60 essential Linux commands

System administrators often rely on commands to manage Linux servers efficiently, automating tasks quickly and effectively.

This tutorial covers 60 essential Linux commands for various purposes, including navigation and software management. For offline access, download our comprehensive Linux command cheat sheet from the link below.

Prerequisites:

Before you begin, make sure you can access the command-line interface of your Linux desktop or virtual private server (VPS). If you’re using a remote system, connect to it using an SSH client like PuTTY or Terminal.

Let’s explore the 60 most commonly used Linux commands with examples for system administration.

Pro Tip: To check a command’s usage, syntax, and options, use the –help flag. For example, enter ls --help to display the ls utility guide.

1. ls Command

The ls command lists the content of a folder, including files and directories. Here’s the syntax:

ls [options] [directory_or_path]

If you omit the path, ls will check the current directory’s content. To list items inside subfolders, add the -R option. Use -a to show hidden content.

2. pwd Command

The pwd command displays the full path of your current working directory:

pwd [options]

The -L option prints environment variable content like shortcuts, while -P outputs the actual path.

3. cd Command

Use cd to navigate between directories:

cd [path_or_directory]

Shortcuts:

• cd – returns to the home directory.
• cd .. – moves one directory up.
• cd - – returns to the previous directory.

4. mkdir Command

Create one or multiple directories with mkdir:

mkdir [options] directory_name1 directory_name2

Specify the full path to create a folder in another location.

5. rmdir Command

Use rmdir to delete empty directories:

rmdir [options] directory_name

Use the -p option to force deletion, and note you must own the item or use sudo.

6. rm Command

The rm command deletes files:

rm [options] file1 file2

Add -r to remove folders and contents, -i for confirmation messages, or -f to force deletion.

7. cp Command

Copy files with the cp command:

cp file1 file2 [target_path]

Use -R to duplicate a directory and its content.

8. mv Command

Move or rename files and directories with mv:

mv file_or_directory [target_directory]

9. touch Command

Create a new empty file:

shell

touch [options] [path_and_file_name]

10. file Command

Check a file type:

file [file_name]

Add -k for more detailed information.

11. zip and unzip Commands

Compress files:

zip [options] zip_file_name file1 file2

Extract files:

unzip [options] zip_file_name

12. tar Command

Bundle files into an archive:

tar [options] tar_file_name file1 file2

13. nano, vi, and jed Commands

Edit files:

nano/vi/jed file_name

14. cat Command

Print or concatenate files:

cat file_name

15. grep Command

Search for specific lines:

grep [options] keyword [file]

16. sed Command

Search and replace patterns in files:

sed [options] 'subcommand/new_pattern/target_pattern' input_file

17. head Command

Print the first few lines of a file:

head [options] file_name

18. tail Command

Print the last few lines of a file:

tail [options] file_name

19. awk Command

Search and manipulate regular expression patterns:

awk '/regex pattern/{action}' input_file.txt

20. sort Command

Sort a file’s content:

sort [options] [file_name]

21. cut Command

The cut command selects specific sections from a file and prints them as a terminal output:

cut [options] [file]

Mandatory options for cut:

• -f – selects a specific row field.
• -b – cuts the line by a specified byte size.
• -c – sections the line using a specified character.
• -d – separates lines based on delimiters.

Combine options for specific output. For example, this command extracts the third to fifth fields from a comma-separated list:

cut -d',' -f3-5 list.txt

22. diff Command

The diff command compares two files and highlights their differences:

diff file_name1 file_name2

By default, it shows only the differences. Use the -c option for context format and -i to ignore case sensitivity. For example:

diff -c 1.txt 2.txt

23. tee Command

The tee command outputs another command’s results to both the terminal and a file:

command | tee [options] file_name

To append existing data, use the -a option. For example:

ping 8.8.8.8 | tee -a test_network.txt

24. locate Command

The locate command searches for a file and prints its location path:

locate [options] [keyword]

Use -i to ignore case sensitivity. Refresh the locate database manually with:

updatedb

25. find Command

The find command searches for a file within a specific directory:

find [path] [options] [expression]

Use -name to find files by name and -type to specify the item type. For example:

find path/to/folder -type f -name "file"

26. sudo Command

The sudo command allows non-root users to execute administrative commands:

sudo [options] your_command

For example, to open a file using nano as an administrator:

sudo nano file.txt

27. su and whoami Commands

The su command switches to another user:

su [options] [username]

To switch to the root user, enter su without any options. Use whoami to check the currently logged-in user:

whoami

28. chmod Command

The chmod command changes file or directory permissions:

chmod [options] [permission] [file_or_directory]

Example:

chmod -rwx---r-- file1.txt

29. chown Command

The chown command changes ownership of files or directories:

chown [options] newowner:newgroup file1 file2

To assign ownership:

chown admin-vps file1.txt

30. useradd, passwd, and userdel Commands

Create a new account:

useradd [options] new_username

Add or change the password:

passwd new_username

Remove a user:

userdel new_username

31. df Command

The df command checks disk usage:

df [options] [file system]

32. du Command

The du command checks the size of a directory and its content:

du [directory]

33. top Command

The top command displays running processes and their resource usage:

top [options]

34. htop Command

The htop command also displays and manages running processes:

htop [options]

35. ps Command

The ps command summarizes the status of all running processes:

ps [options]

36. uname Command

The uname command displays information about your Linux system:

uname [options]

37. hostname Command

The hostname command checks your VPS hostname and related information:

hostname [options]

38. time Command

The time command measures the execution time of commands or scripts:

time command_or_script

39. systemctl Command

The systemctl command manages services in your Linux system:

systemctl subcommand [service_name] [options]

40. watch Command

The watch command continuously runs a utility at a specified interval:

watch [options] command_name

Adjust the interval with -n and highlight changes with -d.

