Linux Basics Cheatsheet

This guide covers the most common Linux commands and concepts for beginners. Perfect for self-hosting and server management!

Command	What it does	Example Output
`pwd`	Show current directory	`/home/yourname`
`ls`	List files/folders	`file.txt folder/`
`ls -l`	Long listing (details)	`-rw-r--r-- 1 user ... file.txt`
`cd /path/to/dir`	Change directory	(no output, just changes dir)
`cd ~`	Go to home directory	(no output, just changes dir)
`cd ..`	Go up one directory	(no output, just changes dir)

File Operations

Command	What it does	Example Output
`touch file.txt`	Create empty file	(no output, creates file)
`mkdir myfolder`	Make new directory	(no output, creates folder)
`cp file1.txt file2.txt`	Copy file	(no output, copies file)
`mv old.txt new.txt`	Rename or move file	(no output, renames/moves)
`rm file.txt`	Delete file	(no output, deletes file)
`rm -r myfolder`	Delete folder/contents	(no output, deletes folder)
`cat file.txt`	Show file contents	`Hello world!`
`nano file.txt`	Edit file in nano	(opens nano editor)

System Info & Management

Command	What it does	Example Output
`whoami`	Show your username	`yourname`
`uname -a`	Show system info	`Linux host 5.15.0 ... x86_64`
`top`	Show running processes	(interactive process list)
`htop`	Nicer process viewer	(interactive process list)
`df -h`	Show disk usage	`/dev/sda1 20G 5G 15G ...`
`free -h`	Show memory usage	`Mem: 1.9G 1.2G 700M ...`
`uptime`	Show system uptime	`10:00:00 up 2 days, ...`

Package Management (Debian/Ubuntu)

Command	What it does	Example Output
`sudo apt update`	Update package list	`Hit:1 http://...`
`sudo apt upgrade`	Upgrade installed packages	`Reading package lists...`
`sudo apt install packagename`	Install a package	`Setting up packagename ...`
`sudo apt remove packagename`	Remove a package	`Removing packagename ...`

Permissions

Command	What it does	Example Output
`ls -l`	Show file permissions	`-rwxr-xr-x 1 user ...`
`chmod +x script.sh`	Make script executable	(no output, sets permission)
`sudo`	Run as admin/root	(prompts for password)

Networking

Command	What it does	Example Output
`ip a`	Show IP addresses	`inet 192.168.1.100/24 ...`
`ping 1.1.1.1`	Test network connection	`64 bytes from 1.1.1.1 ...`
`curl example.com`	Fetch a web page	`<!doctype html>...`
`ssh user@host`	Connect to another machine	`user@host's password:`

Tips

Use Tab to auto-complete commands and filenames.
Use the up/down arrows to scroll through command history.
man <command> shows the manual for a command (e.g., man ls).
Use Ctrl+C to stop a running command.
Use Ctrl+L to clear the terminal screen.

For more, check out The Linux Command Line Book (free) or your distro’s documentation.