10 Linux commands every beginner should know

Linux is a free and open-source operating system that is widely used in servers, supercomputers, and embedded systems. Linux is known for its security, stability, and flexibility, making it a popular choice for developers and system administrators.

Table of contents

Introduction

What is Linux Terminal

The Linux terminal, also known as the command line interface (CLI), is a powerful tool that allows users to interact with the operating system using text commands. Learning the Linux terminal can help users become more efficient and productive, as it provides a fast and efficient way to accomplish tasks that may take longer using a graphical user interface (GUI).

10 basic Linux commands

Here are the top 10 most used terminal commands of Linux:

1. cd – The ‘cd’ command is used to change the current directory in the terminal. For example, ‘cd /home/user/Documents’ will change the current directory to the Documents folder in the user’s home directory.
2. ls – The ‘ls’ command is used to list the contents of the current directory. For example, ‘ls /home/user/Documents’ will list the contents of the Documents folder in the user’s home directory.
3. mkdir – The ‘mkdir’ command is used to create a new directory. For example, ‘mkdir new_folder’ will create a new folder named ‘new_folder’ in the current directory.
4. rm – The ‘rm’ command is used to remove files or directories. For example, ‘rm file.txt’ will remove the file ‘file.txt’ in the current directory, and ‘rm -r folder’ will remove the folder ‘folder’ and all its contents.
5. cp – The ‘cp’ command is used to copy files or directories. For example, ‘cp file.txt new_file.txt’ will create a new file ‘new_file.txt’ with the contents of ‘file.txt’ in the current directory, and ‘cp -r folder new_folder’ will copy the folder ‘folder’ and all its contents to a new folder named ‘new_folder’.
6. mv – The ‘mv’ command is used to move or rename files or directories. For example, ‘mv file.txt new_file.txt’ will rename the file ‘file.txt’ to ‘new_file.txt’ in the current directory, and ‘mv folder new_folder’ will move the folder ‘folder’ to a new folder named ‘new_folder’.
7. cat – The ‘cat’ command is used to display the contents of a file. For example, ‘cat file.txt’ will display the contents of the file ‘file.txt’ in the terminal.
8. chmod – The ‘chmod’ command is used to change the permissions of a file or directory. For example, ‘chmod 755 file.txt’ will give read, write, and execute permissions to the owner of the file, and read and execute permissions to everyone else.
9. top – The ‘top’ command is used to display the processes running on the system. It provides real-time information about CPU usage, memory usage, and other system statistics.
10. man – The ‘man’ command is used to display the manual page for a command. For example, ‘man ls’ will display the manual page for the ‘ls’ command, providing detailed information on how to use it.

In conclusion, the Linux terminal is a powerful tool that can greatly improve productivity for users who take the time to learn it. The top 10 most used terminal commands of Linux, as listed above, are a great starting point for anyone interested in learning the command line. With practice, users can become proficient in the command line and accomplish tasks much faster than using a GUI.