Command Line Cheat Sheet
Navigation
pwd # Print working directory
ls # List directory contents
ls -la # List detailed contents, including hidden files
cd <directory> # Change directory
cd .. # Move up one directory
cd ~ # Go to home directory
File Operations
touch <file> # Create a new file
mkdir <directory> # Create a new directory
cp <source> <dest> # Copy file or directory
mv <source> <dest> # Move or rename file or directory
rm <file> # Remove a file
rm -r <directory> # Remove a directory and its contents
File Viewing and Editing
cat <file> # Display file contents
less <file> # View file contents with pagination
head <file> # Show first 10 lines of file
tail <file> # Show last 10 lines of file
nano <file> # Open file in nano text editor
vim <file> # Open file in vim text editor
File Permissions
chmod +x <file> # Make file executable
chmod 755 <file> # Set read, write, execute permissions
chown <user> <file> # Change file owner
System Information
uname -a # Display system information
df -h # Show disk usage
free -h # Display free and used memory
top # Show running processes (interactive)
ps aux # List all running processes
Network
ping <host> # Ping a host
ssh <user>@<host> # SSH into a remote machine
scp <file> <user>@<host>:<path> # Secure copy file to remote host
wget <url> # Download file from web
curl <url> # Send HTTP request
Package Management (Debian/Ubuntu)
apt update # Update package list
apt upgrade # Upgrade installed packages
apt install <pkg> # Install a package
apt remove <pkg> # Remove a package
Text Processing
grep <pattern> <file> # Search for pattern in file
sed 's/old/new/g' <file> # Replace text in file
awk '{print $1}' <file> # Print first column of file
Process Management
<command> & # Run command in background
jobs # List background jobs
fg # Bring most recent job to foreground
kill <pid> # Terminate process by ID
Shortcuts
Ctrl + C # Interrupt current process
Ctrl + Z # Suspend current process
Ctrl + D # Exit current shell
Ctrl + L # Clear screen
Ctrl + R # Search command history
Miscellaneous
man <command> # Display manual for command
history # Show command history
echo $PATH # Display PATH environment variable
which <command> # Show full path of command
Remember, these commands may vary slightly depending on your specific operating system and shell. Always refer to the man pages (man <command>
) for detailed information about each command.