Basic Linux Commands

Viewing, copying, moving and deleting files

ls	Display the contents of the current directory
ls -a	Display also hidden files and hidden directories
cp filename /path/dir_name	Copy filename into directory /path/dir_name
cp -r dir_name /path/dir_name2	Copy the entire dir_name into /path/dir_name2
cp filename1 filename2 /path/dir_name	Copy filename1 and filename2 into /path/dir_name
rm name	Remove a file or directory called name
rm -r name	Remove an entire directory as well as its included files and subdirectories
mv filename /path/dir_name	Move filename into /path/dir_name
mv filename1 filename2	Rename filename1 to filename2
cat filename	Display filenames contents
more filename	Display filename in pages. Use spacebar to view next page
head filename	Display filenames first 10 lines
head -15 filename	Display filenames first 15 lines
tail filename	Display filenames last 10 lines
tail -15 filename	Display filenames last 15 lines
pwd	Display current directory
cd /path/dir_name	Change to directory /path/dir_name
cd ..	Go 1 directory up
mkdir dir_name	Create directory dir_name
rmdir dir_name	Delete directory dir_name

updatedb	Update (create first time used) a database ofall files under the root directory /
locate filename	Find file filename searching in the database
find / -name filename	Starting from the root directory search for the file called filename
find / -name *filename	Same as above but search for file containing the string filename
grep string /path/dir_name	Starting from /path/dir_name search for all files containing string
which application_name	Search $path for application app_name
whereis application_name	Search $path, man pages and source files for application_name

tar -czf filename.tar /path/dir_name	Compress directory /path/dir_name to filename.tar
gzip -c filename > filename.gz	Compress /path/dir_name to filename.tar.gz
bzip2 -c filename > filename.bz2	Compress /path/dir_name to filename.tar.bz2

rpm -hiv package.rpm	Install rpm called package.rpm
rpm -hiv –force package.rpm	Install rpm called package.rpm by force
rpm -hUv package.rpm	Upgrade rpm called package.rpm
rpm -e package.rpm	Delete rpm called package.rpm
rpm -qpil package.rpm	List files in not-installed rpm called package.rpm
rpm -ql package.rpm	List files in installed rpm called package.rpm
rpm -q str	List installed rpms containing the string str
rpm -qf /path/application_name	Display the rpm that contains application application_name

startx	Start the X system
shutdown -h now	Shutdown the system now and do not reboot
halt	Same as above
shutdown -r now	Reboot
reboot	Same as above
shutdown -r +10	Reboot in 10 minutes

mount -t vfat /dev/sd(a)(1) /mnt/c_drive	Mount the first partition 1 of the first hard disk drive a which is in fat32 vfat dormat under /mnt/c_drive directory
mount -t iso9660 /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom	Mount cdrom under /mnt/cdrom directory
umount /mnt/hda1	Unmout the above

users	Display users currently logged in
adduser username	Create a new user called username
passwd username	Define password for user called username
who	List logged-in users
whoami	Display current user
finger username	Displays info about user username
su	Log in as root from current login
su –	Log in as root from current login and take root’s path
exit	Exit from console login (ie, logout).

command	Execute command in the foreground
command &	Execute command in the background
ctrl+z	Suspend a program
ctrl+c	Interrupt a program
ps	List all processes
kill -9 pid	Kill process with id pid
top	Monitor processes in real time

hostname	List the system’s hostname
ifconfig	Set/Display network information
host ip	Resolves ip’s hostname
ping ip/hostname	Check if ip/hostname is reachable
traceroute ip/hostname	Find network path to ip/hostname

uname -a	General system information
fdisk -l	List partition tables
cp filename /path/dir_name	Copy filename into directory /path/dir_name
df -T -h	List filesystem disk space usage
lspci	List PCI devices
lsusb	List USB devices
free -m	Display RAM+Swap usage

gcc -o output file.c	Compile a C program
./output	Run a C program you have compiled
g++ -o output file.cpp	Compile a C++ program
./output	Run a C++ program you have compiled
./configure && make && su -c ‘make install’	Configure, compile and install a program with Makefile