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The Ultimate Guide to Advanced Linux Commands: A Cheat Sheet

Linux is an operating system widely used by Developers and System Admins. With the basic Linux commands, you can perform several daily tasks. Still, you should learn more complex commands, as they will help increase your efficiency and overall system performance speed enormously. This tutorial will provide the user with advanced Linux commands and step-by-step instructions. Whether you need a cheat sheet for quick reference or want to deepen your knowledge, these advanced Linux commands will increase your performance and simplify your work.

Table of Contents

Guide to Advanced Linux Commands

Why Use Advanced Linux Commands?

Advanced Linux commands allow you to:

  • Automate Tasks: Save time by scripting particular tasks.
  • Manage Processes: Control running processes effectively.
  • Network Configuration: Troubleshoot and manage network settings.
  • File Management: Perform complex file operations with ease.

Important Advanced Linux Commands

Here’s a cheat sheet of advanced Linux commands you should know:

1. grep: Master Text Search

Usage: Search for patterns within files to find specific data. It supports many options, such as recursive search, case insensitivity, and more, making it valuable for Text processing across multiple files.

Example:

grep "error" logfile.txt

This command searches for the word “error” in logfile.txt.

grep -r "pattern" /
Important Advanced Linux Commands grep -r  pattern
grep -i "file" /
Important Advanced Linux Commands grep -i file

2. find: Efficient File Searching

Usage: This command permits precise control of searches through directories, which aids in accessing files that meet specific criteria inside the file system. It can locate manuals and files through Linux Command by criteria such as size, name, or modification time.

Example:

find /home/user -name "*.txt"

This Linux command finds all .txt files in the /home/user directory.

Important Advanced Linux Commands find find /home/user -name txt
find /path -type f -mtime -7
Important Advanced Linux Commands find path -type f -mtime -7
find /path -size +1M
Important Advanced Linux Commands to find path find path -size 1M

3. sed: Streamline Text Processing

Usage: A stream editor that filters Text, replaces content within files, and performs Text transformations on the go. It’s beneficial for batch editing, allowing for flexible and automated changes without needing a graphical Text editor.

Example:

sed 's/old/new/g' file.txt

This command replaces all occurrences of “old” with “new” in file.txt.

Important Advanced Linux Commands for sed 's/old/new/g' file.txt

4. awk: Powerful Text Manipulation

Usage: A solid tool for processing Text for scanning patterns and reports. Through an analysis of the Text structure, it can perform complex field manipulation, data extraction, and reporting; therefore, it is suitable for all kinds of precise Text analysis and output formatting.

Example:

awk '{print $1}' file.txt

This command prints the first column of file.txt.

Important Advanced Linux Commands for awk '{print $1}' file.txt

5. tar: Archive and Compress Files

Usage: It allows managing and creating archives to backup or transport files. This tool compresses directories and files to preserve the file’s structure but makes for good backups and transfers to bundled files.

Example:

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

It is this command that will create an archive known as (archive).tar from the manual provided.

Important Advanced Linux Commands for tar -cvf archive.tar /path/to/directory
tar -xvf archive.tar
Example of the Linux tar command used to create and extract archive files, illustrating advanced file management in the terminal.

6. top: Real-Time Process Monitoring

Usage: Assessment gadget that that gives you the info on just how and also where your operating processes utilize the sources, including CPU and memory. It is a measure of how well a system functions, pinpoints bottlenecks, and energetically supervises the working processes.

Example:

top

This command opens an interactive view of system processes.

Linux top command showing real-time system resource usage, including CPU and memory processes, for advanced system monitoring

7. chmod: Understand File Permissions

Usage: If you’re using a multi-user system, Linux Command file permissions are a great way to implement and control system access. It gives system administrators the option to choose who can read documents, write into them, or make changes.

Example:

chmod 755 script.sh

This command gives read, write, and execute permissions to the owner and read and perform permissions to others for script.sh.

Linux chmod command used to change file permissions, demonstrating advanced file management and security controls.

