Linux is a strong and versatile operating system. Many people use it for servers, software development, cybersecurity, and system administration. No matter if you're new to Linux or an expert handling complex systems, knowing Linux commands is key. They help with system navigation, file management, process control, network administration, and automation.
The command-line interface (CLI) in Linux gives users great control over the system. It helps them complete tasks more efficiently than using graphical interfaces. Linux commands simplify computing. They cover basic tasks like creating files and navigating directories. They also handle advanced tasks such as system monitoring and user management.
Knowing these 50+ Linux commands can help you work faster, boost your workflows, and easily fix system issues. This guide breaks down and explains the commands. It helps users of all skill levels make the most of Linux command-line tools. Knowing these 50+ Linux commands can help you work faster, boost your workflows, and easily fix system issues. This guide breaks down and explains the commands. It helps users of all skill levels make the most of Linux command-line tools.
1. Basic Linux Commands
These commands are the foundation of Linux and help users navigate the system.
- pwd (Print Working Directory) – Displays the current directory path.
bash
pwd
- ls (List Files and Directories) – Lists all files and directories in the current location.
bash
ls
ls -la # Shows hidden files and detailed information
- cd (Change Directory) – Moves between directories.
bash
cd /home/user/Documents # Move to a specific directory
cd .. # Move up one directory level
- mkdir (Make Directory) – Creates a new directory.
bash
mkdir new_folder - rmdir (Remove Directory) – Deletes an empty directory.
bash
rmdir old_folder
- rm (Remove Files/Directories) – Deletes files and directories.
bash
rm file.txt # Remove a file
rm -r directory_name # Remove a directory and its contents
touch (Create a New File) – Creates an empty file.
bash
touch newfile.txt
2. File Management Commands
These commands help with handling and manipulating files.
- cp (Copy Files and Directories) – Copies files and folders.
bash
cp file1.txt /destination/path/
cp -r folder1/ /destination/path/
- mv (Move or Rename Files) – Moves files or renames them.
bash
mv oldname.txt newname.txt
mv file.txt /destination/path/
- cat (View File Contents) – Displays the contents of a file.
bash
cat file.txt
- nano (Edit a File in Nano Editor) – Opens files for editing.
bash
nano file.txt
- vim (Edit a File in Vim Editor) – Opens the Vim text editor.
bash
vim file.txt
- head (View the First Few Lines of a File)
bash
head -n 10 file.txt
- tail (View the Last Few Lines of a File)
bash
tail -n 10 file.txt
3. File Permissions and Ownership
Linux is a multi-user system, so managing permissions and ownership is critical.
- chmod (Change File Permissions)
bash
chmod 755 script.sh - chown (Change File Ownership)
bash
chown user:group file.txt
- ls -l (View File Permissions)
bash
ls -l file.txt
4. Process Management Commands
These commands help you monitor and manage running processes.
- ps (Show Running Processes)
bash
ps aux
- top (Monitor System Resource Usage)
bash
top
- htop (Interactive Process Viewer – Needs to be Installed)
bash
htop
- kill (Terminate a Process by PID)
bash
kill 12345
- killall (Kill a Process by Name)
bash
killall firefox
- pkill (Kill Process by Name Without PID)
bash
pkill -9 processname
- bg (Resume a Process in the Background)
bash
bg %1
- fg (Resume a Process in the Foreground)
bash
fg %1
5. Disk Management Commands
Managing disk space and filesystems is crucial for system administration.
- df (Check Disk Usage)
bash
df -h
- du (Check Directory Size)
bash
du -sh /home/user/
- mount (Mount a Filesystem)
bash
mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/
- umount (Unmount a Filesystem)
bash
umount /mnt/
6. Networking Commands
These commands help with managing and troubleshooting network connections.
- ping (Check Network Connectivity)
bash
ping google.com
- ifconfig (Display Network Interface Details – Deprecated in favor of ip)
bash
ifconfig
- ip (Modern Alternative to ifconfig)
bash
ip a
- netstat (Show Network Statistics – Use ss Instead)
bash
netstat -tulnp
- ss (Show Active Network Connections)
bash
ss -tulnp
- traceroute (Trace Network Routes)
bash
traceroute google.com
- wget (Download Files from the Internet)
bash
wget https://example.com/file.zip
- curl (Send HTTP Requests or Fetch Files)
bash
curl -O https://example.com/file.zip
- scp (Securely Copy Files Over SSH)
bash
scp file.txt user@server:/path/to/destination/
- rsync (Efficient File Transfer & Synchronization)
bash
rsync -avz file.txt user@server:/path/to/destination/
7. User Management Commands
Essential for multi-user Linux environments.
- whoami (Show Current User)
bash
whoami
- who (Show Logged-in Users)
bash
who
- id (Show User ID and Group ID)
bash
id
- adduser (Create a New User)
bash
sudo adduser newuser
- deluser (Delete a User)
bash
sudo deluser newuser
- passwd (Change User Password)
bash
passwd
8. System Monitoring and Logs
Monitor system performance and log important events.
