Using the Linux shellBefore icons and windows took over computer screens, you typed commands to run most computers.On UNIX Working with the Linux file systems, from which Linux was derived, the program used tointerpret and manage commands was referred to as the shell.Using the vi text editor in LinuxNo matter which Linux distribution you are using, you can always count on one thing being available to you: the shell. It provides a way to run programs, work with file systems, compile computer code, operate a system, and manage the computer. Although the shell is less intuitive than common graphic user interfaces (GUIs), most Linux experts consider the shell to be much more powerful than GUIs. Shells have been around a long time, and many advanced features have been built into them.