8. scp: Secure File Transfers

Usage: SSH and file transfer: it is nice for the sharing of files between computers with good safety. It is broadly used to carry out safe remote file transfers, keeping information secured while transferring.

Example:

scp file.txt user@remote:/path/to/destination

This command copies file.txt to a remote server. We have a dedicated article on SCP as well, which you can check out by clicking here.

Linux terminal displaying the use of the scp command to securely copy files between a local and remote system, including options for file paths and server credentials.

9. curl: Data Transfer Made Easy

Usage: This can send information to servers using various methods supported, like HTTP, FTP, and many others. It is a very helpful command for tasks such as internet content services, API requests, downloading of files, and so on.

Example:

curl -O http://example.com/file.txt

Download a file from the specified URL.

Linux terminal showing the curl command used to transfer data from or to a server, with options for specifying URLs and data transfer settings

10. df: Analyze Disk Space

Usage: Check the utilization of disk space for the connected file systems. This command provides a quick overview of space used in easy-to-understand formats to enable user management of storage well and avoid a surprise lack of disk space.

Example:

df -h

This command shows the disk usage of all mounted file systems in a human-readable format (e.g., in GB/MB).

Linux terminal showing the df -h command, which displays disk space usage in a human-readable format, including available space and usage percentages for mounted file systems.

11. ps: Monitor System Processes

Usage: Immediately observe the existing processes on the investigated system. It reflects current processes, information about users, and the use of resources so that administrators can detect the problems of processes and estimate the system’s work.

Example:

ps aux

This command lists all running processes, user information, CPU, and memory usage.

linux ps aux command, which lists detailed information about running processes, including user, process ID, CPU and memory usage, and command names.

12. kill: Terminate Processes Easily

Usage: Terminate processes by Process ID (PID). This command helps end unresponsive or resource-consuming processes, preventing them from causing system issues and freeing up resources.

Example:

kill -9 1234

This Linux Command forcefully terminates a process in Linux with the PID 1234 using signal 9 (SIGKILL).

Output of the kill command used to terminate processes by specifying their process ID (PID).

13. iptables: Configure Firewalls Effectively

Usage: Configure the system firewall rules to manage network traffic. Server security relies heavily on setting policies that permit or disallow connections based on IP addresses, ports, or protocols.

Example:

iptables -L

This Linux Command lists all current firewall rules, allowing you to see how traffic is filtered.

Command-line interface showing iptables used for configuring network packet filtering rules, managing firewall settings and traffic control.

14. netstat: Network Insights and Analysis

Usage: This tool includes the listing for Network connections, routing tables, and interface statistics. It gives invaluable network insights through its ability to monitor (read its network activity) and track connections and through the tools it provides for troubleshooting.

Example:

netstat -tuln

This Linux Command shows active listening ports (-l), TCP (-t), and UDP (-u) connections in numeric form (-n).

Terminal output displaying the netstat command, which provides network connection statistics, routing tables, and interface statistics for active network connections.

15. hostnamectl: Manage Hostnames

Usage: The purpose of this linux command is to allow you to view or set your system hostname since it’s as much a part of your network as anything else. This feature speeds up the management of server identity and settings by easily changing or querying system names.

Example:

hostname

Changing the Hostname

sudo hostnamectl set-hostname <your hostname>
Terminal output of the hostnamectl command, displaying system hostname information, including static and transient hostnames and related network settings.

16. uname: Display System Information

Usage: It shows up the system information like kernel version, hardware architecture, etc. It gives significant details about the environment of the system, which is helpful for diagnostics, the system compatibility check, and the system optimization.

Example: 

uname -a
Output of the uname command in the terminal, providing system information such as the kernel name, version, and architecture of the operating system.

17. lshw: List Hardware Details

Usage: Tell the system to list detailed hardware information about itself. It is a must linux command to give info about memory, CPU, disk, and more for hardware inventory and performance diagnosis.

