insecure as you like.

When you start Debian, you'll see a prompt: a request from the computer
for some information. In this case, the prompt is login:.

You should type your username and, when requested, your password. The
password does not appear on the screen as you type it. Press Enter after
both the username and the password. If you type your username or password
incorrectly, you'll have to start over.

If you do it correctly, you'll see a brief message and then a $ prompt.
The $ is printed by a special program called the shell and is thus called
a shell prompt. This is where you give commands to the system.

Try entering the command whoami now. There is a cursor to the right of the
shell prompt. Your cursor is a small underscore or rectangle that
indicates where you're typing; it should move as you type. Always press
Enter when you're done typing a shell command.

whoami tells your username. You'll then get a new shell prompt.

For the rest of the book, when we say to enter a command, you should type
it at the shell prompt and press the Enter key.

When you're done working, you may want to log out of the system. To exit
the shell, enter the exit command. Keep in mind that if you remain logged
in, someone could come along and use your account. Hopefully you can trust
those in your office or home not to do this; but if you do not trust your
environment, you should be certain to log out when you leave.