Linux uses a command-line interface (CLI) for system management, file operations, and network administration. Below are essential Linux commands for beginners.
File & Directory Commands
| Command | Description | Example |
ls | Lists files in a directory | ls /home |
ls -l | Lists files in detail | ls -l |
cd | Changes directory | cd Documents |
cd .. | Moves up one level | cd .. |
pwd | Displays current directory | pwd |
mkdir | Creates a new directory | mkdir NewFolder |
rmdir | Deletes an empty directory | rmdir OldFolder |
rm -r | Deletes a directory & files | rm -r FolderName |
File Management Commands
| Command | Description | Example |
touch | Creates an empty file | touch file.txt |
cp | Copies a file | cp file1.txt /backup/ |
mv | Moves or renames a file | mv file1.txt Documents/ |
rm | Deletes a file | rm file.txt |
cat | Displays file content | cat file.txt |
nano | Opens file in Nano editor | nano file.txt |
head | Displays first 10 lines of a file | head file.txt |
tail | Shows last 10 lines of a file | tail file.txt |
User & Permission Commands
| Command | Description | Example |
who | Lists logged-in users | who |
id | Displays user ID (UID, GID) | id |
chmod | Changes file permissions | chmod 755 file.sh |
chown | Changes file ownership | chown user:group file.txt |
passwd | Changes user password | passwd |
Process Management Commands
| Command | Description | Example |
ps | Shows running processes | ps aux |
top | Displays system resource usage | top |
kill | Kills a process | kill PID |
pkill | Kills a process by name | pkill firefox |
htop | Interactive process manager | htop (install required) |
