1. Introduction
Linux is a widely used operating system that provides users with a command-line interface to interact with the system. This article will provide a comprehensive guide to common Linux commands and their usage. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced Linux user, this guide will help you navigate through the various command-line tools and perform essential tasks on your Linux system.
2. File and Directory Operations
2.1 ls - List Files
The ls command is used to list files and directories in a given directory. It provides information such as the file name, size, and permissions.
ls -l
Example output:
-rw-r--r-- 1 user group 1024 May 15 10:23 file.txt
drwxr-xr-x 2 user group 4096 May 15 10:24 directory
In the example above, the first character represents the file type (- for a regular file, d for a directory). The following characters represent the file permissions.
2.2 cd - Change Directory
The cd command is used to change the current working directory.
cd /path/to/directory
Use cd without any arguments to change to the user's home directory.
cd
2.3 mkdir - Create Directory
The mkdir command is used to create a new directory.
mkdir new_directory
The above command will create a directory named "new_directory" in the current working directory.
2.4 rm - Remove File or Directory
The rm command is used to remove files and directories.
rm file.txt
rm -r directory
The above commands will delete the file "file.txt" and the directory "directory" along with its contents.
3. File Manipulation
3.1 cat - Concatenate and Display File Contents
The cat command is used to display the contents of a file.
cat file.txt
Use the cat command with the redirection operator ">" to overwrite the contents of a file.
cat <source> >destination
Replace "<source>" with the source file and "destination" with the destination file.
3.2 head - Display First Few Lines of a File
The head command is used to display the first few lines of a file.
head -n 5 file.txt
The above command will display the first 5 lines of the file "file.txt".
3.3 tail - Display Last Few Lines of a File
The tail command is used to display the last few lines of a file.
tail -n 5 file.txt
The above command will display the last 5 lines of the file "file.txt".
4. System Information
4.1 uname - Print System Information
The uname command is used to print system information such as the kernel version and hostname.
uname -a
The above command will display detailed system information.
4.2 whoami - Print Current User
The whoami command is used to print the current user.
whoami
The above command will display the name of the current user.
4.3 df - Display Disk Usage
The df command is used to display information about disk space usage.
df -h
The above command will display disk usage in a human-readable format.
5. Package Management
5.1 apt-get - Package Installation
The apt-get command is used to install packages on Debian-based systems.
sudo apt-get install <package>
The above command will install the specified package.
5.2 yum - Package Installation
The yum command is used to install packages on Red Hat-based systems.
sudo yum install <package>
The above command will install the specified package.
5.3 pacman - Package Installation (Arch Linux)
The pacman command is used to install packages on Arch Linux.
sudo pacman -S <package>
The above command will install the specified package.
Conclusion
This article provided a comprehensive guide to common Linux commands and their usage. By understanding and utilizing these commands, you can effectively navigate the Linux command line and perform various tasks on your Linux system. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced Linux user, this guide will help you become more proficient in using Linux command-line tools. Remember to experiment and explore with these commands to enhance your Linux experience.