Introduction to Linux

Basic Commands

These are the most basic commands that you should know as a Linux System Administrator.

Command Syntax

Commands that utilize the Bash shell follow this common syntax.

command [-options] [arguments]

Commands

Name	Description	Syntax	Example
cat	Concatenate files, and print to stdout.	cat [-options] <path/file>	cat readme.txt
cp	Copy files or directories.	cp [-options] <source> <destination>	cp -R olddirectory newdirectory
echo	Print text to stdout.	echo [-options] <string>	echo -e This my first line \n This is my second line
ls	List directory contents.	ls [-options] <path/file>	ls -alh /var/log
mkdir	Make a directory.	mkdir [-options] <path/directory>	mkdir -p /my/directory/path
mv	Move or rename a file.	mv [-options] <source> <destination>	mv /from/here/file1.txt /to/here/file1.txt
pwd	Print the current working directory.	pwd [-options]	pwd -P
touch	Change file timestamp or create blank file.	touch [-options] <path/file>	touch -c update.txt