The Beginner’s Guide to Useful Linux Commands

If you’re new to Linux, using the terminal might feel strange at first. Don’t worry — with a few simple commands, you can move around your system, create files, and manage folders easily. Here are some of the most useful commands for beginners:

• Show current directory: pwd
• List files:
  • ls lists the files and folders in your current location.
  • ls -l shows more details, like file size and date.
  • ls -a also shows hidden files (their names start with a dot).
• Change directory: cd folder_name
• Go back/up one directory: cd ..
• Create a file: touch file.txt
• Create a folder: mkdir myfolder
• Delete a file: rm file.txt
• Delete a folder:
  • rm -r foldername removes a directory and everything inside it recursively, including subfolders and files.
  • If you want extra safety, you can use: rm -ri foldername (-i asks for confirmation before deleting each file.)
• Move or rename a file: mv file1.txt folder/file2.txt
• Copy a file: cp file1.txt file2.txt
• View contents of a file:
  • cat file.txt quickly shows all the text in a file.
  • less file.txt lets you scroll through the file one screen at a time.
• Add text to a file:
  • echo "My first DevOps lesson" > notes.txt creates the file or replaces its contents.
  • echo "My first DevOps lesson" >> notes.txt creates the file if it doesn’t exist or appends the text if it does.

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