Introduction

Linux command-line tools are essential for server administration and daily operations. Understanding basic commands helps in managing files, monitoring system usage, and troubleshooting issues efficiently.

Prerequisites

Before using these commands, ensure:

  • Access to a Linux server via SSH
  • Basic familiarity with terminal usage
  • Required permissions for executing commands

Common Linux Commands

1. Disk Usage

du -sch *
  • Displays total disk usage of files and directories in the current location
df -h
  • Shows overall disk space usage of all mounted filesystems

2. File & Directory Management

ls -la
  • Lists all files (including hidden) with details
cd /path/to/directory
  • Change directory
pwd
  • Show current directory path
mkdir dirname
  • Create a new directory
rm -rf dirname
  • Remove directory or files (use with caution)

3. File Viewing & Editing

cat filename
  • Display file contents
less filename
  • View file page by page
nano filename
  • Edit file using nano editor
vi filename
  • Edit file using vi editor

4. File Permissions & Ownership

chmod 755 filename
  • Change file permissions
chown user:user filename
  • Change file ownership

5. Process Management

top
  • View running processes in real-time
ps aux
  • List all running processes
kill -9 PID
  • Terminate a process

6. Network Commands

ping google.com
  • Check network connectivity
ifconfig
  • Display network interfaces (or use ip a)
netstat -tulpn
  • Show open ports and services

7. System Monitoring

uptime
  • Show system uptime
free -m
  • Display memory usage
who
  • Show logged-in users

8. Archive & Compression

tar -czvf file.tar.gz folder/
  • Compress files
tar -xzvf file.tar.gz
  • Extract compressed files

9. Search & Find

find / -name filename
  • Search for files
grep "text" filename
  • Search text inside files

Notes

  • Use --help or man <command> to learn more about any command
  • Be cautious with commands like rm -rf and kill -9
  • Some commands require root privileges

Conclusion

Basic Linux commands are the foundation of server management. Mastering these commands will improve efficiency, troubleshooting capabilities, and overall system control.

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