The Ultimate Linux Basics Guide (Ubuntu
Commands + Bash Scripting)
This guide is designed to take you from a beginner to being comfortable with Ubuntu commands
and bash scripting. It includes command references, scripting examples, a 7-day structured plan,
and practice exercises.
1. Essential Ubuntu/Linux Commands
Navigation
• pwd → print working directory
• ls → list files
• ls -l → detailed listing
• ls -a → show hidden files
• cd foldername → change directory
• cd .. → go one level up
• cd ~ → go to home directory
File & Directory Operations
• mkdir myfolder → make a directory
• rmdir myfolder → remove empty directory
• rm -r myfolder → remove folder & contents
• touch file.txt → create an empty file
• cp file1 file2 → copy file
• mv file1 file2 → move/rename file
• rm file.txt → delete file
Viewing Files
• cat file.txt → print contents
• less file.txt → view with scroll
• head -n 5 file.txt → first 5 lines
• tail -n 5 file.txt → last 5 lines
• nano file.txt → edit file
• vim file.txt → edit file with Vim
System & Package Management
• sudo apt update → update package lists
• sudo apt upgrade → upgrade all packages
• sudo apt install packagename → install package
• sudo apt remove packagename → uninstall package
Users & Permissions
• whoami → current user
• id → show user ID and groups
• chmod +x file.sh → make script executable
• sudo → run command as root (superuser)
Searching & Finding
• grep 'word' file.txt → search inside file
• find . -name '*.txt' → find files in current dir
• which command → locate command path
2. Bash Scripting Basics
Hello World
#!/bin/bash echo "Hello, World!"
Variables
name="Charan" echo "Hello, $name"
Input
#!/bin/bash echo "Enter your name: " read username echo "Hi, $username!"
If-Else
#!/bin/bash echo "Enter a number: " read num if [ $num -gt 10 ]; then echo "Greater than 10" else
echo "Less or equal to 10" fi
Loops
#!/bin/bash for i in {1..5}; do echo "Number $i" done
Functions
#!/bin/bash greet() { echo "Hello, $1!" } greet "Charan"
3. 7-Day Structured Learning Plan
Day 1
• Introduction to Linux and Ubuntu terminal
• Learn navigation commands: pwd, ls, cd
• Practice moving around directories
Day 2
• File operations: mkdir, rmdir, touch, cp, mv, rm
• View files with cat, less, head, tail
• Practice editing files with nano
Day 3
• System & package management: sudo apt update, install, remove
• Check system info with whoami, id, uname -a
• Permissions with chmod and sudo
Day 4
• Searching: grep, find, which
• Redirecting output with >, >>, and |
• Practice chaining commands
Day 5
• Intro to Bash scripting
• Write Hello World script
• Make it executable and run it
Day 6
• Variables, input (read), and echo
• Conditional statements (if-else)
• Loops (for, while)
Day 7
• Functions in bash scripts
• Mini project: Backup script or system info logger
• Revise all commands and practice
4. Practice Exercises
Navigation & Files
• Create a directory called practice, go inside it, and make 3 empty files.
• Rename one file, copy another, and delete the third one.
• Move back to your home directory without using absolute paths.
System & Package Management
• Update your system packages.
• Install a tool like curl, then remove it.
• Check your current user and groups.
Searching & Output Redirection
• Create a text file with some repeated words and use grep to find them.
• Use find to list all .txt files in your home directory.
• Redirect the output of ls into a file and then display it using cat.
Bash Scripting
• Write a script that asks for your name and greets you.
• Make a script that prints numbers 1–10 using a loop.
• Write a script that checks if a number is even or odd.
• Create a backup script that copies all .txt files from one folder to another with today’s date.
Final Notes
Practice daily, and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Linux is best learned by experimenting and
using man pages (e.g., 'man ls'). Combine this guide with real projects (like backup scripts or
automation) to build confidence.
