Linux is a powerful and versatile operating system used by developers, system administrators, and power users around the world. Understanding basic Linux commands is essential for anyone looking to work in a Linux environment. This guide covers some fundamental commands that every beginner should know.
The terminal, also known as the command line or shell, is a text-based interface that allows you to interact with your computer. To open the terminal, look for it in your applications menu or use a keyboard shortcut (usually Ctrl+Alt+T
). The terminal allows you to execute commands by typing them and pressing Enter.
pwd
(Print Working Directory): This command displays the current directory you are in. It's useful for confirming your location within the file system, especially when navigating through multiple directories.
ls
(List): This command lists the files and directories in the current directory. You can use options like -l
for a detailed list including file permissions and sizes, or -a
to show hidden files.
cd
(Change Directory): This command allows you to navigate between directories. You can move to a different directory by specifying its path, such as cd Documents
to enter the Documents folder.
cat
(Concatenate): This command displays the contents of a file. It's useful for quickly viewing text files without opening a text editor.
touch
: This command creates an empty file or updates the timestamp of an existing file. It's a quick way to create new files.
cp
(Copy): This command copies files or directories from one location to another. It's essential for duplicating files or backing up important data.
mv
(Move): This command moves or renames files or directories. Use it to organize your files or change their names.
rm
(Remove): This command deletes files or directories. Be cautious with this command, as it permanently removes files.
mkdir
(Make Directory): This command creates a new directory. It's useful for organizing files into separate folders.
rmdir
(Remove Directory): This command deletes an empty directory. If the directory contains files, you'll need to use rm -r
to remove it and its contents.
chmod
(Change Mode): This command changes the permissions of a file or directory. Permissions determine who can read, write, or execute a file.
chown
(Change Owner): This command changes the owner of a file or directory. It's often used by system administrators to manage user access to files.
uname
: This command shows system information, such as the kernel version and system architecture. It's useful for troubleshooting and verifying system details.
top
: This command displays running processes and system resource usage. It helps monitor system performance and manage processes.
df
(Disk Free): This command shows disk space usage for all mounted filesystems. Use it to check available disk space and manage storage.
free
: This command shows memory usage, including total, used, and available memory. It's helpful for monitoring system performance.
ps
(Process Status): This command displays information about running processes. It helps identify active processes and their statuses.
kill
: This command terminates a process. It's used to stop unresponsive or unwanted processes.
bg
and fg
(Background and Foreground): These commands manage jobs in the terminal, allowing you to run processes in the background or bring them to the foreground.
ping
: This command checks the connectivity to a network host. It's useful for diagnosing network issues.
ifconfig
(Interface Configuration): This command shows or configures network interfaces. It's used to set up network connections and troubleshoot network problems.
netstat
(Network Statistics): This command displays network connections, routing tables, and interfac
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