📁 Linux Basics - File Navigation & Management¶

Essential commands for navigating and managing files in Linux

🎯 Overview¶

This guide covers the fundamental commands for navigating the Linux filesystem, managing files and directories, and viewing file contents.

List Files and Directories¶

`ls` - List Directory Contents¶

Basic Usage:

ls                    # List files in current directory
ls -l                 # Long format (detailed view)
ls -la                # Include hidden files
ls -lh                # Human-readable file sizes
ls -lt                # Sort by modification time
ls -lS                # Sort by file size

Common Options: - -l - Long format with details - -a - Show hidden files (starting with .) - -h - Human-readable sizes (KB, MB, GB) - -t - Sort by modification time - -r - Reverse order - -R - Recursive listing

Examples:

ls -lah /var/log      # List all files in /var/log with details
ls -lt | head -10     # Show 10 most recently modified files
ls -lS | tail -10     # Show 10 smallest files

Change Directory¶

`cd` - Change Directory¶

Basic Usage:

cd /path/to/directory    # Go to specific directory
cd ~                     # Go to home directory
cd ..                    # Go up one level
cd -                     # Go to previous directory
cd                       # Go to home directory (same as cd ~)

Examples:

cd /var/log              # Navigate to /var/log
cd ~/Documents           # Navigate to Documents in home
cd ../../etc             # Go up two levels, then to etc

Shortcuts: - ~ - Home directory - . - Current directory - .. - Parent directory - - - Previous directory - / - Root directory

Print Working Directory¶

`pwd` - Print Working Directory¶

Usage:

pwd                      # Show current directory path

Example:

$ pwd
/home/username/projects/devops

📄 File Operations¶

Copy Files¶

`cp` - Copy Files and Directories¶

Basic Usage:

cp source.txt destination.txt           # Copy file
cp -r source_dir/ destination_dir/      # Copy directory recursively
cp -i source.txt destination.txt        # Interactive (prompt before overwrite)
cp -v source.txt destination.txt        # Verbose (show what's being copied)

Common Options: - -r or -R - Copy directories recursively - -i - Interactive mode (prompt before overwrite) - -v - Verbose mode - -p - Preserve file attributes - -u - Copy only when source is newer

Examples:

cp file.txt backup/                     # Copy to directory
cp -r project/ project_backup/          # Copy entire directory
cp *.txt documents/                     # Copy all .txt files
cp -p important.txt backup/             # Preserve permissions and timestamps

Move/Rename Files¶

`mv` - Move or Rename Files¶

Basic Usage:

mv oldname.txt newname.txt              # Rename file
mv file.txt /path/to/destination/       # Move file
mv -i source.txt destination.txt        # Interactive mode
mv -v source.txt destination.txt        # Verbose mode

Common Options: - -i - Interactive (prompt before overwrite) - -v - Verbose mode - -u - Move only when source is newer - -n - Don't overwrite existing files

Examples:

mv report.txt final_report.txt          # Rename file
mv *.log logs/                          # Move all .log files
mv -i important.txt backup/             # Move with confirmation

Remove Files¶

`rm` - Remove Files and Directories¶

Basic Usage:

rm filename.txt                         # Remove file
rm -r directory/                        # Remove directory recursively
rm -i filename.txt                      # Interactive mode
rm -f filename.txt                      # Force removal (no prompt)

Common Options: - -r or -R - Remove directories recursively - -i - Interactive mode (prompt for each file) - -f - Force removal without prompting - -v - Verbose mode

Examples:

rm old_file.txt                         # Remove single file
rm -r old_directory/                    # Remove directory and contents
rm -i *.tmp                             # Remove with confirmation
rm -rf temp/                            # Force remove directory (use carefully!)

⚠️ Warning: rm -rf is dangerous! It permanently deletes without confirmation.

👁️ Viewing File Contents¶

Display File Content¶

`cat` - Concatenate and Display Files¶

Basic Usage:

cat file.txt                            # Display entire file
cat file1.txt file2.txt                 # Display multiple files
cat -n file.txt                         # Show line numbers

Common Options: - -n - Number all lines - -b - Number non-empty lines - -s - Squeeze multiple blank lines

Examples:

cat config.txt                          # View configuration file
cat file1.txt file2.txt > combined.txt  # Combine files
cat -n script.sh                        # View with line numbers

`less` - View File Page by Page¶

Basic Usage:

less file.txt                           # View file with pagination
less +F file.txt                        # Follow mode (like tail -f)

Navigation Keys: - Space - Next page - b - Previous page - g - Go to beginning - G - Go to end - /pattern - Search forward - ?pattern - Search backward - n - Next search result - q - Quit

Examples:

less /var/log/syslog                    # View system log
less +F /var/log/apache2/access.log     # Follow log file

