Your Super Quick Start with the Linux echo Command on Ubuntu

Aaron Rose

3 min read

Your Super Quick Start with the Linux echo Command on Ubuntu

Hey there, new Ubuntu user! Stepping into the command line might feel like entering a new world, but don’t worry, we’ll start with something super easy: the echo command. Think of echo as your computer's simple way of repeating what you tell it. Let's take a quick look!

The Basic Idea: Say Something, It Says It Back

The most fundamental function of echo is to display text directly on your screen. First, open your Terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T. A black window will appear – that's your terminal! Now, type your first echo command: carefully type echo Hello there! and then press the Enter key. You should observe Hello there! printed right below what you typed. That's it! You instructed echo to say "Hello there!", and it did exactly that.

Echoing Different Messages

echo is quite versatile; you can instruct it to display almost any text you desire. Simply place the text you want to see after the word echo, ensuring there's a space in between. For example, typing:

echo This is easy.

will show:

This is easy.

And if you type:

echo Learning Linux is cool.

you’ll see:

Learning Linux is cool.

Handling Spaces: The Role of Quotes

When you want echo to treat an entire phrase as a single unit, especially if it contains spaces or special characters, you can enclose your text within either single or double quotes. Using single quotes like this:

echo 'This is one message.' This is one message. This is one message.

will display:

This is one message. This is one message. This is one message. 

Similarly, using double quotes like this:

echo "This sentence also works."

will show:

This sentence also works.

For straightforward messages like these, both single and double quotes achieve the same outcome.

A Useful Extra: Keeping Output on the Same Line

Typically, after echo displays its output, the subsequent prompt in your terminal appears on a new line. If you wish to prevent this default behavior, you can include the special option -n immediately after echo. For instance, if you type:

echo -n "This will stay..."
echo "on one line"

This sequence will produce:

This will stay...on one line

Notice how the output of the second echo command directly follows the output of the first, without a line break in between.

Why is echo Useful? (A Brief Look Ahead)

While simply displaying text might seem elementary at this stage, echo serves as a fundamental building block in the Linux command-line environment. As you progress, you'll discover its utility in displaying information retrieved from your system, automating various tasks through scripting, and even creating and manipulating simple files. The most effective way to learn is by doing. Open your terminal and don't hesitate to experiment with the echo command. Try echoing different phrases, both with and without quotes. Rest assured, you cannot cause any harm to your system by simply using echo in this manner!

Your Next Step: Embrace Experimentation!

Welcome to the exciting world of Linux! You’ve now taken your initial steps with a remarkably versatile command. Continue exploring, and you’ll be continually amazed by the capabilities at your fingertips.

Need Ubuntu Expertise?

We’d love to help you with your Ubuntu projects. Feel free to reach out to us at info@pacificw.com.

Written by Aaron Rose

Software engineer and technology blogger.