22 Appendix B. Linux commands
22.1 List of the most important shell commands
Command Description Example
[command] & You can continue to use the shell
eclipse &
[command] &&
[command]
Command will be exceuted one
after the other
eclipse && kate
man [program] Show the manual of the program
man cp
Control + C
Cancel the current process of in
the shell
strg + C
Directory, files
cd [directory] Change the directory
cd /tmp
cd .. Change on one hierarchy higher
cd ../
cd / Change to the root directory
cd /
cd Change the directory
cd .. ; cd /tmp
cd - Change to the previous directory
cd -
cp
[options][file][directory]
Copy file into the directory ,ask
before overwrite and print verbose
information
cp -vi 123.txt /tmp
mv
[options][file][directory]
Move a file, ask before overwrite
and print verbose information
mv -vi 123.txt /tmp
mv [file1][file2] Rename file [file1] to [file2]
mv 123.txt 456.txt
rm [options][file]
Remove a file, ask before remove
and print verbose information
rm -vi /tmp/123.txt ; rm /tmp/*
rm -rf Remove all below the directory
rm -rf /tmp/
mkdir Make a directory
mkdir /home/test
rmdir Remove a directory
rmdir /home/test
ls List the content of a directory
ls /home/test
ls -l Detailed list of the content
ls -l /home/test
ls -la All files of the directoy in Detail
ls -la /home/test
alias ls='ls --color' Set a colored display
alias ls='ls --color'
pwd Show the current directory
pwd
cat [file] Show the content of a file
cat 123.txt
more [file]
Show the content of a file page by
page
more 123.txt
touch [file] Create an empty file
touch 123.txt
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