Beginner's Guide to 🐧 Debian Linux Commands¶

A guide to mastering the essential Linux commands on Debian-based systems. We'll walk through each command step-by-step, explain what it does and provide simple examples.

Let's 🥽 dive in! 🥽 the world of Debian Linux!

The Terminal

All commands are done in terminal / powershell

To open the Terminal: Look for the terminal icon in your applications, or search for it, or press Ctrl + Alt + T.

1. `pwd` - Print Working Directory¶

What it does: Displays the full path of the current directory you're in.

How to use it:

Type the Command:

pwd

Press Enter: The terminal will display the current directory path.

Example:

$ pwd
/home/<yourusername>

This tells you that you're in the home directory.

2. `ls` - List Directory Contents¶

What it does: Shows the files and folders in the current directory.

How to use it:

Type the Command:

ls

Press Enter: You'll see a list of files and directories.

Common Flags:

-l : Long format (shows details like permissions, owner, size, and date).
-a : Includes hidden files (those starting with a dot .).

Example:

$ ls -l
total 12
drwxr-xr-x 2 yourusername yourusername 4096 Oct 1 12:00 Documents
-rw-r--r-- 1 yourusername yourusername   23 Oct 1 12:05 notes.txt

Using -l provides detailed information about each item.

3. `cd` - Change Directory¶

What it does: Moves you to a different directory.

How to use it:

To Enter a Directory:

cd <Documents>

To Go Back One Level:

cd ..

To Return to Home Directory:

cd ~

Example:

$ cd <Documents>
$ pwd
/home/yourusername/Documents

You've moved into the Documents folder.

4. `mkdir` - Make Directory¶

What it does: Creates a new folder.

How to use it:

Type the Command:

mkdir <NewFolder>

Press Enter: A new directory named NewFolder is created.

Example:

$ mkdir <Projects>

You've created a folder called Projects.

5. `touch` - Create an Empty File¶

What it does: Creates a new, empty file.

How to use it:

Type the Command:

touch <filename.txt>

Press Enter: The file is created.

Example:

$ touch <notes.txt>

An empty file named notes.txt is now in your directory.

6. `rm` - Remove Files or Directories¶

What it does: Deletes files or directories.

Warning: Be careful! Deleted items can't be easily recovered.

How to use it:

To Remove a File:

rm <filename.txt>

To Remove a Directory and Its Contents:

rm -r <directoryname>

Common Flags:

-r : Recursively delete a directory and its contents.
-i : Prompts before every removal (safer).

Example:

$ rm <notes.txt>
$ rm -r <OldProjects>

You've deleted notes.txt and the OldProjects directory.

7. `cp` - Copy Files and Directories¶

What it does: Makes a copy of files or folders.

How to use it:

To Copy a File:

cp <original.txt> <copy.txt>

To Copy a Directory:

cp -r <OriginalFolder> <CopyFolder>

Example:

$ cp <notes.txt> <backup_notes.txt>
$ cp -r <Projects> <ProjectsBackup>

You've copied notes.txt and the Projects folder.

8. `mv` - Move or Rename Files and Directories¶

What it does: Moves or renames items.

How to use it:

To Move a File to Another Directory:

mv <file.txt> </path/to/destination/>

To Rename a File:

mv <oldname.txt> <newname.txt>

Example:

$ mv <notes.txt> <Documents/>
$ mv <old_notes.txt> <new_notes.txt>

You've moved notes.txt to Documents and renamed a file.

9. `cat` - View File Contents¶

What it does: Displays the content of a file.

How to use it:

Type the Command:

cat <filename.txt>

Press Enter: The file's contents appear in the terminal.

Example:

$ <cat> <notes.txt>
This is a note.

You can read what's inside notes.txt.

10. `sudo` - Run Command with Superuser Privileges¶

What it does: Executes commands with administrative rights.

How to use it:

Type sudo Before Your Command:

sudo <command>

Enter Your Password: If prompted.

Example:

$ sudo apt <update>

You've updated package information with admin rights.

11. `apt` - Advanced Package Tool¶

What it does: Installs, updates, and removes software packages.

