This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Roshan Sharma
I spend a lot of time working with Linux (mostly Ubuntu/Debian), and over time, I’ve noticed that there are a handful of commands I end up using almost every single day. Some are simple, some are a bit more advanced, but together they make my workflow faster and less frustrating.
Here’s my personal list, maybe it’ll help someone who’s just starting out.
1. ls -lh
Checking what’s in a directory with human-readable sizes. I use -lh almost by muscle memory now.
2. grep
Searching through logs or config files quickly. Example:
grep "error" /var/log/syslog
Super useful when debugging.
3. htop
For monitoring processes and system resources. It’s much nicer than plain top.
4. df -h
To check free disk space. I’ve avoided full disks many times thanks to this.
*5. du -sh **
When I want to know which folder is eating all my storage.
6. tar -czvf backup.tar.gz folder/
For quick backups of folders before I make changes. I always prefer having a safe copy.
7. ssh user@server
Nothing fancy here, but since I work with servers a lot, this is basically daily usage.
8. systemctl status
For checking if a service is running (MySQL, Docker, etc.). Saves time compared to digging through logs.
9. chmod and chown
Permissions can be annoying, but knowing how to quickly fix them is a lifesaver.
10. curl
For testing APIs or checking if a web service is responding. Example:
curl -I https://example.com
This list isn’t exhaustive, but these 10 commands cover most of my daily Linux tasks as a developer. The more I use them, the more I realize how powerful the command line is.
What about you? Which Linux commands do you find yourself using every single day?
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Roshan Sharma
Roshan Sharma | Sciencx (2025-08-19T16:44:44+00:00) Top 10 Linux Commands I Use Daily as a Developer. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/08/19/top-10-linux-commands-i-use-daily-as-a-developer/
Please log in to upload a file.
There are no updates yet.
Click the Upload button above to add an update.