Linux commands for everyday

Many of us sooner or later face the necessity of using Linux/Unix command line for different needs. It could be just a simple using terminal for configuring a local machine or working with a remote server. Here is a shortlist of commands which will be …

Many of us sooner or later face the necessity of using Linux/Unix command line for different needs. It could be just a simple using terminal for configuring a local machine or working with a remote server. Here is a shortlist of commands which will be helpful for complete beginners, frankly saying, this is the list of commands I use on an everyday basis.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Manual

The first and the most useful command is man. Every time you need to know how to use any command just type in your command line

man <command>

This is a manual for grep command (to quit the manual page just type “q”). Usually manual contains all comprehensive information about the command and it is not always handy to read all the pages if you need a quick overview of how to use a command with an appropriate option.

I often use a tldr pages to learn a new command or refresh my knowledge of usage examples. This is a simplified, community-driven version of manual pages.

Basic commands

pwd — print the current directory path
cd — change the current working directory
mkdir <directoryname> — create a new directory in the present working directory or at the specified path
rmdir <directoryname> — delete a directory
rm <filename> — delete a file
mv <file> <new_file_path> — move file to a new location
cat <filename>-print file

ls — display the contents of a directory
One of the most popular examples of using ls command is in combination with -al. It shows all files and directories (including hidden ones) in a table format (permissions, ownership, size, and modification date).

clear — clear the screen of the terminal
touch <filename> — create an empty file(if the file already exists, it opens the file in write mode and updates its timestamp)
echo — print arguments to the terminal (or to the given file)
diff <firstfile> <secondfile>— compare files
history — show command line history

grep — a powerful tool, which can be used for searching in files for an exact string or a regular expression. It also can be combined with pipes to filter the output of another command.
grep <exact string> <filename> — search for an exact string in the file

ls -lR | grep \.java$ — show all java files

ls -lR | grep –count \.java$ — count java files

Network and Process management

ps — show the list of processes
sudo — run a command as root
kill <PID> — terminate the process by PID
killal <name_of_program> — terminate a program or process by name
ping <host>— sends packets to a network host
ssh -i <paht_to_key_file.pem> <user>@<host>— connect to remote server using ssh protocol

Note: the list was formed based on my personal experience, if you think something important is missed, don’t hesitate to drop a comment here, or just contact me on any social media.

Level Up Coding

Thanks for being a part of our community! More content in the Level Up Coding publication.
Follow: Twitter, LinkedIn, Newsletter
Level Up is transforming tech recruiting ➡️ Join our talent collective


Linux commands for everyday was originally published in Level Up Coding on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.


Print Share Comment Cite Upload Translate
APA
Alex Shamrai | Sciencx (2024-03-28T16:48:17+00:00) » Linux commands for everyday. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2022/06/29/linux-commands-for-everyday/.
MLA
" » Linux commands for everyday." Alex Shamrai | Sciencx - Wednesday June 29, 2022, https://www.scien.cx/2022/06/29/linux-commands-for-everyday/
HARVARD
Alex Shamrai | Sciencx Wednesday June 29, 2022 » Linux commands for everyday., viewed 2024-03-28T16:48:17+00:00,<https://www.scien.cx/2022/06/29/linux-commands-for-everyday/>
VANCOUVER
Alex Shamrai | Sciencx - » Linux commands for everyday. [Internet]. [Accessed 2024-03-28T16:48:17+00:00]. Available from: https://www.scien.cx/2022/06/29/linux-commands-for-everyday/
CHICAGO
" » Linux commands for everyday." Alex Shamrai | Sciencx - Accessed 2024-03-28T16:48:17+00:00. https://www.scien.cx/2022/06/29/linux-commands-for-everyday/
IEEE
" » Linux commands for everyday." Alex Shamrai | Sciencx [Online]. Available: https://www.scien.cx/2022/06/29/linux-commands-for-everyday/. [Accessed: 2024-03-28T16:48:17+00:00]
rf:citation
» Linux commands for everyday | Alex Shamrai | Sciencx | https://www.scien.cx/2022/06/29/linux-commands-for-everyday/ | 2024-03-28T16:48:17+00:00
https://github.com/addpipe/simple-recorderjs-demo