Example:

lshw
Terminal output of the lshw command, which displays detailed information about the system's hardware components, including memory, CPU, and storage devices.

18. lscpu: CPU Architecture Overview

Usage: Display CPU architecture details. It provides a breakdown of the processor’s specifications, including cores, threads, cache, and more, which is helpful for system optimization and compatibility checks.

Example: 

lscpu
Terminal output of the lscpu command, displaying detailed information about the CPU architecture, including the number of cores, threads, and processor features.

19. lsblk: Understand Block Devices

Usage: It provides information about block devices such as disks and partitions. Being mainly used for managing disk usage, analyzing partition layouts, and determining whether the storage device is mounted.

Example:

lsblk
Terminal output of the lsblk command, listing block devices and their attributes, such as size, type, and mount points, to provide an overview of storage devices on the system.

20. passwd: Manage User Passwords

Usage: Change a user’s password. It is a very important linux command one needs to make use of regularly, or else an account could be compromised again.

passwd

21. crontab: Automate Scheduled Tasks

Usage: This linux command allows users to view or set the system hostname, which is essential for network identification. This feature simplifies managing server identity and settings by quickly changing or querying system names.
Example:

crontab -e  

Using this linux command opens the crontab file, allowing you to schedule tasks.

Crontab

22. At: Schedule One-Time Tasks

Usage: Run specified scheduled tasks once. Automating only actions that need to happen once helps to streamline processes and gives us flexibility when it comes to managing system tasks.

Example:

echo "bash script.sh" | at 02:00  

Schedules a script to run at 2 AM.

Terminal output demonstrating the scheduling of a bash script to run at 02:00 using the at command, illustrating the process of setting up a one-time task in Linux.

23. lsof: Monitor Open Files

Usage: It helps you determine the process using a particular file by listing open files and their associated processes, which can be helpful during troubleshooting and system management tasks.

Example:

lsof +D /path/to/directory  
Terminal output of the lsof +D /path/to/directory command, which lists open files and processes associated with a specific directory, providing insights into file usage and active connections.

24. htop: Enhanced Process Viewer

Usage: The list of open files with the processes related to those files identifying what process is using which file not only helps troubleshoot but also for system management purposes.

Example:

htop  
Terminal displaying htop, an interactive process viewer showing real-time system resource usage and running processes

25. nmap: Explore Network Security

Usage: Security professionals widely use the network scanning tool to find hosts and services during a security audit.

Example:

nmap -A 192.168.1.1  
Terminal output of the nmap command, displaying network scanning results that reveal open ports and services on a target machine.

26. ufw: Simplify Firewall Management

Usage: Manage firewall settings with an intuitive interface that simplifies security and effectively controls inbound and outbound traffic.

Example:

sudo ufw allow 22  
Terminal output of the ufw command, displaying firewall status and rules for managing network traffic and enhancing system security.

27. journalctl: Access System Logs

Usage: View ‘logs’ of the systemd journal. It supplies useful information about the system activity and bug-checking service status, thereby useful for system error diagnosis and checking service status.

Example:

journalctl -u apache2.service  
Terminal output of the journalctl command, displaying system logs and messages from the journal, providing insights into system activities and events.

28. du: Disk Usage Analysis

Usage: Estimate how much file and directory space you are using. This linux command finds which extensive directory or file has taken up space so we can manage storage and clear the space when needed.

Example:

du -sh /path/to/directory 
Terminal output of the du -sh /path/to/directory command, displaying the total disk usage of a specified directory in a human-readable format.

29. traceroute: Analyze Network Paths

Usage: Exhibit the end-to-end path of how packets flow from source to destination. It identifies bottlenecks or connectivity issues across network paths and is a diagnostic tool.

Example:

traceroute google.com  
Terminal output of the traceroute command, illustrating the path taken by packets to reach a network destination, along with round-trip time for each hop.

30. ip: Comprehensive Network Configuration

Usage: Network adapter control and the manipulation of routing tables. Managing the network to provide IP addresses, up or down interfaces, or altering the routing tables is essential.

