60 Must Know Linux Commands Every Linux User Should Learn

Linux is one of the most commonly used operating systems today, especially in server environments, programming, and system administration. Because Linux makes heavy use of command-line tools, users have an incredible amount of control over almost all features of their machine. Whether you are a system administrator, developer, or just a simple user, knowing most of the key Linux commands will greatly speed up your task completion. This blog will touch on all of the essential Linux commands you need to be aware of, along with a description to get familiar with them.

1. pwd
   Print the current working directory.
2. cd
   Change directory. Use cd .. to move up one level.
3. ls
   List the files and directories in your current directory. Use ls -l for detailed information.
4. cp
   Copy files or directories.
5. mv
   Move or rename files and directories.
6. rm
   Remove files or directories. Use -r for recursive deletion.
7. mkdir
   Create a new directory.
8. rmdir
   Remove an empty directory.
9. touch
   Create an empty file or update a file’s timestamp.
10. cat
    Display the contents of a file.
11. less
    View file content one page at a time.
12. head
    Display the first 10 lines of a file.
13. tail
    Display the last 10 lines of a file, or use tail -f to follow real-time updates.
14. chmod
    Change file permissions.
15. chown
    Change file ownership.
16. find
    Search for files or directories.
17. locate
    Quickly search for files by name using an index.
18. grep
    Search for patterns within files.
19. ps
    Display a snapshot of the currently running processes.
20. top
    Display real-time system resource usage (CPU, memory, etc.).
21. htop
    An interactive version of top (requires installation).
22. kill
    Terminate a process using its PID (Process ID).
23. killall
    Kill processes by name.
24. pkill
    Kill processes by name using a pattern.
25. df
    Display available disk space on file systems.
26. du
    Show disk usage of files and directories.
27. free
    Display memory usage including RAM and swap.
28. uname
    Display system information such as the kernel version.
29. uptime
    Show how long the system has been running and the system load.
30. whoami
    Display the current user.
31. hostname
    Display or set the system’s hostname.
32. ping
    Send network requests to check connectivity with another host.
33. wget
    Download files from the web.
34. curl
    Transfer data from or to a server using various protocols.
35. tar
    Archive files into tarballs or extract them.
36. gzip
    Compress files using the gzip algorithm.
37. zip
    Compress files into a .zip archive.
38. unzip
    Extract files from a .zip archive.
39. scp
    Securely copy files between remote and local systems.
40. ssh
    Securely log into a remote system via SSH.
41. rsync
    Synchronize files between two locations.
42. mount
    Mount a file system or storage device.
43. umount
    Unmount a mounted file system.
44. blkid
    Display block device attributes like UUID and filesystem type.
45. fdisk
    Manage disk partitions.
46. mkfs
    Format a disk or partition with a specific file system.
47. passwd
    Change a user password.
48. useradd
    Add a new user to the system.
49. usermod
    Modify a user account’s settings.
50. groupadd
    Create a new user group.
51. service
    Start, stop, or restart system services.
52. systemctl
    Manage services and systemd processes.
53. journalctl
    View logs generated by systemd.
54. alias
    Create shortcuts for long or frequently used commands.
55. echo
    Display text to the terminal.
56. nano
    Edit text files using the nano text editor.
57. vim
    Edit text files using the vim text editor.
58. crontab
    Schedule tasks to run automatically at specified intervals.
59. man
    Display the manual page for a command.
60. history
    Show a list of previously executed commands.

Conclusion

These 60 Linux commands are the bedrock of working in a Linux environment. Whether you’re managing files, looking at system performance, or trying to find what’s causing network issues, these commands will make you a much more effective and efficient Linux user. Along the way, you’ll memorize them, but you will also learn how to combine them into powerful scripts that automate tasks and simplify workflows.