## 0.4. What This Handbook Covers

This book teaches basic system utility commands to get you started with Unix. Instead of overwhelming you with lots of details, we want you to be comfortable in the Unix environment as soon as possible. So we cover a command's most useful features instead of describing all its options in detail.

We also assume that your computer works properly; someone has started it, knows the procedure for turning the power off, and knows how to perform system maintenance. In other words, we don't cover Unix system administration.

Unix users can choose between many different user interfaces--shells and window systems. Our examples show the bash shell and the GNOME and KDE window environments. We've chosen them because they're popular and make good examples, not because we think they're always "the best." If you do advanced work or set up Unix systems for other users, we recommend learning about a variety of shells and window systems and choosing the best ones for your needs. The principles explained in this book should help you use any Unix configuration.

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