Introduction
Linux is the backbone of most servers, cloud infrastructures, and development environments. Whether you're a software developer, DevOps engineer, or system administrator, having a strong command of Linux is essential.
This blog is a summary of our presentation on “Essential Linux Commands for Developers”, aimed at helping beginners and professionals navigate the terminal with confidence.
File & Directory Management Commands
| Command |
Description |
ls |
List files and directories |
cd |
Change directory |
pwd |
Display current directory path |
mkdir |
Create a directory |
rmdir |
Remove an empty directory |
touch |
Create an empty file |
cp |
Copy files or directories |
mv |
Move or rename files |
rm |
Remove files or directories |
Viewing & Editing Files
| Command |
Description |
cat |
View file content |
less/more
|
Paginate file output |
head |
Show first 10 lines of a file |
tail |
Show last 10 lines (tail -f for live logs) |
nano/vim
|
Terminal-based text editors |
File Permissions
| Command |
Description |
chmod |
Change file permissions |
chown |
Change file ownership |
ls -l |
View detailed file info including permissions |
Searching Files
| Command |
Description |
find . -name "file.txt" |
Locate files by name |
grep "text" filename |
Search text within a file |
locate filename |
Quickly find file locations |
Process Management
| Command |
Description |
ps |
List running processes |
top/htop
|
Monitor active processes and system resources |
kill |
Terminate process by PID |
killall |
Terminate processes by name |
Networking Commands
| Command |
Description |
ping |
Check network connectivity |
curl |
Access URLs or APIs |
wget |
Download files from the internet |
netstat |
Show network connections and ports |
ssh |
Secure remote server access |
Disk & Space Management
| Command |
Description |
df -h |
Show available disk space |
du -sh |
Show size of a directory |
Archiving & Compression
| Command |
Description |
tar -czf |
Compress files into .tar.gz
|
tar -xzf |
Extract .tar.gz files |
zip filename.zip file |
Create a zip file |
unzip filename.zip |
Extract a zip file |
Package Management (Ubuntu/Debian)
| Command |
Description |
sudo apt update |
Update package lists |
sudo apt upgrade |
Upgrade installed packages |
sudo apt install pkg |
Install a new package |
sudo apt remove pkg |
Remove an installed package |
Version Control with Git (Basics)
| Command |
Description |
git init |
Initialize a new Git repository |
git clone |
Clone an existing repository |
git add |
Stage changes for commit |
git commit -m "msg" |
Commit staged changes |
git push/git pull
|
Push to or pull from remote repo |
git status |
Check current repo status |
git log |
View commit history |
Miscellaneous Useful Commands
| Command |
Description |
echo |
Display messages or variables |
history |
View command history |
clear |
Clear the terminal screen |
alias |
Create shortcuts for commands |
Conclusion
Linux isn't just for system administrators — it’s a must-have skill for any modern developer. From file management to process monitoring and version control, the terminal gives you full control over your development environment.
Key Takeaways:
- Practice commands daily to improve speed and efficiency.
- Combine commands using pipes (
|) and redirection (>, >>) for automation.
- Mastery of Linux is crucial for backend development, DevOps, and full-stack engineering.
Top comments (6)
Great. Indeed automation is very important.
Absolutely! Automation is key in Linux and any development workflow. It saves time, reduces errors, and improves efficiency, especially when handling repetitive tasks with scripts and commands.
Such a clean breakdown, love it! Any underrated commands you rely on daily that aren't on this list?
Thanks so much! Glad you liked it 😊 One underrated command I use often is xargs — super handy for chaining with other commands. Also tldr for quick command summaries. What about you? Any personal favorites?
very cool, this is exactly the kind of breakdown i wish i had when i started messing with servers
you think schools should make this stuff part of a core curriculum for everyone in tech
Appreciate that! 🙌 Totally agree — basic command-line and server skills are so foundational. Making it part of the core tech curriculum would really help students build confidence early on.