Mastering Linux Basics: Top 50 Linux Commands with Examples for Beginners

Linux is a powerful and versatile operating system that powers everything from servers to smartphones. If you’re a student new to Linux, understanding basic commands is the first step toward becoming proficient in using this OS. In this blog, we’ll explore 50 essential Linux commands with simple explanations and examples to help you get started.

1.  pwd

Print Working Directory: Displays the current directory.

2.  ls

List Directory Contents: Shows files and folders in a directory.

Documents Downloads Pictures

3.  cd

Change Directory: Navigate between directories.

4.  mkdir

Make Directory: Creates a new folder.

5.  rmdir

Remove Directory: Deletes an empty folder.

6.  touch

Create File: Creates an empty file.

7.  rm

Remove File/Folder: Deletes files or directories.

8.  cp

Copy Files/Directories: Copies files or directories.

9.  mv

Move/Rename: Moves or renames files and folders.

10.  cat

Concatenate and View Files: Displays file content.

11.  nano

Edit Files: Opens a text file in the nano editor.

12.  vi

Edit Files: Opens a text file in the vi editor.

13.  echo

Display Text: Prints text or writes to a file.

14.  clear

Clear Terminal: Clears the terminal screen.

15.  history

Command History: Shows a list of recently executed commands.

16.  find

Search for Files: Locates files in the system.

17.  grep

Search in Files: Searches for patterns in files.

18.  chmod

Change Permissions: Modifies file permissions.

19.  chown

Change Ownership: Changes file ownership.

20.  man

Manual Pages: Displays command documentation.

21.  uname

System Information: Displays system details.

22.  df

Disk Usage: Shows available and used disk space.

23.  du

Directory Usage: Displays the size of a directory.

24.  top

Process Monitoring: Displays running processes.

25.  ps

Process Status: Lists active processes.

26.  kill

Terminate Process: Stops a running process.

27.  ping

Network Test: Checks connectivity to a host.

28.  curl

HTTP Requests: Fetches data from URLs.

29.  wget

Download Files: Downloads files from the internet.

30.  zip

Compress Files: Creates a ZIP archive.

31.  unzip

Extract Files: Extracts a ZIP archive.

32.  tar

Archive Files: Archives and extracts files.

33.  df

Check Disk Space: Displays disk usage information.

34.  free

Check Memory: Shows RAM and swap usage.

35.  hostname

Display Hostname: Shows the system’s hostname.

36.  ifconfig

Network Configuration: Displays network settings.

37.  ssh

Secure Shell: Connects to a remote machine.

38.  scp

Secure Copy: Transfers files between machines.

39.  passwd

Change Password: Updates the user password.

40.  whoami

Current User: Displays the current username.

41.  uptime

System Uptime: Shows how long the system has been running.

42.  shutdown

Power Off: Schedules a system shutdown.

43.  reboot

Restart System: Reboots the system.

44.  alias

Shortcut Commands: Creates a custom command alias.

45.  unalias

Remove Alias: Deletes a custom alias.

46.  wc

Word Count: Counts words, lines, and characters in a file.

47.  head

View File Start: Displays the first lines of a file.

48.  tail

View File End: Displays the last lines of a file.

49.  sort

Sort Lines: Arranges lines in a file.

50.  uniq

Remove Duplicates: Filters unique lines in a file.

Conclusion

By mastering these 50 Linux commands, can gain a strong foundation in Linux administration and usage. Practice regularly, Linux is a vast and powerful tool, and this list is just the beginning of your journey!

About CloudThat

CloudThat is a leading provider of Cloud Training and Consulting services with a global presence in India, the USA, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Specializing in AWS, Microsoft Azure, GCP, VMware, Databricks, and more, the company serves mid-market and enterprise clients, offering comprehensive expertise in Cloud Migration, Data Platforms, DevOps, IoT, AI/ML, and more.

CloudThat is the first Indian Company to win the prestigious Microsoft Partner 2024 Award and is recognized as a top-tier partner with AWS and Microsoft, including the prestigious ‘Think Big’ partner award from AWS and the Microsoft Superstars FY 2023 award in Asia & India. Having trained 650k+ professionals in 500+ cloud certifications and completed 300+ consulting projects globally, CloudThat is an official AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, Microsoft Gold Partner, AWS Training Partner, AWS Migration Partner, AWS Data and Analytics Partner, AWS DevOps Competency Partner, AWS GenAI Competency Partner, Amazon QuickSight Service Delivery Partner, Amazon EKS Service Delivery Partner,  AWS Microsoft Workload Partners, Amazon EC2 Service Delivery Partner, Amazon ECS Service Delivery Partner, AWS Glue Service Delivery Partner, Amazon Redshift Service Delivery Partner, AWS Control Tower Service Delivery Partner, AWS WAF Service Delivery Partner and many more.

To get started, go through our Consultancy page and Managed Services Package, CloudThat’s offerings.