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Eshan Roy (eshanized) for Snigdha OS

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🐧 Linux Command Cheat Sheet: Essential Commands with Examples

#linux #linuxcommands #devops #opensource

Linux is a powerful operating system, and its command line is the key to unlocking its full potential. Here's your Linux command cheat sheet with examples and a touch of fun 🎉 using emojis for easier navigation!

1. 📂 File and Directory Management

📜 List Files 

ls
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  • List all files in a directory.

Example:

ls -la
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  • -l: Detailed listing
  • -a: Include hidden files

🚪 Change Directory 

cd <directory>
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Example:

cd /home/user/Documents
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  • Move to the "Documents" directory.

📁 Create a Directory 

mkdir <directory_name>
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Example:

mkdir my_project
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🗑️ Remove a File or Directory

To remove a file:

rm <file>
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Example:

rm example.txt
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To remove a directory:

rm -r <directory>
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Example:

rm -r old_directory
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📋 Copy Files 

cp <source> <destination>
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Example:

cp file.txt /home/user/backup/
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✂️ Move or Rename Files 

mv <source> <destination>
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Example:

mv old_name.txt new_name.txt
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2. 📝 File Viewing and Editing

👀 View File Contents 

cat <file>
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Example:

cat /etc/passwd
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📖 Page Through File 

less <file>
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Example:

less largefile.log
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✏️ Edit Files 

nano <file>
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Example:

nano notes.txt
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  • Open the "notes.txt" file for editing in Nano.

3. 👥 User Management

🔄 Switch Users 

su <username>
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Example:

su root
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👤 Add a New User 

sudo useradd -m <username>
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Example:

sudo useradd -m alice
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Set a password for the user:

sudo passwd alice
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🗑️ Delete a User 

sudo userdel <username>
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Example:

sudo userdel alice
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4. 🔐 Permissions

🛠️ Change File Permissions 

chmod <mode> <file>
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Example:

chmod 755 script.sh
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  • 755: Owner can read/write/execute; others can read/execute.

🙋 Change File Ownership 

sudo chown <user>:<group> <file>
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Example:

sudo chown alice:users file.txt
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5. 🌐 Networking

🌍 Check IP Address 

ip addr
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📡 Ping a Host 

ping <hostname_or_ip>
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Example:

ping google.com
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⬇️ Download a File 

wget <url>
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Example:

wget https://example.com/file.tar.gz
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6. 💾 Disk and System

💿 Check Disk Space 

df -h
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📊 View Disk Usage 

du -sh <directory>
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Example:

du -sh /var/log
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🚀 Monitor System Processes 

top
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  • Real-time view of system processes.

🧠 Check Memory Usage 

free -h
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🔄 Reboot or Shutdown

Reboot:

sudo reboot
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Shutdown:

sudo shutdown now
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7. 📦 Package Management

📥 Install a Package (Debian/Ubuntu) 

sudo apt install <package>
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Example:

sudo apt install curl
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🧹 Remove a Package 

sudo apt remove <package>
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Example:

sudo apt remove apache2
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📈 Update System

On Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
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8. 🔍 Searching and Grep

🔎 Find Files 

find <directory> -name "<file_name>"
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Example:

find / -name "*.log"
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📂 Search Text in Files 

grep "<text>" <file>
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Example:

grep "error" /var/log/syslog
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9. 📦 Archiving and Compression

📦 Create a Tar Archive 

tar -cvf archive.tar <directory>
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📂 Extract a Tar Archive 

tar -xvf archive.tar
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💨 Compress Files 

gzip <file>
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Example:

gzip logs.txt
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10. ⚡ Miscellaneous

📍 Print Working Directory 

pwd
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⏱️ Check System Uptime 

uptime
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🧹 Clear Terminal Screen 

clear
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Suggestions From comments by @schelp :

  • ls 
ls -ltrha (to bring the lastest files/dirs that had modifications.
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  • cd "", to enter in directories with that had an space into their names, like: 
cd "/home/schelp/my files"
ls -ltrha "/home/schelp/my files"
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  • df -h (known a little bit more of the filesystem used, maybe its a good idea) 
df -Th
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One of the shortcuts that I like is: @schelp

  • to clear the terminal screen 
crtl + l
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Suggestion from comment @xinitd :

  • Change directory ownership recursively: 
chown -R user:froup /path/to/directory
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  • Just add executable flag to file 
chmod +x /path/to/script.sh
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Conclusion

🎉 Mastering these commands will make your Linux journey smooth and efficient. From file management to networking, this cheat sheet covers essential tasks.

Do you have a favorite Linux command that isn’t here? Share it in the comments below! 👇

Written by: @eshanized
Contributor 1: @schelp
Contributor 2: @xinitd

Top comments (13)

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xinitd profile image
Shakhzhakhan Maxudbek • • Edited

Good job! Here my suggestions:

Changing directory ownership recursively:

chown -R user:group /path/to/directory
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Adding executable flag to file:

chmod +x /path/to/script.sh
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eshanized profile image
Eshan Roy (eshanized) •

I have added your writing also. Checkout! Thanks for contributing! Do follow my project on GitHub: github.com/Snigdha-OS

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schelp profile image
Schelp •

Nice work, dude!
Maybe, you can add some like:

  • ls 
ls -ltrha (to bring the lastest files/dirs that had modifications.
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  • cd "", to enter in directories with that had an space into their names, like: 
cd "/home/schelp/my files"
ls -ltrha "/home/schelp/my files"
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
  • df -h (known a little bit more of the filesystem used, maybe its a good idea) 
df -Th
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

One of the shortcuts that I like is:

# to clear the terminal screen
crtl + l
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eshanized profile image
Eshan Roy (eshanized) •

Sure bro! I will modify this❤️

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fazly_fathhy profile image
Fazly Fathhy •

what is the difference between chmod +x /path/to/script.sh and chmod u+x /path/to/script.sh ?

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eshanized profile image
Eshan Roy (eshanized) •

chmod +x /path/to/script.sh is used when you want to make the script executable for all users e.g groups and it is equivalent to a+x -a stands for all. on the other side u+x is used when you want to give permission for owner only. in details you can say like chmod +x = rwxr-xr-x and chmod u+x = rwxr--r--. Thank You for the question.

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kiran_baliga profile image
Kiran Baliga •

Nice post!

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eshanized profile image
Eshan Roy (eshanized) •

Thanks for appreciating ! Do follow my project on GitHub: github.com/Snigdha-OS

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lotfijb profile image
Lotfi Jebali •

Thanks for sharing

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eshanized profile image
Eshan Roy (eshanized) •

Thanks for appreciating ! Do follow my project on GitHub: github.com/Snigdha-OS ❤️

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eshanized profile image
Eshan Roy (eshanized) •

@schelp I have added your writing also. Checkout! Thanks for contributing! Do follow my project on GitHub: github.com/Snigdha-OS

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abhijeet_waghmare_59c8649 profile image
Abhijeet Waghmare •

Nice

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eshanized profile image
Eshan Roy (eshanized) •

Thanks for appreciating ! Do follow my project on GitHub: github.com/Snigdha-OS

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