IMPORTANT LINUX COMMAND LIST

1. Basic Commands

Command Description Important Parameters Example

Prints current →
pwd No parameters. $ pwd /home/user
working directory.
-l: Long format. -a: Show hidden → Detailed list of all
Lists files and $ ls -lah
ls files. -h: Human-readable sizes. - files with sizes.
directories.
R: Recursive.

..: Parent directory. ~: Home $ cd ~/Documents → Navigate

cd Changes directory.
directory. to Documents.
Creates a new -p: Creates parent directories as $ mkdir -p /tmp/new/folder
mkdir → Creates nested directories.
directory. needed.
Deletes files or $ rm -rf folder → Deletes
rm -r: Recursive. -f: Force deletion.
directories. folder and contents.
Copies files or $ cp -r src dest → Copies
cp -r: Recursive. -i: Interactive.
directories. source directory to destination.
Moves or renames $ mv file1 file2 → Renames
mv -i: Interactive. -v: Verbose.
files. file1 to file2.

Creates an empty $ touch [Link] →

touch No parameters.
file. Creates a file.

2. File Permissions and Ownership

Command Description Important Parameters Example

Changes file u: User. g: Group. o: Others. $ chmod u+x [Link] → Adds
chmod
permissions. a: All. +/-: Add/remove. execute permission for user.

Changes file user:group: Set user and group $ chown -R user:group folder
chown → Changes ownership of folder
ownership. ownership. -R: Recursive. .

Lists files with $ ls -l → Shows permissions,

ls -l -l: Long format.
permissions. ownership, and file sizes.

File Permissions Breakdown:

● -rw-r--r--: First character is - (file) or d (directory).
● First group (rw-): Owner permissions (read/write).
● Second group (r--): Group permissions (read only).
● Third group (r--): Others' permissions (read only).
3. File Searching and Viewing

Command Description Important Parameters Example

-name: By name. -type: File (f) →
Searches for files $ find / -name "*.txt"
find or directory (d). -size: Size-based Find all
and directories. .txt files.
search.
$ grep -ri "error"
grep
Searches for -i: Case-insensitive. -v: Exclude
/var/log → Search for "error"
patterns in files. matching lines. -r: Recursive. recursively.

Displays first lines $ head -n 10 [Link] →

head -n: Number of lines to show.
of a file. Shows first 10 lines.
$ tail -f logfile →
tail
Displays last lines -n: Number of lines. -f: Follows Continuously displays new log
of a file. file updates.
entries.
Interactive file $ less [Link] → Scrollable
less -N: Show line numbers.
viewing. view of file content.

4. Process Management

Command Description Important Parameters Example

Lists running -e: All processes. -f: Full- $ ps -ef → Detailed list of
ps
processes. format listing. processes.
Dynamic process $ top → Displays running processes
top -p: Specify a process.
monitoring. interactively.
Terminates a process $ kill 1234 → Kills process with
kill No parameters.
by PID. PID 1234.
Kills processes by -u: User-specific $ pkill -u user bash → Stops all
pkill
name. processes. Bash processes for user.

5. Disk Usage and System Information

Command Description Important Parameters Example

df
Shows disk space -h: Human-readable. -T: → Disk usage in GB/MB.
$ df -h
usage. Filesystem type.
Shows directory -h: Human-readable. -s: $ du -sh folder → Shows total size
du
size. Summary. of folder.
Shows memory -h: Human-readable. -t: $ free -h → Displays memory usage
free
usage. Total. in human-readable format.
uname
Displays system -a: All system info. -r: → Full system details.
$ uname -a
info. Kernel version.
6. Networking

Command Description Important Parameters Example

Tests network $ ping -c 4 [Link] → Sends 4
ping -c: Number of packets.
connectivity. packets to Google.
$ curl -o [Link]
curl
Transfers data -o: Output to file. -L:
[Link] → Save
to/from a server. Follow redirects. webpage.
Downloads files -c: Resume download. - $ wget -c [Link] → Resumes
wget
from the web. P: Save to directory. download of [Link].
Configures network addr: Show IP. link: $ ip addr show → Displays network
ip
interfaces. Show link status. interfaces.

7. Archiving and Compression

Command Description Important Parameters Example

-c: Create. -x: Extract. -z: Gzip $ tar -czvf [Link]
→ Compresses folder.
tar Archives files. compression. -v: Verbose. -f:
folder/
Filename.

$ gzip file → Creates

gzip Compresses files. No additional parameters.
[Link].

Decompresses $ gunzip [Link] →

gunzip No additional parameters.
Gzip files. Decompresses [Link].
Compresses files $ zip [Link] file1
zip -r: Recursive.
into .zip. file2 → Compresses files.

Extracts .zip $ unzip [Link] →

unzip No additional parameters.
archives. Extracts the contents.

8. User Management

Important
Command Description Example
Parameters
Shows current logged-in $ whoami → Displays current
whoami No parameters.
user. username.
who Shows logged-in users. No parameters. $ who → Shows user session details.
No additional $ sudo adduser newuser → Adds
adduser Adds a new user.
parameters. newuser.

$ passwd username → Changes

passwd Changes user password. No parameters.
username password.
9. Package Management (Debian/Ubuntu)

Important
Command Description Example
Parameters

No additional $ sudo apt update → Updates

apt update Updates package lists.
parameters. package list.

apt Installs available

upgrade -y: Auto-confirm. `$ sudo apt upgrade -
updates.