Linux commands List

Let's see the list of Linux commands which are commonly used. This list is helpful for beginners and professionals both.

Commands	Description
alias	Converts complex commands into simpler ones.
bzip2 / bunzip2	Compresses a file / Decompress a bzip2 file.
bzcat / bzmore	Displays files compressed with bzip2.
cal	Displays calendar.
cat	It is a multi-function command.
cd	Changes the current working directory.
chage	Sets an expiration date for a user account.
chgrp	Changes group.
chmod	Changes permission for a file or directory.
chown	Changes the owner of a file or directory.
chsh	Changes the shell.
clear	Clears the terminal.
comm	Compares two streams or files.
cp	Copies file content from one file to another file.
cut	Used to display the desired column from a file.
date	Displays the current date.
df	Checks the disk space in the system.
echo	Prints the typed word on the terminal.
exit	Exits from the current user group to the last group.
export	Exports shell variables to other shells.
file	Displays the type of file.
find	Finds files for a particular search.
gpasswd	Transfers group membership to another user.
grep	Filters lines of text containing a certain string.
groupadd	Creates a group.
groupdel	Permanently removes a group.
groupmod	Changes group name.
groups	Displays the group name to which the current user belongs to.
gzip / gunzip	Compresses a file / Decompress a gzip file.
head	Displays the first ten lines of a file.
history	Displays older commands from the shell command history.
HISTSIZE	Determines the number of commands to be stored in the current environment.
HISTFILE	Displays the file that contains the history.
HISTFILESIZE	Sets the number of commands kept in the history file.
id	Tells about the user's id in the system.
less	Displays file content according to the width of the terminal.
locate	Searches a file in the database.
ls	Lists all the files of a directory.
man	Displays the manual page for the specified command.
mkdir	Creates directory.
more	Displays one output screen at a time.
mv	Renames directories or files.
od	Displays a file content in octal format.
passwd	Set a password for a user group.
pwd	Display the current working directory location.
PS1	Change the prompt name in the terminal.
rename	Renames more than one file at once.
rm	Removes a file.
rmdir	Removes a directory.
set -o noclobber	Prevents file from getting overwritten.
set +o noclobber	Allows overwriting in the existing file.
set -u	Displays undefined variables as an error.
set +u	Displays nothing for an undefined variable.
set -x	Displays shell expansion.
set +x	Disables shell expansion.
sed	Performs editing in streams.
sleep	Waits for the specified number of seconds.
sort	sorts the content in alphabetical order.
su	It allows a user to run a shell as another user.
sudo	It allows a user to start a program with the credentials of another user.
tac	Displays file content in the opposite order.
tail	Displays the last ten lines of a file.
tar	Compresses a directory.
tee	Puts stdin on stdout and then into a file.
time	Displays time taken to execute a command.
touch	It creates an empty file.
tr	Translates characters.
type	Displays information about command type.
uniq	Sorts and display multi times repeating lines only once.
unset	Removes a variable from a shell.
useradd	Adds users.
userdel	Deletes users.
usermod	Modifies the properties of a user.
vi	Opens vi editor to write a program.
w	Displays who is logged on and what are they doing.
wc	Counts words, lines, and characters.
who	Tells who is logged on the system.
whoami	Tells the name of the user.
who am i	Displays the line pointing to your current session.
zcat / zmore	Views the files compressed with gzip.