50 Linux Commands Cheat Sheet for Beginners

Navigating the Linux terminal can seem like traversing a labyrinth for beginners. But, fear not! As an experienced Linux user and a Raspberry Pi enthusiast, I’ve spent countless hours tinkering with commands, some of which have become my steadfast allies in the digital realm.

Today, I’ll share 50 Linux commands that will transform you from a novice to a proficient user, especially on the delightful little powerhouse known as the Raspberry Pi.

50 Essential Linux Commands for Beginners

Navigating the file system

1. pwd (Print Working Directory): Shows your current directory. Simple yet indispensable.bash

   $ pwd
   /home/pi

2. ls (List): Displays files and directories in your current directory. Spice it up with -l for detailed listings, -a to include hidden files, and -h for human-readable sizes.bash

   $ ls -lah
   total 28K
   drwxr-xr-x  2 pi pi 4.0K Jan  1 10:00 .
   drwxr-xr-x  3 pi pi 4.0K Dec 31 09:30 ..
   -rw-r--r--  1 pi pi  220 Feb 25  2020 .bash_logout
   -rw-r--r--  1 pi pi 3.7K Feb 25  2020 .bashrc

3. cd (Change Directory): Move around the file system like a pro. cd .. takes you one level up, while cd brings you back home.bash

   $ cd /var/log
   $ pwd
   /var/log

4. mkdir (Make Directory): Create new directories to keep your projects organized.bash

   $ mkdir projects

5. rmdir (Remove Directory): Deletes empty directories. I rarely use this as rm -r is my go-to for stubborn non-empty ones.bash

   $ rmdir unused_folder

6. touch: Create a new file or update the timestamp of an existing one. My lazy self loves it for quickly creating files.bash

   $ touch newfile.txt

7. rm (Remove): Deletes files or directories. Use with caution; rm -rf is powerful but can be your worst nightmare if misused.bash

   $ rm oldfile.txt

8. cp (Copy): Duplicate files or directories. The -r option is a lifesaver for copying directories.bash

   $ cp source.txt destination.txt

9. mv (Move): Move or rename files. I often misuse it to quickly rename files.bash

   $ mv oldname.txt newname.txt

10. cat (Concatenate): Display file contents. I find it less useful for long files; that’s where less or more comes in handy.bash

    $ cat file.txt
    Hello, Raspberry Pi!

File inspection

11. less: View content of a file one page at a time. My go-to for reading long log files.bash

    $ less /var/log/syslog

12. head: Show the first few lines of a file. Perfect for getting a quick peek.bash

    $ head -n 5 largefile.txt

13. tail: Opposite of head, it shows the last few lines. Use tail -f to live-watch files like logs.bash

    $ tail -n 5 largefile.txt

14. grep (Global Regular Expression Print): Search within files. It’s like a treasure hunt for text.bash

    $ grep "error" /var/log/syslog

15. find: Locate files and directories. It’s a bit complex but incredibly powerful once mastered.bash

    $ find / -name "python*"

16. diff: Compare file contents. I don’t use it much, but it’s a godsend for finding subtle differences.bash

    $ diff file1.txt file2.txt

17. file: Determine file type. Handy for mysterious files without extensions.bash

    $ file mysteryfile

System monitoring and management

18. top: Display active processes. It’s mesmerizing to watch but can be overwhelming.bash

    $ top

19. ps (Process Status): List running processes. Use ps aux for a comprehensive list.bash

    $ ps aux

20. df (Disk Free): Show available disk space. Use -h to make sense of the numbers.bash

    $ df -h

21. du (Disk Usage): Check the size of directory contents. Great for finding space hogs.bash

    $ du -sh /home/pi

22. free: Display memory usage. Simple yet crucial for monitoring.bash

    $ free -h

23. kill: Terminate processes. Use with care; it’s like flipping the off switch on a process.bash

    $ kill -9 1234

24. htop: An interactive process viewer. It’s top on steroids and much more user-friendly.
25. uptime: Show how long the system has been running. A quick way to check system stability.bash

    $ uptime

Networking commands

26. ping: Check the connection to a server. It’s my first step in troubleshooting network issues.bash

    $ ping google.com

27. ifconfig / ip addr: Display network interfaces and IP addresses. I prefer ip addr for its modern touch.bash

    $ ip addr

28. netstat: Show network connections, routing tables, and interface statistics. A bit old-school but useful.bash

    $ netstat -tuln

29. wget: Download files from the web. It’s like a command-line web browser.bash

    $ wget http://example.com/file.zip

30. curl: Interact with URLs. More versatile than wget but with a steeper learning curve.bash

    $ curl -O http://example.com/file.zip

File permissions and ownership

31. chmod (Change Mode): Modify file or directory permissions. Essential for managing access rights.bash

    $ chmod 755 script.sh

32. chown (Change Owner): Change the owner and group of a file. Use sudo to wield this power.bash

    $ sudo chown pi:pi file.txt

33. umask: Set the default creation permissions for new files. Rarely used, but good to know.bash

    $ umask 022

Package management (Debian/Raspberry Pi OS)

34. apt-get update: Update the list of available packages. Always do this before installing new software.bash

    $ sudo apt-get update

35. apt-get upgrade: Upgrade all installed packages to their latest versions.bash

    $ sudo apt-get upgrade

36. apt-get install: Install new software packages. Where the magic of Linux really happens.bash

    $ sudo apt-get install nginx

37. dpkg: Debian package manager. Use dpkg -l to list installed packages.bash

    $ dpkg -l | grep nginx

38. apt-get remove: Remove installed packages. Don’t forget about purge to remove config files as well.bash

    $ sudo apt-get remove nginx

Archiving and compression

39. tar: Archive files. The -czvf and -xzvf flags are my go-to for compressing and decompressing.bash

    $ tar -czvf archive.tar.gz /path/to/directory

40. gzip / gunzip: Compress or decompress files. I use gzip for quick compression tasks.bash

    $ gzip file.txt

Text editing

41. nano: A beginner-friendly text editor. It’s my first recommendation for newcomers.bash

    $ nano file.txt

42. vi / vim: Advanced text editors. vim has a steep learning curve but is incredibly powerful once mastered.

Miscellaneous commands

43. echo: Display a line of text. Great for scripting and simple output.bash

    $ echo "Hello, world!"

44. alias: Create shortcuts for commands. I have ll aliased to ls -lah for convenience.bash

    $ alias ll='ls -lah'

45. history: Display your command history. A lifesaver when you forget that complex command you just typed.bash

    $ history

46. which: Locate a command. Shows the path to the binary executed.bash

    $ which python3

47. man (Manual): Display the manual pages for a command. The first place to look when in doubt.bash

    $ man ls

48. ssh (Secure Shell): Log into a remote machine. Essential for managing Raspberry Pis headlessly.bash

    $ ssh pi@raspberrypi.local

49. scp (Secure Copy): Copy files over the network. Works like cp but for remote systems.bash

    $ scp file.txt pi@raspberrypi.local:/home/pi/

50. cron: Schedule commands to run at specific times. It’s like setting an alarm clock for your scripts.bash

    $ crontab -e

Wrapping up

Embarking on your Linux journey with a Raspberry Pi is like unlocking a treasure chest of learning opportunities. While some commands, like rm -rf, can unleash chaos if misused, others, like ls and cd, will become your daily bread and butter. My personal favorites? grep for its sheer power in searching and htop for its visually appealing way of displaying system processes. I encourage you to play around with these commands, explore their options, and discover your own favorites. Remember, mastery comes with practice, and with these 50 commands, you’re well on your way to becoming a Linux maestro on your Raspberry Pi. Happy tinkering!