Terminal Cheat Sheet

Here’s a cheat sheet for common terminal commands and shortcuts:

Navigation

Change Directory:

cd directory_path

Go to Home Directory:

cd ~

Go to Previous Directory:

cd -

List Files and Directories:

ls

List All Files (Including Hidden):

ls -a

File and Directory Operations

Create Directory:

mkdir directory_name

Create Empty File:

touch filename

Copy File/Directory:

cp source destination

Move/Rename File or Directory:

mv source destination

Remove File:

rm filename

Remove Directory:

rm -r directory_name

File Viewing and Editing

Display File Content:

cat filename

View File Page by Page:

less filename

Open Text Editor (e.g., nano):

nano filename

Search Within File (grep):

grep "pattern" filename

Permissions

Change File Permissions:

chmod permissions filename

Change Owner:

chown owner:group filename

System Information

Display System Information:

uname -a

Check Disk Space:

df -h

Check Memory Usage:

free -m

Process Management

List Running Processes:

ps

Kill a Process:

kill process_id

Kill All Processes by Name:

pkill process_name

Shortcuts and Tips

Clear Terminal Screen:

clear

Cancel Current Command:

  • Press Ctrl + C

Repeat Last Command:

!!

View Command History:

history

Search Command History:

history | grep "pattern"

Auto-complete Path or Command:

  • Press Tab

Get Help for a Command:

man command_name

This cheat sheet covers essential terminal commands and shortcuts. Adjust the examples based on your operating system (Linux, macOS, or Windows with WSL) and specific use cases.