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.
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" /
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.
find /path -type f -mtime -7
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.
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.
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.
tar -xvf archive.tar
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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).
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.
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).
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>
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 /
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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'
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.
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 wrote this article. Use the provided link to connect with Vinayak on LinkedIn for more insightful content or collaboration opportunities.