In this blog post, we will guide you through some essential Linux command-line interface (CLI) basics, demonstrating how to navigate, modify and manage your system via the terminal. CLI is a text-based interface that allows you to interact with your computer using text-based commands. So, let’s get started!
1. Navigating the File System
The first thing to learn is how to navigate the file system. The cd command is used to change the current directory. Let’s take a look at an example:
cd /home/username/Documents
This command will navigate to the ‘Documents’ directory under the ‘username’ home directory.
2. Listing Files and Directories
Once you have navigated into a directory, you might want to know what’s inside it. The ls command is used to list files and directories. Here is an example:
ls
This command will display a list of all files and directories in the current directory.
3. Creating a New Directory
To create a new directory, we use the mkdir command followed by the name of the directory. Here’s an example:
mkdir new_directory
This command creates a new directory named ‘new_directory’ in the current location.
4. Removing Files and Directories
Use the rm command to remove files and the rm -r command to remove directories. Here is an example of each:
rm filename.txt
rm -r directoryname
The first command removes the file ‘filename.txt’. The second command removes the directory ‘directoryname’ and its contents.
5. Moving and Renaming Files
The mv command is used to move files from one location to another and to rename files. Here are some examples:
mv oldname.txt newname.txt
mv filename.txt /path/to/directory
The first command renames the file ‘oldname.txt’ to ‘newname.txt’. The second command moves ‘filename.txt’ to the directory ‘/path/to/directory’.
6. Copying Files
Use the cp command to copy files. Here’s an example:
cp sourcefile.txt destinationfile.txt
This command copies ‘sourcefile.txt’ to ‘destinationfile.txt’.
And there you have it! These are some of the basic commands you need to know to start using Linux in CLI. Remember, the key to mastering Linux is practice, so don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and try these commands out for yourself!