Example:

ip a  
Terminal output of the ip a command, displaying network interfaces and their IP address configurations, including both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

31. nc (netcat): Networking Swiss Army Knife

Usage: Read and write data across network connections. It’s a versatile tool for debugging, testing, and scripting network interactions, supporting various network-related tasks.

Example:

nc -l 1234  
netcat

32. tshark: Capture Network Traffic

Usage: A packet sniffer is another network tool available from a terminal that assists in capturing and analyzing packet data. It is a helpful tool for networking and analyzing security.

sudo tshark -i eth0  
Terminal output of the tshark command, displaying network packet capture data, including source and destination addresses, protocols, and packet details for network analysis.

33. whois: Retrieve Domain Information

Usage: A service that queries information about domain names to provide you with the ownership, registration date, and expiration details. Researchers and security professionals widely use it for domain research &security assessment.

Example:

whois example.com  
Terminal output of the whois command, displaying registration details for a domain name, including ownership, contact information, and registration dates.

34. dig: Perform DNS Lookups

Usage: It performs DNS lookups and shows detailed information. Admins use it to solve DNS problems, look up records, and test domain name resolution.

Example:

dig google.com  
Dig

35. mkfs: Create File Systems

Usage: Create a new filesystem on a disk or partition. This linux command prepares storage devices for use by organizing their structure, making them ready for data storage.

Example:

sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1  
Using the mkfs command, this terminal output illustrates the formatting of a partition to create a file system, detailing the chosen file system type.

36. xargs: Efficient Command Handling

Usage: Build and execute linux command lines from input. It’s beneficial for handling the output of other commands, allowing for more complex command chaining and operations.

Example:

find . -name "*.txt" | xargs rm  
Terminal output of the xargs command, illustrating how to execute commands using input from standard input.

37. df: Disk Space Utilization

Usage: This linux command gives users an overview of disk usage on filesystems, helping them monitor storage capacity by showing where space is consumed and what remains.

Example:

df -h  
Terminal output of the xargs command, illustrating how to execute commands using input from standard input.

38. ifconfig: Manage Network Interfaces

Usage: Configure network interfaces, such as assigning IP addresses or enabling interfaces. It’s essential for basic network management tasks on older systems or specific distributions.

Example:

ifconfig eth0 up  
Terminal output of the ifconfig eth0 up command, which activates the network interface eth0, enabling network connectivity.

39. ncdu: Visualize Disk Usage

Usage: An interactive disk usage analyzer providing an intuitive interface for viewing space usage. It helps identify large files or directories, aiding in effective disk management.

Example:

ncdu /
Displaying the output of the ncdu command, this terminal interface allows users to analyze and manage disk usage efficiently, highlighting space consumption across directories.

40. vmstat: Performance Monitoring Tool

Usage: Displays system processes, memory, swap, and CPU activity reported in virtual memory statistics. Additionally, it’s useful for performance monitoring and diagnosing system resource use over time.

Example:

vmstat 5  
Featuring the vmstat command output, this terminal display provides real-time system performance statistics, including memory usage, processes, and CPU activity.

41. iotop: Analyze Disk I/O

Usage: Monitor disk I/O by processes to identify those using excessive resources, aiding in performance issue diagnosis.

Example:

sudo iotop  
Showcasing the output of the iotop command, this terminal interface displays real-time I/O usage by processes, helping users monitor disk activity and performance.

42. blkid: Identify Block Devices

Usage: This linux command shows block device attributes, such as which filesystem is present and the UUID. Managing several disks involves managing storage devices and partitions, and it is important.

Example:

blkid 
Presenting the output of the blkid command, this terminal display lists block device attributes, including UUIDs and file system types, for identifying storage devices.

43. watch: Periodically Run Commands

Usage: Run a linux command and show you the output from time to time. It can help you monitor changing system (disk usage, system load, and file alterations over time, etc.) state.

