Linux
Commands
LS
• List the contents of the folder from which it runs.
• Syntax: ls
• Example:
ls –l
ls -a
MKDIR
• The “mkdir” (Make directory) command create a new directory.
• If directory already exists, it will return an error message
“cannot create folder, folder already exists”.
• Syntax: mkdir directory_name
• Example: mkdir student
CAT
• It is used to create a file with content.
• And can concatenate two or more file contents.
• Syntax: cat > filename
• Example: cat > file1
TOUCH
• It is used to create file without content.
• Syntax: touch filename
• Example: touch file1
CP
• It copies a file from one location to
another location.
• Syntax: cp src_file desti_file
• Example: cp file1 file2
CD
• It is used for changing the directory.
• Syntax: cd dir_name
• Example: cd student
MV
• The “mv” command moves a file from one
location to another location.
• Syntax: mv source destination
• Example: mv file1 student
PWD
• It prints the current working directory
with full path name from terminal.
• Syntax: pwd
WHEREIS
• It is used to locate the Sources and
Manual Pages of the command.
• Syntax: whereis command
• Example: whereis cat
WHATIS
• It is helpful to get brief information about
Linux commands.
• Syntax: whatis command
• Example: whatis cp
WHICH
• It is used to locate executables in the system.
• It allows user to pass several command names as
arguments to get their paths in the system.
• Syntax: which command
• Example: which ls
MAN
• It provides online documentation for all
the possible options with a command and
its usages.
• Syntax: man command
• Example: man cat
INFO
• It provides online documentation for all
the commands but in a better structured
way.
• Syntax: info command
• Example: info cat
WHOAMI
• It is used to find out the current user of
the terminal.
• Syntax: whoami
BC
• It means the basic calculator, used for the
basic calculations.
• Syntax: bc
GREP
• It searches the given file for lines
containing a match to the given strings or
words.
• Syntax: grep word filename
• Example: grep m file2
HEAD
• It prints the first 10 lines of the given file.
• Syntax: head filename
• Example: head stu
TAIL
• It prints the last 10 lines of the given file.
• Syntax: head filename
• Example: head std
TAC
• It prints content of the given file in
reverse order.
• Syntax: tac filename
• Example: tac kk
ECHO
• Prints a text on the standard output.
• However in an interactive script, echo passes the
message to the user through terminal.
• Syntax: echo message
• Example: echo hello class
DF
• Report disk usages of file system.
• Useful for user as well as System
Administrator to keep track of their disk
usages.
• Syntax: df
DU
• Estimate files space usage.
• df only reports usage statistics on file systems,
while ‘du‘, on the other hand, measures
directory contents.
• Syntax: du
PS
• ps (Process) gives the status of running
processes with a unique Id called PID.
• Syntax: ps
ALIAS
• It is a built in shell command that lets you
assign name for a long command or frequently
used command.
• Syntax: alias aliasname command
• Example: alias q=ls-l
UNAME
• The “uname” command stands for Unix
Name, print detailed information about
the machine name, Operating System and
Kernel.
• Syntax: uname
SUDO
• It allows a permitted user to execute a
command as the super user or another
user.
• Syntax: sudo cmd
• Example: sudo passwd
SU
• It is used to run shell with substitute user and group IDs.
• It helps to change login session’s owner without the
owner having to first logout of that session.
• Syntax: su user
• Example: su user1
HISTORY
• It prints the history of long list of
executed commands in terminal.
• Syntax: history
PASSWD
• It is used for changing the passwd.
• You must know the current passwd for the
security reason.
• Syntax: passwd
DATE
• It print the current date and time on the
standard output & can further be set.
• Syntax: date
• To set date: date - -set=‘14 may 2013
13:57’
CAL
• It is used to display calendar of the
present month or any other month.
• Syntax: cal
• Example: 3 1991
CLEAR
• It is used to clear the screen.
• Syntax: clear
Thank you
