GNU/Linux most wanted Long list with most recent files last:

ls -ltr
gvimdiff file1 file2
tkdiff file1 file2
Archiving Misc commands
meld file1 file2 Create a compressed archive (tape archive): Basic command-line calculator
Summary of most useful commands Displaying file contents tar zcvf archive.tar.gz dir bc -l
Comparing 2 directories: tar jcvf archive.tar.bz2 dir
©Copyright 2014-2005, Free Electrons. Concatenate and display file contents: diff -r dir1 dir2 tar Jcvf archive.tar.xz dir Basic system administration
Free to share under the terms of the Creative Commons cat file1 file2 tar --lzma -cvf archive.tar.lzma
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license
Looking for files Change the owner and group of a directory and
(http://creativecommons.org) Display the contents of several files (stopping Test (list) a compressed archive: all its contents:
at each page): Find all files in the current (.) directory and its tar tvf archive.tar.[gz|bz2|lzma|xz] sudo chown -R newuser.newgroup dir
Sources: more file1 file2 subdirectories with log in their name:
http://git.free-electrons.com/training-materials Extract the contents of a compressed archive: Reboot the machine in 5 minutes:
Updates:
less file1 file2 (better: extra features) find . -name “*log*”
tar xvf archive.tar.[gz|bz2|lzma|xz] sudo shutdown -r +5
http://free-electrons.com/doc/training/embedded-linux Display the first 10 lines of a file: Find all the .pdf files in dir and subdirectories
Translations, command and concepts details: Shutdown the machine now:
head -10 file and run a command on each: tar options:
http://free-electrons.com/training/intro_unix_linux
find . -name “*.pdf” -exec xpdf {} ';' c: create sudo shutdown -h now
Display the last 10 lines of a file: t: test
Thanks to Michel Blanc, Hermann J. Beckers and Thierry Display all available network interfaces:
Grellier. tail -10 file Quick system-wide file search by pattern x: extract
(caution: index based, misses new files): ifconfig -a
j: on the fly bzip2 (un)compression
Latest update: Jun 29, 2023 File name pattern matching locate “*pub*” J: on the fly xz (un)compression Assign an IP address to a network interface:
Concatenate all “regular” files: z: on the fly gzip (un)compression sudo ifconfig eth0 207.46.130.108
Handling files and directories cat *
Redirecting command output
Handling zip archives Bring down a network interface:
Create a directory: Redirect command output to a file: zip -r archive.zip <files> (create) sudo ifconfig eth0 down
mkdir dir Concatenate all “hidden” files: ls *.png > image_files
cat .* unzip -t archive.zip (test / list)
unzip archive.zip (extract) Define a default gateway for packets to
Create nested directories: Append command output to an existing file: machines outside the local network:
mkdir -p dir1/dir2 Concatenate all files ending with .log: ls *.jpg >> image_files sudo route add default gw 192.168.0.1
cat *.log Printing
Changing directories: Redirect command output to the input of Delete the default route:
cd newdir List “regular” files with bug in their name: another command: Send PostScript or text files to queue:
ls *bug* lpr -Pqueue f1.ps f2.txt (local printer) sudo route del default
cd .. (parent directory) cat *.log | grep error
cd - (previous directory) List all “regular” files ending with . and a List all the print jobs in queue: Test networking with another machine:
cd (home directory) single character: Job control lpq -Pqueue ping 207.46.130.108
cd ~bill (home directory of user bill) ls *.? Show all running processes: Cancel a print job number in queue: Create or remove partitions on the first IDE
Print the working (current) directory: ps -ef cancel 123 queue hard disk:
pwd Handling file contents fdisk /dev/hda1
Live hit-parade of processes (press P, M, T: sort Print a PDF file:
Show only the lines in a file containing a given by Processor, Memory or Time usage):
Copy a file to another: pdf2ps doc.pdf Create (format) an ext3 filesystem:
substring: top
cp source_file dest_file lpr doc.ps mkfs.ext3 /dev/hda1
grep substring file
Copy files to a directory: Send a termination signal to a process: View a PostScript file: Create (format) a FAT32 filesystem:
Case insensitive search: kill <pid> (number found in ps output)
cp file1 file2 dir ps2pdf doc.ps mkfs.vfat -v -F 32 /dev/hda2
grep -i substring file
Copy directories recursively: Have the kernel kill a process: xpdf doc.pdf Mount a formatted partition:
Showing all the lines but the ones containing a kill -9 <pid>
cp -r source_dir dest_dir mkdir /mnt/usbdisk (just do it once)
rsync -a source_dir/ dest_dir/ substring: User management sudo mount /dev/uba1 /mnt/usbdisk
grep -v substring file Kill all processes (at least all user ones):
Create a symbolic link: kill -9 -1 List users logged on the system: Mount a filesystem image (loop device):
Search through all the files in a directory: who
ln -s linked_file link sudo mount -o loop fs.img /mnt/fs
grep -r substring dir Kill a graphical application:
Rename a file, link or directory: xkill (click on the program window to kill) Show which user I am logged as: Unmount a filesystem:
Sort lines in a given file: whoami
mv source_file dest_file sudo umount /mnt/usbdisk
sort file
File and partition sizes Show which groups user belongs to:
Remove files or links: Check the system kernel version:
Sort lines, only display duplicate ones once: Show the total size on disk of files or groups user
rm file1 file2 uname -a
sort -u file (unique) directories (disk usage):
Remove empty directories: Tell more information about user:
du -sh dir1 dir2 file1 file2 finger user
rmdir dir Changing file access rights
Number of bytes, words and lines in file: Switch to user hulk:
Remove non-empty directories: Add write permissions to the current user: wc file (word count) su - hulk
rm -rf dir chmod u+w file
Show the size, total space and free space of the Switch to super user (root):
Add read permissions to users in the file group:
Listing files chmod g+r file
current partition: su - (switch user)
df -h . su (keep same directory and environment)
List all “regular” files (not starting with .) in
Add execute permissions to other users:
the current directory: Display these info for all partitions:
chmod o+x file df -h Time management
ls
Add read + write permissions to all users: Wait for 60 seconds:
Display a long listing:
ls -l chmod a+rw file Compressing sleep 60
Make executable files executable by all: Compress a file: Show the current date:
List all the files in the current directory, gzip file (.gz format)
chmod a+rX * date
including “hidden” ones (starting with .): bzip2 file (.bz2 format, better)
ls -a Make the whole directory and its contents lzma file (.lzma format, best compression) Count the time taken by a command:
accessible by all users: xz file (.xz format, best for code) time find_charming_prince -cute -rich
List by time (most recent files first):
ls -t chmod -R a+rX dir (recursive)
Uncompress a file:
gunzip file.gz
Command help
List by size (biggest files first) Comparing files and directories
ls -S bunzip2 file.bz2 Basic help (works for most commands):
Comparing 2 files: unlzma file.lzma grep --help
List with a reverse sort order: diff file1 file2 unxz file.xz
ls -r Access the full manual page of a command:
Comparing 2 files (graphical): man grep