Common Uses:

Update Package List:

sudo apt update

Upgrade Installed Packages:

sudo apt upgrade

Install a New Package:

sudo apt install <packagename>

Example:

$ sudo apt install nano

You've installed the nano text editor.

12. `man` - Manual Pages¶

What it does: Displays the user manual for commands.

How to use it:

Type the Command:

man <commandname>

Press Enter: Read through the manual.

Example:

$ man ls

You've opened the manual for the ls command.

13. `echo` - Display a Line of Text¶

What it does: Prints text to the terminal.

How to use it:

Type the Command:

echo <"Your message here">

Press Enter: The message appears.

Example:

$ echo <"Hello, Debian!">
Hello, Debian!

You've printed a greeting to the terminal.

14. `grep` - Search for Patterns in Text¶

What it does: Finds specific text within files.

How to use it:

Type the Command:

grep <'searchterm'> <filename.txt>

Press Enter: Lines containing the term are displayed.

Common Flags:

-i : Ignore case differences.
-r : Search directories recursively.

Example:

$ grep <'error'> <logfile.txt>

You've searched for the word "error" in logfile.txt.

15. `find` - Search for Files and Directories¶

What it does: Locates files or folders based on criteria.

How to use it:

Type the Command:

find </path> -<name> <'filename'>

Press Enter: Matching items are listed.

Example:

$ find </home/yourusername> <-name> <'notes.txt'>

You've searched your home directory for notes.txt.

16. `chmod` - Change File Permissions¶

What it does: Modifies who can read, write, or execute files.

How to use it:

Type the Command:

chmod <permissions> <filename>

Press Enter: Permissions are changed.

Understanding Permissions:

Numbers Represent Permissions:
4 : Read (r)
2 : Write (w)
1 : Execute (x)
Combine Numbers:
7 (4+2+1) : Read, write, and execute
The three numbers represent user, group, and others.

Example:

$ chmod 755 script.sh

script.sh is now executable by all, but only writable by you.

17. `chown` - Change File Owner and Group¶

What it does: Changes who owns a file or directory.

How to use it:

Type the Command:

sudo chown <newowner:newgroup> <filename>

Press Enter: Ownership is updated.

Example:

$ sudo chown root:root systemfile

You've changed the owner and group of systemfile to root.

18. `tar` - Archive Utility¶

What it does: Creates or extracts .tar archive files.

How to use it:

To Create an Archive:

tar -cvf archive.tar /path/to/directory

To Extract an Archive:

tar -xvf archive.tar

Common Flags:

-c : Create an archive.
-x : Extract an archive.
-v : Verbose

Beginner's Guide to 🐧 Debian Linux Commands¶

1. pwd - Print Working Directory¶

2. ls - List Directory Contents¶

3. cd - Change Directory¶

4. mkdir - Make Directory¶

5. touch - Create an Empty File¶

6. rm - Remove Files or Directories¶

7. cp - Copy Files and Directories¶

8. mv - Move or Rename Files and Directories¶

9. cat - View File Contents¶

10. sudo - Run Command with Superuser Privileges¶

11. apt - Advanced Package Tool¶

12. man - Manual Pages¶

13. echo - Display a Line of Text¶

14. grep - Search for Patterns in Text¶

15. find - Search for Files and Directories¶

16. chmod - Change File Permissions¶

17. chown - Change File Owner and Group¶

18. tar - Archive Utility¶

1. `pwd` - Print Working Directory¶

2. `ls` - List Directory Contents¶

3. `cd` - Change Directory¶

4. `mkdir` - Make Directory¶

5. `touch` - Create an Empty File¶

6. `rm` - Remove Files or Directories¶

7. `cp` - Copy Files and Directories¶

8. `mv` - Move or Rename Files and Directories¶

9. `cat` - View File Contents¶

10. `sudo` - Run Command with Superuser Privileges¶

11. `apt` - Advanced Package Tool¶

12. `man` - Manual Pages¶

13. `echo` - Display a Line of Text¶

14. `grep` - Search for Patterns in Text¶

15. `find` - Search for Files and Directories¶

16. `chmod` - Change File Permissions¶

17. `chown` - Change File Owner and Group¶

18. `tar` - Archive Utility¶