Basic Linux Commands Cheat Sheet

A quick reference guide to essential Linux file management, text editing, and package management commands.

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File & Directory Management

Command	Description
ls	List files and directories.
ls -l	Display files in long listing format.
ls -a	Show hidden files.
pwd	Print the current working directory.
cd <directory>	Change to a specified directory.
cd ..	Move up one directory level.
mkdir <dir>	Create a new directory.
rmdir <dir>	Remove an empty directory.
rm <file>	Delete a file.
rm -r <dir>	Delete a directory and its contents.
cp <source> <destination>	Copy a file to a new location.
cp -r <source> <destination>	Copy a directory recursively.
mv <oldname> <newname>	Move or rename a file/directory.
touch <file>	Create a new empty file.

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File Viewing & Editing

Command	Description
cat <file>	Display the contents of a file.
less <file>	View file contents page by page.
head -n <number> <file>	Display the first n lines of a file.
tail -n <number> <file>	Display the last n lines of a file.

Nano Editor (Simple)

Command	Description
nano <file>	Open a file in Nano editor.
CTRL + X	Exit Nano.
CTRL + S	Save changes.
CTRL + W	Search for a word or phrase.
CTRL + K	Cut a line.
CTRL + U	Paste a line.

Vim Editor (Advanced)

Command	Description
vim <file>	Open a file in Vim editor.
i	Enter insert mode to edit text.
ESC	Exit insert mode.
:w	Save the file.
:q	Quit Vim.
:wq	Save and quit Vim.
:q!	Quit without saving changes.

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APT Package Management (Ubuntu/Debian)

Command	Description
sudo apt update	Refresh package lists.
sudo apt upgrade	Upgrade all installed packages.
sudo apt install <package>	Install a specific package.
sudo apt remove <package>	Remove an installed package.
sudo apt purge <package>	Remove a package along with its configuration files.
sudo apt search <package>	Search for a package in the repository.
sudo apt list --installed	List all installed packages.
sudo apt autoremove	Remove unused dependencies.
sudo apt clean	Clear cached package files.

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