Linux Top 50 Command You Should Know
January 21, 2023 2023-01-21 14:28Linux Top 50 Command You Should Know
Linux is a free and open-source operating system, similar to UNIX. Linux is known for its stability, security, and flexibility, making it a popular choice for servers, desktops, and mobile devices.
One of the key features of Linux is its command-line interface (CLI), which allows users to perform various tasks by entering commands.
Some of the most commonly used Linux commands include:
- ls – The most frequently used command in Linux to list directories
- pwd – Print working directory command in Linux
- cd – Linux command to navigate through directories
- mkdir – Command used to create directories in Linux
- mv – Move or rename files in Linux
- cp – Similar usage as mv but for copying files in Linux
- rm – Delete files or directories
- touch – Create blank/empty files
- ln – Create symbolic links (shortcuts) to other files
- cat – Display file contents on the terminal
- clear – Clear the terminal display
- echo – Print any text that follows the command
- less – Linux command to display paged outputs in the terminal
- man – Access manual pages for all Linux commands
- uname – Linux command to get basic information about the OS
- whoami – Get the active username
- tar – Command to extract and compress files in Linux
- grep – Search for a string within an output
- head – Return the specified number of lines from the top
- tail – Return the specified number of lines from the bottom
- diff – Find the difference between two files
- cmp – Allows you to check if two files are identical
- comm – Combines the functionality of diff and cmp
- sort – Linux command to sort the content of a file while outputting
- export – Export environment variables in Linux
- zip – Zip files in Linux
- unzip – Unzip files in Linux
- ssh – Secure Shell command in Linux
- service – Linux command to start and stop services
- ps – Display active processes
- kill and killall – Kill active processes by process ID or name
- df – Display disk filesystem information
- mount – Mount file systems in Linux
- chmod – command to change file permissions
- chown – Command for granting ownership of files or folders
- ifconfig – Display network interfaces and IP addresses
- traceroute – Trace all the network hops to reach the destination
- wget – Direct download files from the internet
- ufw – Firewall command
- iptables – Base firewall for all other firewall utilities to interface with
- apt, pacman, yum, rpm – Package managers depending on the distro
- sudo – Command to escalate privileges in Linux
- cal – View a command-line calendar
- alias – Create custom shortcuts for your regularly used commands
- dd – Majorly used for creating bootable USB sticks
- whereis – Locate the binary, source, and manual pages for a command
- whatis – Find what a command is used for
- top – View active processes live with their system usage
- useradd and usermod – Add new user or change existing users’ data
- passwd – Create or update passwords for existing users
Additionally, Linux also includes a set of advanced commands such as sed, awk, grep, and find which are used for text processing and file manipulation.
These commands are extremely powerful and once mastered, can be used to perform a wide range of tasks. For example, you can use them to view the system information, manage the users, monitor the system’s performance, automate repetitive tasks and much more.
Overall, Linux is a powerful and versatile operating system that offers a wide range of capabilities through its command-line interface. It is a great choice for those who want a stable, secure, and customizable operating system.