This list of useful and frequently used UNIX commands is a good

reference for someone who is new to UNIX/LINUX Operating System.

The most commonly used and basic Unix commands and what they
do are listed below. Use the “man” command to find the usage and
details of any particular command e.g. prompt>man cp. Using “man
cp” on the command prompt will display the details and usage of the
copy (cp) command.

File/Directory operation related Unix Commands

 cp – copy a file
 mv – move or rename files or directories
 tar – create and use archives of files
 gzip – compress a file
 ftp – file transfer program
 lpr – print out a file
 mkdir – make a directory
 rm – remove files or directories
 rmdir – remove a directory
 mount – attaches a file system to the file system hierarchy at the
mount_point, which is the pathname of a directory.
 umount – unmounts a currently mounted file system.

Navigational type Unix Commands

 cd – change directory
 pwd – display the name of your current directory
 ls – list names of files in a directory

Disk, File and Folder Size/Usage

 du – Use this command to see the size/usage of the folder you
are in. Example usage: du -sk *
 df – Report file system disk space usage. Example usage: df -k
Display file content
 cat – concatenate and display files.
 more – The more utility is a filter that displays the contents of a
text file on the terminal, one screenful at a time.
 less – Less is a program similar to more (1), but which allows
backward movement in the file as well as forward movement.
Also, less does not have to read the entire input file before
starting,so with large input files it starts up faster than text editors
like vi

File Editing
 vi – The vi (visual) utility is a display-oriented text editor.
 nano – nano is a small, free and friendly editor.

Search
 find – find files of a specified name or type.
 grep – searches files for a specified string or expression.

Administration
 top – Top displays the top 10 processes on the system and
periodically updates this information. Raw cpu percentage is
used to rank the processes.
 chmod – change the permissions of a file or a directory.
 ps – The ps command prints
information about active processes.
 kill – kill a process.

Information
 date – display the current date and time.
 cal – The cal utility writes a Gregorian calendar to standard
output.
 diff – display differences between text files.
Help Related
 man – The man command displays information from the
reference manuals.
 help – The help utility retrieves information to further explain
errors messages and warnings from SCCS commands.

If I have missed any frequently used and useful UNIX command(s) to

list on this page then please leave your suggestion in the comments
area below.