100+ Essential Linux Commands for Every Linux User

Last Updated: 06 June 2023

Linux is a popular open-source operating system that is based on the Linux kernel. It is widely used in enterprise environments to support production workloads and host crucial enterprise applications.

Initially, Linux targeted power users and enterprise environments. Its lack of a graphical display made it quite intimidating for most users. Administration of the system was purely done on the command line interface (CLI) which entails running commands on a black console.

Over time, Linux has grown in leaps and bounds and has seen its adoption by desktop lovers and home users. Modern Linux distributions provide a desktop environment that enhances user experience and makes it easy especially easy for beginners to learn the ropes and use the system. Popular desktop Linux distributions include Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Zorin, and Elementary Linux.

Regardless of the numerous distributions that offer a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for user interaction, the most preferred way of running a Linux system is through the command line interface (CLI). Running commands is considered the professional way of managing a Linux system. After all, most of the VPS or cloud instances running Linux are only administered via the command line interface.

As such, having a good grasp of Linux commands will set you apart from your peers and provide you with crucial skills needed to manage a Linux system. Familiarity with working on the command line will also prove valuable as you scale the IT ladder and venture into other disciplines such as Cloud and Cybersecurity.

This section provides a list of essential Linux commands that will help you get started.

Linux Basic Commands

	ls command	How to List Files and Directories in Linux – {15 Examples}
	pwd command	How to Check Current Working Directory in Linux – {15 Examples}
	cd command	How to Change Current Working Directory in Linux – {15 Examples}
	clear command	How to Clear Terminal Screen in Linux – {4 Examples}
	mkdir command	How to Create Directories in Linux – {6 Examples}
	mv command	How to Move or Rename Files and Directories in Linux – {9 Examples}
	cp command	How to Copy Files and Directories in Linux – {14 Examples}
	rmdir command	How to Remove Empty Directories in Linux – {5 Examples}
	touch command	How to Change or Modify Timestamps of File or Directory – {8 Examples}
	cat command	How to Print or View Contents of File in Linux – {13 Examples}
	echo command	How to Print Line of Text or String in Linux – {15 Examples}
	less command	How to Read Contents of Text File in Linux – {6 Examples}
	tar command	How to Create and Extract Tar Archive Files in Linux – {21 Examples}
	gzip command	How to Use the Gzip Command in Linux – {13 Examples}
	grep command	How to Search Text or String in Files on Linux – {12 Examples}
	head command	How to Print First 10 Lines of Files in Linux – {6 Examples}
	tail command	How to Print Last 10 Lines of Files in Linux – {6 Examples}
	cut command	How to Cut Sections of Line in File – {8 Examples}
	tee command	How to Use ‘tee’ Command in Linux – {8 Examples}
	sort command	How to Sort Files Based on Sizes in Linux – {14 Examples}
	uniq command	How to Remove Duplicate Lines in Linux – {8 Examples}
	ps command	How to List Currently Running Linux Processes – {30 Examples}
	kill command	How to Kill a Running Linux Process – {4 Examples}
	df command	How to Check Disk Usage of Linux File System – {12 Examples}
	chown command	How to Change File Owner and Group in Linux – {11 Examples}
	ifconfig command	How to Configure Network Interface in Linux – {15 Examples}
	ip command	How to Configure Network Interface in Linux – {24 Examples}
	wget command	How to Download Files from Network in Linux – {10 Examples}
	curl command	How to Transfer Data From or To a Server in Linux – {15 Examples}
	apt command	How to Install Packages in Debian-based Systems – {15 Examples}
	apt-get command	How to Manage Packages in Debian-based Systems – {25 Examples}
	yum command	How to Install Software Packages in RHEL-based Systems – {20 Examples}
	dnf command	How to Install Software Packages in Fedora – {27 Examples}
	rpm command	How to Install RPM Packages in RHEL-based Systems – {20 Examples}
	alias command	How to Create and Use Alias Command in Linux
	dd command	How to Learn dd Command in Linux – {15 Useful Examples}
	top command	How to Monitor Running Linux Processes – {16 Examples}
	useradd command	How to Create New Users in Linux – {15 Examples}
	sleep command	How to Use “sleep” Command in Linux – {6 Examples}
	screen command	Getting Started with Linux Screen Command – {20 Examples}
	pv command	How to Monitor Progress of Data in Linux
	fgrep command	How to Use fgrep Command to Search for Strings in Linux – {12 Examples}
	dir command	How to Create New Directories in Linux – {8 Examples}
	egrep command	How to Search Patterns in Files in Linux – {20 Examples}
	ssh command	Basic SSH Command Usage and Configuration in Linux
	fd command	A Simple and Fast Alternative to Find Command
	lsof command	How to List Open Files in Linux – {10 Examples}
	dig command	How to Query DNS in Linux – {10 Examples}
	nslookup command	How to Query Internet Domain Name Servers – {8 Examples}
	du command	How to Find Disk Usage of Files and Directories – {10 Examples}
	tree command	How to List Directory in Tree-like Format in Linux – {12 Examples}
	ss command	How to Monitor Network Connection Statistics in Linux – {12 Examples}
	partx command	How to List Disk Partitions in Linux – {8 Examples}
	uptime command	How to Check the Running Time of Linux System
	tr command	How to Translate or Delete Characters in Linux – {10 Examples}
	ping command	How to Check Network Connectivity Between Hosts in Linux – {12 Examples}
	zcat command	How to View Contents of Compressed File in Linux – {6 Examples}
	xargs command	How to Build and Execute Commands from Standard Input – {12 Examples}
	rm command	How to Delete Files and Directories in Linux – {8 Examples}
	stat command	How to Check File or File System Status in Linux – {5 Examples}
	who command	How to Check Who is Logged-On in Linux – {10 Examples}
	locate command	How to Find Files by Name in Linux – {10 Examples}
	host command	How to Find IP Address of Domain Name in Linu – {13 Examples}
	find command	How to Find Files and Directories in Linux – {35 Examples}
	fuser command	How to Find PIDs of Processes Using Files or Sockets in Linux – {4 Examples}
	at command	How to Schedule a Command on Particular Time in Linux
	fdisk command	How to Create and Manage Disk Partitions in Linux – {10 Examples}
	parted command	How to Create, Resize, and Rescue Disk Partitions in Linux – {8 Examples}
	wc command	How to Count Number of Lines, Words, Characters in Linux – {6 Examples}
	dpkg command	How to Manage .deb Packages in Debian-based Systems – {15 Examples}
	nmap command	A Network and Security Auditing Tool for Linux – {29 Examples}
	dmesg command	How to Troubleshoot and Collect Information of Linux Systems – {7 Examples}
	chattr command	How to Make Important Files IMMUTABLE in Linux – {5 Examples}
	usermod command	How to Modify User Accounts in Linux – {15 Examples}
	free command	How to Check Memory Usage in Linux – {10 Examples}
	cron command	How to Check Memory Usage in Linux – {11 Examples}
	mysql command	How to Backup and Restore MySQL Databases in Linux – {20 Examples}
	sdiff command	How to Check Difference Between Two Files in Linux – {11 Examples}
	history command	How to View Previously Executed Linux Command – {10 Examples}
	netstat command	How to Check Network Listening Ports in Linux – {20 Examples}
	sftp command	How to Securely Transfer Files Between Linux Systems – {10 Examples}
	tcpdump command	How to Analyzer Network Packets in Linux – {12 Examples}
	scp command	How to Copy Files and Directories Between Remote Linux – {10 Examples}
	rsync command	How to Sync Files and Directories Between Remote Linux – {10 Examples}
	fsck command	How to Repair File System Errors in Linux
	bc command	How to Do Basic Calculations in Linux – {10 Examples}
	chage command	How to Manage User Password Expiration and Aging in Linux – {5 Examples}
	ffmpeg command	How to Convert Video, Audio, and Image in Linux – {15 Examples}
	mknod command	How to Create Device Files in Linux – {5 Examples}

