Linux Screen Clearing

Introduction

In the whimsical town of Codexia, there exists a magical library known to house endless shelves of enchanted books that change contents as the ink on their pages flows like watercolor streams. The library is tended by a scholarly figure known only as the Scrivener, a masterful scribe whose role is to ensure that every spell and every story remains accessible and uninterrupted by the chaos of ever-changing texts.

Amidst this magical mayhem, a problem has arisen. The Scrivener's work is clouded by the disarray of terminal screens filled with redundant incantations and half-told tales, making it arduous to discern the current scripts from outdated parchments. The goal of this Lab is to master the art of screen clearing: a spellbinding technique that will unveil the Scrivener's workspace anew with each completed enchantment, allowing for clarity in each literary and magical pursuit.

Skills Graph

Learning the Basic clear Command

In this step, you will be introduced to the essential clear command, the simplest spell in the domain of terminal screen clearing. This incantation will wipe the screen clean, leaving only the current command prompt so the Scrivener can start with a fresh canvas. The parchment, or in your case, the terminal window, will look as untouched as the first snow of winter - an invaluable skill when one's work involves as much trial and error as the ancient craft of spellwriting.

Navigate to the working directory with the following command:

cd ~/project

Now, practice the clear command:

clear

This will clear your terminal screen completely. You should see no other output than the command prompt waiting for your next spell.

Scripting the clear Command

In this step, we will transcend beyond a mere manual invocation of the clear command. You will learn to create a script that automatically clears the screen as part of a grander incantation. This script will serve as a magic wand, effortlessly wiping clean the terminal window upon its execution.

Create a new script file called auto_clear.sh inside the ~/project directory:

touch ~/project/auto_clear.sh

Now, open the file in your favorite text editor and add the following lines of code:

#!/bin/bash
clear
echo "The screen is now as clear as the Scrivener's conscience!"

Make your script executable with this enchantment:

chmod +x ~/project/auto_clear.sh

Finally, run your script:

~/project/auto_clear.sh

You should see the clear screen and the message printed out.

Summary

In this lab, you had the chance to step into the shoes of the Scrivener, applying the craft of screen clearing to maintain order in the magical chaos of the Linux terminal. Starting with the essential clear command and then incorporating it into a script, you learned not only about maintaining a tidy workspace but also the first steps towards automating repetitive tasks within the Linux environment. This will surely contribute to a more efficient and clear-headed approach in your future digital spells and incantations.