Beginner Linux Tutorial

There are many common Linux commands that will be helpful to you, if you ever even use the command line interface in Linux. Most average users just use the graphical user interface instead which usually has many tools and front-ends to Linux common commands. This Linux tutorial on command commands will help even the average user in case X server crashes, fails, is not properly configured, etc. So continue reading for some of the more common Linux bash commands.

Some of the more common Linux shell commands are listed below for more information on each command you can always run man [command] and this will bring up the manpage for that command, you can also click on the commands listed for some common examples and syntax.

First before I list them any syntax in [] will need some kind of input from you normally, for example:

man [command] you will want to actually replace [command] with the shell command you want to read the man page for: man ls will give you the man page for the Linux shell command ls.

• linux ls command – is used to list files on the filesystem.
• file – command that will check the filetype, this will output to you what the file type is no matter what the extension is.
• mkdir command – used to make directories on the filesystem.
• cd – is used for changing into a different directory in the Linux shell
• cp – is the Linux copy command, this shell command is used to copy files|directories from one location on the filesystem to another.
• mv – the Linux terminal command to move files|directories. Like the cp command, but deletes the original source.
• rm – shell command in Linux to remove files|directories.
• Linux cat command- this command is used to print|view the contents of a file to the screen|terminal.
• grep – command used to search|find contents of a file and print|view on your terminal|screen.
• Linux more and less – commands that will allow you to read output of files, unlike cat that will output the entire file at once, even if it is too large for your terminal more and less will output only as many lines as the shell you are in can output, and allow you to scroll through the file contents.
• chown – Linux command to change ownership of a file|directory.
• Linux chmod – command that allows you to change mode of user access|permissions, basically set read, write, and execute permissions.
• Linux ps – lists the current running processes on your Linux system
• Linux kill and killall commands – used to kill|terminate running processes