Implementing and Using a Microsoft Windows Like ‘start’ Command in Linux

If youre utilized to the practical begin command at the command timely in Microsoft Windows, youre most likely to be a little disappointed not having the same performance in Linux. It need not be!
What Is start?
If you have actually utilized Microsoft Windows for a long period of time, you likely have discovered some shortcuts which streamline your work. One such super-handy shortcut is to utilize the start command at the Command Prompt in Windows.

You can type start. You can also simply type start notepad, and it will open the note pad application for you, and so on. You can even do things like start mypdf.pdf, and it will open your default-type-assigned application for opening PDF files!
You move to Linux and expect the very same great functionality to be there. Not so:

You can also simply type start notepad, and it will open the note pad application for you, and so on. You can even do things like start mypdf.pdf, and it will open your default-type-assigned application for opening PDF files! Start is not a default command in Linux. Re-implementing start on Linux is simpler then you believe. The 2nd command will include the line alias start= exo-open– launch FileManager to ~/.

Start is not a default command in Linux. Lets implement our own start.
Re-implementing start on Linux!
Re-implementing start on Linux is much easier then you believe. Here are 2 approaches. The very first one is most likely to work more universally on numerous Linux circulations, whereas the second is more Linux Mint and Ubuntu focused.
The first one uses the xdg-open. Two commands are needed to re-implement start:
sudo apt set up xdg-utils
echo “alias start= xdg-open” >> > > ~/. bashrc.

There might be some small differences in operation; for instance, if you perform a command like start text.txt where such a file exists, a file manager with that file highlighted (requiring an additional double click) may open instead of opening the designated application.
There are minor differences between xdg-utils and exo-utils (described listed below) in this way, and it depends on your underlying desktop window supervisor and its file type association settings also.
Evaluate what works best for you, and set right file type associations in your operating system to optimize the minor distinctions. You can do so by right-clicking a file and picking choices alike to Open With > > Other Application > > selecting an application and making it default. There may likewise be a file type setup screen readily available in your Linux Distribution.
Note that the very first time you run commands by doing this you may be provided with a dialog comparable to the following:.

In it, merely choose your preferred file supervisor. To learn more on how to do this and what sort of alternatives are offered here, you might like to evaluate our article Swapping File Managers in Mint 20.
If in some way you faced concerns, or you are using Linux Mint or Ubuntu and wish to attempt another possible service, you can try this alternative option which uses exo-utils, a plan initially connected to the xcfe desktop window manager, but also functional on, or in conjunction with, other windows managers!
For our 2nd solution, two commands are needed to re-implement start:.
sudo apt-get set up exo-utils.
echo “alias start= exo-open– launch FileManager” >> > > ~/. bashrc.

Note: if you utilize Fedora, RedHat, or Centos instead of a Debian-based distribution, you may utilize sudo yum install xdg-utils instead of the very first line.
The very first command will set up the xdg-utils package, allowing us to use the command xdg-open. It is likely that xdg-utils is currently set up on your system, and trying to do so once again will not damage the operating system in any way.
The second command adds an alias to our individual Bash startup script (the concealed file ~/. bashrc) in which xdg-open is called whenever start is executed at the command line. Note one might also type xdg-open, but I much prefer the shorter and more familiar start.
After making these changes, leave your shell and re-open it. You need to now be able to utilize start in– for all purposes and intents– the very same manner as you would in Microsoft Windows:.

The first command sets up the exo-utils, in a similar style to our install of xdg-utils. The second command will include the line alias start= exo-open– launch FileManager to ~/.
Finishing up.
Having start offered in Linux, specifically when you tend to use the terminal command line a lot, makes the blend between the text-based terminal and the desktop windows manager definitively better.
When you use the service for a while, different methods of using it will become more obvious, and your computer system use effectiveness and operator skills will substantially enhance.
Enjoy!