41. jobs Command

Jobs are tasks or commands running in your current shell. To check them, use:

jobs [options] [Job_ID]

Running this command without any arguments will display all jobs in the Terminal’s foreground and background. Add the -l option for detailed information about each job, or -n to show tasks whose status has changed since the last notification.

42. kill Command

Use the kill command to terminate a process using its ID:

kill [signal_option] Process_ID

To obtain the process ID, run:

ps ux

The kill command has 64 termination signals. By default, it uses the SIGTERM method, allowing the program to save its progress before closing.

43. shutdown Command

The shutdown command turns off or restarts your Linux system at a specific time:

shutdown [option] [time] [message]

Without arguments, the system shuts down immediately. Use a 24-hour format or a relative time (e.g., +5 for five minutes). Add the -r option to restart. The message argument notifies other users before shutdown.

44. ping Command

The ping command sends packets to a target server and retrieves responses, useful for network diagnostics:

ping [option] [hostname_or_IP_address]

By default, ping sends infinite packets until stopped manually (Ctrl + C). Use the -c option to specify a number of packets and -i to change the interval. For example:

ping -c 15 -i 2 google.com

45. wget Command

The wget command downloads files from the internet via HTTP, HTTPS, or FTP:

wget [options] [URL]

By default, it downloads to your current working directory. For example:

wget https://wordpress.org/latest.zip

46. cURL Command

Use the cURL command to transfer data from or to a server:

curl [options] URL

Without options, it prints the HTML content. Use -O or -o to download files. To test API endpoints, add -X followed by an HTTP method. For example:

curl -X GET https://api.example.com/endpoint

47. scp Command

The scp command securely copies files and directories between systems over a network:

scp [option] [source username@IP]:/[directory and file name] [destination username@IP]:/[destination directory]

For example, to copy file1.txt to your VPS’ path/to/folder directory as root:

scp file1.txt [email protected]:path/to/folder

48. rsync Command

The rsync command syncs files or folders between two locations:

rsync [options] source destination

Specify username and IP address for syncing with a VPS:

rsync /path/to/local/folder/ [email protected]:/path/to/remote/folder/

49. ip Command

The ip utility lists and manages your system’s network parameters:

ip [options] object command

To show your system’s IP address:

ip address show

50. netstat Command

The netstat command displays information about your system’s network configuration:

netstat [options]

Flags include:

• -a – displays listening and closed sockets
• -t – shows TCP connections
• -u – lists UDP connections
• -r – displays routing tables
• -i – shows information about network interfaces
• -c – continuously outputs network information for real-time monitoring

51. traceroute Command

The traceroute command tracks a packet’s path between hosts:

traceroute [options] destination

Use -m to change the maximum packet hops and -n to prevent resolving IP addresses.

52. nslookup Command

The nslookup command requests a DNS server to check a domain linked to an IP address or vice versa:

nslookup [options] domain-or-ip [dns-server]

Use -type= to specify the DNS records to check.

53. dig Command

The dig command displays information about a domain:

dig [options] [server] [type] name-or-ip

Use -x for a reverse DNS lookup.

54. history Command

The history command checks previously run utilities:

history [options]

Use -r to clear Terminal history. Rerun a specific utility with an exclamation mark and its ID. For example:

!145

55. man Command

The man command displays a guide for another utility:

man [options] [section_number] command_name

Specify a section for more specific information. For example:

man 3 ls

56. echo Command

Use echo to print text as a Terminal output:

echo [options] [text]

Redirect output to a file with > or >>. For example:

echo [options] [text] > [file_name]

57. ln Command

The ln command links files or directories with a shortcut:

ln [options] source target

For example:

ln target.txt shortcut.txt

58. alias and unalias Commands

The alias command sets an alternative name for a string:

alias name='string'

For example:

alias k='kill'

Remove an alias with:

unalias [name]

59. cal Command

The cal command displays a calendar in your Terminal:

cal [options] [month] [year]

Use -3 to show the current, previous, and next month.

60. apt and dnf Commands

The apt command manages Advanced Package Tool (APT) libraries in Debian-based systems like Ubuntu and Kali Linux:

apt [options] subcommand

Subcommands define actions such as updating libraries, upgrading software, installing applications, or removing packages. For instance, to install the Vim text editor:

apt install vim

In Linux, package management commands differ across distributions. Red Hat-based distros like CentOS and AlmaLinux use dnf, which shares the same syntax and options as apt. Both commands require superuser privileges, which you can obtain with sudo or by switching to the root user.

Conclusion

Linux commands enable system administrators to efficiently manage their servers, offering capabilities like scripting, variables, and automation that surpass graphical interfaces. This tutorial has covered the 60 most commonly used Linux commands, essential for tasks like file management, user administration, navigation, and network configuration.