More Basic Commands

mkdir (make directory)

• To create a directory:

mkdir myDir

• To create a directory and also create subdirectories:

mkdir -p dir1/dir2/dir3

rmdir (remove directory)

rmdir myDir

• rmdir only removes the directory if its empty

touch

• creates an empty file with the specified name touch myFile

ls (some more options for ls)

• only shows files with name “myFile” ls myFile

• you can use wildcard characters:

  • ? - any one character
  • * - any amount of any character(s)
  • [ab] - a or b
  • [a-z] - characters from a to z
  • [!a] - any character except a

ls myF?le
ls myF*
ls myFile[ab]
ls myFile[a-z]
ls myFile[!a]

• not very useful in this case, but you can use these wildcard characters with any command

echo

• repeats the arguments back to you
• use > to send the output to a file (caution: it overwrites the file!)
• use >> to append the output to a file
• > and >> can be used with any command

echo Hello, world!
echo stuff > myFile
echo stuff >> myFile

cat (concatenate)

• outputs contents of a file
• cat -n numbers the lines

cat myFile
cat -n myFile

rm (remove)

• deletes a file (permanentaly! There is no Trash folder in Linux)
• rm -i ask you for confirmation before deleting
• Tip: always use rm -i so you don't accidentaly delete anything
• rm -r deletes a directory (including its contents)
• you can combine the options. You can do this for any command

rm myFile
rm -i myFile
rm -r myDir
rm -ir myDir

cp (copy)

• copy a file
• 1st argument is source file, 2nd is destination file
• if destination file exists, cp will overwrite it
• if it doesn't, cp will create it
• cp -i asks for confirmation before overwriting
• always use cp -i

cp myFile myCopiedFile
cp -i myFile myNewFile
cp -r myFile myNewFile
cp myFile otherDir/overHere/myCopiedFile

mv (move)

• mv can move or rename file
• the first argument is the source file, the second argument is the destination file
• if destination file already exists, mv will overwrite it
• if it doesn't exist, mv will create it
• if the destination file name is different, you renamed the file, if its the same, you moved the file
  • this is since filename and location are the same in Linux
• mv -i asks for confirmation before overwriting
• always use mv -i
• you can also move directories
• if the source is a file, and destination is a directory, the file gets moved into the destination directory and retains its name

mv myFile myNewFile
mv -i myFile myNewFile
mv myFile myDir/myNewFile
mv myFile ../myNewFile
mv myDir1 myDir2/
mv myFile myDir/

tree

• displays contents of current directory recursively like a tree

tree