File Management

Managing Files in Linux #

’’’ describe the file system ’''

File Commands #

ls #

The ls command is used to list the contents of a directory. By default, it will list the contents of the current directory. To list the contents of a different directory, specify the directory as an argument to the ls command.

ls

ls /home

cd #

The cd command is used to change the current working directory. To change to a directory that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the subdirectory as an argument to the cd command. To change to a directory that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the directory as an argument to the cd command.

cd Documents

cd /home/user/Documents

pwd #

The pwd command is used to print the current working directory.

pwd

mkdir #

The mkdir command is used to create a new directory. To create a directory that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the subdirectory as an argument to the mkdir command. To create a directory that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the directory as an argument to the mkdir command.

mkdir Documents

mkdir /home/user/Documents

rmdir #

The rmdir command is used to remove a directory. To remove a directory that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the subdirectory as an argument to the rmdir command. To remove a directory that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the directory as an argument to the rmdir command.

rmdir Documents

rmdir /home/user/Documents

touch #

The touch command is used to create a new file. To create a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the touch command. To create a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the touch command.

touch file.txt

touch /home/user/file.txt

rm #

The rm command is used to remove a file. To remove a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the rm command. To remove a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the rm command.

rm file.txt

rm /home/user/file.txt

cp #

The cp command is used to copy a file. To copy a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as the first argument to the cp command and the name of the new file as the second argument to the cp command. To copy a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as the first argument to the cp command and the full path to the new file as the second argument to the cp command.

cp file.txt newfile.txt

cp /home/user/file.txt /home/user/newfile.txt

mv #

The mv command is used to move a file. To move a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as the first argument to the mv command and the name of the new file as the second argument to the mv command. To move a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as the first argument to the mv command and the full path to the new file as the second argument to the mv command.

mv file.txt newfile.txt

mv /home/user/file.txt /home/user/newfile.txt

cat #

The cat command is used to print the contents of a file. To print the contents of a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the cat command. To print the contents of a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the cat command.

cat file.txt

cat /home/user/file.txt

less #

The less command is used to view the contents of a file. To view the contents of a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the less command. To view the contents of a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the less command.

less file.txt

less /home/user/file.txt

head #

The head command is used to print the first few lines of a file. To print the first few lines of a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the head command. To print the first few lines of a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the head command.

head file.txt

head /home/user/file.txt

tail #

The tail command is used to print the last few lines of a file. To print the last few lines of a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the tail command. To print the last few lines of a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the tail command.

tail file.txt

tail /home/user/file.txt

grep #

The grep command is used to search for a string in a file. To search for a string in a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the string and the name of the file as arguments to the grep command. To search for a string in a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the string and the full path to the file as arguments to the grep command.

grep string file.txt

grep string /home/user/file.txt

wc #

The wc command is used to count the number of lines, words, and characters in a file. To count the number of lines, words, and characters in a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the wc command. To count the number of lines, words, and characters in a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the wc command.

wc file.txt

wc /home/user/file.txt

chmod #

The chmod command is used to change the permissions of a file. To change the permissions of a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the permissions and the name of the file as arguments to the chmod command. To change the permissions of a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the permissions and the full path to the file as arguments to the chmod command.

chmod 777 file.txt

chmod 777 /home/user/file.txt

chown #

The chown command is used to change the owner of a file. To change the owner of a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the owner and the name of the file as arguments to the chown command. To change the owner of a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the owner and the full path to the file as arguments to the chown command.

chown user file.txt

chown user /home/user/file.txt

chgrp #

The chgrp command is used to change the group of a file. To change the group of a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the group and the name of the file as arguments to the chgrp command. To change the group of a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the group and the full path to the file as arguments to the chgrp command.

chgrp group file.txt

chgrp group /home/user/file.txt

ln #

The ln command is used to create a link to a file. To create a link to a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as the first argument to the ln command and the name of the link as the second argument to the ln command. To create a link to a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as the first argument to the ln command and the full path to the link as the second argument to the ln command.

ln file.txt link.txt

ln /home/user/file.txt /home/user/link.txt

mount #

The mount command is used to mount a file system. To mount a file system that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file system as an argument to the mount command. To mount a file system that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file system as an argument to the mount command.

mount filesystem

mount /home/user/filesystem

umount #

The umount command is used to unmount a file system. To unmount a file system that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file system as an argument to the umount command. To unmount a file system that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file system as an argument to the umount command.

umount filesystem

umount /home/user/filesystem

df #

The df command is used to display the amount of free disk space. To display the amount of free disk space on a file system that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file system as an argument to the df command. To display the amount of free disk space on a file system that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file system as an argument to the df command.

df filesystem

df /home/user/filesystem

du #

The du command is used to display the amount of disk space used by a file. To display the amount of disk space used by a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the du command. To display the amount of disk space used by a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the du command.

du file.txt

du /home/user/file.txt

tar #

The tar command is used to create a tar archive. To create a tar archive of a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the tar command. To create a tar archive of a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the tar command.

tar file.txt

tar /home/user/file.txt

gzip #

The gzip command is used to compress a file. To compress a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the gzip command. To compress a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the gzip command.

gzip file.txt

gzip /home/user/file.txt

gunzip #

The gunzip command is used to decompress a file. To decompress a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the gunzip command. To decompress a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the gunzip command.

gunzip file.txt

gunzip /home/user/file.txt

zip #

The zip command is used to create a zip archive. To create a zip archive of a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the zip command. To create a zip archive of a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the zip command.

zip file.txt

zip /home/user/file.txt

unzip #

The unzip command is used to extract a zip archive. To extract a zip archive that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the unzip command. To extract a zip archive that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the unzip command.

unzip file.txt

unzip /home/user/file.txt

tar.gz #

The tar.gz command is used to create a tar archive and compress it with gzip. To create a tar archive and compress it with gzip of a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the tar.gz command. To create a tar archive and compress it with gzip of a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the tar.gz command.

tar.gz file.txt

tar.gz /home/user/file.txt

tar.gz #

The tar.gz command is used to extract a tar archive that has been compressed with gzip. To extract a tar archive that has been compressed with gzip that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the tar.gz command. To extract a tar archive that has been compressed with gzip that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the tar.gz command.

tar.gz file.txt

tar.gz /home/user/file.txt

tar.zip #

The tar.zip command is used to create a tar archive and compress it with zip. To create a tar archive and compress it with zip of a file that is a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the name of the file as an argument to the tar.zip command. To create a tar archive and compress it with zip of a file that is not a subdirectory of the current directory, specify the full path to the file as an argument to the tar.zip command.

tar.zip file.txt

tar.zip /home/user/file.txt