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Getting to Know the Linux Terminal

Posted on FEBRUARY 29, 2004 inTutorials

Linux is an open-source operating system that is widely used by developers, system administrators, and other tech professionals. The command line interface of Linux offers a vast array of powerful and versatile commands that make it easier for users to carry out various tasks.

Here are the top 5 Linux commands that you should know to make the most out of your Linux system:

1. "ls" command

The "ls" command is used to list the files and directories in a directory. It is one of the most frequently used commands in Linux and it provides a wealth of information about the contents of a directory.

Example:

1. $ ls
2. file1 file2 dir1

2. "cd" command

The "cd" command is used to change the current working directory. This command is particularly useful when navigating the file system of your Linux machine.

Example:

1. $ cd /path/to/directory

3. "pwd" command

The "pwd" command displays the full path of the current working directory. This command is useful when you need to know the exact location of a file or directory.

Example:

1. $ pwd
2. /path/to/current/directory

4. "mkdir" command

The "mkdir" command is used to create a new directory. This command is often used to organize files and directories on a Linux machine.

Example:

1. $ mkdir my_new_dir

4.1. "cat" command

The "cat" command, short for "concatenate," is a basic command that allows you to view the contents of a file or concatenate multiple files together. Similar to "head", "tail", and "less".

The output of the "cat" command displays the contents of the file in the terminal. This can be useful for quickly viewing the contents of a text file without opening it in a text editor.

Example:

1. $ cat /some/file

5. "rm" command

The "rm" command is used to remove files and directories. This command is one of the most dangerous commands in Linux as it can permanently delete files and directories, so be cautious when using it.

Example:

1. $ rm a_file

Here's a few more advanced commands you can try

The "top" command is a real-time system monitoring tool that displays the current usage and statistics of various system resources, including CPU usage, memory usage, and process information.

The "free" command is a system monitoring tool that provides information about the amount of free and used memory in a system.

The "ping" command is used to test the connectivity between two networked devices. It works by sending a series of packets to a specified destination, and measuring the time it takes for the destination to respond.

The "w" command is a system monitoring tool that provides information about the users currently logged into a system, as well as the processes they are running.

The "dig" command is a powerful tool for querying the Domain Name System (DNS) to gather information about domain names and their associated IP addresses.

You can try some of these commands for yourself here

Linux distributions, commonly known as "distros," are various versions of the Linux operating system that have been packaged and distributed by different organizations and communities. There are hundreds of different distros available, each with its own unique features, design philosophy, and target audience. Some popular distros include Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, Debian, and CentOS. I use Arch Linux, btw.