Linux Advance Commands

	7 Quirky ‘ls’ Command Tricks Every Linux User Should Know
	6 Deprecated Linux Commands and Alternative Tools You Should Use
	13 Most Commonly Used Linux Commands You Should Know
	10 Most Dangerous Commands You Should Never Execute on Linux
	30 Useful Linux Commands for System Administrators
	13 Linux Network Configuration and Troubleshooting Commands
	20 Commands for Newbies Who Switched from Windows to Linux
	22 Linux Networking Commands for Sysadmin
	6 Interesting Funny Commands of Linux (Fun in Terminal)
	20 Funny Commands of Linux or Linux is Fun in Terminal
	Deprecated Linux Networking Commands and Their Replacements
	12 Useful Commands For Filtering Text for Effective File Operations in Linux
	10 Interesting Linux Command Line Tricks and Tips Worth Knowing
	11 Advanced Linux ‘Grep’ Commands on Character Classes and Bracket Expressions
	8 Useful Commands to Monitor Swap Space Usage in Linux
	5 Useful Commands to Manage File Types and System Time in Linux
	10 Useful Linux Command Line Tricks for Newbies
	10 Amazing and Mysterious Uses of (!) Symbol or Operator in Linux Commands
	51 Useful Lesser Known Commands for Linux Users
	10 Lesser Known Useful Linux Commands
	10 Useful Chaining Operators in Linux with Practical Examples
	10 Lesser Known Effective Linux Commands
	60 Commands of Linux: A Guide from Newbies to System Administrator
	20 Advanced Commands for Linux Experts
	20 Advanced Commands for Middle-Level Linux Users

Linux Alternative Commands

	Exa – A Modern Replacement for “ls Command” Written in Rust
	bd – Quickly Go Back to a Parent Directory Instead of Typing ‘cd’ Command
	Bat – A Cat Clone with Syntax Highlighting and Git Integration
	ccat – Show ‘cat Command’ Output with Syntax Highlighting or Colorizing
	Autojump – An Advanced ‘cd’ Command to Quickly Navigate Linux Filesystem

Learning essential Linux commands will help you to perform various basic and system administrative tasks easily and effectively from the Linux command line. In most cases, each command consists of three parts – a command name, a flag, and a parameter.

In this section, we’ve added links to 100+ articles on essential Linux commands that will help you get started with the command line. As we add more articles to TecMint, we will continue to add links to those articles on this page.

If you didn’t find links to any useful Linux commands or have any questions or suggestions, then do share us via the comments section below. We would like to cover that.