An A­Z Index of the Linux BASH command line

alias Create an alias

apropos Search Help manual pages (man -k)
awk Find and Replace text, database sort/validate/index
break Exit from a loop
builtin Run a shell builtin
bzip2 Compress or decompress named file(s)

cal Display a calendar

case Conditionally perform a command
cat Display the contents of a file
cd Change Directory
cfdisk Partition table manipulator for Linux
chgrp Change group ownership
chmod Change access permissions
chown Change file owner and group
chroot Run a command with a different root directory
cksum Print CRC checksum and byte counts
clear Clear terminal screen
cmp Compare two files
comm Compare two sorted files line by line
command Run a command - ignoring shell functions
continue Resume the next iteration of a loop
cp Copy one or more files to another location
cron Daemon to execute scheduled commands
crontab Schedule a command to run at a later time
csplit Split a file into context-determined pieces
cut Divide a file into several parts

date Display or change the date & time

dc Desk Calculator
dd Data Dump - Convert and copy a file
declare Declare variables and give them attributes
df Display free disk space
diff Display the differences between two files
diff3 Show differences among three files
dig DNS lookup
dir Briefly list directory contents
dircolors Colour setup for `ls'
dirname Convert a full pathname to just a path
dirs Display list of remembered directories
du Estimate file space usage
echo Display message on screen
egrep Search file(s) for lines that match an extended
expression
eject Eject removable media
enable Enable and disable builtin shell commands
env Environment variables
ethtool Ethernet card settings
eval Evaluate several commands/arguments
exec Execute a command
exit Exit the shell
expand Convert tabs to spaces
export Set an environment variable
expr Evaluate expressions

false Do nothing, unsuccessfully

fdformat Low-level format a floppy disk
fdisk Partition table manipulator for Linux
fgrep Search file(s) for lines that match a fixed string
file Determine file type
find Search for files that meet a desired criteria
fmt Reformat paragraph text
fold Wrap text to fit a specified width.
for Expand words, and execute commands
format Format disks or tapes
free Display memory usage
fsck File system consistency check and repair
ftp File Transfer Protocol
function Define Function Macros

gawk Find and Replace text within file(s)

getopts Parse positional parameters
grep Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern
groups Print group names a user is in
gzip Compress or decompress named file(s)

hash Remember the full pathname of a name argument

head Output the first part of file(s)
history Command History
hostname Print or set system name

id Print user and group id's

if Conditionally perform a command
ifconfig Configure a network interface
import Capture an X server screen and save the image to
file
install Copy files and set attributes
join Join lines on a common field

kill Stop a process from running

less Display output one screen at a time

let Perform arithmetic on shell variables
ln Make links between files
local Create variables
locate Find files
logname Print current login name
logout Exit a login shell
look Display lines beginning with a given string
lpc Line printer control program
lpr Off line print
lprint Print a file
lprintd Abort a print job
lprintq List the print queue
lprm Remove jobs from the print queue
ls List information about file(s)
lsof List open files

make Recompile a group of programs

man Help manual
mkdir Create new folder(s)
mkfifo Make FIFOs (named pipes)
mkisofs Create an hybrid ISO9660/JOLIET/HFS filesystem
mknod Make block or character special files
more Display output one screen at a time
mount Mount a file system
mtools Manipulate MS-DOS files
mv Move or rename files or directories

netstat Networking information

nice Set the priority of a command or job
nl Number lines and write files
nohup Run a command immune to hangups
nslookup Query Internet name servers interactively

passwd Modify a user password

paste Merge lines of files
pathchk Check file name portability
ping Test a network connection
popd Restore the previous value of the current directory
pr Prepare files for printing
printcap Printer capability database
printenv Print environment variables
printf Format and print data
ps Process status
pushd Save and then change the current directory
pwd Print Working Directory

quota Display disk usage and limits

quotacheck Scan a file system for disk usage
quotactl Set disk quotas

ram ram disk device

rcp Copy files between two machines.
read read a line from standard input
readonly Mark variables/functions as readonly
remsync Synchronize remote files via email
return Exit a shell function
rm Remove files
rmdir Remove folder(s)
rsync Remote file copy (Synchronize file trees)

screen Terminal window manager

scp Secure copy (remote file copy)
sdiff Merge two files interactively
sed Stream Editor
select Accept keyboard input
seq Print numeric sequences
set Manipulate shell variables and functions
sftp Secure File Transfer Program
shift Shift positional parameters
shopt Shell Options
shutdown Shutdown or restart linux
sleep Delay for a specified time
sort Sort text files
source Run commands from a file `.'
split Split a file into fixed-size pieces
ssh Secure Shell client (remote login program)
strace Trace system calls and signals
su Substitute user identity
sum Print a checksum for a file
symlink Make a new name for a file
sync Synchronize data on disk with memory

