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The Essential Linux Commands Every User Should Know
Mastering Essential Linux Commands
Linux is a powerful operating system that can be operated through the command line interface (CLI). In this document, we will explore some of the most commonly used Linux commands with examples.
Basic Commands
pwd
pwd
stands for print working directory. It is used to print the current working directory.
Example:
$ pwd
/home/user
ls
ls
stands for list. It is used to list the contents of a directory.
Example:
$ ls
Documents Downloads Music Pictures Videos
cd
cd
stands for change directory. It is used to change the current working directory.
Example:
$ cd Documents
$ pwd
/home/user/Documents
mkdir
mkdir
stands for make directory. It is used to create a new directory.
Example:
$ mkdir work
rmdir
rmdir
stands for remove directory. It is used to remove an empty directory.
Example:
$ rmdir work
touch
touch
is used to create a new empty file.
Example:
$ touch index.html
rm
rm
stands for remove. It is used to remove a file or directory.
Example:
$ rm index.html
File Manipulation
cat
cat
is used to display the contents of a file.
Example:
$ cat file.txt
This is the content of the file.
cp
cp
stands for copy. It is used to copy a file from one location to another.
Example:
$ cp file.txt /home/user/Documents/
mv
mv
stands for move. It is used to move a file from one location to another.
Example:
$ mv file.txt /home/user/Documents/
grep
grep
is used to search for a specific pattern in a file.
Example:
$ grep "hello" file.txt
Hello, how are you?
wc
wc
stands for word count. It is used to count the number of lines, words, and characters in a file.
Example:
$ wc file.txt
3 8 32 file.txt
System Information
uname
uname
is used to display system information.
Example:
$ uname -a
Linux ubuntu 4.15.0-76-generic #86-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jan 17 17:24:28 UTC 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
top
top
is used to display the system's resource usage.
Example:
$ top
ps
ps
is used to display information about the running processes.
Example:
$ ps
PID TTY TIME CMD
1234 pts/0 00:00:00 bash
2345 pts/0 00:00:00 ps
Conclusion
These are just some of the most commonly used Linux commands. There are many more commands available, each with its own set of options and arguments. With practice, you can become proficient in using Linux commands to manage your files, directories, and system.