They are in charge of indicating the path that the commands must follow to execute a certain task. For this reason, both elements are essential to work in a Linux environment, since they are complementary and not substitutes, as many think.
What kind of data can be used as arguments for a command?
If you know use the basic syntax of the language of the Linux Bash Shell you will be able to use a large amount of data as command arguments, as long as you use the single quotes correctly. For example, you would write: ~/Documentos$ cd 'Internet Paso a Paso' to access the files in the Internet folder Step by Step that you have on your computer.
But don’t worry if you don’t know how to use this important Linux tool. In this case you will have to replace the single quotes you wrote (the one we used in the previous example) with the backslash (). This way you will have to enter: ~/Documentos$ cd Internet Paso a Paso.
This will cause the system to search the folder Document everything related to the argument you entered. Namely, within the Document parent file it will search for all files containing the words what did you tell the command. Therefore, the data that you can use as arguments to a command they are, generally, the file and the address or path on which the program will act.