Here's a comprehensive cheatsheet for essential Linux commands, organized by category for easy
reference:
### File and Directory Operations
- **`ls`**: List directory contents
- `ls`: List files and directories
- `ls -l`: Long format listing
- `ls -a`: Show hidden files
- `ls -lh`: Long format with human-readable file sizes
- **`cd`**: Change directory
- `cd /path/to/directory`: Navigate to a directory
- `cd ..`: Move up one directory level
- `cd ~`: Navigate to home directory
- **`pwd`**: Print working directory
- `pwd`: Display the current directory path
- **`mkdir`**: Create a new directory
- `mkdir directory_name`: Create a new directory
- **`rmdir`**: Remove an empty directory
- `rmdir directory_name`: Remove an empty directory
- **`rm`**: Remove files or directories
- `rm file_name`: Remove a file
- `rm -r directory_name`: Remove a directory and its contents
- `rm -f file_name`: Force removal of a file
- `rm -rf directory_name`: Force removal of a directory and its contents
- **`cp`**: Copy files and directories
- `cp source_file destination_file`: Copy a file
- `cp -r source_directory destination_directory`: Copy a directory and its contents
- **`mv`**: Move or rename files and directories
- `mv source_file destination_file`: Move or rename a file
- `mv source_directory destination_directory`: Move or rename a directory
- **`touch`**: Create an empty file or update the timestamp of a file
- `touch file_name`: Create an empty file or update the timestamp
### File Content and Viewing
- **`cat`**: Concatenate and display file content
- `cat file_name`: Display file content
- **`more`**: View file content page by page
- `more file_name`: View file content page by page
- **`less`**: View file content with backward and forward navigation
- `less file_name`: View file content
- **`head`**: Display the first lines of a file
- `head file_name`: Show the first 10 lines of a file
- `head -n 20 file_name`: Show the first 20 lines of a file
- **`tail`**: Display the last lines of a file
- `tail file_name`: Show the last 10 lines of a file
- `tail -n 20 file_name`: Show the last 20 lines of a file
- `tail -f file_name`: Follow the content of a file in real-time
- **`nano`**, **`vi`**, **`vim`**: Text editors
- `nano file_name`: Edit a file using Nano editor
- `vi file_name`: Edit a file using Vi editor
- `vim file_name`: Edit a file using Vim editor
### File Permissions and Ownership
- **`chmod`**: Change file permissions
- `chmod 755 file_name`: Change file permissions to 755
- `chmod u+x file_name`: Add execute permission for the owner
- **`chown`**: Change file owner and group
- `chown user:group file_name`: Change the owner and group of a file
- `chown -R user:group directory_name`: Change the owner and group of a directory and its contents
### Searching and Finding
- **`find`**: Search for files in a directory hierarchy
- `find /path -name file_name`: Find a file by name
- `find /path -type f -name "*.txt"`: Find all .txt files
- **`grep`**: Search text using patterns
- `grep "pattern" file_name`: Search for a pattern in a file
- `grep -r "pattern" /path`: Search for a pattern recursively in a directory
### System Information
- **`df`**: Display disk space usage
- `df -h`: Show disk space usage in human-readable format
- **`du`**: Estimate file space usage
- `du -h file_name`: Show disk usage of a file or directory in human-readable format
- `du -sh directory_name`: Show total disk usage of a directory
- **`top`**: Display Linux tasks
- `top`: Show real-time system information, including processes
- **`ps`**: Report a snapshot of current processes
- `ps aux`: Show detailed information about all running processes
- **`uname`**: Print system information
- `uname -a`: Show all system information
- **`uptime`**: Tell how long the system has been running
- `uptime`: Display system uptime
- **`free`**: Display memory usage
- `free -h`: Show memory usage in human-readable format
### Network Commands
- **`ping`**: Send ICMP ECHO_REQUEST to network hosts
- `ping google.com`: Ping a remote host
- **`ifconfig`**: Configure network interfaces
- `ifconfig`: Display network interfaces and IP addresses
- **`wget`**: Non-interactive network downloader
- `wget url`: Download a file from the internet
- **`curl`**: Transfer data from or to a server
- `curl url`: Fetch a URL
### Package Management
- **`apt`**: APT package handling utility (Debian/Ubuntu)
- `apt update`: Update package lists
- `apt upgrade`: Upgrade installed packages
- `apt install package_name`: Install a package
- `apt remove package_name`: Remove a package
- **`yum`**: Package manager for RPM-based distributions (Red Hat, CentOS)
- `yum update`: Update packages
- `yum install package_name`: Install a package
- `yum remove package_name`: Remove a package
### Archiving and Compression
- **`tar`**: Archive files
- `tar -cvf archive.tar file_name`: Create a tar archive
- `tar -xvf archive.tar`: Extract a tar archive
- `tar -czvf archive.tar.gz directory_name`: Create a compressed tar archive
- `tar -xzvf archive.tar.gz`: Extract a compressed tar archive
- **`zip`**: Package and compress files
- `zip archive.zip file_name`: Create a zip archive
- `unzip archive.zip`: Extract a zip archive
### Miscellaneous
- **`echo`**: Display a line of text
- `echo "Hello, World!"`: Print text to the terminal
- **`history`**: Show command history
- `history`: Display the command history
- **`clear`**: Clear the terminal screen
- `clear`: Clear the terminal display
- **`alias`**: Create an alias for a command
- `alias ll='ls -la'`: Create an alias `ll` for `ls -la`
- **`man`**: Display the manual for a command
- `man command_name`: Show the manual for a command
This cheatsheet covers many of the basic and frequently used Linux commands. Keep it handy for quick
reference when working in a Linux environment!
