Ubuntu is one of the most popular distributions of Linux, known for its user-friendly interface and robust features. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced user, understanding basic Ubuntu commands is essential for navigating and managing your system efficiently.
1. pwd - Print Working Directory
The pwd command is used to display the current working directory.
Syntax:
pwd
Example:
pwd
displaying the current directory This command prints the current working directory.
2. ls - List Directory
The ls command is one of the most frequently used commands in Linux. It displays the contents of directories, including files and subdirectories.
Syntax:
ls [options] [directory]
Example:
ls
Here, we shows the lists of directories, files, and images by the using of ls command.
Options of ls command
here is some examples using in to the ls command.
| Command | Uses |
|---|
ls | Lists files in the current directory |
ls /home/user/ | Lists files in /home/user/ |
ls -l | Long listing format (permissions, size, dates) |
ls -a | Includes hidden files (starting with .) |
ls -lh | Long listing with human-readable sizes |
ls -lt | Sorts files by modification time |
ls -R | Recursively lists all subdirectories |
ls -d */ | Shows only directories in the current path |
2. cd - Change Directory
The cd command is used to change the current working directory. we can move one directory to other directory by the using of cd command in Linux Terminal.
Syntax:
cd [directory]
Example:
cd Desktop/
changing directory This command changes the current directory to Desktop/. Here we have used pwd command to display the current directory.
Cd command is used for moving multiple directories in single time
Syntax:
cd home/administrator/Desktop
We can exit from the directory by using cd command
Syntax:
cd ../
4. mkdir - Make Directory
The mkdir command is used to create a new directory.
Syntax:
mkdir [directory_name]
Example:
mkdir new_folder
This command creates a new directory named new_folder. Here we have used ls command to display the files in the current directory.
5. rm - Remove
The rm command is used to remove or delete the files or directories.
Syntax:
rm [options] [file/directory]
Example:
rm new_file
removing fileThis rm command removes the file named new_file. Here we have used ls command to display the files in the current directory.
6. cp - Copy
The cp command is used to copy files or directories.
Syntax:
cp [options] [source] [destination]
Example:
cp file.txt /home/sujal/localworkingDir/Dir1/
The ls command show file.txt which had present on localworkingDir then it will move to other directory named Dir1 by the using of cp command.
7. mv - Move
The mv command is used to move files or directories. mv command is also used to rename the file.
Syntax:
mv [options] [source] [destination]
Example:
mv
Here, We have move the file named 'file.txt' from the 'Dir2' directory to the current working directory named 'localworkingDir' by using mv command.
8. touch - Create Empty File
The touch command is used to create an empty file.
Syntax:
touch [file_name]
Example:
touch newfile.txt
creating text fileThis command creates an empty file named newfile.txt. Here we have used ls command to display the files in the current directory.
9. cat - Concatenate and Display
The cat command is used to display the contents of a file.
Syntax:
cat [file]
Example:
cat newfile.txt
displaying text inside text fileThis cat command displays the contents of newfile.txt.
10. nano - Text Editor
The nano command is used for launch the Nano text editor. It allows you to create and edit text files directly from the command line.
Syntax:
nano [file_name]
Example:
nano newfile.txt
editing text fileThis command opens newfile.txt in the Nano text editor.
11. grep - Search
The grep command is used to search for patterns in files.
Syntax:
grep [options] [pattern] [file]
Example:
grep "pattern" file.txt
searching pattern inside the text fileThis command searches for the specified pattern in file.txt.
12. sudo - Superuser Do
The sudo command allows users to execute commands with superuser privileges.
Syntax:
sudo [command]
Example:
sudo apt-get update
updating package managerThis command updates the package lists using apt-get with superuser privileges.
13. apt-get - Package Manager
The apt-get command is used to manage software packages.
Syntax:
sudo apt-get install package_name
Example:
sudo apt-get install notepad
This command installs a package named notepad.
14. dpkg - Package Manager
The dpkg command is used to install, remove, and manage Debian packages.
Syntax:
sudo dpkg [options] [command]
Example:
sudo dpkg -i package.deb
This command installs a Debian package named package.deb.
15. wget - Download
The wget command is used to download files from the internet.
Syntax:
wget [URL]
Example:
wget http://example.com/file.zip
This command downloads a file named file.zip from the specified URL.
16. chmod - Change Mode
The chmod command is used to change file permissions.
Syntax:
chmod [options] [mode] [file]
Example:
chmod 777 file.txt
This command changes the permissions of file.txt to 777.
17. chown - Change Owner
The chown command is used to change file ownership of files or directory.
Syntax:
chown [options] [owner:group] [file]
Example:
chown sujal file.txt
This command changes the owner and group of file.txt.
18. tar - Tape Archive
The tar command in Linux is used to create, extract, and manage archive files such as .tar, .tar.gz, or .tgz. It is commonly used to combine multiple files and directories into a single archive file, often with optional compression
Syntax:
tar [options] [archive_name.tar] [files/directories]
Example:
tar -cvf gfg.tar file1 file2 dir1/
This command creates a compressed tar archive named archive.gfg.tar from the directory
The uname command prints system information such as kernel version and architecture.
Syntax:
uname [options]
Example:
uname -a
This command displays all available system information.
20. date - Display Date and Time
The date command displays the current date and time.
Syntax:
date [options]
Example:
date
displaying date This command prints the current date and time.
21. shutdown - Shutdown or Restart System
The shutdown command is used to shut down or restart the system.
Syntax:
sudo shutdown [options]
Example:
sudo shutdown -h now
This command shuts down the system immediately.
22. ps - Process Status
The ps command displays information about active processes.
Syntax:
ps [options]
Example:
ps aux
list all running processThis command lists all running processes.
23. top - Display System Activity
The top command displays real-time information about system activity.
Syntax:
top
Example:
top
displaying dynamic informationThis command displays dynamic information about system processes.
24. du - Disk Usage
The du command is used to estimate file and directory space usage.
Syntax:
du [options] [directory]
Example:
du -sh /path/to/directory
This command displays the disk usage of the specified directory.
25. df - Disk Free
The df command displays disk space usage for filesystems.
Syntax:
df [options]
Example:
df -h
display disk spaceThis command displays disk space usage in a human-readable format.
Conclusion
These 25 basic Ubuntu commands provide a solid foundation for navigating and managing your Linux system effectively. As you continue to explore Ubuntu and Linux, you'll discover more commands and techniques to streamline your workflow and enhance your productivity. Experiment with these commands in your terminal to become more proficient in using Ubuntu.
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