Why Use the Command Line?

We will interact with the operating system via a command-line interface. We are all used to the point-and-click graphical user interfaces of modern computers. So why use the command line?

There are a few reasons (and see the excellent discussion that is part of the Software Carpentry Unix shell notes):

• Scientific computing often involves automating workflows and repetitive tasks.

• Supercomputing facilities are access via remote connections and almost exclusively use some type of Linux OS.

  Tip

  Take a look at the Top 500 list of fastest computers

• Much of the analysis software we use is written as a command line tool that is meant to be incorporated into a script, or chained together with other tools.

• It helps us understand how the computer thinks about our files and data.

The MathLab machines run Linux which is an open-source Unix-like operating system. Linux powers much of the internet and high-performance computing systems.