Essential Linux Commands

Directory and File Management

• pwd Prints the current working directory.

• mkdir <directory-name> Creates a new directory or folder.

• touch <file-name> Creates a new empty file.

• ls Lists the files and folders in the current directory.

• ls -ltr Lists files and directories with detailed information.

• cd <directory-path> Changes the current directory to the specified path.

• cd .. Moves up one level in the directory hierarchy.

• cd ../.. Moves up two level in the directory hierarchy.

• cd ~ Navigates to the home directory of the current user.

File and Directory Deletion

• rm <file-name> Deletes a file.

• rm -r <directory-name> Recursively deletes a directory and its contents.

File Operations

• mv <old-file-name> <new-file-name> Renames or moves a file.

• cp <source-file> <destination-file> Copies a file to a new location.

• cp -r <source-dir> <destination-dir> Recursively copies a directory and its contents.

• cat <file-name> Displays the contents of a file.

• vi <file-name> Opens the file in the Vi editor for viewing or editing. If the file doesn’t exist, it creates one.

System Information & Help

• man <command> Displays the manual (documentation) for any Linux command.

• chmod <options> <file> Changes permissions for a file or directory.

• nproc Displays the number of available CPU cores.

• ps -ef Shows a detailed list of all running processes.

• history Displays the list of commands previously executed in the terminal.

• clear Clears the terminal screen.

Conclusion

These commands form the foundation of efficient navigation, file handling, and system management in a Linux environment. Keep practicing!

Thank you for reading!