Hi al,
This one is for our absolute beginners with Linux. The commandline is one of the most feared and used features of Linux. In the end, if you are using a Linux system, you will have to learn how to use the command line.
I had too and (as you all will) got used to go to that black window (oh, dark purple in my case since I am on Ubuntu 
) and do a quick lookup or create a file or directory.
To get used to that scary window, I found this super cool website that makes a game out of using the commandline.
Which bandit can you catch? Try it, it is FUN!