tail Output the last part of files

tar Tape ARchiver
tee Redirect output to multiple files
test Evaluate a conditional expression
time Measure Program running time
times User and system times
touch Change file timestamps
top List processes running on the system
traceroute Trace Route to Host
trap Run a command when a signal is set(bourne)
tr Translate, squeeze, and/or delete characters
true Do nothing, successfully
tsort Topological sort
tty Print filename of terminal on stdin
type Describe a command

ulimit Limit user resources

umask Users file creation mask
umount Unmount a device
unalias Remove an alias
uname Print system information
unexpand Convert spaces to tabs
uniq Uniquify files
units Convert units from one scale to another
unset Remove variable or function names
unshar Unpack shell archive scripts
until Execute commands (until error)
useradd Create new user account
usermod Modify user account
users List users currently logged in
uuencode Encode a binary file
uudecode Decode a file created by uuencode

v Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')

vdir Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')
vi Text Editor

watch Execute/display a program periodically

wc Print byte, word, and line counts
whereis Report all known instances of a command
which Locate a program file in the user's path.
while Execute commands
who Print all usernames currently logged in
whoami Print the current user id and name (`id -un')
Wget Retrieve web pages or files via HTTP, HTTPS or FTP

xargs Execute utility, passing constructed argument

list(s)
yes Print a string until interrupted

.period Run commands from a file

### Comment / Remark
 Basic commands
Basic Linux Commands

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mkdir - make directories

Usage

mkdir [OPTION] DIRECTORY

Options

Create the DIRECTORY(ies), if they do not already exist.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

-m, mode=MODE set permission mode (as in chmod), not rwxrwxrwx - umask

-p, parents no error if existing, make parent directories as needed

-v, verbose print a message for each created directory

-help display this help and exit

-version output version information and exit

cd - change directories

Use cd to change directories. Type cd followed by the name of a directory to access

that directory.Keep in mind that you are always in a directory and can navigate to
directories hierarchically above or below.

mv- change the name of a directory

Type mv followed by the current name of a directory and the new name of the
directory.
Ex: mv testdir newnamedir

pwd - print working directory

will show you the full path to the directory you are currently in. This is very handy to
use, especially when performing some of the other commands on this page

rmdir - Remove an existing directory

rm -r

Removes directories and files within the directories recursively.

chown - change file owner and group

Usage

chown [OPTION] OWNER[:[GROUP]] FILE

chown [OPTION] :GROUP FILE

chown [OPTION] --reference=RFILE FILE

Options

Change the owner and/or group of each FILE to OWNER and/or GROUP. With --
reference, change the owner and group of each FILE to those of RFILE.

-c, changes like verbose but report only when a change is made

-dereference affect the referent of each symbolic link, rather than the symbolic link
itself

-h, no-dereference affect each symbolic link instead of any referenced file (useful
only on systems that can change the ownership of a symlink)

-from=CURRENT_OWNER:CURRENT_GROUP

change the owner and/or group of each file only if its current owner and/or group
match those specified here. Either may be omitted, in which case a match is not
required for the omitted attribute.

-no-preserve-root do not treat `/' specially (the default)

-preserve-root fail to operate recursively on `/'

-f, -silent, -quiet suppress most error messages

-reference=RFILE use RFILE's owner and group rather than the specifying
OWNER:GROUP values
-R, -recursive operate on files and directories recursively

-v, -verbose output a diagnostic for every file processed

The following options modify how a hierarchy is traversed when the -R option is also
specified. If more than one is specified, only the final one takes effect.

-H if a command line argument is a symbolic link to a directory, traverse it

-L traverse every symbolic link to a directory encountered

-P do not traverse any symbolic links (default)

chmod - change file access permissions

Usage

chmod [-r] permissions filenames

r Change the permission on files that are in the subdirectories of the directory that
you are currently in. permission Specifies the rights that are being granted.
Below is the different rights that you can grant in an alpha numeric
format.filenames File or directory that you are associating the rights with
Permissions

u - User who owns the file.

g - Group that owns the file.

o - Other.

a - All.

r - Read the file.

w - Write or edit the file.

x - Execute or run the file as a program.

