sudo mkdir /usr/local/share/
sudo mkdir /usr/local/bin/
sudo cd /usr/local/share/
sudo wget http://ftp.drupal.org/files/projects/drush-7.x-4.4.tar.gz
sudo tar zxvf drush-7.x-4.4.tar.gz
sudo rm drush-7.x-4.4.tar.gz
sudo ln -s /usr/local/share/drush/drush /usr/local/bin/drush

sudo which drush

Knowing how to manually install Drush, as a Drupal developer, is as crucial as knowing how to use a Swiss Army knife when going camping. It will tremendously streamline your work process!

Or maybe I should have started this post with a definition of Drush? Well, then here it goes: Drush is the command-line interface (or command-line shell) in Drupal, that can handle the great majority of Drupal maintenance tasks.

So, from:

• clearing caches
• running cron
• managing modules (whether this means installing, enabling, disabling, removing them)
• setting up core variables
• viewing certain data on your site (install location, version, module info etc.)
• updating different components of your Drupal site

… and the list is almost a never-ending one, all you need to do is entering the right command in Drush.

In a nutshell: Drush's your own "Swiss army knife-like tool", as a Drupal developer, a tool to use for an overwhelming set of tasks that you need to carry out. And all that quick and easy, right from the command prompt!

And now, let us proceed with the promised step-by-step guide.

I'll be walking you through the manual installation of Drush, assuming that you are, at least at a basic level, used to working with a command line. I feel like mentioning this, since if you're not at all familiar with navigation in the command prompt, its installation can turn out to be a quite daunting one.

 

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