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Basic Commands

CommandDescription
lsLists all files and directories in the present working directory
ls -RLists files in sub-directories as well
ls -aLists hidden files as well
ls -alLists files and directories with detailed information like permissions,size, owner, etc.
cd or cd ~Navigate to HOME directory
cd ..Move one level up
cd directorynameTo change to a particular directory
cd /Move to the root directory
cat > filenameCreates a new file
cat filenameDisplays the file content
cat file1 file2 > file3Joins two files (file1, file2) and stores the output in a new file (file3)
mv file "new file path"Moves the files to the new location
mv filename new_file_nameRenames the file to a new filename
sudoAllows regular users to run programs with the security privileges of the superuser or root
rm filenameDeletes a file
manGives help information on a command
historyGives a list of all past commands typed in the current terminal session
clearClears the terminal
mkdir directorynameCreates a new directory in the present working directory or a at the specified path
rmdirDeletes a directory
pr -xDivides the file into x columns
pr -hAssigns a header to the file
pr -nDenotes the file with Line Numbers
hostnamectlGet system information including, operating system, kernel, and release version
free -mDisplay free and used memory in the system
tail filenameDisplay the last 10 lines of a file
head filenameDisplay the first 10 lines of a file