Numeric Permissions:

CHMOD can also to attributed by using Numeric Permissions:

400 read by owner

040 read by group

004 read by anybody (other)

200 write by owner

020 write by group

002 write by anybody

100 execute by owner

010 execute by group

001 execute by anybody

ls - Short listing of directory contents

-a list hidden files

-d list the name of the current directory

-F show directories with a trailing '/'

executable files with a trailing '*'

-g show group ownership of file in long listing

-i print the inode number of each file

-l long listing giving details about files and directories

-R list all subdirectories encountered

-t sort by time modified instead of name

cp - Copy files

cp myfile yourfile

Copy the files "myfile" to the file "yourfile" in the current working directory. This
command will create the file "yourfile" if it doesn't exist. It will normally overwrite it
without warning if it exists.

cp -i myfile yourfile

With the "-i" option, if the file "yourfile" exists, you will be prompted before it is
overwritten.

cp -i /data/myfile

Copy the file "/data/myfile" to the current working directory and name it "myfile".
Prompt before overwriting the file.

cp -dpr srcdir destdir

Copy all files from the directory "srcdir" to the directory "destdir" preserving links
(-poption), file attributes (-p option), and copy recursively (-r option). With these
options, a directory and all it contents can be copied to another dir

ln - Creates a symbolic link to a file.

ln -s test symlink

Creates a symbolic link named symlink that points to the file test Typing "ls -i test
symlink" will show the two files are different with different inodes. Typing "ls -l test
symlink" will show that symlink points to the file test.

locate - A fast database driven file locator.

slocate -u

This command builds the slocate database. It will take several minutes to complete
this command.This command must be used before searching for files, however cron
runs this command periodically on most systems.locate whereis Lists all files whose
names contain the string "whereis". directory.

more - Allows file contents or piped output to be sent to the screen one page at a
time

less - Opposite of the more command

cat - Sends file contents to standard output. This is a way to list the contents of
short files to the screen. It works well with piping.

whereis - Report all known instances of a command

wc - Print byte, word, and line counts

bg

bg jobs Places the current job (or, by using the alternative form, the specified jobs)
in the background, suspending its execution so that a new user prompt appears
immediately. Use the jobs command to discover the identities of background jobs.

cal month year - Prints a calendar for the specified month of the specified year.

cat files - Prints the contents of the specified files.

clear - Clears the terminal screen.

cmp file1 file2 - Compares two files, reporting all discrepancies. Similar to the diff
command, though the output format differs.

diff file1 file2 - Compares two files, reporting all discrepancies. Similar to the cmp
command, though the output format differs.
dmesg - Prints the messages resulting from the most recent system boot.

fg

fg jobs - Brings the current job (or the specified jobs) to the foreground.

file files - Determines and prints a description of the type of each specified file.

find path -name pattern -print

Searches the specified path for files with names matching the specified pattern
(usually enclosed in single quotes) and prints their names. The find command has
many other arguments and functions; see the online documentation.

finger users - Prints descriptions of the specified users.

free - Displays the amount of used and free system memory.

ftp hostname

Opens an FTP connection to the specified host, allowing files to be transferred. The
FTP program provides subcommands for accomplishing file transfers; see the online
documentation.

head files - Prints the first several lines of each specified file.

ispell files - Checks the spelling of the contents of the specified files.

kill process_ids

kill - signal process_ids

kill -l

Kills the specified processes, sends the specified processes the specified signal (given
as a number or name), or prints a list of available signals.

killall program

killall - signal program

Kills all processes that are instances of the specified program or sends the specified
signal to all processes that are instances of the specified program.

mail - Launches a simple mail client that permits sending and receiving email
messages.

man title

man section title - Prints the specified man page.

ping host - Sends an echo request via TCP/IP to the specified host. A response
confirms that the host is operational.

reboot - Reboots the system (requires root privileges).

shutdown minutes

shutdown -r minutes

Shuts down the system after the specified number of minutes elapses (requires root
privileges). The -r option causes the system to be rebooted once it has shut down.

sleep time - Causes the command interpreter to pause for the specified number of
seconds.

sort files - Sorts the specified files. The command has many useful arguments; see
the online documentation.

split file - Splits a file into several smaller files. The command has many arguments;
see the online documentation

sync - Completes all pending input/output operations (requires root privileges).

telnet host - Opens a login session on the specified host.

top - Prints a display of system processes that's continually updated until the user
presses the q key.

traceroute host - Uses echo requests to determine and print a network path to the
host.

uptime - Prints the system uptime.

w - Prints the current system users.

wall - Prints a message to each user except those who've disabled message
reception. Type Ctrl-D to end the message.