Example:

watch df -h  
Displaying the output of the watch df -h command, this terminal interface refreshes disk usage statistics in real-time, presenting sizes and available space in a human-readable format.

44. fuser: Identity Using Processes

Usage: Identify which processes are using files or directories. This information is valuable for troubleshooting file locks and understanding resource contention between processes.

Example:

fuser -v /path/to/file  
Terminal output of the fuser command, which identifies processes using a specified file or socket, providing details on active connections and process IDs.

45. env: Manage Environment Variables

Usage: Display environment variables or run commands with a modified environment. It’s useful for debugging and controlling the environment in which scripts or programs run.

Example:

env  
Output of the env command in the terminal, displaying the current environment variables and their values, useful for managing session settings and configurations

46. cut: Extract Text Sections

Usage: This tool removes sections of each line from files based on delimiters. It’s handy for extracting specific fields from structured Text files, such as logs or configuration files.

Example:

cut -d':' -f1 /etc/passwd  

47. uniq: Remove Duplicate Lines

Usage: This utility displays file content in hexadecimal format, making it easy to inspect binary data for low-level debugging and file structure analysis.

Example:

sort file.txt | uniq  
Terminal output of the uniq command, which filters adjacent matching lines from input, displaying unique entries in a sorted list.

48. hexdump: Analyze Binary Data

Usage: It is a simple utility to help users view file content in hexadecimal so they can quickly examine binary data. It is a tool normally used to do low level debugging or to inspect file structures.

Example:

hexdump -C file.bin  
Terminal output of the hexdump command, which presents binary file data in a hexadecimal format, allowing users to analyze raw byte values and structure.

49. Shred: Securely Delete Files

Usage: This command safely overwrites a file to prevent its recovery and is essential in protecting sensitive information by guaranteeing that the system cannot restore deleted files.

Example:

shred -u sensitivefile.txt  
Terminal output of the shred command, demonstrating how to securely delete files by overwriting their data multiple times to prevent recovery.

50. alias: Customize Command Shortcuts

Usage: Create custom shortcuts for commands, simplifying the execution of frequently used or complex commands. It’s an effective way to personalize and speed up the command-line workflow.
Example:

alias ll='ls -alF'
Output of the alias command in the terminal, illustrating how to create shortcuts for commands to simplify and speed up command-line usage.

51. ss: Investigate Socket Connections

Usage: The ss command provides network socket statistics. It offers comprehensive details regarding network connections, such as open ports, established sessions, and protocol usage. Compared to netstat, this is a more precise and effective network diagnostic tool.


Example:

ss -tuln  

This command shows all listening ports for TCP and UDP connections in numeric form.

Displaying the output of the ss -tuln command, this terminal interface provides a list of active TCP and UDP sockets, showing their listening status and associated ports.

Tips for Using Advanced Linux Commands

  • Practice Regularly: The more you use these commands, the better you’ll become.
  • Read the Man Pages: Use the man command to read the manual for each command (e.g., man grep).
  • Combine Commands: Connect commands for complex tasks using pipes (|).

Combine Commands:

You can use pipes (|), logical operators, and chaining to combine multiple commands for complex tasks in Linux. Here’s an example:

Using Pipes:

grep "error" logfile.txt | awk '{print $2}' | sort | uniq
  • This command searches for “error” in logfile.txt, extracts the second column, sorts the results, and removes duplicates.

Logical Operators:

command1 && command2 – Runs command2 only if command succeeds.

command1 || command2 – Runs command2 if command fails.

Chaining:

command1; command2 – Runs both commands regardless of success.

Conclusion

Mastering advanced Linux commands is essential for optimizing server performance and productivity. With this cheat sheet, you’ll have a powerful toolkit to handle everything from process management to challenging file operations. Whether you’re a system administrator or a developer, using these commands in your workflow will help you take your Linux expertise to the next level.

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About the writer

Vinayak Baranwal Article Author

Vinayak Baranwal wrote this article. Use the provided link to connect with Vinayak on LinkedIn for more insightful content or collaboration opportunities.

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