`head` - View Beginning of File¶

Basic Usage:

head file.txt                           # Show first 10 lines
head -n 20 file.txt                     # Show first 20 lines
head -n 5 *.txt                         # Show first 5 lines of all .txt files

Examples:

head -n 50 large_file.log               # View first 50 lines
head -n 1 *.csv                         # View headers of CSV files

`tail` - View End of File¶

Basic Usage:

tail file.txt                           # Show last 10 lines
tail -n 20 file.txt                     # Show last 20 lines
tail -f file.txt                        # Follow file (watch for new lines)
tail -f /var/log/syslog                 # Monitor log file in real-time

Common Options: - -n - Number of lines to show - -f - Follow mode (watch for changes) - -F - Follow with retry (useful for rotating logs)

Examples:

tail -n 100 error.log                   # View last 100 lines
tail -f /var/log/nginx/access.log       # Monitor web server logs
tail -F /var/log/app.log                # Follow with retry

🔍 Additional Useful Commands¶

Create Directories¶

`mkdir` - Make Directory¶

Basic Usage:

mkdir new_directory                     # Create directory
mkdir -p path/to/nested/directory       # Create nested directories
mkdir -v directory                      # Verbose mode

Examples:

mkdir projects                          # Create single directory
mkdir -p ~/projects/web/frontend        # Create nested structure
mkdir dir1 dir2 dir3                    # Create multiple directories

Remove Directories¶

`rmdir` - Remove Empty Directory¶

Basic Usage:

rmdir empty_directory                   # Remove empty directory
rmdir -p path/to/empty/directory        # Remove nested empty directories

Note: Use rm -r to remove non-empty directories.

Create Empty Files¶

`touch` - Create or Update File¶

Basic Usage:

touch newfile.txt                       # Create empty file
touch file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt     # Create multiple files
touch -t 202401011200 file.txt          # Set specific timestamp

Examples:

touch README.md                         # Create README file
touch {1..10}.txt                       # Create files 1.txt through 10.txt

💡 Practical Examples¶

Example 1: Organize Files¶

# Create directory structure
mkdir -p ~/projects/{frontend,backend,docs}

# Move files to appropriate directories
mv *.html ~/projects/frontend/
mv *.js ~/projects/backend/
mv *.md ~/projects/docs/

# Verify
ls -R ~/projects/

Example 2: Backup Files¶

# Create backup directory
mkdir -p ~/backups/$(date +%Y-%m-%d)

# Copy important files
cp -r ~/projects ~/backups/$(date +%Y-%m-%d)/

# Verify backup
ls -lh ~/backups/$(date +%Y-%m-%d)/

Example 3: Clean Up Old Files¶

# List files older than 30 days
find ~/temp -type f -mtime +30

# Remove old log files (be careful!)
find ~/logs -name "*.log" -mtime +30 -delete

# Remove empty directories
find ~/temp -type d -empty -delete

🎯 Best Practices¶

Always use -i flag when removing or overwriting important files
Use tab completion to avoid typos in file paths
Use pwd to verify your location before operations
Test with ls before using wildcards with rm
Create backups before major file operations
Use relative paths when working within a project
Avoid spaces in filenames (use underscores or hyphens)

File Permissions: 02-Permissions.md
File Searching: 07-File-Management.md
Shell Scripting: 09-Shell-Scripting.md

Last Updated: January 5, 2026
Status: ✅ Complete

📁 Linux Basics - File Navigation & Management¶

🎯 Overview¶

📂 Directory Navigation¶

List Files and Directories¶

ls - List Directory Contents¶

Change Directory¶

cd - Change Directory¶

Print Working Directory¶

pwd - Print Working Directory¶

📄 File Operations¶

Copy Files¶

cp - Copy Files and Directories¶

Move/Rename Files¶

mv - Move or Rename Files¶

Remove Files¶

rm - Remove Files and Directories¶

👁️ Viewing File Contents¶

Display File Content¶

cat - Concatenate and Display Files¶

less - View File Page by Page¶

head - View Beginning of File¶

tail - View End of File¶

🔍 Additional Useful Commands¶

Create Directories¶

mkdir - Make Directory¶

Remove Directories¶

rmdir - Remove Empty Directory¶

Create Empty Files¶

touch - Create or Update File¶

💡 Practical Examples¶

Example 1: Organize Files¶

Example 2: Backup Files¶

Example 3: Clean Up Old Files¶

🎯 Best Practices¶

🔗 Related Topics¶

`ls` - List Directory Contents¶

`cd` - Change Directory¶

`pwd` - Print Working Directory¶

`cp` - Copy Files and Directories¶

`mv` - Move or Rename Files¶

`rm` - Remove Files and Directories¶

`cat` - Concatenate and Display Files¶

`less` - View File Page by Page¶

`head` - View Beginning of File¶

`tail` - View End of File¶

`mkdir` - Make Directory¶

`rmdir` - Remove Empty Directory¶

`touch` - Create or Update File¶