- uptime (Show System Uptime and Load Average)
bash
uptime
- free (Check RAM Usage)
bash
free -h
- dmesg (View System Boot Logs)
bash
dmesg | tail
- journalctl (View System Logs for Systemd Services)
bash
journalctl -xe
- history (Show Command History)
bash
history
9. find (Search for Files and Directories)
Finds files and directories based on name, type, size, and other parameters.
bash
find /home/user -name "file.txt" # Search for a file by name
find /var/log -type f -size +10M # Find files larger than 10MB in /var/log
10. grep (Search for Text Within Files)
Searches for specific text in a file or output.
bash
grep "error" /var/log/syslog # Search for 'error' in the syslog file
ps aux | grep apache # Find running Apache processes
11. sed (Stream Editor for Modifying Files)
Edits text in files programmatically.
bash
sed 's/oldword/newword/g' file.txt # Replace 'oldword' with 'newword' in file.txt
12. awk (Pattern Scanning and Processing)
Used for text processing and data extraction.
bash
awk '{print $1}' file.txt # Print the first column of a file
13. tar (Create and Extract Archives)
Creates or extracts .tar archive files.
bash
tar -cvf archive.tar file1 file2 # Create an archive
tar -xvf archive.tar # Extract an archive
14. zip and unzip (Compress and Extract Zip Files)
Used to compress and extract .zip files.
bash
zip archive.zip file1 file2 # Compress files into a zip
unzip archive.zip # Extract a zip file
15. df (Check Disk Space Usage)
Displays the available and used disk space on filesystems.
bash
df -h # Show disk usage in human-readable format
16. du (Check Directory Size Usage)
Displays disk usage of a directory.
bash
du -sh /home/user # Show total size of /home/user directory
17. hostname (Show System Hostname)
Displays or sets the system's hostname.
bash
hostname # Show the system hostname
18. uname (Show System Information)
Displays system details like OS type, kernel version, etc.
bash
uname -a # Show all system information
19. uptime (Show System Uptime and Load Average)
Displays the system's uptime and average load.
bash
uptime
20. free (Check RAM Usage)
Shows system memory usage.
bash
free -h # Show memory usage in human-readable format
21. echo (Print Messages or Variables)
Displays a message or variable value in the terminal.
bash
echo "Hello, World!"
22. env (Show System Environment Variables)
Lists all environment variables.
bash
env
23. export (Set Environment Variables)
Sets a new environment variable.
bash
export MY_VAR="Hello"
echo $MY_VAR
24. alias (Create Shortcuts for Commands)
Creates a shortcut for frequently used commands.
bash
alias ll='ls -la' # Create an alias for 'ls -la'
25. unalias (Remove an Alias)
Removes a previously set alias.
bash
unalias ll
26. date (Show or Set System Date and Time)
Displays or modifies the system date and time.
bash
date # Show the current date and time
27. cal (Display Calendar)
Shows the calendar for a given month or year.
bash
cal # Show the current month's calendar
cal 2025 # Show the calendar for 2025
28. shutdown (Turn Off or Restart the System)
Shuts down or reboots the system.
bash
sudo shutdown -h now # Shutdown immediately
sudo shutdown -r now # Restart immediately
29. reboot (Restart the System)
Reboots the system instantly.
bash
sudo reboot
30. passwd (Change User Password)
Allows users to update their password.
bash
passwd # Change the current user's password
31. useradd (Create a New User)
Creates a new user account.
bash
sudo useradd -m newuser
32. usermod (Modify a User Account)
Modifies existing user accounts.
bash
sudo usermod -aG sudo newuser # Add user to the sudo group
33. userdel (Delete a User Account)
Removes a user from the system.
bash
sudo userdel -r newuser
34. groupadd (Create a New Group)
Creates a new user group.
bash
sudo groupadd developers
35. groupdel (Delete a Group)
Removes a user group.
bash
sudo groupdel developers
36. chmod (Change File Permissions)
Modifies file and directory permissions.
bash
chmod 755 script.sh # Set read/write/execute permissions
37. chown (Change File Ownership)
Changes file ownership to a specific user.
bash
chown user:user file.txt
38. lsblk (List Information About Block Devices)
Shows details of storage devices and partitions.
bash
lsblk
39. fdisk (Manage Disk Partitions)
Used for creating and managing disk partitions.
bash
sudo fdisk -l # List all partitions
40. mkfs (Format a Filesystem)
Formats a partition with a specific filesystem.
bash
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1
41. mount (Mount a Filesystem)
Mounts a filesystem or external drive.
bash
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
42. umount (Unmount a Filesystem)
Unmounts a mounted filesystem.
bash
sudo umount /mnt
43. ps (List Running Processes)
Displays currently running processes.
bash
ps aux
44. kill (Terminate a Process by PID)
Stops a running process using its PID.
bash
kill 1234 # Kill process with PID 1234
45. killall (Kill a Process by Name)
Terminates all processes with the given name.
bash
killall firefox
46. htop (Interactive Process Monitoring – Requires Installation)
Provides a user-friendly way to monitor system processes.
bash
htop
47. history (Show Command History)
Displays a list of previously executed commands.
bash
history
48. clear (Clear Terminal Screen)
Clears all previous output in the terminal.
bash
clear
49. man (View Manual Pages for Commands)
Shows detailed documentation for a command.
bash
man ls # Show the manual page for 'ls'
50. exit (Close the Terminal Session)
Closes the current shell session.
bash
exit
Mastering Linux Commands: Your Key to Efficiency and Control
Linux commands are the foundation of a powerful and flexible computing experience. Whether you're new or experienced, these 50+ key commands can help you work faster on the command line.
The command line helps you manage files, processes, and networks. It also lets you troubleshoot system issues quickly and accurately. Add these commands to your daily routine. They will help you maximise Linux's potential. You'll find system navigation, automation, and administration much easier.
To master these commands, the best way is hands-on practice with this list. Open your terminal, experiment with different commands, and watch your Linux skills grow!
